2024.08.11.Sermon Notes. Jacob’s Prosperity by GOD’s Grace
William Akehurst, HSWC
BIG IDEA: Jacob has finished his 14 years working off the dowry for his wives. And yet he has nothing. He wants to leave and go home, but realizes that he must provide for his family. And does so, at the expense of his father in law. But we realize that it was not what Jacob did, but GOD’s Grace that provided the blessing.
Scriptures: Ephesians 2:8-10, Genesis 30:25-43, Genesis 31:1-16, Philippians 2:15-16, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Ephesians 6:10, John 15:5, Matthew 6:33
KEY VERSE:
Ephesians 2:8-10 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Genesis 30:25-43
Jacob’s Agreement with Laban
25 And it came to pass, when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away, that I may go to my own place and to my country. 26 Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, and let me go; for you know my service which I have done for you.”
JACOB has finished up working his 14 years for Rachel. 7 years originally, only to receive Leah because the firstborn must marry first.
REMEMBER the whole birthright thing with the twins Esau and Jacob where Jacob born 2nd took the birthright from Esau who disregarded it’s value and meaning.
BIRTH ORDER for marriage of daughters was stated as tradition by Laban.
14 YEARS. Therefore Jacob served 7 years for the firstborn daughter Leah unbeknownst to Jacob, and 7 more years for his love for Rachel.
VOW FULFILLED; DOWRY PAID. “Give me my wives and children and let me go.” Jacob had fulfilled his vows to Laban for the dowry for his daughters Leah and Rachel.
27 And Laban said to him, “Please stay, if I have found favor in your eyes, for I have learned by experience that the LORD has blessed me for your sake.” 28 Then he said, “Name me your wages, and I will give it.”
LABAN has experienced the blessings of the LORD because of Jacob, and he knows it and is reluctant to let that end with Jacob’s departure.
“Name your wages to stay” he says to Jacob. Laban begins the bartering/negotiation process with Jacob.
29 So Jacob said to him, “You know how I have served you and how your livestock has been with me. 30 For what you had before I came was little, and it has increased to a great amount; the LORD has blessed you since my coming. And now, when shall I also provide for my own house?”
JACOB realizes that he has worked 14 years for nothing except his family, wives, children and servants. He has no real possessions to care for his household as he has done everything for Laban, who received the blessing of Jacob’s labor.
31 So he (LABAN) said, “What shall I give you?”
And Jacob said, “You shall not give me anything. If you will do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep your flocks: 32 Let me pass through all your flock today, removing from there all the speckled and spotted sheep, and all the brown ones among the lambs, and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and these shall be my wages. 33 So my righteousness will answer for me in time to come, when the subject of my wages comes before you: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the lambs, will be considered stolen, if it is with me.”
34 And Laban said, “Oh, that it were according to your word!”
GIVE ME NOTHING, but let me tend to the flocks. Jacob had a plan, scheming to use Laban’s flocks to amass his own.
LABAN. LET IT BE AS YOU SAY! Notice the exclamation point in the scripture. Laban thought he got the best deal because the solid color animals were the dominating colors over the other.
FACT: In that region, sheep and goats are dominantly solid white, black or dark brown. It was uncommon to have specked, striped or spotted offspring.
JACOB sets out a plan to use Laban’s flocks to make his own. Separating the solid black and dark brown for Laban from the striped, speckled and spotted for himself.
35 So he (Jacob) removed that day the male goats that were speckled and spotted, all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had some white in it, and all the brown ones among the lambs, and gave them into the hand of his sons. 36 Then he put three days’ journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob fed the rest of Laban’s flocks.
JACOB’S BREEDING PLAN
1. Peeled Poles 37-39
Some kind of prenatal influence, if they see striped or speckled they will birth striped or specked???
2. Separated Flocks 40
Jacob used this method to control the breeding as well as to keep the flocks organized.
3. Selective Breeding 41-42
Fall born flock had to endure and survive the winter months, therefore, the fall born animals were thought to be stronger than those born in the Spring. Spring born had no harsh conditions, so the weaker survived more easily.
4. Success! Vs 43
While it would appear that Jacob was prosperous by his shrewd breeding techniques, manipulating the outcome of mating the flocks. No modern day breeder would use poles and stripes or these techniques today to strengthen their herds and flocks.
Later we will see how it actually happens, in Genesis 31:7-13
Jacob thought he had it all figured out.
BUT GOD…
37 Now Jacob took for himself rods of green poplar and of the almond and chestnut trees, peeled white strips in them, and exposed the white which was in the rods. 38 And the rods which he had peeled, he set before the flocks in the gutters, in the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink, so that they should conceive when they came to drink. 39 So the flocks conceived before the rods, and the flocks brought forth streaked, speckled, and spotted. 40 Then Jacob separated the lambs, and made the flocks face toward the streaked and all the brown in the flock of Laban; but he put his own flocks by themselves and did not put them with Laban’s flock.
41 And it came to pass, whenever the stronger livestock conceived, that Jacob placed the rods before the eyes of the livestock in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods. 42 But when the flocks were feeble, he did not put them in; so the feebler were Laban’s and the stronger Jacob’s.
43 Thus the man became exceedingly prosperous, and had large flocks, female and male servants, and camels and donkeys.
Genesis 31:1-16
Jacob Flees from Laban
1 Now Jacob heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, “Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s, and from what was our father’s he has acquired all this wealth.”
2 And Jacob saw the countenance of Laban, and indeed it was not favorable toward him as before.
LABAN’S SONS. This is the first reference to Laban having sons. We’ve met his daughters Leah and Rachel, but now we are introduced to his sons.
LABAN’S SON’S JEALOUSY. Jacob has taken away from our father to acquire his wealth.
GOD SPEAKS
3 Then the LORD said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your family, and I will be with you.”
JACOB FINALLY SEES GOD’S HAND AT WORK
4 So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field, to his flock, 5 and said to them, “I see your father’s countenance, that it is not favorable toward me as before; but the God of my father has been with me. 6 And you know that with all my might I have served your father. 7 Yet your father has deceived me and changed my wages ten times, but God did not allow him to hurt me. 8 If he said thus: The speckled shall be your wages,’ then all the flocks bore speckled. And if he said thus: ‘The streaked shall be your wages,’ then all the flocks bore streaked. 9 So God has taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me.
ANOTHER DREAM. GOD’S HAND AT WORK.
10 “And it happened, at the time when the flocks conceived, that I lifted my eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the rams which leaped upon the flocks were streaked, speckled, and gray-spotted. 11 Then the Angel of God spoke to me in a dream, saying, ‘Jacob.’ And I said, ‘Here I am.’ 12 And He said, ‘Lift your eyes now and see, all the rams which leap on the flocks are streaked, speckled, and gray-spotted; for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you. 13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and where you made a vow to Me. Now arise, get out of this land, and return to the land of your family.’ ”
JACOB’S PLANS didn’t succeed. It wasn’t from his doings. And he finally realizes it.
Vs. 7. GOD didn’t allow Laban to hurt me.
Vs. 8. If HE said, the speckled shall be your wages, then the flocks bore speckled. And if HE said the streaked shall be your wages, then the flocks bore streaked.
Vs. 9. GOD has taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me.
Vs. 12. ALL THE RAMS which leap on the flocks were streaked, speckled and gray-spotted.
GOD DID IT. Not Jacob.
Vs. 13. I AM THE GOD OF BETHEL where you anointed the pillar and made a vow to me. Now, GET OUT OF HERE and Go Home!
14 Then Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, “Is there still any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house? 15 Are we not considered strangers by him? For he has sold us, and also completely consumed our money. 16 For all these riches which God has taken from our father are really ours and our children’s; now then, whatever God has said to you, do it.”
RACHEL and LEAH have come to the realization of their father’s intentions. They have been sold, and used for his own wealth. BUT GOD. GOD gave them of their inheritance through the flocks of their father.
BUT GOD…
Those 2 words say it all.
We try to make things happen in our own way. BUT GOD…
We screw things up and go the wrong way…BUT GOD…
Many people try to work their way into Heaven by their own way. While many attend church, sing in the choir, get baptized, take communion, help with charitable things. While these have great value to the one who is already a Christian, these things are useless in acquiring GOD’s approval and blessing.
While these things may look religious, and people may think they are Christian because they do these things.
There is only ONE WAY to enter GOD’s Heaven, and that is to realize that we do not deserve it, and that even with our best efforts, we can’t become righteous on our own. It is the WORK of CHRIST on the CROSS, the Work of GOD’s SALVATION, through none other than JESUS CHRIST, HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON.
WHO took upon HIMSELF the penalty for all our sins. It is BY HIS BLOOD and SACRIFICE, that HE provides the Righteousness that GOD Requires.
SALVATION comes by trusting, believing, following, focusing on the SUFFICIENCY of JESUS CHRIST and what HE Accomplished on the Cross, in the Grave, and at HIS Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven.
JESUS IS THE BIRTHRIGHT for every believer who puts their trust in HIM. And IN HIM, through THAT BIRTHRIGHT, we can experience GOD’s Blessings of Eternal Life.
Once again, it’s not what we accomplish on this earth, it’s what JESUS DID for us. All we must do is BELIEVE and LIVE IN CHRIST.
We live in a crooked and perverse generation. And we are to live SET APART for HIS GLORY.
Philippians 2:15-16 …become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.
And it’s not about the things we do. It’s about GOD’s GRACE. The Account of Jacob was showing us that it wasn’t what he did, it was what GOD DID for him. This is GOD’s GRACE.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
And its not about our strength, but rather GOD’s STRENGTH, POWER AND MIGHT.
Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
We are commanded to live in and for JESUS. Because without HIM, we are nothing.
John 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
We have also be instructed to place our attention and thoughts on things above, seeking the Kingdom of GOD, and HIS Righteousness. THEN, you will have what you need.
Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
FATHER GOD,
Help us to trust in YOU and know that YOUR GRACE is sufficient for us. It’s not about us, or what we try to accomplish in our own strength. It’s all about what YOU DO IN US and THROUGH US in this world, to accomplish YOUR PLAN and PURPOSE. TO FULFILL YOUR OWN PROMISES IN US. FATHER, awaken our spirit to YOUR SPIRIT, to see, hear, sense, know that YOU are Sovereign in all your ways. Help us to commit our ways, to YOUR WAY, JESUS CHRIST, our LORD, SAVIOR and Soon Coming KING. Amen.
Be blessed and be a blessing,
Bill
