The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Genesis 31:38-42,
"I [Jacob] have been with you [Laban - Jacob's uncle and his wives (Leah's and Rachel's) father] for twenty years now. Your sheep and goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten rams from your flocks. I did not bring you animals torn by wild beasts; I bore the loss myself. And you demanded payment from me for whatever was stolen by day or night. This was my situation: The heat consumed me in the daytime and the cold at night, and sleep fled from my eyes. It was like this for the twenty years I was in your household. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks, and you changed my wages ten times. If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands, and last night he rebuked you."
Here is Jacob's response to his father-in-law, Laban, as to why he secretly ran off with his wives (Laban's daughters) and children. Jacob had left his parents to go find a wife for himself at his father's [Isaac] direction to go to Laban to get a wife. Now, Jacob wanted to return after having spent 20 years away from home.
Another complaint Jacob surely could have made in his explanation to Laban was that Laban had deceived him by substituting his older daughter, Leah, for Rachel after having promised Rachel to him (the deceiver got deceived!). Jacob had worked seven years to pay Laban for Rachel and as a result had to work an additional seven years after being swindled by Laban in order to get Rachel.
During this 20 year period, Jacob increased his wealth immensely. He prospered in everything he did. Here we see the importance of Isaac's blessing of Jacob at work. It was consequential in that it brought God's assistance in all he did.
However, what this passage reveals is that although Isaac's blessing of Jacob resulted in God prospering him greatly, it did not come easy. Look at the hard work, the years of labor and of difficulty that Jacob endured as he reaped God's blessing!
I am reminded that God's blessing does not always come without hard work, effort, and maybe even some suffering. We live in a day where these kinds of lessons often seem to be lost. In the church today too many people measure God's blessings by how much money, how much stuff, how much success comes a person's way with no effort. It seems to be that if no effort is exerted, and yet a person receives much, that is how we measure a blessing. That is not what is always reflected in the Scriptures.
Here is Jacob's response to his father-in-law, Laban, as to why he secretly ran off with his wives (Laban's daughters) and children. Jacob had left his parents to go find a wife for himself at his father's [Isaac] direction to go to Laban to get a wife. Now, Jacob wanted to return after having spent 20 years away from home.
Another complaint Jacob surely could have made in his explanation to Laban was that Laban had deceived him by substituting his older daughter, Leah, for Rachel after having promised Rachel to him (the deceiver got deceived!). Jacob had worked seven years to pay Laban for Rachel and as a result had to work an additional seven years after being swindled by Laban in order to get Rachel.
During this 20 year period, Jacob increased his wealth immensely. He prospered in everything he did. Here we see the importance of Isaac's blessing of Jacob at work. It was consequential in that it brought God's assistance in all he did.
However, what this passage reveals is that although Isaac's blessing of Jacob resulted in God prospering him greatly, it did not come easy. Look at the hard work, the years of labor and of difficulty that Jacob endured as he reaped God's blessing!
I am reminded that God's blessing does not always come without hard work, effort, and maybe even some suffering. We live in a day where these kinds of lessons often seem to be lost. In the church today too many people measure God's blessings by how much money, how much stuff, how much success comes a person's way with no effort. It seems to be that if no effort is exerted, and yet a person receives much, that is how we measure a blessing. That is not what is always reflected in the Scriptures.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
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