Genesis 30:25-28 Name your wages!

Jacob Prospers

25Now after Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me on my way so I can return to my homeland. 26Give me my wives and children, for whom I have served you, and I will go on my way. You know how hard I have worked for you.”

27But Laban replied, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please stay. I have learned by divination that the LORD has blessed me because of you.” 28And he added, “Name your wages, and I will pay them.”

Jacob was away for more the 14 years, away from the Promised land which was promised to Abraham and Isaac.

“ I have learned by divination that the LORD has blessed me because of you.” 

Divination (from Latin divinare "to foresee, to be inspired by a god",[2] related to divinus, divine) is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic, standardized process or ritual.

Notice is says “a god” and not the God. Later we will learn Laban had idols in his household.

But also notice, “the LORD has blessed me because of you.” Isn’t it interesting that the Lord blessed Laban, an idol worshiper, a person who practices divination because Jacob was in his immediate family, his son in law?

“Name your wages, and I will pay them.” Here we go again! Is Laban trustworthy? How many times will the “wages” change?

I’m guilty, I have changed someone’s wages. Have you?

Blessings, David 

Genesis 30:22-24 May He Add!

The Birth of Joseph

22Then God remembered Rachel. He listened to her and opened her womb, 23and she conceived and gave birth to a son. “God has taken away my shame,” she said. 24She named him Joseph, and said, “May the LORD add to me another son.”

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Wouldn’t it be fitting for the Creator to open or close a womb as He sees fit?

“God has taken away my shame,”. What shame, loosing the competition with Leah?

Joseph means May He Add. Later in Genesis we will see how God uses Joseph to save this family, but with the hatred and competition between these two sisters is it a wonder that Joseph’s brothers will want to kill him?

One would think that the people God uses in the Bible would be saints above reproach but when you study the Bible you see the people are just like you and me!

Blessings, David 

Living Water. Psalm 23:2b NLT

Psalm 23:2b NLT

He leads me beside peaceful streams.

Is it any wonder Jesus refers to Himself as living waters? He is the peaceful stream that gives us rest.

Years ago David and I owned a cabin in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It was on a small, somewhat private lake, in National Forest and motors were not allowed on the lake. It was quiet, secluded and peaceful. I loved taking the row boat out and drifting around the lake, listening to the sounds and watching the sky. It was my happy place.

All verses from the New Living Translation:

Jeremiah 2: 13 “For my people have done two evil things: 

They have abandoned Me— the fountain of living water. 

And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!

And we are still abandon Jesus to "drink from cisterns".

Jeremiah 17: 13 O LORD, the hope of Israel, all who turn away from You will be disgraced. They will be buried in the dust of the earth, for they have abandoned the LORD, the fountain of living water. 

Zechariah 14: 8 On that day life-giving waters will flow out from Jerusalem, half toward the Dead Sea and half toward the Mediterranean,  flowing continuously in both summer and winter.

I can't wait to see that!

John 4: 11 “But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,” she said, “and this well is very deep. Where would You get this living water?  12 And besides, do you think You’re greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can You offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?”

13 Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again.  14 But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”

John 7: 37 On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to Me! 38 Anyone who believes in Me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from His heart.’” 39 (When He said “living water,” He was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in Him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into His glory. 

Lord, fill me with Your living waters, Your Holy Spirit!

Revelation 7: 17 For the Lamb on the throne will be their Shepherd. 

He will lead them to springs of life-giving water. 

And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”

Ah, to no longer experience grief! 

Revelation 21: 5 And The One sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then He said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.”  6 And He also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life.  7 All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children. 

Do you yearn for the rapture? I do!

Blessings, Cecilia

Genesis 30:17-21 Competition, who wins?

Issachar, Zebulun, and Dinah

17And God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore a fifth son to Jacob. 18Then Leah said, “God has rewarded me for giving my maidservant to my husband.” So she named him Issachar.

19Again Leah conceived and bore a sixth son to Jacob. 20“God has given me a good gift,” she said. “This time my husband will honor me, because I have borne him six sons.” And she named him Zebulun.

21After that, Leah gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.

Issachar means reward.

Zebulun means dwelling.

Dinah, we don’t know what the meaning of her name.

The two sisters were in a competition for their husband, with continually raising the stakes. Later in Leviticus we read God forbids taking a sister as a wife.

Leviticus 18:18You must not take your wife’s sister as a rival wife and have sexual relations with her while your wife is still alive.

“Is it any wonder that this family had a history of strife and bloodshed? Children reflect the atmosphere of the home.” (Barnhouse)

Are you in a competition with someone? Is it godly?

Blessings, David 

The key to godliness is not more knowledge but more obedience.

Woodrow Kroll

A River Runs Through It. Psalm 23:2b NLT

Psalm 23:2b NLT

He leads me beside peaceful streams. 

Yesterday at church Pastor was teaching about Joshua leading the Israelites across the Jordan River. He explained how the Lord heaped up the waters only after the priests first stepped into the river. The river was not a babbling brook at that time of the year. It was a raging, overflowing river filled with water from snow melt. Two points I didn't hear Pastor make, one I know from experience, the water was probably freezing cold and two, the passage states the Israelites crossed on dry ground. 

Near our home in Arizona was a large wash. It carried the mountain run off from snow melt and heavy rain. Most of the year it was completely dry. You could easily follow the trail across it and hike up into the canyon. It was one of my favorite places to go. 

In the spring when the snow melted on Mount Lemmon the wash was a raging river. Add a few days of good rain in there and the wash became a dangerous debris filled foaming brown torrent of cold, cold water. So destructive was it at times it actually eroded a new route through the boulders and trees that made up  it's banks. During this time you could actually hear the wash  from our back yard a mile away. 

In his teaching yesterday Pastor debunked the secular explanation for the Jordan River stopping it's flow for the Israelites to cross. Some claim an earthquake could have dumped boulders into the river and stopped the water flow for several hours. Evidently this has happened twice in recorded history. 

Yeah, well maybe, but then how do you explain the dry ground part? 

Joshua 3:17b NLT

"the whole nation of Israel had crossed the Jordan on dry ground."

 That verse alone has me convinced God did it. 

Now Pastors point was about stepping out in faith, trusting God and crossing the Jordan Rivers in our life. I've got mine, what is yours? 

Blessings, Cecilia

Genesis 30:9-16 Jealousy, Envy and Surrogates!

Gad and Asher

9When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she gave her servant Zilpah to Jacob as a wife. 10And Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a son. 11Then Leah said, “How fortunate!” So she named him Gad.

12When Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son, 13Leah said, “How happy I am, for the women will call me happy.” So she named him Asher.

14Now during the wheat harvest, Reuben went out and found some mandrakes in the field. When he brought them to his mother, Rachel begged Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”

15But Leah replied, “Is it not enough that you have taken away my husband? Now you want to take my son’s mandrakes as well?”

“Very well,” said Rachel, “he may sleep with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.”

16When Jacob came in from the field that evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must come with me, for I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So he slept with her that night.

Here we go again......

Leah stopped having children so she thought she could use the same surrogate mother method Rachel used.

I’m sure Jacob was happy!

Gad translates, good fortune.

Asher translates happy.

““he may sleep with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.”

Mandrakes, a Mediterranean plant with white or purple flowers. 

The polygamists were pimping their husband and paying for sex?

Jealousy and envy cause us to loose focus on the Lord and His purpose for our lives.

What are you focused on?

Blessings, David 

Green Meadows. Psalm 23:2a NLT

2a He lets me rest in green meadows

"For the child of God, the Old Testament account of Israel moving from Egypt into the Promised Land is a picture of us moving from sin into the life of overcoming victory. We are promised such a life. It has been provided for us and is made possible by the unrelenting effort of Christ on our behalf. 

How He works to clear the life of rocks of stony unbelief. How He tries to tear out the roots of bitterness. He attempts to break up the hard, proud human heart that is set like sun dried clay. He then sows the seed of His own precious Word, which, if given half a chance to grow, will produce rich crops of contentment and peace. He waters this with the dew and rain of His own presence by the Holy Spirit. He tends and cares and cultivates the life, longing to see it become rich and green and productive." W. Phillip Keller

Stony unbelief, roots of bitterness, hard, proud heart like sun dried clay. Is that you? Is that me? Maybe even just a little? Maybe in part? Words that have invaded my mind lately: Confession, repentance, bitterness....Lord, cultivate my heart. Sow Your seeds. Produce rich crops of contentment and peace. And Lord, rain down Your living waters of the Holy Spirit on me.

Blessings, Cecilia 

Genesis 30:1-8 Envy

Dan and Naphtali

1When Rachel saw that she was not bearing any children for Jacob, she envied her sister. “Give me children, or I will die!” she said to Jacob.

2Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld children from you?”

3Then she said, “Here is my maidservant Bilhah. Sleep with her, and she will bear children for me, so that through her I too can build a family.”

4So Rachel gave Jacob her servant Bilhah as his wife, and he slept with her, 5and Bilhah conceived and bore him a son. 6Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me; He has heard my plea and given me a son.” So she named him Dan.

7And Rachel’s servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. 8Then Rachel said, “In my great struggles, I have wrestled with my sister and won.” So she named him Naphtali.

Here we go again, Sarah did this with Abraham and now Rachel repeats the practice of surrogate child bearer. 

Rachel envied her sister Leah because of the children she bore for Jacob and Leah envied Rachel because of her beauty. 

“God has vindicated me; He has heard my plea and given me a son.”

“Can a woman get so low that she will hit her sister over the head with a baby? Rachel did.” (Barnhouse)

Dan, meaning (judgement).

Naphtali, meaning  (wrestle).

Envy, is a tool of Satan.

Don’t allow envy to consume you like Rachel and Leah.

Blessings, David 

Genesis 29:31-35 Your Maker is your husband!

Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah

31When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. 32And Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and she named him Reuben, for she said, “The LORD has seen my affliction. Surely my husband will love me now.”

33Again she conceived and gave birth to a son, and she said, “Because the LORD has heard that I am unloved, He has given me this son as well.” So she named him Simeon.

34Once again Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and she said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” So he was named Levi.

35And once more, she conceived and gave birth to a son and said, “This time I will praise the LORD.” So she named him Judah.e Then Leah stopped having children.

“Wretched Leah sits sadly in her tent with her maid and spends her time spinning and weeping. For the rest of the household, and especially Rachel, despises her because she has been scorned by her husband, who prefers Rachel and is desperately in love with Rachel alone. She is not beautiful, not pleasing. No, she is odious and hated… There the poor girl sits; no one pays any attention to her. Rachel gives herself airs before; she does not deign to look at her. ‘I am the lady of the house,’ she thinks, ‘Leah is a slave.’ These are truly carnal things in the saintly fathers and mothers, like the things that usually happen in our houses.” (Luther, cited in Boice)

Leah was unloved and Gods compassion was touching.

He opened her womb and gave her four sons.

The four sons, names and meaning;

Reuben, Behold a son.

Simeon, Hearing.

Levi, Attachment.

Judah, Praise

“Then Leah stopped having children.” Later we will learn she prays and God blesses her with three more children.

Leah had a husband that didn’t love her, but God did. Look at Isaiah 54:5.

Isaiah 54:5 (ESV)

5  For your Maker is your husband,

the Lord of hosts is his name;

and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer,

the God of the whole earth he is called.

Are you unloved? “your Maker is your husband”.

Blessings, David 

Genesis 29:26-30 God turns us over to our sin!

26Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older. 27Finish this week’s celebration, and we will give you the younger one in return for another seven years of work.”

28And Jacob did just that. He finished the week’s celebration, and Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife. 29Laban also gave his servant girl Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maidservant.

30Jacob slept with Rachel as well, and indeed, he loved Rachel more than Leah. So he worked for Laban another seven years.

We need to remember Jacob cheated his brother and deceived his father and though it didn’t affect God’s Promise, Jacob went to school to learn a few things.

Sometimes when we sin and are disobedient, God turns us over to our sin.

Laban’s deception was a sin and he will have to account for it.

Polygamy seems to occur throughout the Bible, but are we much different in our society of serial marriages? We can’t change the past but we can try to honor Gods original plan of one man and one woman for the present and future.

“and indeed, he loved Rachel more than Leah”. Jacob carries on the dysfunctional family the he inherited from his father. When he was deceived there was no going back, and since he married Rachel he should have loved them both equally.

Do you have children? Do you love one more than the other(s)?

Blessings, David 

Whatever moves the heart wags the tongue. 

C. T. Studd

Genesis 29:19-25 Deception!

19Laban replied, “Better that I give her to you than to another. Stay here with me.” 20So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, yet it seemed but a few days because of his love for her.

21Finally Jacob said to Laban, “Grant me my wife, for my time is complete, and I want to sleep with her.”

22So Laban invited all the men of that place and prepared a feast. 23But when evening came, Laban took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob, and he slept with her. 24And Laban gave his servant girl Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her maidservant.

25When morning came, there was Leah! “What have you done to me?” Jacob said to Laban. “Wasn’t it for Rachel that I served you? Why have you deceived me?”

“She may have loved Jacob secretly. She may have considered this her one chance to get a husband. She may have thought this an unsought, and therefore justifiable, opportunity to steal a march on her sister.” (Leupold)

But Leah was under complete authority of her father and with the customs of the day it wasn’t too hard to conceal her identity as she would have been veiled until the wedding was over and they were alone in the wedding suite. 

Laban sinned!

How do you think Leah felt? How do you think Rachel felt? 

Jacob the deceiver was deceived!

Blessings, David 

Genesis 29:14-18 Flesh and Blood.

Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel

14Then Laban declared, “You are indeed my own flesh and blood.”

After Jacob had stayed with him a month, 15Laban said to him, “Just because you are my relative, should you work for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be.”

16Now Laban had two daughters; the older was named Leah, and the younger was named Rachel. 17Leah had no sparkle in her eyes, but Rachel was shapely and beautiful. 18Since Jacob loved Rachel, he answered, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.”

Jacob wasn’t use to hard work, he was a mama’s boy. Laban was politely telling him he needed to work for his room and board. Jacob’s offer to work off a dowry of seven years was very generous!

“Leah had no sparkle in her eyes” What does this verse mean? We basically don’t know so we have to look at the surrounding verses. “but Rachel was shapely and beautiful”. Leah was unattractive compared to her younger sister, but remember God doesn’t look at our outward appearance. 

Leah later gives birth to six of the 12 tribes of Israel—Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. Rachel became the mother of two other tribes—Joseph and Benjamin.  

The Bible says Jesus was born of the tribe of Judah (Luke 3:33-34)—Leah carried the Messianic bloodline and was Jesus’ ancestor! A blessing indeed!

Blessings, David 

Genesis 29:7-13 First Impressions

7“Look,” said Jacob, “it is still broad daylight; it is not yet time to gather the livestock. Water the sheep and take them back to pasture.”

8But they replied, “We cannot, until all the flocks have been gathered and the stone has been rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we will water the sheep.”

9While he was still speaking with them, Rachel arrived with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess. 10As soon as Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of his mother’s brother Laban, with Laban’s sheep, he went up and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle’s sheep. 11Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud. 12He told Rachel that he was Rebekah’s son, a relative of her father, and she ran and told her father.

13When Laban heard the news about his sister’s son Jacob, he ran out to meet him, and he embraced him and kissed him. Then he took him to his home, and Jacob told him all that had happened.

First impressions, As soon as he saw Rachel, Jacob removed the stone and watered his uncles sheep.

Did Rachel think it was strange that a stranger kissed her and wept aloud?

“When Laban heard the news about his sister’s son Jacob, he ran out to meet him, and he embraced him and kissed him.”

Laban knew his sister Rebekah married a wealthy man and that Jacob would inherit his fathers wealth. 

What is was your first impression of Jacob in verse 11?

Blessings, David 

It is not thy hold on Christ that saves thee; it is Christ. It is not the joy in Christ that saves thee; it is Christ. It is not even the faith in Christ, though it be thy instrument; it is Christ’s blood and merit.

Charles Spurgeon

Hungry? Psalm 23:2a NLT

Psalm 23:2a NLT 

2 He lets me rest in green meadows 

Lastly, sheep will not lie down as long as they feel in need of finding food. They must be free from hunger." W. Phillip Keller 

What satisfies your hunger?  

Are you satisfied with once a week Sunday service? You like to sing a few good songs and hear a feel good teaching. Maybe go to breakfast afterwards and then step back out into the world on Monday morning. Friday night's a party, Saturday fun day and then back to church Sunday morning just to make sure your "fire insurance" is paid up? 

Or are you hungry for more? 

Sunday morning service becomes worship. The songs sung with your whole heart to God bring you to tears. The teaching is rich with insight and conviction. You leave desiring more. You can't wait to get together with other believers and discuss what you just learned. You look for opportunities to serve God when you step out your door Monday morning and the weekend brings an anticipation of going to church on Sunday. 

Only when we satisfy our hunger with Jesus will be be at rest in Him. 

Blessings, Cecilia

Genesis 29:5-6 Is he well?

5“Do you know Laban grandson of Nahor?” Jacob asked.

“We know him,” they replied.

6“Is he well?” Jacob inquired.

“Yes,” they answered, “and here comes his daughter Rachel with his sheep.”

Is he well? 

Yesterday I was unable to send out a devotional because I was dealing with credit card fraud and 12 fraud shippings on my FedEx account. I had to file a police report, call a business director and inform him that I believed the two incidents with my card and shipping account occurred at his business. I locked our credit reports, froze our credit reports and submitted a fraud report to the credit agency.

It was a busy day.

My question is, did you miss my devotional, did you wonder what happened?

Did you ask yourself, is he well?

Blessings, David 

Genesis 29:1-4 Footsteps of Life

Jacob Meets Rachel

1Jacob resumed his journey and came to the land of the sons of the east. 2He looked and saw a well in the field, and there by it lay three flocks of sheep, because the sheep were watered from this well. And a large stone covered the mouth of the well. 3When all the flocks had been gathered there, the shepherds would roll away the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep. Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well.

4“My brothers,” Jacob asked the shepherds, “where are you from?”

“We are from Haran,” they answered.

There were no road signs, no city welcome signs, Jacob had to ask the shepherds

 “where are you from?”. Suddenly he found out he was at his destination. 

God was with him and God guided him to his destination with every footstep Jacob walked.

God is with us and God guides us to our destination also. He is with us through easy times and hard times. It’s during the hard times our faith is tested. 

Do you draw closer to Him or blame Him?

Footprints in the sand poem.

One night I dreamed a dream.

As I was walking along the beach with my Lord.

Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life.

For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand,

One belonging to me and one to my Lord.

After the last scene of my life flashed before me,

I looked back at the footprints in the sand.

I noticed that at many times along the path of my life,

especially at the very lowest and saddest times,

there was only one set of footprints.

This really troubled me, so I asked the Lord about it.

"Lord, you said once I decided to follow you,

You'd walk with me all the way.

But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life,

there was only one set of footprints.

I don't understand why, when I needed You the most, You would leave me."

He whispered, "My precious child, I love you and will never leave you

Never, ever, during your trials and testings.

When you saw only one set of footprints,

It was then that I carried you."

Blessings, David