28:1-5
Apparently Isaac recognized that things had worked out as God wanted them and that the promise was to go to Jacob. You have to assume that Isaac had always known this, since Rebekah was told that the elder would serve the younger. It is worth considering what Isaac could have done to have worked with God. I suppose they could have talked with the boys growing up and told them what God had said to Rebekah and Abraham, etc… I can't imagine that if they had really prayed and sought God, it would have turned out this bad.
As disciples, it is better to be honest. If God is sovereign and good, we can be open and communicating. Especially, as good Calvinists, we know His will doesn't depend on us. And if you're not a Calvinist, His will being accomplished doesn't depend on you either. Disciples follow and obey. He does the rest.
28:6-9
This portion of the story always saddens me. I know Esau was a gnarly, snorting, burping guy who married women of that same inclination. I know he didn't respect the promise. I'm good there. But it seems here, that his parents had never fully communicated their desires. Or, they never thought through what they wanted for the kids. So, Esau messed up with his wives and now they want Jacob to do better.
When Esau finally sees what his father desired, he tries to comply; but because of the animosity created here, goes to another line of Abraham. I don't get the feeling he was a rebellious son. He wanted leadership and when he saw what Isaac wanted, he did it.
Communication in leadership, in family and disciple making, is important. The option is being awakened by the jolts in a drifting life.
28:10-22
Here come some very interesting, "conflicting" sections.
Here, God renews the promise with Jacob. In verse 14, the redemptive part is restated, that is, God's blessing of Abe/Isaac/Jacob would lead to blessing of all the nations. This promise is still part of the first promise to Adam and Eve.
Jacob seems to make a conditional promise to God, "If you do this, then…." Very unlike Abraham. Notice in the conditions of verse 20, this sounds very much like Jesus' words in Matt. 6:25-34 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, `What shall we eat?' or `What shall we drink?' or `What shall we wear?' As disciples we are to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. Seeking to serve and please God was not on Jacob's agenda.
29:1-24
However, being blessed by God and having the promise confirmed did not spare Jacob from dysfunction, injury and justice.
Note verse 14…very ironic, they were both swindlers and now Jacob had met his match.
Jacob actually worked 7 years for Rachel before the marriage. How much does someone have to drink to not know who he's having sex with? I don't want to know. This happened with Lot, too. They must have had some potent wine back then.
Notice Laban's words to Jacob in verse 26. This is a reference back to what Jacob did to Esau. Laban has gotten to know Jacob and apparently felt justice was due. It's hard to scream for justice when you have done the same thing to others. Jacob was "had" and Laban was just a bigger rat.
Jacob had to wait until after the honeymoon, and then he got Rachel, promising to work another 7 years for her. Imagine the joy this created between sisters. Did they have separate tents? They did later for sure. Now you have the "baby wars" with God blessing Leah over Rachel. Then Jacob gets the maids, too! Cool, right? I'll bet it was hell on earth. It must have made his relationship with Esau look like a Hallmark © moment. He was getting justice and, believe it or not, it would still get worse.
Notice the first round of Leah's sons ends with Judah. In spite of Jacob's favoritism (like his father's) and love for Joseph above his other sons, Judah, the son of the unloved wife, becomes the line of blessing. That will seem strange when we get to chapter 38. Quality wise, why did God choose Judah? He was definitely a better man than his father in a couple of important ways, which you could hunt down now if you're interested.
29:25-35
Here again is a lot of human drama over nothing. God was blessing Jacob anyway. It didn't matter what goats he chose or where he put the sticks or where the sheep and goats mated. In Jacob's mind, he was being clever. Laban was also clever. It just created more conflict between these two clever rats.
Two notes here. First, we find out later that this takes 6 years of work. Second, because of the way Jacob leaves, he was apparently dominated by Laban and was afraid of him.
What amazing lessons for us as disciples of Jesus. God is not mocked, even if we say we love Him. "As a man sows, so shall he reap," also applies to His people. Jesus' parable of the wise and foolish man building the house was spoken to his disciples in general and to the 12 in particular. Loving Him and knowing and following His Word leads to health and fruit. And you don't have to be clever or a rat.
Matthew 9:18-38
9:18-26
I always wonder how the father felt here. Jesus is on His way and then this woman touches Him and then Jesus has to waste time with her. Then friends arrive and say the daughter is dead. How could a loving God let this happen? How could Jesus be so distracted and calloused?
As disciples, we learn that waiting is the rule, not the exception, in following Christ. This was a divinely arranged malfunction. The result was that both Jesus and the Father receive more glory, and the parents, the daughter and the 3 disciples would never be the same. Was it "worth the wait?" God thought so, and then, so did they.
32-34 is important because this is the argument that was finally formulated to explain Jesus' miracles and turn the people away from Him.
9:35-38
You could preach a sermon on these verses. Find the reasons noted in verses 35 & 36 that cause Jesus to say verses 37 & 38. You will not have verses 37 & 38 be real in your life as a disciple, if you don't have 35 & 36. The more you are with the lost, trying to help them with the gospel, the more compassion you have. Without those two things, you don't passionately pray the prayer and seek to make disciples.
Note that the prayer is not for the harvest, it is for harvesters, that is, disciples who will make disciples who will make disciples, living their lives in the fields, following Jesus.
Psalm 11:1-7
What speaks to me out of this psalm is the play between verses 3&4. The wicked are right. We have no hope if we have no foundation, but the Lord is real (just unseen) and is enthroned where nothing can shake the foundations of life, and He is our hope. This mindset is hard to hold on to when it seems like God is not present and things are spinning out of control. The disciple of Jesus is constantly being trained in the harvest to be steady and confident, because his hope is on the one who is unshakable.
Proverbs 3:11-12
I'm reminded of what the writer of Hebrews says, Hebrews 12:7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?
The Lord Himself is making us disciples, so we can reach and guide others. All of the waiting and learning and lessons of Faith are for our benefit and theirs. Blessed is the disciple (man or woman) who, unlike Jacob, is a quick learner and close follower of the coming King.
It's interesting how all these readings complement one another.
I'm writing these comments to and for those at New Song who are following a One Year Bible and involved in a discipleship cell. We're meeting weekly and discussing the texts, not necessarily my comments. We're growing together, learning to become and make disciples who make disciples. We will all be leading others in this process and training them to do likewise.
The comments I'm writing are in no way exhaustive, but meant to give some leading thoughts on how the text applies to us as disciples and to encourage and stimulate our growth in reading the Bible, with the effect that we will grow as disciples and encourage the growth of others as disciples growing in the word. If you would like a more descriptive commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary. It's keyed to the NIV, so the result is, the commentators are constantly telling you what the Greek or Hebrew is. That never hurts.
I am not endorsing any particular One Year Bible, in fact, no one in our church reads the version I do, die revidierte Lutherbibel 1984.
Anyone reading along with us is welcome to do so and encouraged to take their own notes and make their own observations. If the comments made do not agree with your particular tradition or understanding, that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any point of view, but only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as I understand it.
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