Choosing God Instead of the World - Learning From the Lives of Jacob and JosephUkážka

Read: Genesis 29:1–30; Galatians 6:6–10; Hebrews 12:6

SOAP: Galatians 6:7–9

Do not be deceived. God will not be made a fool. For a person will reap what he sows, because the person who sows to his own flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit. So we must not grow weary in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not give up.

Into the text

After Jacob’s dream at Bethel, he continued on his journey. He came to a well that had been covered to regulate the distribution of water to nearby flocks. As he spoke with the shepherds, he discovered they knew his uncle, Laban, and that his daughter was coming to that very well with her sheep. Jacob recognized the divine providence of God as Rachel, the daughter of his mother’s brother, arrived at the same well.

God was working mightily in Jacob’s life. When Rachel arrived with her sheep, Jacob removed the stone that was covering the well so her sheep could drink. The blessing of God in Jacob’s life led him to do great acts of service for others. He was confident in God’s direction, and it led him to bless those around him.

As Jacob stayed with Laban, he fell in love with Rachel. In exchange for marrying her, Jacob vowed to work for Laban for seven years. Yet, when the time came for Rachel to be given to Jacob, the deceiver was deceived. Laban gave Leah, his firstborn daughter, to Jacob instead of Rachel. Though he was able to marry Rachel soon after, Jacob was made to work another seven years for his second bride.

Jacob reaped what he had sown. Jacob had deceived his father and brother, and now he had been deceived. Jacob was not the firstborn, yet he had stolen the blessing of the firstborn. Laban deceived Jacob by giving him his firstborn daughter. The similarities are no coincidence; Laban’s dishonesty to Jacob was used by God to discipline Jacob for his sin of deception.

God was still working mightily in Jacob’s life. As the encounter at the well was a blessing, so also was this discipline. Instead of leaving Jacob to his sin, God intervened and disciplined him to remove sin from his life. The discipline Jacob received did not negate God’s promise; it solidified it. For Jacob to receive the blessings of the promise, he would also be disciplined as a child of God.

God’s blessing in our lives is two-fold: divine encounters and divine discipline. When God shows us our sin and allows us to repent, it is indeed a blessing. While it may not always feel pleasant or comfortable, God’s discipline is a gift. May we continue to sow in the Spirit and accept the discipline of our loving heavenly Father as we reap a harvest for His kingdom.