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Genesis 31:

Reading #127 

Jacob’s departure

The time had come when the Son of God could do something with Jacob at last, for God’s timetable is based on our actions or reactions.

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Genesis 31:

1 And he [Jacob] heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, “Jacob has taken away all that was our father's; and of that which was our father's has he gotten all this glory [riches].” 2 And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as before.

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Jacob would have left his crafty kinsman long before but for the fear of encountering his brother Esau, and of course, the opportunity to get rich. Now, however, he felt that he was in greater danger from the sons of Laban, who, looking upon his wealth as their own, might endeavour to secure it by violence.  He also recognised that Laban was getting upset with him.  So the Spirit took the opportunity given by the attitudes of these men to reach Jacob. 

Jacob was in great perplexity and distress, not knowing which way to turn. But at last, mindful of the gracious Bethel promise [28:15], he carried his case to the Son of God, and sought direction from Him. In a dream his prayer was answered.

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Genesis 31:

3 And the LORD said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers, and to your kindred; and I will be with you [get back to your place of duty].”

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Frightened of his worldly brother before him (the state), frightened of his religious uncle behind him (the churches), Jacob was to learn many things during that flight.   And that experience is recorded for Christian use today as “Jacob’s Trouble”, a time in the future when we too may learn and survive.

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Jeremiah 30:

5 For thus says the LORD; “We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace. 6 Ask you now, and see whether a man does travail with child?  Why do I see EVERY [Christian] man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail [childbirth], and ALL faces are turned into paleness? 

7 Alas!  For that day is great, SO THAT NONE IS LIKE IT: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it [these words were written more than 1,000 years after Jacob’s experience].  8 For it shall come to pass in that day [sometime in the future], says the LORD of hosts, that I will break his [Satan’s] yoke from off your neck, and will burst your bonds, and strangers [the “7,000” modern unpublicised Christians,
1 Kings 19:18] shall no more serve themselves of him: 9 but they shall serve the LORD their God [openly, correctly]…

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We have here a warning from the Son of God that there will be an unusual time of trouble in the last days, but also a promise that we shall be able to handle it if we listen to Him.  Even as Jacob, we shall not be perfect when it starts, but will change on the way.  Then the “strangers” will join us and follow God’s way properly.

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Genesis 31:

4 And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field to his flock [a secret meeting], 5 and said to them, “I see your father's countenance, that it is not toward me as before [he was jealous of Jacob’s success]; but the God of my father has been with me [Jacob was still not 100% on God’s side]. 6 And you know that with all my power I have served your father. 7 And your father has deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me.”

8 “If he said thus, ‘The speckled shall be your wages; then all the cattle bore speckled’: and if he said thus, ‘The ringstreaked shall be your hire’; then bore all the cattle ringstreaked. 9 Thus God has taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me.”

10 “And it came to pass at the time that the cattle conceived, that I lifted up my eyes, and saw in a dream, and, behold, the rams which leaped upon the cattle were ringstreaked, speckled, and grisled. 11 And the Angel of God spoke to me in a dream, saying, ‘Jacob’: And I said, Here am I. 12 And He said, ‘Lift up now your eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ringstreaked, speckled, and grisled: for I have seen all that Laban does to you’.” [Look at My protection and live in it.] 

13 “’I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar, and where you vowed a vow to Me: now arise, get you out from this land, and return to the land of your kindred’.” [Get back to your position.]

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After consultation with his partners (his wives), Jacob made the decision to leave secretly even though he had the promise of protection from the Son of God.  He had the backup of ten changes of wages as evidence of God’s sincerity, but he was still fearful.   Caught between a rock and a hard place, Laban or Esau, he ran away frightened for his life and that of his dependants. 

How like him are we today?  Not until all the living Christians overcome their fear enough to take His word and live by it will Christ be able to come and collect His own.  Not until He has a people who so trust Him that they will return to duty and face any threat in His strength can the second advent take place. 

We are NOT waiting for Jesus, He is waiting for us as He waited for Jacob.  And He will wait now just as patiently as He waited at that time.  The second coming does not depend on events in the physical world, on earthquakes and famines, nor on wars, terrorist attacks, or rumours of war, although they will be there as Jesus told us. 

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Matthew 24:

3 And as He sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when shall these things be? [the destruction of the temple, which was to happen in 70AD, about 40 years from that time.]  And what shall be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the world?” [which, after nearly 2000 years, has yet to happen.] 

4 And Jesus answered [both questions with the same reply] and said to them, “Take heed that no man deceive you. 5 For many [teachers] shall come in My name, saying, ‘I am Christ’; and shall deceive many [nearly the whole world]. 6 And you shall hear of wars and rumours of wars [and zealot/terrorist attacks]: see that you be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” [in fact, it’s quite a way off!!]

7 “For [after that], nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers [different] places.” [There is nothing new or unusual in these events, they have often happened throughout history as the people of God have approached their fulfilment.]

8 “All these are the beginning of sorrows.” [So what was to follow?] 

9 “Then shall they [the people of the false systems] deliver you up [to whom?] to be afflicted, and shall kill you [like Esau’s death decree.  Religious persecution (holocaust) also is not new.  See Esther 3:5-6.]: and you shall be hated of ALL nations for My name's sake.”

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HERE IS A DIFFERENCE!  All nations means worldwide – not just the religious ones, but also the normally indifferent.  There will be two points of pressure and no place to hide.

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Genesis 31:

10 [Jesus continued] “And then shall many be offended [at the rock and/or the hard place], and shall betray one another [from within], and shall hate one another. 11 And many false prophets [teachers] shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound [in the church], the love of many shall wax cold [many will give up]. 13 But he [or she] that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved.”

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But the return of Jesus does not depend on events in the professed Christian world or in the political one.  God depends on each individual true Christian making up their minds to do their work in the right place, even if they are the only one to do so.  When enough make that decision and carry it out under the direction of the Spirit, then they will soon be persecuted for their faith and teaching, and the final events will follow.  But, unlike the times of the past, when this is done all over the world there will be nowhere to hide except in God. 

He says:  “Come, My people, enter you into your chambers, and shut your doors about you: hide yourself [in Me] as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the LORD comes out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity [by allowing them to feel the full results of their choice]: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain [in the judgment].”  Isaiah 26:20-21.

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Genesis 31:

14 And Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, “Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house? [What’s the point of staying in this world?] 15 Are we not counted of him strangers? For he has sold us, and has quite devoured also our money [the fourteen years’ wages which should have been theirs]. 16 For all the riches which God has taken from our father [the profits of the six years], that [only] is ours, and our children's: now then, whatsoever God has said to you, do.”

17 Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon camels; 18   and he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gotten, the cattle of his getting, which he had gotten in Padanaram, for to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.

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While Laban was busy elsewhere, Jacob and his extended family, the church, left secretly.  But now, instead of sitting on the fence, he was definitely heading towards God’s territory, behaving as he should and therefore couldn’t hide any longer.  For twenty years he had neglected his work, now he took it up again!

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Genesis 31: 

19 And Laban went to shear his sheep [in early spring, our March/April]: and Rachel had stolen the images [teraphim] that were her father's [for she still had some faith in false gods and their doctrines]. 20 And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled [even though it was a command from God]. 21 So he fled with all that he had; and he rose up, and passed over the river [Euphrates, a symbol of separating from false ideas], and set his face toward the mount Gilead [where the “balm” or ointment of truth was.  See Jeremiah 8:22 and John 8:32].

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Let us compare Ezra’s action when it came time to leave Babylon in March of 457BC.  He wrote:

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Ezra 8:

21 Then I proclaimed a fast there [a time of earnest prayer], at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God [by putting away every unnecessary desire], to seek of Him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance. 22 For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken to the king, saying, “The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek Him; but His power and His wrath is against all them that forsake Him.”

23 So we fasted and besought our God for this: and He was entreated of us [and answered our prayer].

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So, when we “rightly divide” the word of God we find that Ezra’s is the correct way to behave when God sends us on a job.  Those who act on this principle will find that “Jacob’s Trouble” will be much easier for them.  Consider how differently John and Peter were treated at the first trial of Jesus.  John 18:15-27.

See you all next week,  

Ron

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