Wednesday, August 29, 2018

2018.08.29 Hopewell @Home ▫ Genesis 29:15-30

Questions for Littles: Who asked Jacob what his wages should be (v15)? What did Laban have (v16)? What were their names? What did Jacob notice about Leah’s appearance (v17)? What did he notice about Rachel’s? What did Jacob say, in v18, that he would like to receive for his wages? How long did he offer to work for her? What did Laban say about giving her to Jacob in v19? How long did Jacob serve for Rachel (v20)? How long did it seem to him? Why? For whom did Jacob ask in v21? What did Laban make in v22? Whom did he bring to Jacob in v23? What does Jacob discover in v25? What does he ask? What does Laban give as a reason in v26? Who proposes that Jacob would have a second wife in v27? What does he call Rachel? How much of a honeymoon does Leah get before her husband takes another wife (v28)? What did Laban give to each of his daughters (v24, 29)? Whom did Jacob love more (v30)? How many more years did Jacob now serve? 
In the passage for this week’s Old Testament reading, we continue learning about Jesus’s family.

It’s rather an ugly story. If it were a film, we mightn’t allow our children to watch it.

  • A daughter is basically being sold as wages. 
  • The covenant patriarch is sizing the two daughters up by their appearance. 
  • The father of the girls intentionally gives the wrong daughter on the wedding night. 
  • As far as we can tell, there’s no covenanting ceremony before the man and woman sleep together. 
  • The unwanted daughter goes along with her father’s plan. 
  • The excuse given is something that the man literally had seven years to tell him, but somehow had never mentioned it? 
  • Rather than receive his wife as God’s providence, or perhaps ok though not as good, ask for an annulment because of the deception, Jacob goes along with the plan for him two have two wives. 
  • Going against God’s design for one man and one woman for marriage immediately causes them to suffer the consequences, as one of the wives is loved less (v30, in fact, should probably read “instead of Leah” rather than “more than”).

What are we to make of all of this? Well, at least two things. The first is that the only true hero of the history of redemption is Jesus Christ. The second is how badly Christ was needed. At every step, these people felt like they had good reason for what they were doing. But this whole account is dripping with sin and folly. Come, Lord Jesus, and save Your people!
Why shouldn’t you want others to see you as a spiritual hero? Who should be?
Suggested songs: ARP45A “My Heart Is Greatly Stirred” or TPH435 “Not What My Hands Have Done”

No comments:

Post a Comment