I did not like Laban,
from the very beginning - you know - Rebekah’s brother, Rachel’s father and Jacob’s cousin - who had a heart full of greed! Do you remember reading about about Laban’s hungry eye in Genesis 24, when he saw the jewelry given to Rebekah by Abraham’s servant - Laban wanted to have more. Like most people who are driven by their cravings, Laban was really good at hiding who he really was. Laban pretended that he was super caring - like when he said to Jacob, who had just arrived in Paddam Aram, “Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what should your wages be?” Laban acted like he was giving Jacob the upper hand, but he was actually setting a trap for Jacob to enter in. I believe Laban was very perceptive. He noticed Jacob’s love for Rachel and took advantage of the situation. Laban had two daughters: the oldest, Leah, and the younger, Rachel. "While Leah’s eyes were delicate, Rachel was beautiful of form and appearance." Laban could totally see that Jacob loved Rachel - Jacob answered, “I will serve you 7 years for Rachel your younger daughter.” Laban responded, “It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to another man. Stay with me.” As if Laban was doing Jacob a favor! In an instance, Jacob entered into a week-long agreement - known as 7 years, not 7 days as we would think a week would represent. So Jacob served Laban for 7 years - years that only seemed like a few days because of the love that filled Jacob’s heart. At the end of the days, Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in to her.” Laban gathered together all the men of the place and made a feast. Then in the evening, he carried out his plan. He took Leah his oldest daughter and brought her to Jacob; and Jacob "went in to her." Then Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah - as a maid. In the morning, when Jacob saw what happened, he said to Laban, “What is this that you have done? Was it not for Rachel that I had served? Why then have you deceived me?” Laban gave the perfect excuse - “It must not be done so in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. Fulfill her week, and we will give you this one also for the service which you will serve with me still another seven years.” Laban justified his deceitful behavior through the customs of Paddam Aram rather than taking responsibility for the wrong that he had done. He took a double portion of Jacob’s freedom, knowing that Jacob would be willing to serve for the one that he loved. Jacob did so and fulfilled another week - a 7 year period that would set his heart free. So Laban finally gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. And Laban gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as a maid. It took Jacob two rounds of seven weeks, to receive Rachel - the wife that God had prepared for him. It reminds me of Christ who came as a Lamb to fulfill the sacrifice, and who is coming back again to obtain the wife that is His. In the meantime, Leah was grafted into Jacob's family tree - she bore Judah - the Lion who would give God all praise - and it all was because Laban had used trickery. In addition, Jacob also received two handmaidens - Zilpah and Bilhah - who would also bear Jacob many sons. This story can be found in Genesis 29:15-30. Tomorrow I will introduce the 12 sons of Israel. For now the biggest takeaway is that God gives us a double portion for our shame. "For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2 Remember that one week in scripture is considered seven years - it’s the week that represents the end of the age. This will be the time, that has been predestined - when Jesus will set up his kingdom on earth, no longer in heaven. When the set time is delivered by God, according to the angel Gabriel in Daniel 9, the following events will come to pass: 1) “to finish transgression,” 2) “to put an end to sin,” 3) “to atone for wickedness,” 4) “to bring in everlasting righteousness,” 5) “to seal up vision and prophecy,” 6) “to anoint the most holy.” Do you believe that there is a prophetic clock? Jerusalem will be rebuilt - when the decree is issued from the throne of God. Many believe that 69 weeks of the 70 that have been foretold - have already been fulfilled. Many people that we are just waiting for the last prophetic week to occur. No one knows the day or the hour, only the father - but we can make ourselves ready for when the Lion of Judah returns to bring His Kingdom down.
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