Genesis-100 – Jacob Who Moved the Stone

Scripture Reading: Genesis 29:1-8

"Then Jacob went on his journey and came to the land of the people of the East. As he looked, he saw a well in a field, and behold, three flocks of sheep lying beside it, for out of that well the flocks were watered. The stone on the well's mouth was large, and when all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep, and then put the stone back in its place on the mouth of the well. Jacob said to them, 'My brothers, where are you from?' They said, 'We are from Haran.' He said to them, 'Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?' They said, 'We know him.' He said to them, 'Is it well with him?' They said, 'It is well, and see, Rachel his daughter is coming with the sheep!' He said, 'Behold, it is still high day; it is not time for the livestock to be gathered together. Water the sheep and go, pasture them.' But they said, 'We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together, and the stone is rolled from the mouth of the well; then we water the sheep.'" Amen.

 

The Special Beginnings of the Patriarchs

When we look at the lives of the patriarchs, each had a special starting point. Abraham was called by God in Ur of the Chaldeans, and Isaac began his life as a patriarch by realizing the meaning of the covenant God made with Abraham through the "Jehovah Jireh" incident on Mount Moriah.

 

For Jacob, there is no need to say that Bethel was his starting point. There, God promised Jacob, "I will be your temple, and I will be with you wherever you go." In response, Jacob confessed, "Just as God has become my temple, I will now become God's temple." His act of setting up a pillar, anointing it with oil to make it a temple, and vowing to give a tithe were all born from this context.

 

Of course, Jacob may not have fully understood the deep meaning of that promise. The same is true for us. Even if our heart was sincere when we believed in Jesus and vowed, "Lord, I will live for you," we don't fully comprehend the meaning of the promises we make.

 

You learn the meaning of your vow, "I will follow the Lord for the rest of my life," as you go through life. Nevertheless, that confession holds great significance. It's not merely a promise or a resolution we make, but a confession of faith that God will guide us to the very end. The life of walking with the Lord, denying oneself, and carrying the cross is not something we achieve on our own; it's a life that God accomplishes within us.

 

Just like us, Jacob didn't know how God's promise would unfold. He believed God would provide him with food and clothing, but he never imagined that it would be through living like a servant in Laban's house for 20 years. God was certainly with Jacob and kept His promise, but his life was not as he had planned—it was a life in which God's will was being fulfilled. This truth is simple, yet it's the most astounding and important truth of all.

 

The Turning Point in Jacob's Life

Although we can't know all the ways God will provide for us, God's clear guidance was revealed through a dramatic turning point in Jacob's life. Having committed a sin, Jacob was forced to leave the land of Canaan, much like being driven out of the Garden of Eden. The events that happened to him were anything but ordinary.

 

However, at Bethel, he met God and received the amazing promise, "I will be your Eden." This promise didn't mean that Jacob's sin had vanished and his burden of guilt was gone. Rather, it meant, "Now that your sin has been forgiven, you will fight against sin and live as God's servant, a servant of righteousness." This is the life of a believer.

 

When we confess our commitment to live according to God's will in our faith journey, the true meaning of that confession is that the struggle is no longer about whether we can be forgiven or whether we will face judgment for our sins. Our lives are transformed by the confession that "God will never abandon me; He will surely be with me and hold my life." Consequently, we no longer follow sin but follow God.

 

We become far more sensitive to sin than we were when it was merely a matter of conscience. Sin now makes us contemplate our entire life, the glory of God, and who we are. Like Jacob, we confess, "I will become a temple where the holy God resides. All that I am is God's, and my life will be the tithe offered to God."

 

After this incredible experience, Jacob headed for Haran. Genesis 29 is a difficult chapter to interpret, and verse 1 is particularly significant.

 

"Then Jacob went on his journey and came to the land of the people of the East. As he looked, he saw a well in a field, and behold, three flocks of sheep lying beside it, for out of that well the flocks were watered."

 

Jacob's Lighthearted Steps

The phrase "came to the land" in the Hebrew text suggests that Jacob's steps were light and filled with joy. After meeting God in Bethel, Jacob was heading toward Haran with a heart full of gladness and assurance in God. This fact is a crucial key to interpreting the entire story of marriage in Genesis 29-31.

 

Originally, Jacob's purpose for going to Haran was to quickly get a wife and return to receive the rights of the firstborn. His mother, Rebekah, had also told him to go for just a few days. Before he met God in Bethel, he was likely only thinking of his own benefit. However, after meeting God in Bethel, a great change occurred in his life. He realized that a life in which God's promise is fulfilled was more important than a life he had planned.

 

Let's examine Jacob's actions at this point. When Jacob arrived at the well, exhausted and thirsty from his journey, many scholars speculate that this well was the same place where Abraham's servant Eliezer first met Rebekah in Genesis 24. The similarities in Jacob's travel route and the description of the location support this idea.

 

At the well, three flocks of sheep and their shepherds were peacefully resting. Normally, one would greet them and ask for water. However, Jacob doesn't ask for water. Instead, he asks, "Where are you from?" When they reply that they are from Haran, he asks again, "Do you know Laban, the son of Nahor?" Jacob's heart was concerned with something more urgent and important than water. It was about Haran, Laban, and specifically, Laban's daughter.

 

Jacob's original purpose was to quickly marry Laban's daughter and return to Canaan to claim his rights as the firstborn and receive Isaac's inheritance. But after seeing the ladder from heaven to earth in Bethel, he changed. He realized that earthly things were not everything. He understood that heaven existed, that God on His throne was connected to his life, and that his life would not end on earth. He realized that by God being with him, he would become a temple.

 

Several pieces of evidence point to Jacob's transformation, one of which is his reply to Laban. He made an unreasonably long promise to Laban, which was supposed to be only a few days. Earlier, Abraham's servant had asked to return quickly with Rebekah, who courageously agreed. Rebekah herself had told Jacob that he would only need to stay for a few days. Yet, Jacob himself decided to stay for seven years. This was a completely different person from the Jacob we knew.

 

The Focus of the Story: The Bridegroom Jacob

This is not the Jacob we know. If Laban had said, "I will give you my daughter if you work for seven years," the Jacob we knew, the one who lived as a 'deceiver,' might have run away to Canaan. But Jacob doesn't. This event shows us the mindset with which Jacob was approaching this situation.

 

The story of taking Rebekah to be Isaac's wife was centered on Rebekah, the bride. Her story was about how faithfully she responded and how she even gave water to all the camels, an almost impossible feat. It required great effort and took a considerable amount of time.

 

But in today's passage, the opposite happens. The focus of the story is not on Rachel, the bride, but on Jacob, the bridegroom. The center of the story shifts from the bride to the bridegroom.

 

This highlights the importance of understanding what this "bridegroom" means in the Bible. In Rebekah's story, Abraham's servant Eliezer prayed for God's guidance and met Rebekah just as he had prayed. But in Jacob's story, Jacob doesn't pray, nor does God give him any specific instructions. In Rebekah's story, Rebekah provided the water, but in today's story, it is the bridegroom Jacob who provides water for his bride Rachel's flock.

 

Jacob's Actions at the Well

The timing of the moving of the stone from the well is interesting. When the shepherds told Jacob that "Rachel is coming with the sheep," he immediately said to them, "It's still high day; it's not time for the livestock to be gathered. Water the sheep and go, pasture them." This shows Jacob's desire to prepare for Rachel's arrival. He wanted to be the one to roll away the stone and water Rachel's flock, not with the other shepherds present.

 

But the shepherds replied, "We cannot do so until all the flocks are gathered together, and the stone is rolled from the mouth of the well." This is the last part of verse 8. However, from verse 9 onward, Jacob's actions are completely different. As soon as Rachel arrives, Jacob single-handedly rolls the stone from the mouth of the well.

 

Why does the Bible emphasize that he rolled the stone alone? Jacob, who was over 70 years old at the time, was able to move a stone that multiple shepherds had to move together. This was no ordinary feat. He did it solely to water Rachel's flock. This story is not just about Jacob getting a wife; it reveals what God is doing. The question of who will water the sheep and who will give the water becomes a central theme of this story.

 

Jacob's Shift in Priorities

This story, in stark contrast to the Rebekah incident, clearly shows how seriously Jacob was considering his marriage to Rachel. The focus of this story is not on the bride, but on the bridegroom Jacob. This is because the top priority in his life had changed.

 

In the past, the rights of the firstborn and acquiring wealth were important. But now, God's promise became more important. Rather than rushing back to Canaan, he prioritized marrying Rachel to fulfill God's promise that his descendants would be numerous. He realized that God's promise was not merely about obtaining earthly wealth but also encompassed a heavenly promise. Fulfilling God's will became his highest priority.

 

Jacob's Realization and Life Transformation

The statement, "God's will is the most important thing," may sound simple and obvious, but in the life of a believer, there is nothing more crucial. After realizing this obvious truth, Jacob's life was completely transformed. He came to understand that the fulfillment of God's will and promise in his life was the most precious thing.

 

The same is true for us. When you make decisions about tomorrow, what is your top priority? Is it your health, your wealth, your emotions, or your own self-interest?

 

The reason Jacob, who had only ever cared about himself, could joyfully roll away the stone and water the flock with all his might was that his priorities had shifted. The most important thing for him was no longer himself, but the fulfillment of God's will and promise. It is fitting that we, as believers, should also experience this profound change in our lives.

 

Calvin, Whose Priority was God's Will

The Reformer John Calvin, whom we revere, did not want his name to live on, and his exact burial place is unknown. However, we use terms like "Calvinism" or "Reformed Theology" today because we cherish the sound biblical interpretation and theological heritage he left us. The spirit of Reformed Theology, "back to the Bible alone," was the heart of all the reformers who sought to worship God and build the church according to the Scriptures.

 

Calvin's life was not easy. He was an introverted man whose dream was to quietly read and write in the countryside. But he was invited to the reform movement in Geneva, Switzerland. However, instead of following his teachings, the people drove him out. During his sermons, some drunkards would yell loudly, and others would plug their ears in defiance. Calvin didn't even receive citizenship in Geneva until a few years before his death.

 

Of course, Calvin made mistakes in his life and left many blemishes. Although not all his words and sermons have been preserved, he was clearly a sinner just like us. But the direction of his life toward God was unwavering. After being driven out of Geneva, he spent the happiest period of his life in Strasbourg, France, pastoring French refugees who had been persecuted for their faith by the dominant Catholic Church.

 

But a few years later, his fellow pastor from Geneva, Farel, called him back. He asked Calvin, "Do you not see, do you not hear the cries of those who are dying without the gospel? What will you do about those who are falling apart because of their false beliefs?" The moral and doctrinal corruption of the church in Calvin's time was not much different from the reality of the church world today, except that the Roman Catholic Church was at its center.

 

Calvin responded to Farel's plea. In truth, he had no desire to go back. He must have thought it was God's will for him to pastor the people in France who loved and respected him and whose lives were being transformed by his preaching. But in making the decision to return to Geneva, that was not the most important factor, as Calvin himself said. The decision to leave the people who loved him and return to the people who had jeered at him and thrown stones was made because God's will, not the people, was in the highest place for him. The frustrating and despairing reality of Geneva was not what was most important to him; it was God's will.

 

In his letter, he wrote, "I submit and surrender my heart to God's obedience, so that I may not be shaken by my own will or my tender affections. And whenever I must abandon my own will, I hope that the Lord Himself will speak to me and I will submit myself."

 

For him, God's covenant, God's will, and the glory of God in his life were the most important things. He was willing to suppress and let go of his own comfort, affections, and love for the sake of God's kingdom. At the beginning of this letter, he made his most famous declaration: "My heart I offer to you, O Lord, promptly and sincerely!"

 

What about you? What do you put in the most important place when you make your decisions today? What is your mindset when you go to work tomorrow? If we fail to use the time, resources, and health God has given us because of our difficult reality, our frustration, or the problems within the church we serve, then we must repent. Of course, these issues are not simple, and problems at home, with finances, or with our bodies are not a valid excuse for our actions. Our whole heart must be focused on seeking God's will for the church and for our lives, and we must live a life of obedience to that will.

 

"My heart I offer to you, O Lord!" It is right to be devoted to your children, wife, and husband. It is also right to be devoted to many believers in the church. But how will you fulfill God's will? Jacob didn't fully understand what his words and actions would bring, or how they would change his life. A single act of rolling a stone from a well's mouth led to 20 years of hardship. The same may have been true for Calvin. However, Jacob would ultimately experience the profound work of God. God would fulfill His will for Jacob by grinding his bones, as young people would say today.

 

Two Ways to Move Toward Glory

Jacob's original plan was to quickly get a wife and return to Canaan. But he ended up spending 20 long years in Haran. Although it may have seemed like a waste of time, the Bible says that this time was precisely when God's will was being fulfilled. God was fulfilling His promise to Jacob and was making his entire life His own.

 

This path is also the path of all of our lives. We have two options for walking this path: to walk it joyfully or to be dragged along.

 

But the destination of both paths is the same. Every true believer will reach that day of going "from glory to glory." No matter how difficult our struggles are on this earth, the moment we die, we will, according to God's promise, live in His kingdom. In heaven, even a doorkeeper is happy. In that place where only joy and delight exist, what could cause anger or sorrow? What could there be to envy? Think about it. If you were in heaven and felt unhappy because your neighbor seemed to be living a better life, you would not be in heaven. This is because comparison, lack, and insufficiency are things that only exist in hell. God's kingdom is a place you will surely enter, and you will go from glory to glory.

 

So, would you like to be dragged along to get there? Do you want your first arrival in God's kingdom of eternal glory and joy to begin with you being dragged along by God's hand? We must walk this path with joy.

 

Believing in Jesus is difficult, and we face many hardships. There is no way to avoid suffering on this path. We know this from Jacob's life. He endured many things, and in his old age, he confessed that he had lived a difficult life. But all that suffering becomes a source of joy when you understand what you will receive because of it.

 

To put it in a secular way, if our hard work earns us enough money, we forget all our troubles and feel happy when we see the money. If this is true of worldly matters, then what about the tears of suffering and sleepless nights we endure with God? If all of these are a part of the process of moving toward a glorious life with God, eternal life, and eternal blessings, then we should rejoice in what we will achieve at the end of this life. This is the genuine joy that a believer experiences. We can walk this path willingly because we know it is a good one. That's why the Bible's command, "Rejoice in your sufferings," is a natural and obvious statement.

 

Which way will you choose to walk this path? As true believers, we should experience the joy that the Bible promises us.

 

Have the Mind of Christ

Through Jacob's life, we realize how amazing it is to live a life where God's will is the top priority. However, we often choose to be dragged along on the path we should be walking with joy, because we are influenced by our emotions, our stubbornness, or the temptations of Satan. This is why we need a pastor and God's Word. Do not be shaken. If you remain in the Lord, you can be unshaken in the face of tribulation and hardship. Do not be hurt by things not going your way, because you are walking on the most joyful path you can be on. Let's walk forward with joy.

 

The Bridegroom Like Christ: Jacob

Jacob's story not only shows us how he lived and that we are like him, but it also foretells who Jesus Christ would be. Jacob is the bridegroom, and he thinks of the bride. So, unlike others, the bridegroom moves the stone and gives everything for the bride.

 

There is one very important point here: unlike Isaac or the servant Abraham sent, Jacob had nothing. He brought nothing with him. He only had himself. Jacob's story is about a man who gave himself to the bride he loved. This is the true love story that we finally discover for the first time in the Bible.

 

Why is Jacob's story so good? It's not just because he's so much like us, with his lies and deceptions, yet God still leads him. What truly excites us about this story is that it's a love story. When God sent His Son to this earth, He sent Him to the lowest place, with nothing. But Jesus gave His all for us. This is the essence of what Paul said in Philippians.

 

Many people in the Bible ask for water, but not many give it. We thought Jacob came to the well to ask for water, but he was actually a water-giver, just like Jesus with the Samaritan woman. The Samaritan woman thought she was asking for water from Jesus, but He was the one she needed to ask for the water of life.

 

The Bible tells us to have this mindset, even though we have nothing.

 

"Have this mind among yourselves, which is in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."

 

We are not Jesus, nor are we Christ. Yet the Bible tells us to have the mind of Christ, who gave His all for us, even His life. The Bible says that this mindset should be our mindset for living our lives. "Have this mind among yourselves." We will now begin to find this love story one by one. We will also discover how Christ loves us through Jacob's life. At the same time, we will see how Jacob grew in God.

 

But before all that, I want to ask you again, my beloved believers: what is in the most important place in your life today or tomorrow? What is God's will for you? Is it not God's will for you to know God, long for Him, and act righteously? Are you walking with Christ, who rolls the stone from the well for you and gives you water?

 

Let us pray

Loving Lord, thank you that because you are with us, we can understand which path we should take and where we are.

 

If we still don't know you, if we still don't understand the precious Word of grace you have given us, we pray that the Holy Spirit will come into our hearts today and help us understand the Word. Let us realize what moves and what determines our lives.

 

May we live according to your will. May it not be our own will, our earnest desires, our pain, our frustrating reality, or our successes, but may only your will take hold of our lives. May your will, the amazing will that gives us the best in our lives, take hold of our thoughts and hearts.

 

In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.