Genesis-107-Go back

The word of the Lord is from Genesis chapter 31, verses 1 through 16.

 

“Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were saying, “Jacob has taken everything our father owned and has gained all this wealth from what belonged to our father.” And Jacob noticed that Laban’s attitude toward him was not what it had been. Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you.” So Jacob sent word to Rachel and Leah to come out to the fields where his flocks were. He said to them, “I see that your father’s attitude toward me is not what it was before, but the God of my father has been with me. You know that I’ve worked for your father with all my strength, yet your father has cheated me by changing my wages ten times. However, God has not allowed him to harm me. If he said, ‘The speckled ones will be your wages,’ then all the flocks gave birth to speckled young; and if he said, ‘The streaked ones will be your wages,’ then all the flocks bore streaked young. So God has taken away your father’s livestock and has given them to me. “In breeding season I once had a dream in which I looked up and saw that the male goats mating with the flock were streaked, speckled or spotted. The angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob.’ I answered, ‘Here I am.’ And he said, ‘Look up and see that all the male goats mating with the flock are streaked, speckled or spotted, for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you. I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and where you made a vow to me. Now leave this land at once and go back to your native land.’” Then Rachel and Leah replied, “Do we still have any share in the inheritance of our father’s estate? Does he not regard us as foreigners? Not only has he sold us, but he has used up what was paid for us. Surely all the wealth that God took away from our father belongs to us and our children. So do whatever God has told you.” Amen.

 

The Salvation That Unfolds in God's Time

When Rebekah told Jacob to "stay for a few days" at his uncle Laban's house to escape his brother Esau, those "few days" had stretched into twenty years—fourteen for his wives and another six for his flocks. In that long period, Jacob had eleven sons and one daughter. And finally, after his son Joseph was born, he told Laban, "I would like to return home now," and prepared to leave. His uncle and father-in-law, Laban, asked, "Jacob, God has blessed me so much through you, why would you leave?"

 

Jacob replied, "You have become wealthy and received all blessings, but when will I establish my own house?"

 

At first glance, Jacob's words sound reasonable, but in reality, they are not. Jacob's house was the house that God had promised. God had promised, "I will build your house," and He had already begun to fulfill that promise. Jacob already had eleven sons and a daughter. However, Jacob’s standard for what a "house" was differed from what God meant. He thought that wealth was the criterion for building a house. His statement, "I have nothing," was true. He had worked for fourteen years to obtain his wives, but Laban still held the dowry he should have received for his two daughters.

 

For the next six years, with nothing but his children and wives, Jacob began to devise his own methods to acquire wealth. To get his own flock, he thought, "If I peel the bark off the branches to make them striped and then make the sheep mate in front of them, I will get striped sheep." He was doing this to get the speckled and streaked animals, but it was an action that had no power to make it happen. Moreover, Laban was not one to stand by; he also used various schemes.

 

Jacob later says that Laban deceived him and changed his wages ten times. This shows that Jacob himself thought his own methods were not working. Nevertheless, in the end, Jacob became rich despite all of Laban's interference. So, did Jacob's method work? No, it did not. This is precisely why this passage is so interesting.

 

When Jacob became rich, a great tension arose in Laban’s household. Until then, no one had paid much attention because Jacob had so little, but slowly, little by little, Laban's wealth was passing to Jacob. When almost all the new lambs were born speckled and streaked, the kind Jacob had requested, Laban's sons began to complain. They thought, "He has stolen and taken all our father's possessions by trickery." When Laban heard this, he thought it made sense. Seeing his own wealth decrease while Jacob's possessions continued to grow, Laban’s expression changed. As Jacob later described it, this was a very gentle way of putting it, and Jacob felt a great threat. He was afraid that he might lose not only his flocks but even his daughters.

 

Right then, a very important verse appears in this story of the Bible. In Genesis 31:3, God speaks. "The Lord said to Jacob, 'Return to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.'" This was a message God had given Jacob long ago, but now He suddenly appears and tells him to go back. We read this verse with a heart of obedience and grace, but if we think about it, God was silent six years earlier when Jacob wanted to go, and He only appears now when Jacob is in the greatest distress. In this way, we can realize that God's timing has a clear meaning.

 

The Standard of a "House" According to Jacob

The first meaning is a simple truth that anyone can realize by reading the Bible a little. It's found in what Jacob said. Jacob said, "I will establish my house." What did he plan to build it with? He planned to build it with wealth. So, he tried to accumulate a great deal of wealth, and he succeeded. But six years later, Jacob told his two wives, "God appeared to me and spoke," and for the first time, he explained all that had happened. If you listen to this explanation, you can tell that Jacob has changed a great deal.

 

When Jacob now talks about his sheep and goats, he does not say, "Look at how our wealth has multiplied because of what I did." That wasn't even the reality. The lambs and kids were indeed born speckled and streaked in great numbers, but Jacob expresses that it was not because of his own method. He says, "It wasn't something I did; it happened according to what Laban said." It wasn't Jacob, but Laban who said, "All the speckled ones will be yours," and the newborn lambs were all speckled. Then, when he changed the agreement and said, "All the streaked ones will be yours," all the newborn lambs after that were streaked. This had no connection to the method Jacob used at all. And Jacob says something very important as he tells this story.

 

Verse 9 says this: "God has taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me." The number of times Jacob used God's name in Haran is nothing compared to this short explanation to his wives. God's name appears five times. Before, it had only appeared once when Jacob said, "What can I do if God doesn't give me anything?" But now, throughout this explanation, God appears five times, and he keeps repeating, "God has done this work, and God has given it to me." Here, the word "taken" does not mean that God stole them. It means that God brought the blessings that Laban was supposed to receive and gave them to Jacob. The Hebrew word is 'laqaḥ'. I'm mentioning this Hebrew word because another word is used later, which is translated the same way in Korean and English, but is a different word in Hebrew. The meanings seem similar but are slightly different.

 

Jacob says that God has brought the blessing that Laban was supposed to receive and given it to him. But in a verse a little later, when God says He has given Laban's livestock to Jacob, a different word is used. It is the word 'natsal', which means to "deliver" or "rescue." This is one of the most frequently used verbs in the book of Exodus. Just as God says, "I have delivered you" or "I have rescued you," He says that He rescued these flocks. God tells Jacob, "I have seen all that Laban has done to you." In other words, because God saw what Laban did, He used the expression that He "rescued" these flocks. This clearly shows that it was God who did it, not Jacob. That is why Jacob became wealthy despite all the hindrances.

 

Although he gained a large number of sheep and goats, given Jacob's personality, you might expect him to boast to his two wives, "We have this many sheep and that many goats." He might say, "We're okay now, so we can take all this and go," but he doesn't mention the number of sheep or boast about the goats. He talks about only one thing. When he explains it to his wives, he says, "God gave us this." It was the first time he had ever expressed it this way in Haran. Jacob thought he had built his own house, but now he says, "God has built my house." In today's terms, it means that God has established our house, which is "the people of the Lord" and "the house where God will dwell." So, he uses the verb "rescued" or "delivered" instead of "I have brought." It was not just the flocks and goats that were rescued, but Jacob himself. God did not have Jacob prepare for the journey from Haran to Canaan; God had been preparing it Himself for twenty years. This is why God established the tribes of Israel, made him father sons, and caused them to be fruitful and multiply. Now He is telling him to return.

 

The Gradual Nature of Salvation: The Story of the Butterfly

The story of Jacob leaving Haran shows a recurring pattern of salvation in the Bible. We see a story similar to Jacob's in Abraham's life as well. God made Abraham "Ex-Ur" (go out of Ur) and Jacob "Ex-Haran" (go out of Haran). And He made the Israelites "Ex-Egypt" (go out of Egypt). Abraham's story was very short, almost a single sentence, but Jacob's story is much more detailed. It explains more about how God planned and carried out this work and what was being accomplished. After this, the Exodus story appears, where we see many more things, such as the ten plagues, the Passover, the Red Sea, and the wilderness journey. However, the central part of all these stories was the same: salvation.

 

In the beginning, the story is short, and we don't know what it is about. But as we read Jacob's story, we come to know a little more, and as we learn the Exodus story, we know more clearly what God is working to do. The biblical scholar Geerhardus Vos called this the "gradual nature of salvation." The revelation unfolds like a door opening wider and wider. In the story of Adam and Eve, when they heard the prophecy that the offspring of the woman would bruise the serpent's heel but would crush his head, how much did they understand? We didn't understand it well either when we first read the early parts of Genesis. But as it finally culminates in the book of Revelation, where everything is completed in Jesus Christ, we realize, "Ah, this revelation is becoming clearer." At first, we wondered, "Who on earth is that offspring of the woman?" but it gradually becomes more and more clear. We thought it was David, but it wasn't David either. And then Jesus Christ came, and as you know well, Paul speaks in Galatians. He says that the promise was not made to "offsprings," but to "one offspring," "the offspring," and that He is Christ, Jesus. In this way, this revelation is clearly delivered to us. This is what we call the "gradual nature of revelation."

 

Why would the Lord work this way, instead of revealing everything at once? Of course, there are many profound meanings here, but let's consider it through Jacob's story. If you look at Jacob's life, he was initially consumed with greed for the birthright. Because of that, he was a man who nearly died and had to flee. For twenty years at Laban's house, it seemed he accomplished nothing for fourteen years, as if he only worked for his wives. His life seemed to have no clear path. But then, Jacob finally begins to call on God and speak as if giving all the glory to Him. How many years did it take for Jacob to become this way? During that period, God unfolded the history of His salvation in his life. That's what we learn.

 

Vos expressed this gradual nature of salvation as being like the life cycle of a butterfly. A butterfly lays an egg, but who would think of that egg as a butterfly? Then it becomes a caterpillar. I've never seen anyone call a caterpillar "beautiful." But then the caterpillar becomes a chrysalis. Nobody knows that a butterfly will be born from within. But then, a butterfly with brilliant wings, like a swallowtail, appears. A butterfly completely beyond imagination appears. Although we see different forms, they are all the same: the butterfly's egg, the caterpillar, the chrysalis, and the butterfly itself. There is one word that powerfully penetrates through it all: butterfly.

 

The stories of the Bible may seem diverse and all different, but there is one person who runs through them all, as this history of salvation gradually opens up, culminating in the butterfly. Who is that? It is Jesus Christ. This is a very important perspective you must have as you understand the Bible; in fact, it is the very message the Bible wants to deliver to you, and it is what Jesus Himself explained. "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about Me." The story of Abraham and the story of Jacob also bear witness to Christ.

 

God's Heart and the History of Salvation

Why does the Lord have this pattern? More than anything else, God's heart is inscribed within these stories. Through all this work, we learn how patient He is. By explaining this history of salvation—which we would not understand otherwise—He shows us that God is truly a God of loving-kindness, mercy, and compassion. How can we truly know that God is love from just a single sentence, "God is love"? We can't. However, when we are suffering and broken, the Lord's grace, which accompanies us with the words, "I love you," and "Do not be afraid or dismayed," enables us to know and confess, "The Lord is love." This is not a mere statement; it's because there was a history of God proving that statement. And that history is found in the one person of Jesus Christ.

 

Through His life on Earth, Christ completed the story of Abraham and, by keeping all the laws, He completed the entire story of Moses. The manna and living water that appeared in the Exodus story found their fulfillment when Christ declared, "I am the bread of life" and "I am the eternal living water that you will never thirst for again." We see all of Old Testament history fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ. The history of salvation is accomplished in a single person, and what is even more amazing is that you and I are in Him.

 

Seeing Our Past and Life in Christ

The story of Jacob that we read today shows us Jesus Christ and, at the same time, is the story we are experiencing together in Christ. Jacob is not someone else, but he bears our very image. The lives of all the people of God recorded in the Bible contain our own lives. It is as if you are reading your own life in Christ. The reason it is important to know this is that in Christ, that life and the history of salvation will not ultimately fail. Despite all of Laban's schemes that tried to hinder him, God prepared him, and He accomplishes this work. You have your own diaries and your own lives. You remember your past in your own way. Some things you remember incorrectly, and some are very clear. But what's crucial is that all of your past belongs to God's history of salvation in Christ.

 

The Bible says that our past is not simply time we have lived. It says that our lives are a journey we are walking together on the path that God has shown us in Christ. When you were lonely and struggling, it was not your loneliness alone. You were also in that prayer where David, chased by Saul, cried out, "My God, have you forsaken me?" You walked that path with David. It is because all these words are fulfilled in Christ.

 

If you can change your perspective on your past—and realize that you have become who you are not because of your past, but because Christ was the master of that past and the master of your life—then you will know who you are much more accurately. You are not just a person born on this earth, who lives a life, goes to church, and believes in Jesus to go to heaven. You are a child of God who has lived the Bible in your own life in Christ and who enjoys that amazing glory together with Him.

 

A Perspective on Ourselves as We Become a Butterfly

If we can see ourselves this way, we can also see our beloved family and fellow believers with the same perspective. If you think, "Ah, this person is already a beautiful swallowtail butterfly with wings," please change that thought. There are no swallowtail butterflies among us. There may be some who have a bit of a wing sticking out and a little bit of color showing, but we are still chrysalises. The day we fully spread those wings will be in the presence of the Lord.

 

We are still trying to open our wings and are struggling to beat them. That is why we need God's care, and we need the Lord constantly. We are so weak that if many enemies appear and crush the chrysalis, that would be the end of it. However, we have Jesus Christ with us, who can fully compensate for and overcome all our weaknesses. That is why we can rejoice on this earth even without having spread our wings.

 

We are still caterpillars. But what is inside us? A butterfly. When we live our life of faith, it is very rare to meet people in church and think, "Wow, I really want to be like that person." Honestly, it is very rare. We are more likely to wonder, "How can they be like that? How many years have they believed in Jesus? They're a deacon?" Isn't it true that you sometimes think—though you can't say it to my face—"If that person can be a pastor, then I guess I can have a life of faith too"?

 

But even so, they are lovable because there is a butterfly within them. You must never lose that perspective when you look at our fellow believers. Instead of saying, "Why can't you beat your wings?" we should say, "I can't beat my wings either, but I live by God's grace, and he is also trying to live by God's grace." That is what the church is. There is no one in the church who has fully arrived. Doesn't Paul say, "Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on toward the goal"? We are all people like that.

 

We are too short on time to spend it pointing out each other's faults and complaining. Their weaknesses should instead be a source of mutual comfort and encouragement. There is not enough time to praise one another and move forward together in the presence of the Lord. There are many who are not good at their jobs, many who fail in their life of faith. There are times when they act so childishly that you lose respect for them. It is truly difficult to meet a well-balanced believer. It's much more common for someone to be good at one thing but a mess at another. Therefore, the Lord has called us together to build up and accept one another in our weaknesses. That is why the Bible always speaks of the church in the plural.

 

This shows us how much we need each other and how essential we are to one another. Now, your cell groups are starting. You might think, "How strange, how did I get into the same group as this person?" But this is God's providence. Rejoice together in how you will support this person and what will be established in them through you. Do not say, "My heart is so wounded after listening to that person today," but rather, "We will strive to look together at the good that God will bring out of this." Why did the Lord gather us? It is for this very purpose.

 

A Life That Doesn't Avoid Training

As we live this history of salvation, I want to say one more thing before I conclude this message. When we see Jacob's life becoming what it is through God's hand, we might think, "That's right, it's God's providence. God is the one who leads and trains me." But we often try to avoid that training. Perhaps we wish that we could just "pop!" and instantly become the person God wants us to be. We want to avoid all the training and run away.

 

We are willing to receive training, but only with our minds. We try to solve things only by reading, writing, and seeing. In severe cases, we listen to a pastor's sermon and think, "Wow, we know the correct gospel, and this is what faith looks like, so this must be right," and then that's it. But God does not work that way. If you listen to Jacob's story, you'll see that in his entire life, especially for those twenty years, he never had a single easy day. He says, "Thus I was; by day the heat consumed me, and the cold by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes." God trained him like this.

 

Are you tired? "I have to go to work, watch the kids, take care of my wife, serve my husband, and serve at church. I have to go to cell group, and the Friday gathering, and there's a prayer meeting in the morning..." All of these are burdens. "Pastor, we will die early if we live like that." You've noticed! Do you want to live a very, very long time in this world? "No, I want to go to be with the Lord." You've said that to me many times, and you've sung about it. I'll tell you the secret: try investing all your time for the Lord for once.

 

Of course, you know that I am exaggerating. But the old reformer John Knox actually said, "I would rather wear out than rust out." How amazing is that? I'm a little afraid that we might finish our lives without ever knowing what it's like to live so passionately with God. I'm afraid, "What will I talk to the Lord about when I get to heaven if I've never had the deepest fellowship with Him? What if I've never properly used my time, my heart, and my resources for the Lord and for my beloved believers, but have just been busy taking care of my own life and finished my life like that?" There's nothing more regrettable than that.

 

God trains you. You can try to dodge it. After all, God won't grab you by the neck and drag you, saying, "You must do this." But God doesn't want to burden you with work. He wants you to learn that because you are walking with Christ, the yoke you bear is light. He wants you to experience the joy of discovering that after you wondered, "Can I love this person?", you suddenly found yourself forgiving them and walking with them as you came to know the cross of Jesus Christ. Our church's motto is: "Let's not do God's work by burning people out."

 

A Life of Companionship, Not Burning Out

Brothers and sisters, do not try to burn yourselves out for God. That is not the intention. Please enjoy the joy of walking with God. The Lord also wants to enjoy that joy, so don't miss it. Jacob committed himself to his training with all his might. He didn't just get rich; he actually cared for the livestock, and he rejoiced in participating in what pleased God. In doing so, he realized that this world was not a place where he should seek praise, glory, or anything to hold on to. That's why he didn't boast about what he had; he looked to God.

 

The Peculiar, Righteous Life of a Believer

Do you remember the story of Abraham? After rescuing Lot, he met both Melchizedek and the king of Sodom. When the king said, "You did very well, so take the spoils," Abraham replied, "I will not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, 'I have made Abram rich.' I have only looked to God, gone with God, and will only receive what God gives me."

 

Believers are truly interesting people. They work harder than anyone else in the world and strive to live an excellent life. We should use all we have to live in a way that makes the world and everyone around us think, "They are truly hard-working and honest." Yet, a peculiar trait is that they often don't claim their own portion. Why do they live this way?

 

The Three Confessions of a Believer

The secret to why Jacob could live this way is found in three confessions.

 

First, the confession that God is the master of all creation. This conviction that everything belongs to God enables you to live most diligently in this world. You give your best in all your work.

 

Second, the confession that "I am one who will return." Knowing that we have a heavenly home keeps our hearts from being completely captivated by the things of this world. Drawing water from a well is refreshing to drink, but if you fall in, you will die. Because we know this world is not the end, we can live without clinging to worldly things and claiming them as our own.

 

Third, the confession that God Himself is my inheritance. God created the entire universe, and since God Himself is my everything, I lack nothing. This is our confident confession. Our most important concern is not what we have or don't have, or whether we are healthy. The success of our lives is not our highest concern. We will work hard, but we will not claim our own portion; we will rejoice because God is our everything. When Jacob was on his way back, Bethel was there, and he confessed, "I will build a house for God here."

 

People Who Build Temples

Jacob never built a physical temple. The tabernacle and temple came much later with his descendants. But Jacob said, "I will build a temple."

 

If you try to get everything you want in your life of faith, you will probably see nothing. But you are a temple builder. And according to the Bible, you are already a temple. Because Christ has made you His temple, become your Bethel, and come to us as God's house.

 

Jacob could only be satisfied with a few sheep, goats, and camels, but what does the Lord promise you? "Through my death, my resurrection, and my ascension, I will seat you with me on the heavenly throne and have you rule over the entire universe." The Lord calls us His sons and daughters and will rule this world with us. This is an incredible promise that cannot be compared to what Jacob received. You and I will sit in the heavens with Christ and receive every spiritual blessing. Your life in Christ is a life that belongs to heaven.

 

Let us pray.

Learning what our lives are through Your Word is a joy, but it is also a path that leads us into training. Loving Lord, we pray that we may not avoid it. Grant us the courage and wisdom to walk Your path without turning away. Grant us the joy of counting whatever You have allowed us as our everything. Grant us the precious faith to be grateful and rejoice in the fact that You are simply with us. Lord, Jacob turned and walked toward Your kingdom with You. We also walk that path together. We believe that this path we walk in Jesus will be beautiful. Please allow Your beloved believers to walk that path with joy. We pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.