Genesis 29:10 14 - Now when Jacob saw Rachel
the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's
brother, Jacob went up and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered
the flock of Laban his mother's brother. Then Jacob kissed Rachel,
and wept aloud. And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's kinsman,
and that he was Rebekah's son; and she ran and told her father. When
Laban heard the tidings of Jacob his sister's son, he ran to meet him, and
embraced him and kissed him, and brought him to his house. Jacob told Laban all
these things, and Laban said to him, "Surely you are my bone
and my flesh!" And he stayed with him a month.
We are not told how long Jacob traveled….all we know is he
was following the directions of his father’s blessing…under the watchful eye of
God himself. As far as the scriptures record…Jacob was on foot…traveling by
himself. It must have moved him just to see the shepherds…and sheep laying by
the well. Jacob has spent so much time inside the house with his mom…they have
to explain to him why they are waiting to move the stone and water the sheep. But
the explanation opens the way for him to ask about the uncle he is seeking….and
to receive the news that he is well…and that his journey has almost ended.
So moved by the presence of his daughter….he moves the stone
and waters the sheep of his uncle. Then he
kisses Rachel…a simple kiss of friendship and greeting….a kiss that brought all
the emotions from the past few days to the surface…as he weeps openly and
reveals the family ties that show they are relatives. How wonderful that Rachel
is so excited that she runs home to tell her father. How wonderful …that he runs to greet Jacob…and
Jacob confirms he is indeed the son of his sister who left so long ago. How
wonderful that Laban accepted him and invited him to stay.
Sometimes…it is that easy. We are walking in God’s
footprints…holding tightly to his hand…and can’t help but be in his will…and
that one season of our life is just so perfect that all the pieces of the
puzzle fit immediately into place. No wonder he fell in love with Rachel…the
pure joy he must have shared that day with her family gave him a deep lasting
love for this girl he saw coming innocently toward the well. Oh what comfort
and strength it must have given this lad who had messed up so badly he had to
leave home to save his life. His deep love gave him the strength to work for 14
years to marry her….and endure the trickery of Laban as he was forced to marry
Leah. He was so in tune with God’s
purposes in his life that he could walk day by day in peace…and fulfill the
requirements to obtain a promise.
I was hard not to notice how Jacob was not perfect in these
two marriages. He did slight Leah…she must have suffered greatly knowing she
was just a means to an end. So God
closed the womb of Rachel and let Leah bear the first four fathers of the
promised people as a message to her that she was important…even if her husband
did not love her as much as her sister. God is good that way…consoling us sometimes
when we are wronged…allowing us to feel his great blessings as he did Leah…allowing
these children to keep her from being alone…and later making them into great
men that would sire the nation of Israel.
Father…I thank you this morning for this story of hope…courage…patience
…and strength. I thank you that you
allowed Jacob to restore his life over these years he lived with Laban….for
allowing him to marry and father the
children that would later produce the Messiah....the one that saved me from all
my sins. Help me to walk with you like Jacob
did…to be completely in tune with your will for my life so I can have strength
to do what I need to do…and wait as long as I need to wait to see your plan for
me revealed. Help me to be all that I can be…in spite of the sins I still allow
to surface each day. keep revealing
those sins to me…so I can empty them out of my life…and walk even closer to
you. Amen.
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