From Tears to a testimony, Sermon 3.19.17

Posted on March 21, 2017 by growintheword

 

Synopsis of Sermon 3.19.17

Delivered by Bishop Walker III

Psalms 30:5 says For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.

None of us are immune to pain. We have to learn to shift from what has occurred in our lives and turn to a point of a testimony. You must learn transcend your pain and move to the glory of God. The enemy knows if you tell somebody God is able, then they too, will come out of their situation, just like you did.

It is not only important that you come out, you got to come out whole. Know that what you go through is not just for you. Make up in your mind that your story will not end like your situation is right now. God will transcend you from tears to testimony. People whose life was in desperation transcended from the situation, because they saw God’s hand moving to bring them out!

This Psalms is a psalm dealing with the house of David and how he came back from a terrible situation. David was in a bad place psychology and physically. Psalm 30:3 (NKJV) 3 O Lord, You brought my soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.[a]–  When David was writing this, he was aware that God sustained him during a point that was designed to take him out.

David was gravely ill. In Psalm 30:2 (NKJV) it says 2 O Lord my God, I cried out to You, And You healed me. – Healing can happen in a variety of ways. You can be healed emotionally, spiritually, or physically. God can not only heal you, he can heal you without scars. You have to let others know that what was about to take you out, became your testimony.

There are some things about God that must be understood.

I. Revelation of his anger

Psalms 30:5a – For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; …

  1. Whatever you go through as a child of God, it is important that you don’t let the enemy control the narrative of who God is in your life. The nature of God is not determined by your situation, but instead it is determined by revelation.
  2. God doesn’t hold grudges, he extends grace. God never remains angry. God is not like man and holds grudges for years and years. Certain people hold grudges for years. God’s grace will keep you from being consumed by the test of your trials.
  3. We live in a world where we want God to punish people. God is not like man. The fact that you are here is a testimony of God’s grace. We all got our list of stuff that has ticked us off. I give God the glory, because he looked beyond my faults and saw all my needs!
  4. God wants everything connected to you to live. God extends his favor to you so that it flows from God, to you. 2 John 15:1-2 (NKJV) says 15 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, God takes away;[a]and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.- Gods desire is that everything connected to you, must bear fruit. If things that are connected to you don’t bear fruit, then he disconnects it. Stop running after stuff God disconnected from you. Hanging on to stuff that is disconnected, will spoil your vine.
    1. Those things bringing forth fruit, God prunes so that it can bear more fruit. Where you are going, you can’t take people who are comfortable producing in one season, but not in the new season.
    2. You can’t go with me, if you don’t grow with me. John 10:10 (NKJV) says 10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have itmore abundantly. – It is God’s desire that everything in your life lives. God doesn’t hold grudges; he gives me My existence today is a result of what I don’t deserve. Everything connected to me in this season, must live. Don’t get mad when God prunes you. Everything connected with you directly and indirectly will live because of the favor over your life.
    3. His anger is but for a moment and his favor gives life.

 

II. Rest in his assurance

When you understand this, you can rest in the promises of God.

Psalms 30:5b – Weeping may endure for a night …

  1. The tendency here is for us to convince ourselves that we are super-human. God doesn’t need this from us. Some of this stuff that happens, hurts. Sometimes people just don’t appreciate your value. Know that it is ok to cry.
  2. Many of us were taught that men were not supposed to cry, but know that there is nothing wrong with crying.
    1. There is not wrong with crying if you cry in faith. God moves when our faith is in actions, not our feelings. If you are in your feelings, this is why God isn’t moving. God don’t move in your feelings; he moves in your favor.
    2. Romans 12:15 (NKJV) 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. – People around your cry. We as Christians, cry too, but not like the world cries.
    3. 2 Corinthians 4:8 (NKJV) says 8 We arehard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; – Your tears and your trouble both have term limits. Weeping is optional, but the night season is inevitable. Weeping may endure for a night!
    4. Your tears and trouble should have term limits. Don’t give your tears tenure. Whatever you are going through, know that this too, shall pass! Whatever it is, know that it is temporary!
    5. Don’t make permanent decisions during temporary situations. Cry and get out. After today, it’s done! What is ahead of me is better than what’s been!

 

III. Rejoice with awareness

  1. Psalms 30:5c says Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. – How is the conjunction in the scripture relevant? Conjunction, junction, what’s your function? Conjunctions cancel out preexisting actions. When we get to the “but” which is a conjunction, it disqualifies the power of what has happened before it. i.e. “They said I would never be nothing, but …”
  2. You change, before it changed. In the midst of your tears, you received revelation that God was still working on your behalf. 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NKJV) says 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. – When you get a revelation, it will change everything. Joy comes in the morning.
    1. Joy has nothing to do with happenings, but instead internal revelation and revelation comes in the morning.
  3. When we understand God’s plan for our lives, it generates a response of thanksgiving, even if my situation has not changed. The joy came from the revelation in the night.
    1. It can still be dark, when joy shows up. Note that the morning is not determined by the To prove it, we say “good night” at midnight, but at 12:01 we say “good morning”. It’s still dark, but it’s still morning. Everything looks the same at 12:01am, but the one thing that has changed is my awareness. I am aware that it is morning, even though it looks like it’s night. In like manner, you got an awareness that God is up to something and he has shifted you into a new season even though your situation still looks dark.
  4. If you’ve changed and your situation hasn’t, why are you acting as though your situation has? The reason we give God the glory with a smile on our face, despite how our situation looks, it is because we survived the night!

 

 

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Joshua Part 2, Synopsis of Bible Study 2/22/17

Posted on March 1, 2017 by growintheword

 

Joshua Part 

Synopsis of Bible Study 2/22/17

Delivered by Bishop Walker III

 

We see in this lesson, God transferring the mantle. It is very important us to notice God confirming the leadership of Joshua. The Children of Israel would be led by Joshua from here on out.

I. Introduction

  1. They come to a place called Gilgal. The name Gilgal means wheel or rolling. It is believed to have derived from the circle it formed from stones around it.
  2. We are able to understand that Gilgal was a place of rest and preparation.
  3. In Gilgal, the Israelites complete the steps to get right with God, before going into the Promised Land. Now they would -be people viewed as covenant people which held strict adherence to the word of God.
  4. Joshua 1:3 (NKJV) says 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. – In other words, God was saying that the Children of Israel were going to a place where God show them. In doing this, God shows them how he moves them into a place or mindset.
  5. What we discover about the enemies of the Children of Israel is: Joshua 5:1 (NKJV) says 5 So it was, when all the kings of the Amorites who were on the west side of the Jordan,  and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan from before the children of Israel until we[a] had crossed over, that their heart melted; and there was no spirit in them any longer because of the children of Israel. – In other words, everywhere the Children of Israel went, the enemies feared their arrival, because they had a reputation of God fighting their battles for them. When you walk knowing God will fight for you, you walk with a different kind of confidence.
  6. Joshua 1:2 (NKJV) says 2 “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses.
  7. They used a flint knife to circumcise the children again. Joshua 5:4-5 (NKJV) says 4 And this isthe reason why Joshua circumcised them: All the people who came out of Egypt who were males, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness on the way, after they had come out of Egypt. 5 For all the people who came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness, on the way as they came out of Egypt, had not been circumcised. – All the men of war had died on the way from Egypt to the Promised Land. We are now dealing with two or three generations after coming out of Egypt. All those that came out of Egypt’s captivity died, before going to the promise.

Flint Knife

 

II. The time of preparation.

  1. Joshua 5:6-9 (NKJV) 6 For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people who were men of war, who came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they did not obey the voice of the Lord—to whom the Lord swore that He would not show them the land which the Lord had sworn to their fathers that He would give us, “a land flowing with milk and honey.”[a]7 Then Joshua circumcised their sons whomHe raised up in their place; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised on the way.8 So it was, when they had finished circumcising all the people, that they stayed in their places in the camp till they were healed. 9 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” Therefore the name of the place is called Gilgal[b] to this day.-They did not obey the voice of the Lord. Circumcision was a covenant. This generation hasn’t been circumcised. God had to take away the sociological stigma and the mental block, before he could proceed to bringing them to the Promised Land.
  2. Gilgal means to roll away. The trauma of slavery doesn’t just affect those in slavery. It affects people 2 or 3 generations later. A lot of the complaining the Children of Isreal did was a result of the forefathers slavery.When people look at the Children of Israel, they say, those are the ones that was once saved.
  3. God rolled away the approach. He is preparing them mentally, spiritually, and socially for what they are about to encounter.
  4. Immediately, they began to have Passover. The Passover was a time of feast. The Passover always represented a particular kick-off.
    1. Joshua 5:10-12 (NKJV) 10 Now the children of Israel camped in Gilgal, and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight on the plains of Jericho. 11 And they ate of the produce of the land on the day after the Passover, unleavened bread and parched grain, on the very same day. 12 Then the manna ceased on the day after they had eaten the produce of the land; and the children of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate the food of the land of Canaan that year. – They had a party. Passover was a celebration. They were now on the verge of going to The Promise and the Passover was a celebration that they were almost there. You have to celebrate over what God has promised you.
    2. They ate grain and fruit from the ground. God has their mind right and their spirit right at this point. The Children of Israel is almost there and what they are used to is manna falling from the sky. From now on, they will eat from what is produced from the land.
  5. They ate produce of the land. Joshua 5:12 (NKJV) 12 Then the manna ceased on the day after they had eaten the produce of the land; and the children of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate the food of the land of Canaan that year. – After the celebration (the Passover), they started eating fruit from the ground. They were close to where they are about to be God is shifting their appetite. They are used to manna falling from heaven. In the wilderness, you ate what came from the sky. God however had promised them occupation. Now you going to eat what comes from the earth.
  6. God is preparing their palate for what is around the corner. He doesn’t want them to be in shock. Ex – You been eating Taco Bell all your life. God will give you an experience in Taco Bell, so you won’t go into shock when you go to the 5-star restaurant. God is giving you a preview, so that you can get used to what is coming. When you get into the Promised Land, there will be no more blessings coming out of sky. The ground will be so fertile; you will reap from it.

 

III. The destruction of Jericho

  1. Joshua has an encounter. In Joshua 5:13-15 (NKJV) 13 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, “AreYou for us or for our adversaries?” 14 So He said, “No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, “What does my Lord say to His servant?” 15 Then the Commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is” And Joshua did so. – Joshua has an experience with an angel. God is trying to get you to take off your shoes, because He is reminding us that he will take over from here. In this space, it is not ground for complaining or griping; this is Holy Ground! God doesn’t need your help for this one!
  2. Joshua moves in the space of Jericho. Joshua 6:1 (NKJV) 6 Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in.  – The city is shut up, because the harvest has come in. They are not worrying about anything. The city of Jericho thought they were big-stuff and they thought the children of Israel was too small to conquer them. They had sealed their walls around the city and didn’t think anyone could get in.

 

  1. Joshua 6:2-5 (NKJV) says 2 And the Lord said to Joshua: “See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, andthe mighty men of valor. 3 You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days. 4 And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5 It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him.”- God gives these instructions. They were told to march around the city for 7 days and on the 7th day, they would shout, and the walls of Jericho would fall down.
  2. Joshua relayed the instructions to his people. Joshua tells them that when they would go in and take the land (after the walls had fallen), they were to watch for a red rag hanging out of a window. He gave instructions not to bother that household nor the people in it.
    1. If you will remember Rahab, she was the prostitute that helped the spies that were sent in on behalf of the Children of Israel to spy on the land. She hid the spies by hiding them in her house. As a result, they promised that when it was time for them to take over the land, they would not harm her or her family. It was agreed that she would hang a red tow in the window so that the men of war would pass over that house when they would go in and take the land, just like the blood over the door post at Passover.
  3. Rahab as you know, helped the spies. Salmon in the genealogy of Mathew was Rehab’s husband. Matthew 1:5-6 (NKJV) 5 Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, 6 and Jesse begot David the king.
  4. More instructions: When they went into to the camp, there were things they were to do. Joshua 6:16-19 (NKJV) 16 And the seventh time it happened, when the priests blew the trumpets, that Joshua said to the people: “Shout, for the Lord has given you the city! 17 Now the city shall be doomed by the Lord to destruction, it and all who arein it. Only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. 18 And you, by all means abstain from the accursed things, lest you become accursed when you take of the accursed things, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. 19 But all the silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are consecrated to the Lord; they shall come into the treasury of the Lord.”- Joshua told them by all means abstain from the accursed things. They were instructed not to take the gold silver and bronze. It belonged to God and therefore, was supposed to go to the Lord’s treasury. If anyone was to take any of Jericho’s treasures for themselves, it would bring a curse upon them and upon their camp. Anytime you take what God consecrated for himself and place it inside your house, you cause curse to come into your house. Sort of reminds you of the tithe principle.
  5. Why was it so significant not to take the gold and silver and instead put it into God’s treasury? Remember when the Children of Israel came out of Egypt, they left with lots of riches, but instead of putting it to good use, they made a golden calf to worship. If they had given it to God, they would have forever had all they needed. They no longer needed treasures, though, because their blessings would from now on, come out of the ground.

 

  1. If you have nothing but a preacher and choir, you have all you need to defeat Jericho. In Joshua 6:2-5 (NKJV) 2 And the Lord said to Joshua: “See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, andthe mighty men of valor. 3 You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days. 4 And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5 It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him.”– God says the first thing he wanted the children of Israel to do was stare the city down. God wanted them to take a good look at what he was about to give them.
  2. Marching around the city. The city of Jericho was 9 miles in diameter, so to march around the city one time their Sunday School or beginning step of faith. And we have to recognize that when we are walking for God, it is not a casual and nonchalant walk. When you are walking for God, this is a brisk walk. Ex – A test was done to simulate what the Children of Israel must have been going through during the walk around the sitting. How long would it take to walk this city of 9 miles. The test that was done set a brisk walk at 3.5 speed. Each time around the city would be around 2.5 miles and the test revealed that it took a great deal of time to make one lap around the city. After 6 days, you would be exhausted. It would be hard to stay on course. On the 7th day, we would have to finally give it to God, because we couldn’t handle it.
  3. It takes 17hrs to walk this 6-day journey out (at the speed of 3.5). On the 7th time, the Children of Israel would be beat, but they had to walk continue walking and then shout at the end of the 7th time around.
  4. You think the wall fell when they shouted. The revelation is when they walked around the wall, they walked with calibration. They were walking in cadence. One person, not in synch, can blow the whole thing! They walked in agreement. It this began seismic activity against the ground. In other words, as they walked, the wall started to crumble. The wall started to crumble, because they were in agreement.
  5. They had to have agreement for the shout to work. We have to be together. When we come together and shout, that’s when walls will fall in your life! How bad do you need it? You need to learn how to shout!
  6. It took them walking almost all day, every day, to complete the task, but it took 17hrs to complete 6 days. We need your agreement! This this is our 17th year! The wall is going to fall this year! This is the year of now! Walls of debt and sickness is going to fall! Wall. Every wall in your life is going to fall!
  7. You are so close to seeing the mighty hand of God! You going to say, I saw it coming, because you set the stage in my life. This is going to be a Passover Praise!
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Genesis VI, Bible Study 12/14/16

Posted on January 5, 2017 by growintheword

genesis

Synopsis of Bible study 12/14/16

Delivered by Bishop Walker

 

  1. Introduction
  2. This book reveals the 12 tribes of Israel. The narrative around these tribes is not just limited to the Old Testament. It also goes with the New Testament as well.
  3. The children of Israel worked in the fields and they moved often. They didn’t stay in one place very long.
  4. There is a promise of the word of God through Joseph. Genesis 50:25 (NKJV) says 25 Then Joseph took an oath from the children of Israel, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” – There was sense that they would get to promise, but they didn’t get there at this point in time in the scripture.

 

  1. The Birth of Joseph
  2. Rachel’s barrenness
  3. Sarah and Rebekah both were barren. Rachael was barren as well.
  4. Rachael prayed to her husband Jacob. Genesis 30:1-2 (NKJV) 30 Now when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister, and said to Jacob, “Give me children, or else I die!”2 And Jacob’s anger was aroused against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?”
    1. Gen 30:1- Rachael says to her husband, that she would give him children or die.
    2. Gen 30:2-God heard Rachael’s prayer and eventually He opens up her womb up.
  5. Genesis 30:23-24 (NKJV) 23 And she conceived and bore a son, and said, “God has taken away my reproach.” 24 So she called his name Joseph,[a] and said, “The Lord shall add to me another son.”- Rachael’s first son was In Hebrew this name means, “God will add or God will bless”.
  6. Jacob has a son by Racheal named Joseph.

 

  1. Jacobs Departure from Laban’s House.

Genesis 30:25 (NKJV) 25 And it came to pass, when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away, that I may go to my own place and to my country. – There is a lot of family drama happening in this setting. Laban has other sons who are in their feelings about Jacob. They felt like Jacob has come and taken a lot of their family inheritance.

  1. Laban is starting to deal differently with Jacob than he did at first.
  2. Laban’s attitude has changed toward Jacob and he starts cheating Jacob, so Jacob makes the decision to leave.
  3. Although they were leaving, Racheal and Leah did not want to leave empty handed. They wanted some of their inheritance. Jacob took all that he had accumulated and started towards his father house. Racheal went back and stole some of Laban’s household idols. Genesis 31:19 (NKJV) 19 Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel had stolen the household idols that were her father’s. – She was determined not to leave empty handed. She took this stuff and hid it among all their belongings.
  4. They are heading out on their way to Jacob’s house. Laban realizes that he has been tricked and as a result, Laban pursues them and he catches up to with them. The whole time he was searching, he never found the household idols.
  5. Laban has a conversation with Jacob. Genesis 31:48-50 (NKJV) 48 And Laban said, “This heap is a witness between you and me this day.” Therefore its name was called Galeed, 49 also Mizpah,[a] because he said, “May the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent one from another. 50 If you afflict my daughters, or if you take other wives besides my daughters, although no man is with us—see, God is witness between you and me!”- Here a father covers his daughter.
  6. Who’s leaving? Jacob, Leah, Rachael, and a bunch of hidden idols.

 

  • The Reunion of Jacob and Esau
  1. Jacob wrestles with an angel

Genesis 32:6 (NKJV) 6 Then the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau, and he also is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.” – Jacob is afraid at this point, because he has to meet Esau whom he tricked.

  1. Jacob tells half of his men to go one way and the other half to go the other way. Jacob was then left alone. And there he wrestled with a man until the breaking of day. When the man realizes that he wasn’t going to prevail, he dislocated Jacob’s hip. Jacob had put him in a headlock and wouldn’t let him go. Genesis 32:26 (NKJV) says 26 And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks. ”But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!”- This man that wrestled with Jacob was God. Jacob wouldn’t let him go until he blessed him. Do you realize how many people let go of God when they are in pain.

Genesis 32:28 (NKJV) says 28 And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel;[a] for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.”- God changed his name to Israel. God can never elevate you to destiny until you wrestle with him and find out you need him.

  1. After the wrestle, Jacob is left with a limp. Esau sees Jacob coming towards him limping. Jacob is weak in body, but strong in faith.

 

  1. The Rape of Jacobs Daughter, Dinah
  2. For the first time in scripture, we encounter a rape. Genesis 34:2 (NKJV) 2 And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her and lay with her, and violated her. – The Hebrew word used for took is used the same Hebrew word used in the context of taking a wife or to have intercourse. Shechem took her(raped her), said he loved her, and then asked her to be his wife.
  3. The father of Shechem says to Jacob that his son wanted to marry his daughter. Jacob doesn’t know that Hamor’s son has raped this daughter.
  4. Dinah is terrified, but her bothers know what has happened. While the fathers were trying to negotiate Dinah’s marriage, Simon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, reminded everyone that in order for them to marry, they had to be circumcised. Genesis 34:14 (NKJV) says 14 And they said to them, “We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised, for that would be a reproach to us. – As a result, all the men were being circumcised. While they were in pain, the brothers Simon and Levi, took swords and took the city unaware and took their sister back who had been

 

  1. The Death of Rachel
  2. Joseph was Rachael’s first son. The second child she bore, died.
  3. Near Ephrath, Rachel went into a difficult labor with her second son, Benjamin. The midwife told her in the middle of the birth that her child was a boy. Before she died, Rachel named her son Ben Oni (“son of my mourning”), but Jacob called him Ben Yamin (Benjamin).
  4. His name , Ben Oni , means son of my sorrow. Benjamin means “son of my right hand”. Then Jacob renamed him.
  5. Rachael’ dies giving birth to Benjamin. Genesis 35:20 (NKJV) 20 And Jacob set a pillar on her grave, which is the pillar of Rachel’s grave to this day.

 

  1. The Death of Isaac
  2. Isaac dies at the age of 180 yrs old. Genesis 35:27-29 (NKJV) 27 Then Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre, or Kirjath Arba[a] (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had dwelt. 28 Now the days of Isaac were one hundred and eighty years. 29 So Isaac breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people, being old and full of days. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him. – Esau and Jacob buried their father.

 

  1. The Story of Joseph and Family
  2. Jacob and Esau part ways
  3. Genesis 37:1 (NKJV) says 37 Now Jacob dwelt in the land where his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.
  4. The story of Joseph is a picture of the son that Jacob loves.
  5. Jacob marries Racheal after Leah. Racheal was barren for years before she could have children. She and Jacob both are old when she finally has children.
  6. This is not Jacobs firstborn, but it is the firstborn of the one he loves (Rachael). Rachael then has a second son Benjamin. Jacob has other kids besides Benjamin.

 

  1. Jacob Settles in the Land of Canaan
  2. Who is Jacob’s first born child? It is Ruben. Joseph is the first-born of Racheal, but not Jacobs first-born.
  3. Genesis 37:3 – 4 (NKJV) 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many – Israel loved Joseph more than the other children. 4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him. – The bothers hated Joseph, because their father loved him more. Imagine that: The first haters in the bible were in a family members.
  4. The coat made for Joseph has long sleeves for a reason. Long sleeve garments, could mean there was a lot of money put inside that coat. People look at what is on the outside of the coat and hate on it, but they don’t know what is inside. This is the same way with you. People hate on you, but they don’t know what God has put inside you.
  5. Joseph was he hated, because a dreamer.

 

  1. Joseph the dreamer.
  2. Dream one – Joseph had a dream of binding sheaves. Genesis 37:7 (NKJV) 7 There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf.”- This dream meant that Joseph’s brothers would be subject to him and he would reign over them and they didn’t like this.
  3. Dream two – Genesis 37:9 (NKJV) 9 Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, “Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.”- Joseph told his brother about this dream too and again it meant that they would be subject to him. They didn’t like this dream either.
    1. Joseph claimed that his parents would even be subject to him. Genesis 37:10-11 (NKJV) 10 So he told it to his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?” 11 And his brothers envied him, but his father kept the matter in mind.
    2. The Providence of God – God is always working in the affairs of his people. At this point, you have to see God as a puppet master. By this we mean, no matter what happens, you got to realize that God is in it.
    3. Jacob sends his sons to the field. When they saw Joseph coming they said to themselves, “Here comes the dreamer”. Jacob’s brothers were plotting to murder him. They decided instead to sell him for 20 pieces of silver.

 

  1. Joseph is Sold into Slavery
  2. Joseph’s brothers put him in a pit and sold him. They took his coat and put blood on it from a goat and told Jacob that Joseph had been killed.
  3. Jacob is distraught. The caravan sells Joseph to Potiphar. Potiphar is over the army for Pharaoh. Genesis 39: 1-4 says “for the Lord was with Joseph”. His master saw that the Lord was with him, so he put Joseph as overseer of the house.
  4. Joseph went from the pit to the palace, because God was in it. If favor is on you, it doesn’t matter where they put you. Genesis 39:1-4 (NKJV) 39 Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there. 2 The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. 3 And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand. 4 So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority. – Joseph is walking around with favor on him, because God is with him. He is giving orders to others, because he is in charge. Then a problem arises. Potiphar’s wife tries to seduce him. Joseph refused and as a result, she says that he tried to touch her. This caused him to be placed into prison.

 

  1. Joseph’s Life in Egypt and the Final Days of the Ancestors of Israel
  2. Placement in Potiphar s house (Genesis 39:1-4)
  3. Genesis 39:1-4 (NKJV) 39 Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there. 2 The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. 3 And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand. 4 So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority.
  4. Proposition and prison (Genesis 39: 7-21)

Genesis 39:7-21 (NKJV) 7 And it came to pass after these things that his master’s wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, “Lie with me.” 8 But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. 9 There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” 10 So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her. 11 But it happened about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was inside, 12 that she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside. 13 And so it was, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and fled outside, 14 that she called to the men of her house and spoke to them, saying, “See, he has brought in to us a Hebrew to mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. 15 And it happened, when he heard that I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me, and fled and went outside.”16 So she kept his garment with her until his master came home. 17 Then she spoke to him with words like these, saying, “The Hebrew servant whom you brought to us came in to me to mock me; 18 so it happened, as I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me and fled outside.” 19 So it was, when his master heard the words which his wife spoke to him, saying, “Your servant did to me after this manner,” that his anger was aroused. 20 Then Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were confined. And he was there in the prison. 21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.

  1. Joseph was in the prison with the Butler and Baker. He has two dreams. In one dream one was beheaded and the other one will be freed. When the baker gets out, Joseph asks him to remember him. It is important for us to know that no matter what the situation, God will create a position for you to cause what has been placed inside you to come out.
  2. Promotion to the palace (Genesis 41)
  3. The Butler remembers that there is someone in prison that can interpret dreams. Josephs gift created a job for him.
  4. Joseph interprets eh dream for the pharaoh. He says there will be 7 yrs of plenty and 7rs of famine. He teaches them to store up in the years of plenty for the years of lack.

 

  1. The sons of Jacob in Egypt (Genesis 41)
  2. This is Joseph who went through all of this and now he becomes the Prime Minister. He was in charge of giving food out to families during the famine.
  3. Joseph elected to give bread to the same brothers who sold him into slavery. Sometimes you will have to give bread to people that you don’t like just because the Lord told you to. God elevated him and Jacob sends his sons to Egypt. It is like a cheese or bread line.
  4. As Joseph’s brothers comes towards him, he sees them. He knows it is them. What happens is joseph sees his brothers and reveals himself.

 

  1. Joseph reveals himself (Genesis 45)
  2. Joseph says he is not bitter. Gen 50:20- ..-.God meant it for Joseph’s good. All these people wouldn’t been living if Joseph’s brothers hadn’t sold him into slavery. All things work together for the good of them that love the Lord and who are called according to his purpose. Genesis 50:20N (NKJV) 20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.

 

  1. Jacob and joseph reunite (Genesis 46)
  2. Joseph tells his brothers to go back and bring back their father. Joseph is an Israelite, but pharaoh loves Joseph anyway.
  3. When the brothers come back to Egypt, Joseph introduces them to Pharaoh. They came to Egypt as welcomed guest, because Joseph didn’t disown them.

 

  1. The final chapter (Genesis 50)
  2. That Pharaoh died. Joseph is in Egypt with his family, because Pharaoh invited them to stay. There rose up a Pharaoh that didn’t know Joseph or the Israelites. As a result, he took all of Joseph’s descendants and placed them into slavery.

 

 

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Genesis V, Bible Study 12.7.15

Posted on December 21, 2016 by growintheword

 

Synopsis of Bible Study 12/7/16

Delivered by Bishop Walker III

 

  1. Introduction
  2. Abraham is a dominant figure in Israel.
  3. He is the first of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
  4. He is the father of faith.
  5. Isaac and Jacob are important to the promise too.
  6. Abraham’s life of faith serves as a catalyst for the Covenant of God.
  7. The oldest male son was called the primogenitor meaning the status of being the first born child among several children of the same parents. It was the rule of inheritance of common laws through which the oldest male child has the right to succeed the father. – This simply menas, regardless of how many children a person has, the firstborn male gets all the inheritance.
  8. In Latin “primogenitor” simply means “first born”.
  9. Primogenitor is not a practice used in the United States today, but it is still used around the globe. Abraham had kids by his second wife Keturah too, but only Isaac would carry the blessing.
  10. See Image 1.1 for the complete chart of the Ancestors of Israel[1]
  11. The Life of Isaac

Isaac is one of the least developed patriarchs in history. Abraham’s life seemed just overshadow him.

  1. The search for a wife for Isaac
  2. In Genesis 23: Isaac’s Mom dies at 127 yrs old. As a result, Abraham is mourning over her. He is distraught and so is Isaac.
    1. Genesis 23:2 (NKJV) 2 So Sarah died in Kirjath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. – Abraham purchased a family burial from the Hittites.
      1. Genesis 23:20 (NKJV) 20 So the field and the cave that is in it were deeded to Abraham by the sons of Heth as property for a burial place. Genesis 25:8-9 (NKJV) 8 Then Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. 9 And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite,
    2. Abraham sent one of his servants to go and find his son Isaac a wife. After seeing that Isaac was so miserable, Abraham thought that Isaac getting married would help him to get past his hurt.
    3. Criteria for Isaac’s wife:
      1. She could not be the Daughter of the Canaanites. Genesis 24:3(NKJV) 3 and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell;
      2. She should be a woman from the kindred of Hannah. Genesis 24:4 (NKJV) 4 but you shall go to my country and to my family, and take a wife for my son Isaac.”
      3. She must be willing to dwell in the same land as they did. Genesis 24:5-8 (NKJV) 5 And the servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I take your son back to the land from which you came?” 6 But Abraham said to him, “Beware that you do not take my son back there. 7 The Lord God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my family, and who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, ‘To your descendants[a] I give this land,’ He will send His angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. 8 And if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be released from this oath; only do not take my son back there.”
      4. He journeyed to the birth country of Abraham. In Genesis 24:12-19 (NKJV) it says 12 Then he said, “O Lord God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham. 13 Behold, here I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. 14 Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, ‘Please let down your pitcher that I may drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink’—let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. And by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master.” 15 And it happened, before he had finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, came out with her pitcher on her shoulder. 16 Now the young woman was very beautiful to behold, a virgin; no man had known her. And she went down to the well, filled her pitcher, and came up. 17 And the servant ran to meet her and said, “Please let me drink a little water from your pitcher.” 18 So she said, “Drink, my lord.” Then she quickly let her pitcher down to her hand, and gave him a drink. 19 And when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking.” – The servant decided that this woman was the one.
    4. Why did Abraham ask for Isaac’s expected wife to be a certain way? The answer is, the woman who would not only be Isaac’s wife, she would have to be able to take care of Isaac’s possession.
    5. Laban was Rebecca’s brother. Bethuel is her father’s name. The servant went to Laban’s land to find Isaac a wife. Genesis 24:29-51 (NKJV) 29 Now Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban, and Laban ran out to the man by the well. 30 So it came to pass, when he saw the nose ring, and the bracelets on his sister’s wrists, and when he heard the words of his sister Rebekah, saying, “Thus the man spoke to me,” that he went to the man. And there he stood by the camels at the well. 31 And he said, “Come in, O blessed of the Lord! Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels.” 32 Then the man came to the house. And he unloaded the camels, and provided straw and feed for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. 33 Food was set before him to eat, but he said, “I will not eat until I have told about my errand.” And he said, “Speak on.”34 So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. 35 The Lord has blessed my master greatly, and he has become great; and He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. 36 And Sarah my master’s wife bore a son to my master when she was old; and to him he has given all that he has. 37 Now my master made me swear, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell; 38 but you shall go to my father’s house and to my family, and take a wife for my son.’ 39 And I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’ 40 But he said to me, ‘The Lord, before whom I walk, will send His angel with you and prosper your way; and you shall take a wife for my son from my family and from my father’s house. 41 You will be clear from this oath when you arrive among my family; for if they will not give her to you, then you will be released from my oath.’ 42 “And this day I came to the well and said, ‘O Lord God of my master Abraham, if You will now prosper the way in which I go, 43 behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass that when the virgin comes out to draw water, and I say to her, “Please give me a little water from your pitcher to drink,” 44 and she says to me, “Drink, and I will draw for your camels also,”—let her be the woman whom the Lord has appointed for my master’s son.’ 45 “But before I had finished speaking in my heart, there was Rebekah, coming out with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down to the well and drew And I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’ 46 And she made haste and let her pitcher down from her shoulder, and said, ‘Drink, and I will give your camels a drink also.’ So I drank, and she gave the camels a drink also. 47 Then I asked her, and said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ And she said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him.’ So I put the nose ring on her nose and the bracelets on her wrists. 48 And I bowed my head and worshiped the Lord, and blessed the Lord God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the way of truth to take the daughter of my master’s brother for his son. 49 Now if you will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me. And if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left.” 50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, “The thing comes from the Lord; we cannot speak to you either bad or good. 51 Here is Rebekah before you; take her and go, and let her be your master’s son’s wife, as the Lord has spoken.” – After being blessed by her family, Rebecca left her land to be with Isaac.
      1. Genesis 24:66-67 (NIV) 66 Then the servant told Isaac all he had done. 67 Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah. So she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death. – Marriages were consummated, and it is often what is meant by the phrase, “going into tent”. –As a result of Isaac’s marriage to Rebekah, he was comforted after his mother death. Isaac was 40 yrs old when they married.
    6. Just to recap, Abraham was grieving too. He didn’t want his son grieving, so he got him a wife, as a result he becomes a drifter so to speak (explained in next point).
    7. Abrahams marriage to Keturah (Genesis 25: 1-6)
    8. Genesis 25:1-6N (NKJV) 25 Abraham again took a wife, and her name was 2 And she bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3 Jokshan begot Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. 4 And the sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abidah, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.5 And Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac. 6 But Abraham gave gifts to the sons of the concubines which Abraham had; and while he was still living he sent them eastward, away from Isaac his son, to the country of the east.
    9. Abraham marries Keturah. Keturah was believed to be a foreigner. Abraham had 6 children by her. Abraham was 100 yrs old when he had Isaac. Isaac was 40 when he got married, so Abraham has to be at least 140 yrs when he married Keturah and he is still able to have 6 children.
    10. Abraham not only had 6 kids by his wife, he had children by his concubines. Genesis 25:5-6 (NKJV) 5 And Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac. 6 But Abraham gave gifts to the sons of the concubines which Abraham had; and while he was still living he sent them eastward, away from Isaac his son, to the country of the east. – Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac. Abraham is the patriarch. He has a child named Ishmael by Hagar, he had Isaac by Sarah, and 6 kids by his wife Keturah.
    11. Abraham’s Death (Genesis 25: 7-11)

Genesis 25:7-11 (NKJV) 7 This is the sum of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived: one hundred and seventy-five years. 8 Then Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. 9 And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, 10 the field which Abraham purchased from the sons of Heth. There Abraham was buried, and Sarah his wife. 11 And it came to pass, after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac. And Isaac dwelt at Beer Lahai Roi.

 

  1. Abraham died at the age 175. Isaac got his inheritance. Isaac was the one of promise, even though he was not the first born.
  2. Abraham is buried by his sons Isaac and Ishmael and though he had been remarried, Abraham was buried next to Sarah.
  3. Remember when the famine occurred and Abraham and his wife had to flee to Egypt? Well Isaac had to go to Gerar. Genesis 26:1-2 (NKJV) 26 There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, in Gerar. 2 Then the Lord appeared to him and said: “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. – Isaac goes to Gerar and he says that his wife is his sister, just like Abraham did. Both Isaac and Abraham lied and told people that their wives were their sister. See the parallels in their stories?
  4. Isaac sowed. Genesis 26:12 (NKJV) 12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him. – He sowed a seed in the land and reaped a 100 fold blessings. Your commerce was in your land in those days. If you got a harvest on your seed, you were really blessed.
  5. Isaac was so blessed, he was told to leave, because he had become to powerful. Genesis 26:13-14 (NKJV) 13 The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous; 14 for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him.
  6. Isaac and Rebekah ended up having a child. A barrenness came over Rebekah just like Sarah. She was barren and Isaac pleaded with the Lord for his wife. Genesis 25:21 (NKJV) 21 Now Isaac pleaded with the Lord for his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord granted his plea, and Rebekah his wife conceived. – Women: This is the type of man that you need. You need a man that can go to God on your behalf and as a result, something happens.
  7. The children were fighting in her womb. Genesis 25:22 (NKJV)22 But the children struggled together within her; and she said, “If all is well, why am I like this?” So she went to inquire of the Lord.. Thee is a sermon coming about fighting in the womb. The lord says tow nations are in your body. Genesis 25:24-26 (NKJV)24 So when her days were fulfilled for her to give birth, indeed there were twins in her womb. 25 And the first came out red. He was like a hairy garment all over; so they called his name Esau.[a] 26 Afterward his brother came out, and his hand took hold of Esau’s heel; so his name was called Jacob.[b] Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them. she had twins
  8. The birth of Jacob and Esau (Genesis 25)

The first born of Isaac and Rebekah were twins. Their names were Jacob and Esau.

  1. The first baby came out red with hair on his body. His name was Esau.
  2. The second to be born comes out and grabs Esau’s heel as if trying to pull Esau back in the womb.
  3. Isaac was 60 yrs old when they were born.
  • The Birthright and Blessing
  1. The selling of the birthright (Genesis 25: 29-34)

Genesis 25:29-34 (NKJV) 29 Now Jacob cooked a stew; and Esau came in from the field, and he was weary.  30 And Esau said to Jacob, “Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am weary.” Therefore his name was called Edom.[a] 31 But Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright as of this day.” 32 And Esau said, “Look, I am about to die; so what is this birthright to me?” 33 Then Jacob said, “Swear to me as of this day.” So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob.  34 And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils; then he ate and drank, arose, and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

  1. Esau was a worker and field hand. Jacob was the Momma’s boy. Isaac loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
  2. One day Jacob was cooking stew. Esau came from the field hungry. He asks Jacob for something to eat. Genesis 25:30 (NKJV)30 And Esau said to Jacob, “Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am” Therefore his name was called Edom.[a] 31 But Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright as of this day.”- He got Esau to sell him his birthright. To understand the magnitude of this, imagine that you had a 100 million dollar inheritance and then you sell it for a happy meal.
  3. Esau’s Marriage (Genesis 26:34-35)
  4. Genesis 26:34-35 (NKJV) 34 When Esau was forty years old, he took as wives Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. 35 And they were a grief of mind to Isaac and Rebekah.- Esau got married at the age of 40. He took on wives. They didn’t have the 10 commandments yet., so this was acceptable then. He married daughters of the Hittites. When Isaac saw this, this grieved him.
  5. Isaac and Rebekah were concerned about the passing down of the blessing to him, because of how he married. He married into the family of the Hittites. In those days, they were serious about the passing down of the inheritance.

 

  1. The Transfer of the Blessing (Genesis 27)
  2. God allowed Esau to be tricked to transfer the blessing.
  3. Isaac is old in age by this time. He prepares to bless Esau, whom he loved. Remember Rebekah loved Jacob.
  4. In Genesis 27:9-13 (NKJV) it says 9 Go now to the flock and bring me from there two choice kids of the goats, and I will make savory food from them for your father, such as he loves. 10 Then you shall take it to your father, that he may eat it, and that he may bless you before his death.”11 And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “Look, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth-skinned 12 Perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall seem to be a deceiver to him; and I shall bring a curse on myself and not a blessing.”13 But his mother said to him, “Let your curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice, and go, get them for me.” – They devised a plan to put skin on Jacob so he would feel like Esau. It was full of deception. Jacob was a trickster, because it was in his momma.

 

  1. Rebekah’s Plan to Save Jacob (Genesis 27:41-46)
  2. Genesis 27:41-46 (NKJV) 41 So Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father blessed him, and Esau said in his heart, “The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then I will kill my brother Jacob.” 42 And the words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah. So she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said to him, “Surely your brother Esau comforts himself concerning you by intending to kill you. 43 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice: arise, flee to my brother Laban in Haran. 44 And stay with him a few days, until your brother’s fury turns away, 45 until your brother’s anger turns away from you, and he forgets what you have done to him; then I will send and bring you from there. Why should I be bereaved also of you both in one day?” 46 And Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth; if Jacob takes a wife of the daughters of Heth, like these who are the daughters of the land, what good will my life be to me?” – Isaac was tricked into blessing Jacob instead of Esau with the birthright.Rebekah sent Jacob away after the trick so he journeys to Leban’s house. Leban was Rebekah’s brother.

Genesis 28:1-5 (NKJV) 28 Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him, and charged him, and said to him: “You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan. 2 Arise, go to Padan Aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father; and take yourself a wife from there of the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother.3 “May God Almighty bless you, And make you fruitful and multiply you, That you may be an assembly of peoples; 4 And give you the blessing of Abraham, To you and your descendants with you, That you may inherit the land In which you are a stranger,
Which God gave to Abraham.”5 So Isaac sent Jacob away, and he went to Padan Aram, to Laban the son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.

  1. A New Life for Jacob
  2. The Journey to Laban’s House
  3. Isaac’s Blessing and Charge to Jacob (Genesis 28:1-5)

Genesis 28:1-5 (NKJV) 28 Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him, and charged him, and said to him: “You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan. 2 Arise, go to Padan Aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father; and take yourself a wife from there of the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother.3 “May God Almighty bless you,And make you fruitful and multiply you,That you may be an assembly of peoples;4 And give you the blessing of Abraham, To you and your descendants with you, That you may inherit the landIn which you are a stranger, Which God gave to Abraham.” 5 So Isaac sent Jacob away, and he went to Padan Aram, to Laban the son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.

  1. Jacob’s Dream (Genesis 28: 10-17)

 Genesis 28:10-17 (NKJV) Jacob’s Vow at Bethel 10 Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran. 11 So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep. 12 Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 And behold, the Lord stood above it and said: “I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. 14 Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. 15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.” 16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” 17 And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!” – Jacob is on the run from Esau. She sent him to Laban house. He gets to Laban house and looks out in field and sees this beautiful woman. Here name was Rachel.

  1. Jacob Meets Rachel (Genesis 29:9-20)

Genesis 29:9-20 (NKJV)9 Now while he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess.  10 And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, that Jacob went near and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother.  11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice and wept.  12 And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s relative and that he was Rebekah’s son. So she ran and told her father.13 Then it came to pass, when Laban heard the report about Jacob his sister’s son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him and kissed him, and brought him to his house. So he told Laban all these things.  14 And Laban said to him, “Surely you are my bone and my flesh.” And he stayed with him for a month. 15 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what should your wages be?”  16 Now Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.  17 Leah’s eyes were delicate, but Rachel was beautiful of form and appearance.18 Now Jacob loved Rachel; so he said, “I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter.”19 And Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to another man. Stay with me.”  20 So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed only a few days to him because of the love he had for her.

  1. Jacob asks Laban for Rachael’s hand in marriage, but Laban says he has to work 7 yrs for her.
  2. Jacob goes into the tent to consummate his marriage with Rachael and afterwards, he finds it is Leah and not Rachael.
  3. The Trickster is Tricked (Genesis 29:21-30)

Genesis 29:21-30 (NKJV)21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in to her.”  22 And Laban gathered together all the men of the place and made a feast.  23 Now it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter and brought her to Jacob; and he went in to her.  24 And Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a maid.  25 So it came to pass in the morning, that behold, it was Leah. And he said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served you? Why then have you deceived me?”26 And Laban said, “It must not be done so in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.  27 Fulfill her week, and we will give you this one also for the service which you will serve with me still another seven years.” 28 Then Jacob did so and fulfilled her week. So he gave him his daughter Rachel as wife also.  29 And Laban gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as a maid.  30 Then Jacob also went in to Rachel, and he also loved Rachel more than Leah. And he served with Laban still another seven years.

  1. Jacob is furious because he is tricked. Laban informs Jacob that the oldest (Leah) must be married first. Genesis 29:17 (NKJV)17 Leah’s eyes were delicate, but Rachel was beautiful of form and appearance says she is tender eyed.
  2. Laban says that Jacob has to work 7 more years to get Rachel. Jacob went back into the field to be able to marry Rachel whom he loved. This ought to remind women a little something about their worth.
  3. Leah is now the rejected one.

 

  1. The making of the Twelve Tribes of Israel: Leah and Jacobs’s Children ( Genesis 29:31 – 30:31)
  2. Genesis 29:31-30 (NKJV) 31 When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was 32 So Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben;[a] for she said, “The Lord has surely looked on my affliction. Now therefore, my husband will love me.” 33 Then she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Because the Lord has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also.” And she called his name Simeon.[b] 34 She conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore his name was called Levi.[c] 35 And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now I will praise the Lord.” Therefore she called his name Judah.[d] Then she stopped bearing.
  3. Genesis 30:31 says 30 Now when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister, and said to Jacob, “Give me children, or else I die!”2 And Jacob’s anger was aroused against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?”3 So she said, “Here is my maid Bilhah; go in to her, and she will bear a child on my knees, that I also may have children by her.” 4 Then she gave him Bilhah her maid as wife, and Jacob went in to her. 5 And Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. 6 Then Rachel said, “God has judged my case; and He has also heard my voice and given me a son.” Therefore she called his name Dan.[e] 7 And Rachel’s maid Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. 8 Then Rachel said, “With great wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister, and indeed I have prevailed.” So she called his name Naphtali.[f]9 When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing, she took Zilpah her maid and gave her to Jacob as wife. 10 And Leah’s maid Zilpah bore Jacob a son. 11 Then Leah said, “A troop comes!”[g] So she called his name Gad.[h] 12 And Leah’s maid Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. 13 Then Leah said, “I am happy, for the daughters will call me blessed.” So she called his name Asher.[i]14 Now Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”15 But she said to her, “Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son’s mandrakes also?”And Rachel said, “Therefore he will lie with you tonight for your son’s mandrakes.”16 When Jacob came out of the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must come in to me, for I have surely hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” And he lay with her that night. 17 And God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. 18 Leah said, “God has given me my wages, because I have given my maid to my husband.” So she called his name Issachar.[j] 19 Then Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son. 20 And Leah said, “God has endowed me with a good endowment; now my husband will dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons.” So she called his name Zebulun.[k] 21 Afterward she bore a daughter, and called her name Dinah.22 Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb. 23 And she conceived and bore a son, and said, “God has taken away my reproach.” 24 So she called his name Joseph,[l] and said, “The Lord shall add to me another son.”Jacob’s Agreement with Laban25 And it came to pass, when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away, that I may go to my own place and to my country. 26 Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, and let me go; for you know my service which I have done for you.” 27 And Laban said to him, “Please stay, if I have found favor in your eyes, for I have learned by experience that the Lord has blessed me for your sake.” 28 Then he said, “Name me your wages, and I will give ”29 So Jacob said to him, “You know how I have served you and how your livestock has been with me. 30 For what you had before I came was little, and it has increased to a great amount; the Lord has blessed you since my coming. And now, when shall I also provide for my own house?”31 So he said, “What shall I give you?”And Jacob said, “You shall not give me anything. If you will do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep your flocks: – Sarah is barren. Rebekah is barren. Racheal is barren, but Leah is fertile. The one that Jacob loves can’t get him children, but she has position. The one he doesn’t love (Leah), has function.
    1. He went in to Leah and had children with her even though he did not like her.
    2. Every name in Hebrew means something. When they named somebody, they thought about generation.
    3. Leah, is in love with a trickster. She tried to use the babies to make Jacob love her. As a result:
      1. Leah has a baby and names him Ruben. Ruben means “to see”. She thinks, maybe Jacob will see her.
      2. She has another baby and names him Simeon which means “to hear”. She thinks maybe Jacob will hear her (Gen 29:33). What are you doing to get somebody to hear you?
  • Now Leah has another baby and calls him Levi which means “to be joined together” (Ge. 29:35).
  1. Leah has yet another child and calls him Judah which means “to praise God”. She decided on this one she would give him to God and stop trying to please Jacob.

 

 

 

  • Conclusion

It is tender-eyed Leah who is rejected. She was always in the shadow of her sister and she was always rejected. However, it is her bloodline who eventually begot King David and it was King David’s bloodline who eventually gave birth to Jesus.

This ought to teach us something very important. We need to be careful who we reject, because you never know what God may birth through them. Through the blood line of rejected Leah would come the ultimate sacrifice, the very thing needed to reconcile mankind back to God!

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