Weekly message: Honesty vs. Deceitfulness: Compare and contrast Moses and Jacob’s life and father-in-law
By Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce Christian Arts
Ministries: Biblical Precepts & Gospel Music
Date Nov.17. 2020
Biblical historical events and servants
of God, Moses is typified the role of leader and fulfillment of God’s calling and
purpose for the deliverance of Israelites. Jacob’s life journey unveiled
contradict and deceitfulness events to approve God’s faithfulness in keeping
His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and his descendants. The Lord has chosen Moses and
became his banner, Hebrew called, “Yahwehnissi”, “Jehovah-Nissi” means “the
Lord is my banner”. God used a sincere
with a pure heart person who fears God, and reverence before the Lord to
fulfill His calling and purpose. The Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel
for His own possession. Whatever the Lord pleases, He does, in heaven and in the earth, in the seas and in all deeps. (Psalm 135:4,6). God is able to transform
one’s characters, personality, weak- mind, hot-temper, and crookedness into
honesty, boldness, humility, and loyalty to God with a heart of irrevocable
trust.
Ø The Lord’s presence was with Moses
each moment after He called him in the burning bush.
God was faithful in keeping His promises to
Moses, and empowered Moses to lead his people to follow the commands, laws, and
the decrees of God.
·
Moses
was supported by his father-in-law
In
the biblical precepts of marriage and family, Moses’ marriage and the
relationship with his father-in-law was peaceful and had full of support from
Jethro. Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law was
the priest of Midian who knew the Lord, and reverence before God. Jethro
greatly honored Moses, when Moses asked father-in-law, “let me go back to my own people in Egypt to see if any of them are
still alive.” Jethro didn’t hold him back, and said, “go, and I wish you well”. Moses gained his father-in-law’s support
and blessings. Jethro heard the mighty things the Lord had done for Israelites and empowered Moses to divide the Red Sea into a dry pathway in order to deliver
Israelites from Pharaoh. Jethro fully respected and honored Moses. And Moses
listened and accepted the advice of Jethro. It stated in Gen.18:20-22, “you must be the people’s representative
before God and bring their disputes to him. Teach them the decrees and laws,
and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform. But select
capable men from all the people –men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate
dishonest gain and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, the fifties , and tens. Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them
bring every difficult case to you.”
·
Moses
spent forty days and nights twice to petition for his people
Moses fell prostrate before the Lord twice for forty days and forty nights, ate no bread and drank no water to plead Lord for the forgiveness of his people, all the sin they had committed, such as they had made a cast idol for themselves, doing what was evil in the Lord’s sight and so provoking Him to anger. The Lord had said to Moses that He would destroy them, but Moses appealed to the Lord, “O Sovereign Lord, do not destroy your people, your own inheritance that you redeemed by your great power and brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand. Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Overlook the stubbornness of this people, their wickedness and their sin. Otherwise, the county form which you brought us will say, ‘because the Lord was not able to take them into the land he had promised them, and because He hated them, He brought them out to put them to death in the desert.’ But they are your people, your inheritance that you brought out by your great power and your outstretched arm” (Deuteronomy9: 26-29).
The Lord listened to Moses’ pleading and
forgave Aaron and those stiff-necked people. The favor of the Lord came upon Moses
and modified the judgment of the Lord. It resulted in Moses be transformed into
the humblest leader with a heart of irrevocable trust in God, who said, “I am
who I am.”
·
Moses’
legacy passed down to all generations
Moses’
mission had passed down the greatest legacy includes “the book of Deuteronomy”
to instruct people to keep Lord’s commands, decrees, laws, and principles. As he
urged his people not to forget the Lord their God who humbled them to lean on
Him, and acknowledged that the Lord provided, and led them to enter into the
promise land Cannon, and made them wealthy. It was the Lord their God done it
rather than men. As Deuteronomy 8:3,5, 10-18; 7:9-10,12-15 states,
“He humbled you, causing you to hunger and, then, feeding you
with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man
doesn’t live on bread alone but on every WORD that comes from the mouth of the
Lord… Knowing them in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord
your God disciplines you…When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord
you God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget
the Lord your God, failing to observe His commands, His laws and His decrees
that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when
you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when
your herds and flocks grow large and your silver an gold increase and all you
have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the
Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery…He gave
you manna to eat in the desert, something your fathers had never know, to
humble and to test you so that in the end it might go well with you. You may
say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this
wealth for me.” But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the
ability to produce wealth, and so confirms His covenant, which He swore to your
forefathers, as it is today”.(Deuteronomy8:3,5,10-18)
“ Knowing therefore that the Lord your God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commands. But those who hate Him He will repay to their face by destruction; He will not be slow to repay their face those who hate Him.” “If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the Lord your God will keep His covenant of love with you, as He swore to your forefathers. He will love you and bless you and increase your numbers. He will bless the fruit of your womb, the crops of your land…you will be blessed more than any other people; the Lord will keep you free from every disease. He will not inflict on you the horrible diseases you knew in Egypt. But He will inflict them on all who hate you.” (Deuteronomy7:9-10,12-15).
Ø Compare and contrast Moses and Jacob’s life and father-in-law
·
Jacob’s
life and his father-in-law demonstrated contradict event and scenario
The deceitfulness of Jacob’s mother misled
Jacob into a crooked way; resulted in Jacob suffered from conscience condemnation
and fear, and ran for his life. Jacob’s early life journey was full of
challenging and deceit. By the force of his mother who instructed him to fool
his father, portended to be his brother Esau in order to a received blessing from Isaac.
Jacob received his father’s blessing described in Genesis 27:28-19,
“May God give you of
heaven’s dew and of earth’s richness – an abundance of grain and new wine. May nations serve you and
peoples bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers,
and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed and those who bless you be blessed.”
However, Jacob’s
life journey was suffered conscience guilt morally and ethically, he ran for
his life from Esau to Laban’s house. After 20 years worked for Laban who
cheated on him, he ran for his life from Laban and backed to his native land,
reconciled with his brother Esau. In his old age, he was deceived by his own
sons about Joseph who he loved dearly. The Lord has done this to approve He is
the God of Abraham and Isaac who kept the promises to Abraham’s descendants,
and provided, protected, rescued, and blessed Jacob, for his name had changed
and called, “Israel”.
Ø A deceitful man will be treated
deceitfully in return, for
what you reap for what you’ve sowed.
·
Jacob was deceived by Laban his father-in-law
Jacob was a smart boy, and a clever person, his whole life journey surrounded by his families, and relatives. However, he was deceived by his own family. First, his father-in-law Laban, second, his own sons about Joseph had died.
When Jacob ran for his life to Laban, he met Rachel, loved her, and willingly worked for Laban for seven years in order to marry Rachel. Laban cheated on Jacob on the wedding night, instead of Rachel; he gave him the first daughter Leah for marriage.
Jacob
loved Rachel, and worked another seven years for Rachel. For fourteen years Jacob
worked for his two daughters. Jacob was mistreated by his father-in-law Laban, Jacob
asked him, “Send me on my way so I can go
back to my own homeland, give me my wives and children, for whom I have served
you and I will be on my way. You know how much work I’ve done for you.”
(Gen.30:26). Instead of letting Jacob go, Laban, his father-in-law made him work for his wages for another six years and had cheated him by changing his
wages ten times. Because God made Jacob wealthy and prosperous by attending
the flocks, Laban’s sons became jealous and complained about Jacob had taken
away all the wealth from Laban, so Laban became openly hostile to Jacob.
·
God
appeared to comfort and rescued Jacob from the hand of Laban
The
God of Abraham had seen the injustice, hostile, and unkindness of Laban to
Jacob, so appeared to Jacob, comforted him, and instructed him to go back to his
native land. As Gen.31:12-13 stated, “… 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.”
(Gen.31:12-13). Jacob totally spent twenty years worked under heat
in the day, and the cold at night and sleep fled from his eyes. He listened to the voice of his God, ran for the life, and deceived Laban by not telling him he
was running away, he fled with all he had, and crossing the River, he headed
for the hill county of Gilead. However, his father-in-law Laban the
Aramean pursued Jacob for seven days and caught up with him in the hill country
of Gilead. But the Lord rebuked Laban in a dream, “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob,
either good or bad.”(Gen.31:24). When Laban overtook Jacob, Jacob complained
about Laban and claimed as follows,
“I have been with you for twenty years now. Your sheep and goats have
not miscarried, nor have I eaten rams
from your flocks. I did not bring you animals torn by wild beasts; I bore the loss myself. And
you demanded payment from me for whatever was stolen by day or night. This was my situation: The heat consumed me in
the daytime and the cold at
night, and sleep fled from my eyes. It was like this for the twenty years I was
in your household. I worked
for you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks, and you changed my wages ten times. If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not
been with me, you would surely have sent me away
empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands, and last night he rebuked you.” (Gen.31:38-42).
·
The
Lord was faithful in keeping His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and his
descendants.
The blessing of the Lord came upon Jacob and
saved Jacob from the hand of Laban his father-in-law. Both of them made a
covenant that they will not go past the heap to harm each other. This heap is a
witness between Jacob and his father-in-law Laban. Jacob called it Galeed,
Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha. Because God made Jacob very wealthy and fruitful,
by his wealth, he presented many gifts to his brother Esau, he gained forgiveness and reconciled with Esau peacefully. However, Jacob’s senior life
continually suffered for the sin of deceitfulness by his own sons who deceived
him about Joseph was died while Joseph was sold to Egypt. Jacob became a great
nation as God’s promise and called him Israel, but he suffered emotional strife
in his whole life journey. One thing for sure is that God didn’t leave Jacob
nor forsook Jacob, the Lord was with him, watched over him, and saved him.
Ø Implication and application
1.
A seed of deceitfulness, ungodliness, and
crooked parents will result in children suffer for the sin of deceitfulness. A
crooked person will be treated deceitfully in return. On the contrary, a seed of godliness, honesty, and
sincere, truthful, and trustworthy parents will pass down the legacy of
godliness, and honor. Regardless of crookedness or honesty descendants, God is
faithful in keeping His promises to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses for His
name's sake.
2.
God is justice, and faithful in keeping
His promises to those who fear Him, and trust in Him. No matter, the families
or people who surround us, mistreat us or deceive us, keep upright heart to
serve the Lord faithfully, and fear of the Lord. In God’s timing, the Lord will
vindicate us.
3.
Moses and Jacob’s life and events, God
had done this for His glory so that no men can boast about self and flesh. God
is able to shape His servants into godly characters: faithful, truthful, trustworthy,
patient, kind, meek, obedient, perseverant, and submissive.
4. The Lord is compassionate, He will watch
over His children, listen to their petition, strengthen them, comfort them, and
inspire them to do right. Trust in the Lord and do good, delight yourself in
the Lord trust in Him and He will give you the desires of your
heart.(Psalm37:3-5).
5.
God used a sincere with a pure heart
person who practices reverence before God to fulfill His calling and purpose. Blessed
are those who pure in hearts, for they will see God. The Lord has chosen Jacob
for Himself, Israel for His own possession. Whatever the Lord pleases, He does,
in heaven and in the earth, in the seas and in all deeps. (Psalm.135:4,6).
Bibliography,
Bauer,
Walter. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early
Christian Literature. 3rd Chicago: The University of Chicago
press, 2000.
Brown,
Robert, Philip W. Comfort and J.D. Douglas, ed. The New Greek English
Interlinear New Testament. Carol Stream: Tyndale House Publishers,
Inc.1990.
Friberg,
Timothy, Barbara Friberg, and Neva F. Miller et al., eds. Analytical Lexicon
of the Greek New Testament.1st ed. Victoria BC: Trafford
Publishing, 2005.
Ryrie, Charles C. The
Ryrie study Bible (NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986.
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