King James Bible Study – [Mark 8:34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.]
Date: Saturday, January 22, 2022
Chapters: Genesis 29-30
Message: The Strait And Narrow Way
Hello My Friend,
Yesterday, I took a test that was necessary in order for me to keep my job, it was not an open book test, but we were able to access the website if we needed an answer. Well, guess what? As long as I had that access to that website I could not access the test. Once I was able to access the test I kept answering these questions so quickly that I knew something had to be wrong and that I was going to fail it. Well, guess what? I passed the test, and not only that, scored a ninety-six percent, only missing one question. There was no way that God was going to let me have all the answers to that test right in front of me, He already knew that I knew the answers, even the one I got wrong I would have gotten right if I had read the question correctly. Let me tell you just how fast I praised God, and thanked Him for getting me through that test. It was a reminder that we have only one way in this life that God wants us to follow, and that is the strait and narrow way.
[Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. – Matthew 7:12-14]
No, I did not spell the word strait wrong, there are two different spellings, and meanings, and this one means, [Narrow; close; not broad; intimate; distress; difficulty; distressing necessity;] Yes, it is true that walking the strait and narrow way involves distress and difficulties, but that is how God blesses us. There is a very good reason why God wants us on the strait and narrow, the wide and crooked path will always lead to destruction, even for those who are saved. As we continue in the reading of Genesis, we learn quickly what happens when we are not walking the strait and narrow way. Remember, all that conniving that Jacob used on his brother and father? That was all going to catch up to him when he met his match, Laban. It all began when he arrived in Padanaram, and saw Laban’s daughter, Rachel.
[And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence be ye? And they said, Of Haran are we. And he said unto them, Know ye Laban the son of Nahor? And they said, We know him. And he said unto them, Is he well? And they said, He is well: and, behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep. And while he yet spake with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep: for she kept them. 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. And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept. And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s brother, and that he was Rebekah’s son: and she ran and told her father. – Genesis 29:4-6,9-12]
[that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth,] Jacob was smitten already, trying to impress Rachel with his strength and offering to help her with the sheep. He fell in love with her quickly, and even offered to work for Laban for seven years in order for her to become his wife, [And Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? tell me, what shall thy wages be? And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured. And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter. – Genesis 29:15-18]
[I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter.] Laban saw this as a great opportunity to get some free labor out of the deal. Well, Jacob came to love Rachel so much that those seven years only seemed like days to him. I am sure that both he and Rachel anticipated the day, talked about it even, but much to both their surprise, Laban did the conniving this time, by giving him Leah for his wife instead.
[And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her. And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her. And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast. And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her. And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid for an handmaid.- Genesis 29:20-24]
[that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him;] Well, we could wonder how it was possible that Jacob did not discover that he was with Leah until the next morning, but she did had her face covered and it was probably dark hen they went into their tent. I imagine that this was kind of fearful for Leah as well, after all, she was fully aware that Jacob thought that she was Rachel. I can also imagine the heartbreak that Rachel felt when her father told her that she could not marry him, and even worse that he was giving her sister to him. If we can relate to being placed in a position where we felt obligated to do something that we knew was not ideal, then we can relate how Leah must have felt. Rachel did have so hope though when her father did allow her to marry Jacob if he worked another seven years for him.
[And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years. And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also. And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid. And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years. And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren. – Genesis 29:26-31]
[and he loved also Rachel more than Leah,] Leah made her decision and actually caused more problems for herself, although Jacob might have been tolerant toward her, he would actually come to hate Leah. Well, God saw what was going on, and while Leah was wrong to hide who she was, she did not deserve to be treated the way Jacob treated her, therefore, God blessed Leah with four sons, but left Rachel without any.
[And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me. And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the LORD hath heard that I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon. And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi. And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing. – Genesis 29:32-35]
[And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated,] It would actually be the descendants of two of Leah’s sons that would become essential in God’s plan, Moses would be born of the descendants of Levi, and well, Jesus, would descend from the descendants of Judah. As far as Reuben, well, there would not be much to come of his descendants as we will see in the coming chapters and later on when they would decide they did not want to go into the promised land, [Joshua 13]. We may not always make the right decisions, even walking the strait and narrow way, but unbelievably, God does bless us through them, [For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter. – 2 Corinthians 7:11]
Notice that after each son that Leah had she convinced herself that Jacob would love her, but that did not change anything, at the end of the day, Jacob always went home to Rachel. Of course, having four children with Leah did not go over too well with Rachel, she might have had him with her at the end of the day, she envied her sister terribly because she could not have any children. Then Rachel came up with a plan, she thought that maybe God will give her a son though her handmaid, Bilhah.
[And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die. And Jacob’s anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God’s stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb? And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her. And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore called she his name Dan. When Leah saw that she had left bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife. – Genesis 30:1-3,6,9]
[therefore called she his name Dan.] While this was a very strange circumstance, perhaps things would have gone a little better had Jacob been more considerate to both their needs, and Bilhah was not the answer. However, Jacob did not seem to care, he did whatever these women wanted him to do, it was only sex to him at this point, and as a result two more children came. And Dan’s descendants were not actually not very godly, and would bring much shame later on. Rachel might have envied Leah for all the children that she had with Jacob, but Leah envied Rachel as well because Jacob loved her and lived with her. I imagine that the was actually hard for Jacob, being passed around to all these women, just so that he could give them a child. Something must going on that seemed to be that he was not in either of their homes because Reuben found some mandrakes and brought them to his mother, but Rachel saw them and wanted them also.
[And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son’s mandrakes. And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son’s mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy son’s mandrakes. And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have hired thee with my son’s mandrakes. And he lay with her that night. And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son. – Genesis 30:14-17]
[for surely I have hired thee with my son’s mandrakes.] Mandrakes were plants with fruit on them, often called the devil’s apple because they not only were said to stimulate the body sexually, but help with conception as well, and they caused people to fall asleep. Obviously, they all knew what these flowers could do, Leah, considering them a very good price to pay for a night with her husband, desperately wanting another child, and Rachel, desiring them, hoping conceive herself. I actually feel bad for all of them at this point, Jacob just did what these women told him to do, and as for the handmaids, they were caught in the middle of this love triangle. How exactly do we get ourselves into these situations? The flesh. Our flesh gets us into more trouble than we can think of. Incredibly, God knows all about it, and yet will continue to use us despite our constant need to feed our flesh. That is, after we have endured the chastening, [Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. – Hebrews 12:11]
After this, God had blessed Leah with three more children, then finally, Rachel prayed to God and He blessed her with a son, [And Leah said, God hath endued me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have born him six sons: and she called his name Zebulun. And afterwards she bare a daughter, and called her name Dinah. And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb. And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach: And she called his name Joseph; and said, The LORD shall add to me another son. – Genesis 30:20-24]
[now will my husband dwell with me,] Leah, love Jacob so much, and yet he could never fully give his heart to her. Every time I read the story of Jacob, Rachel, and Leah, it reminds me of why it is so important to one; follow God’s way, two; stop helping Him out, and three; love cannot be bought. I can relate to a woman vying for the attention of a man, let alone, getting them to love you. And I will tell you what, love and lust are not the same, and lust will never turn into love, especially if it is forced. And this is exactly why Jesus never forces Himself on any of us. While He will always love us, and welcomes our love, but it must be pure. Otherwise, we will never see His full potential beyond what He promises, [Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. – Revelation 3:20]
[God hath taken away my reproach:] Neither of these women really wanted to be put in the position that they were in, and as far as God was concerned, it was not ideal either. However, God did use this entire situation to fulfill His promise to not only Abraham, but Isaac, and Jacob as well, and that would be to make nation out of people, and it would all begin with the twelve sons that Jacob. Reproach is another word for distress, and God does take it away when we come to Him in sincere repentance, and stop all the overthinking of things, [If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. – 1 Peter 4:14-16]
No one can alter or change God’s plan, they may prolong it, they may even fight it, but they will never stop Him from doing what He has purposed in His heart to do. Let me tell you, envy is the number one cause of feuds between family and loved ones, it can destroy relationships as I am sure Jacob had a lot to deal with having four wives and thirteen children and on top of that a conniving father-in-law of his. After Rachel had Joseph, Jacob decided that it was time to move on, surely Esau had let things things go, after all it had been over twenty-one years since Jacob left home. He went to Laban and told him that it was time for him to take his family and leave, but Laban did whatever he could to keep him there, giving the reason why he wanted him to stay, [And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favour in thine eyes, tarry: for I have learned by experience that the LORD hath blessed me for thy sake. And he said, Appoint me thy wages, and I will give it. And he said unto him, Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how thy cattle was with me. For it was little which thou hadst before I came, and it is now increased unto a multitude; and the LORD hath blessed thee since my coming: and now when shall I provide for mine own house also? And he said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob said, Thou shalt not give me any thing: if thou wilt do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep thy flock: – Genesis 30:27-31]
[for I have learned by experience that the LORD hath blessed me for thy sake.] Laban knew that the only reason he was prosperous was not because of Jacob was there, but God was there with him. Laban was willing pay him to stay, but he would not have it. It was time for them to leave, Jacob seeing this as an opportunity to do some conniving of his own to get all of his father-in-law’s cattle before convincing Leah and Rachel to leave and head back to Canaan. The strangest thing about God is that, even when get off the strait and narrow, He continues to bless us. None of this was God’s for Jacob, yet He still used it for good, the main reason is so that not only Jacob, but Laban would see His grace and turn solely to Him. The sole reason why God does allow us to get out of the path (but not too far) is to teach us to turn away from the world and rely solely upon Him for His plan to come to pass, [And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation. – 2 Corinthians 1:6-7]
Today’s Prayer: God, With our many attempts walk the strait and narrow way, we often fail, not perhaps is sin, rather in the choices that we make. Yet, through it all, You remain faithful to us, never leaving nor forsaking, no matter how many times we let our flesh decide our way before getting back on the strait and narrow. Lord, thank You for Your endless mercy and grace, for loving us despite our falling short of Your glory, and for sending Your Son to save us. Help us to look to You, to study Your Word, not only to know Your ways, but to see the lessons You give from ordinary people just like us who also failed in their own attempts. Since You work everything out good, help us to learn from our mistakes and understand that You will always get us back on the strait and narrow when we come to You for help. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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