Loosing the Chains of Another Covenant

  • Matt Marino
  • Jan 31, 2010
  • Series: Genesis
  • Passage: Genesis 30:25-31:55

 1-31-10

Loosing the Chains of Another Covenant

GENESIS 30:25-31:55

 

 

INTRODUCTION

 

FRAM Oil Filters used to have a commercial that said: “You either pay now or pay later!” There’s a lot of work that we’ve been given to do that is unpleasant. Sometime it’s physical labor. Other times it’s thinking. And other times, it’s making hard decisions—getting rid of things that don’t belong. And as Christians, we might think that because God’s promises comes free that our life comes cheap. You’ll pay for that. Jacob did. 

 

Jacob had spent fourteen long years spinning his wheels. Now he would spend six more under the servitude of Laban. That makes twenty years in all, away from the inheritance that God had promised to him. 

 

A few weeks ago, when Jacob got himself into this mess we recalled the famous saying, “Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.” But it may be equally said, “Oh with what heavy chains we end when first we practice to depend!” Trust is good. Submission is good. But beware of entangling alliances with unbelievers, even if they’re just practical unbelievers. Jacob learned that lesson the hard way. He paid later for not following hard after Christ when he was young. 

 

PEOPLE OF GRACE ARE ENVIED BY THE PEOPLE OF LAW (30:25-31:1)

PEOPLE OF GRACE ARE PURSUED BY THE SYSTEM OF LAW (31:1-16, 21-30)

PEOPLE OF GRACE ARE ENTICED BY THE THINGS OF LAW (31:17-35)

PEOPLE OF GRACE LABOR TO BE FREE FROM CORRUPTING LABOR (31:36-55)

 

The Big Idea is that it takes hard work to get out of the world’s hard labor camp. Work for your freedom in Christ now, or another master is going to work you later.  

 

There’s going to be some detailed information in this passage about breeding practices that may help you understand exactly how Jacob and Laban conspired to outwit each other. You can study that further if you want to; but, for my money, such details may distract us from the big picture of this text. 

 

DOCTRINE

 

PEOPLE OF GRACE ARE ENVIED BY THE PEOPLE OF LAW 

The Children of God Have a Controversy with the Children of the World (25-26)

Is there significance in the fact that it is “as soon as” Joseph was born that Jacob has the premonition to leave the house of slavery?

Give me my stuff! Those are my people! This has been fair!

 

Compromising Relationships Begin in Flattery 

You’re never as good as you think (27)

[Jn. 5:44] “How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?”

 

You’re never prized for the right reasons by unbelievers anyway (28, 31, 34)

[Gal. 4:17] “They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them.”

 

You may be appreciated, but only as a superstition (like the ark in the hands of the Philistines):

[1 Sam. 5:11] “Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it return to its own place, that it may not kill us and our people.”

 

The Word Hates You and What You Do 

The world hates that all good things have come from God and his people (29-30)

[Jn. 15:19] “If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”

 

The world hates that you are up to something and blinded to the fact that they initiated the evil! (31-33)

 

The world hates Christian excellence and suspects it of conspiring against them! (37-31:1)

 

 

PEOPLE OF GRACE ARE PURSUED BY THE SYSTEM OF LAW

The World Will Watch with a More Exacting Eye (30:35-36)

The World is a Burning Work Camp to Rise Up From (1-16, 21)

God has called his children out of system and trappings of law.

Jacob appeals to the authority of God in the vision. 

 

[Gal. 5:1] “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”

 

The World Cannot Afford Your Freedom (22-25)

Cite other biblical examples: Pharaoh pursuing Israel, Saul pursuing David…

 

PEOPLE OF GRACE ARE ENTICED BY THE THINGS OF LAW

Frustrated Worldly Desires is NOT Conversion (14-16)

The Bible does not equate sorrow (even ultimate sorrow) with true repentance and following Jesus.

 

All Lootings of the Egyptians are NOT Equal (17-19)

Rachel shared the cultural belief that the physical possession of gods brought power to her household. 

 

Many of you trick yourself into thinking that you have freedom to take in this or that element of culture, and you’re not—NOT because Christians don’t have such freedom, but because YOU don’t. You are either deluded about being born again, or, though your faith may be genuine, your struggle against that sin is not! 

 

[Mat. 12:28-29] “But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can someone enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house.”

 

Like Rachel, you have been trying to steal household gods that have your heart stolen. 

[Gal. 4:19] “But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?”

 

Maintaining Worldly Goods Maintains Worldly Religion

The highest good we labor for is the master we will serve.

[Mat. 6:24] “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

 

Jacob was compromised without knowing it! (32, 36-37). Therefore, when looking for a mate, it is crucial to spend time discovering whether that person has been weaned off the worldly neediness of stuff or relational expectations.

 

Rachel bit the bait, then faced death or at least a return to the plantation for all her efforts (33-35)

[2 Pet. 2:19] “They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved.”

 

 

PEOPLE OF GRACE LABOR TO BE FREE FROM CORRUPTING LABOR

Rip Off the Band-Aid of Truth 

Words, not bullets! Use your words—you’ll be accused of arrogance either way. Get over it! 

[Gal. 4:16] “Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?”

 

Truth about what happened (horizontal, 36-41), but ultimately, truth about God’s character and promises (vertical, 42).

 

Rip Off the Band-Aid of Corrupt Covenants 

Jacob ran and got the stone, Jacob called his kinsmen…(45-46)

Jacob said, in effect: “Quick, we’re doing this one. I’m sick and tired of being read the terms of my existence by unbelievers—not going to happen anymore!”

 

Jacob even named it different (Hebrew v. Aramaic) even though it technically meant the same thing—didn’t even want to let him define any terms (47)—then swore by different terms (Abraham-Nahor / general v. Isaac / specific, 53).

 

APPLICATION

 

To the Skeptic – As I was embracing the Christian worldview during my college years, it became increasingly clear to me that the unbeliever who already owns this culture is not satisfied. It gnaws at his flesh that there are people assembling for worship of Sunday. It itches under the skin that people are teaching their kids whatever they want to…

 

You are like Laban: insecure, needy, flattering, running a house of bondage that you did not build and raising up crops that you did not plant or work. You live off the fat of the land: centuries and centuries of Christian genius that has produced all of the blessings that you now take for granted; and the very idea that Christians are applying their intellect and expressing their passions and exerting their wills irritates you. Why?

 

To the Saint – Jacob labored as unto the Lord and Laban’s greed shot himself in the foot. These two character studies give us a clue as to the biblical doctrines of labor and wealth. To make it short and sweet: Work and wealth were made good back in the Garden, and they are still good today. It is their perversion that is evil. Laban wanted wealth but he had no creativity of his own and so he exploited Jacob’s. 

 

[Eph. 6:5-9] “Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free. Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him.”

 

To the Sinner – Neither faithful service nor “ripping the band-aid off” will solve your problem. These are the right things to do in various circumstances. But these circumstances are not your main problem. Our main problem is the same as Jacob’s. We are sinners. We have offended a holy God, and that is why we find ourselves in lifelong slaveries to begin with. Jacob’s solution is not the final solution. It points to another. The author of Hebrews tells us what Jesus does about this…

 

[Heb. 2:14-15] “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.”