Participants:
Series Code: SSP
Program Code: SSP220023S
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00:01 Hello Friends I'm Jill Morikone
00:02 and I'm so glad that you have tuned in 00:04 for this edition of 3ABN Sabbath School Panel. 00:07 I want to encourage you to grab your Bible, 00:09 we are studying the book of Genesis. 00:12 We're in Lesson Number 10: Jacob to Israel. 00:15 If you don't have your own copy of the Adult Bible Study Guide, 00:18 you can go to 3abnsabbathschoolpanel. com 00:21 and you can download your own copy 00:23 and follow along with us. 00:25 You can also catch up from previous lessons 00:28 that we have recorded... 00:30 that's 3abnsabbathschoolpanel. com 00:32 so, don't go anywhere, 00:34 we'll be right back with Lesson Number 10. 00:36 Music... 01:07 Jill: We are so glad that you joined us, 01:08 we love 3ABN Sabbath School Panel. 01:10 We love studying together 01:12 and we love it that you are part of our family. 01:15 Speaking of family, I have some of the family with me. 01:17 We have all the Brethren in Israel today, 01:20 to my left, Pastor James Rafferty, 01:21 glad you're here. 01:23 James: Good to be here Jill, 01:24 I'm going to be covering the brothers meet: Esau and Jacob. 01:25 Jill: Amen... to your left, Pastor John Lomacang. 01:28 Glad you're here Pastor. 01:29 Lomacang: Yeah, pray for me on this topic... 01:31 it is the violation of Dinah... Panel: Hmmm... 01:33 Lomacang: And it's a sensitive touchy topic. 01:34 I think the way it's communicated will give context 01:37 glory to God or... so pray for guidance on this topic. 01:41 Jill: Amen... to your left, Pastor Ryan Day, 01:43 glad you're here Brother. 01:44 Ryan: Amen... always a blessing to be a part of 01:46 the 3ABN Sabbath School Panel 01:47 and today, I'm covering: Prevailing Idolatry. 01:51 Jill: And last but not least, Pastor John Dinzey, 01:53 always a privilege to open up the Word of God 01:56 with you as well. 01:57 Dinzey: I always... I'm always blessed as I hear everyone share 02:00 and I'm covering Thursday, this time: The Death of Rachel. 02:04 Jill: Okay, before we go any further, 02:06 Pastor John already mentioned this... 02:07 that we really need the Lord's guidance in this lesson 02:10 and Pastor John, would you pray for us? 02:12 Lomacang: Sure... 02:13 "Gracious Father and loving Lord, we open the Word 02:16 but we pray that we'll also open our hearts. 02:19 Help us to be anxious for only one thing... 02:21 to hear what the Spirit says to us and through us. 02:25 We desire to make the lesson clear 02:27 but we pray for guidance from above. 02:30 So that the outcome will be 02:31 to strengthening of someone watching 02:34 and the growth of those who are listening 02:36 and may we give all the glory to You, 02:37 we ask in Christ's name, amen. " 02:40 Panel: Amen. 02:41 Jill: Last week, Lesson Number 9 was Jacob the Supplanter 02:44 and this is Jacob Part 1. 02:46 We discovered that the Deceiver became the Deceived... 02:49 did he not? 02:50 Jacob deceived his father into obtaining the birthright 02:53 and then Jacob was deceived 02:56 and he thought he was getting Rachel the woman he loved 02:59 and he actually got Leah. 03:01 We see... this Lesson is Jacob Part 2, you could say, 03:06 Jacob to Israel. 03:08 We're studying Genesis 32 to 35 03:10 and with the saga picks up 03:12 right after they have left Laban... 03:15 they are traveling back to Canaan... 03:18 this is Jacob with his 11 sons at that point 03:21 and his two wives and their entire flocks 03:25 and herds and everyone. 03:26 I want to ask you a question as we start. 03:28 Why is the Bible so brutally honest 03:31 in revealing the flaws of humanity? 03:33 You know, I've wondered that many times 03:36 when I read the Word of God. 03:37 Why are the bad deeds recorded as much as the good deeds? 03:41 This week, we're going to discover that Jacob is terrified 03:46 of the brother that he tricked 20 years ago 03:48 and he's terrified to come back home to Canaan. 03:51 We're going to discover that his brother Esau hated him 03:54 and is coming to kill him. 03:56 We're going to discover that Jacob's daughter is raped 04:00 as Pastor John is going to address 04:02 and the brothers... Simeon and Levi specifically, 04:06 wipe out an entire town in their rage 04:09 for their desire for vengeance. 04:11 We'll discover that there's still idolatry 04:14 in Jacob's household. 04:16 You know, I think the story is not so much 04:18 about the faithfulness 04:20 or seeming unfaithfulness of the man... 04:22 the story is all about our Covenant-keeping God 04:26 and the faithfulness of the God that we serve 04:30 and how God orchestrates events to lead us to repentance 04:34 because he desires that we would be saved 04:38 in His kingdom at last. 04:40 The Word of God really if you boil it all down 04:43 is... it's about redemption. 04:46 It is about salvation. 04:48 That's what we find from Genesis 04:50 all the way to the book of Revelation... 04:52 is a God who loves His people 04:55 and wants to save them 04:57 and that's what we discover this week about Jacob as well. 05:01 Let's read our Memory Text. 05:02 We're in Genesis chapter 32 we're going to look at verse 28. 05:06 Genesis 32 verse 28, 05:08 "And He said, 'Your name will no longer be called Jacob, 05:13 but Israel; 05:14 for you have struggled with God and with men, 05:17 and have prevailed. " 05:20 On Sunday's lesson, we look at: Wrestling with God 05:23 and I've divided the lesson into two portions. 05:25 The first portion is the setup 05:27 and most of the setup is largely human work... 05:31 there is a prayer in the middle of that 05:33 and then we get to the second portion of the lesson 05:36 which is the actual "Wrestle with God" 05:38 Jacob's experience wrestling with God. 05:41 So, let's look at the setup, 05:42 there are a lot of verses to read here... 05:44 we're not going to read them all 05:45 but we will cover the concepts there. 05:47 This setup... I have five steps that I found in the setup... 05:51 is the promise of peace... 05:52 preparation for battle... 05:54 prayers for deliverance... 05:56 presence to pacify... 05:59 and preparation for protection. 06:02 So, Jacob's afraid... 06:03 he deceived his father... 06:05 he deceived his brother... 06:06 he's been separated for 20 years... 06:08 he knows he's coming back... 06:09 he knows that he's walking into a trial 06:12 and we pick up the story in Genesis chapter 32. 06:16 I believe that Genesis 32 is the turning point 06:19 in Jacob's life. 06:20 Before this time we see that he's really a bargainer with God 06:23 is he not? 06:25 We see that when he was at Bethel, what did he say? 06:26 "If You are with me, then I will do this... " 06:31 one of those conditional... if... then statements. 06:34 We see he's bargaining with God... 06:36 we see his nature of deception come forward 06:38 but here in Genesis chapter 32, 06:41 we see a pivotal shift or change in Jacob's life 06:45 and in his character. 06:47 So, let's look at those five steps for the setup. 06:50 First is the promise of peace. 06:52 Jacob, first of all, tries to send messengers of peace. 06:55 He has wealth... 06:57 he has flocks... he has servants... 06:58 he has herds and he's seeking favor as it were... with Esau. 07:03 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm... 07:04 Jill: But what is the response? 07:05 We see that in Genesis 32 verse 6, 07:07 the messengers returned and what do they say? 07:09 "We came to your brother Esau, 07:11 and he is coming to meet you, 07:13 and four hundred men... " Ryan, "are with him as well. " 07:17 So, Jacob goes into Step Number 2 in this setup 07:21 and he prepares for battle. 07:23 He kind of strategizes. 07:24 How am I going to save my family? 07:25 What am I going to do to save my family? 07:27 And he divides them into two groups, does he not? 07:29 he says, "The people... the flocks... the herds... 07:32 separate them into two groups because if he gets one group, 07:35 perhaps the other group will escape. " 07:37 Then we come to the central point of this five-step process, 07:41 I think it's the most important and it's the prayer. 07:42 It's the prayer for deliverance 07:45 and if you analyze the structure of the prayer, 07:48 it goes like this: A... B... C... A... 07:53 it comes right back to A. 07:55 Now, A... Jacob reminds God of God's promise. 08:00 We see that in Genesis 32 verse 9, 08:02 Jacob said, "O God of my father Abraham 08:06 and God of my father Isaac, 08:07 the Lord who said to me, 08:08 'Return to your country and to your family, 08:10 and I will deal well with you... '" 08:12 so, what is he doing? 08:14 He's praying the word back to God... 08:15 he's reminding God, "This is what You promised... 08:18 this is what you promised to my daddy 08:20 and this is what you promised to my granddaddy. " 08:23 He's reminding God of the promise in his Word. 08:26 That's A... then we get to B... 08:28 Jacob acknowledges his need of God. 08:30 That's the next verse... verse 10, 08:33 "I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies 08:36 and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant... " 08:39 we see Jacob has stopped bargaining with God 08:43 and he recognizes his need. 08:44 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm... 08:46 "I'm not worthy... I need You. " 08:48 Then we come to the "C" portion of the prayer, 08:51 this is the next verse, 08:52 Jacob is honest with God about his fears 08:55 and about the stuff he's struggling with. 08:57 Verse 11, "Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, 09:01 from the hand of Esau; 09:02 for I fear him, 09:03 lest he come and attack me and the mother with the children. " 09:08 You know, God already knows your heart, 09:10 sometimes we think we've got to be so strong in prayer, 09:12 we got to... when we come to God, 09:13 "Okay God, I got it together. " 09:15 No... God knows you are afraid 09:17 or God knows you're angry 09:18 or God knows you're frustrated... 09:19 or He knows whatever you're dealing with. 09:21 Be honest with Him. 09:23 Now the prayer... remember was A... B... C... 09:25 we come back to A... 09:26 because at the very end of the prayer, 09:27 Jacob reminds God again of His promise. 09:29 We're in verse 12, 09:31 "For You said, 'I will surely treat you well, 09:33 and make your descendants as the sand of the sea, 09:35 which cannot be numbered for multitude. '" 09:38 So, it's like a saying which on both ends 09:40 he prays the word back to God. 09:44 Panel: Right. 09:45 Jill: Step Number 4... 09:46 we see the presents that he gives to pacify Esau... 09:48 we won't get into it but it was incredibly generous, 09:51 all these animals and flocks and herds that he sent. 09:54 And then, we see Number 5... 09:56 the preparation for protection. 09:58 Jacob sent his two wives... the female servants... 10:01 the concubines... the 11 sons over the ford of Jabbok. 10:04 Is that how you pronounce it? 10:06 He sent them over for their protection 10:08 but Jacob remained alone on that side of the river 10:12 and now we see the wrestling with God on verse 24, 10:16 Genesis 32 verse 24, 10:18 "Jacob was left alone; 10:19 and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. " 10:24 Who was this Man? 10:25 Hosea 12 says it was the Angel... 10:28 Joshua 5 says... it was the Commander of the LORD's army. 10:31 Daniel 10 refers to it as the the Heavenly Priest Michael. 10:34 Jacob later says, "I have seen God face to face 10:38 and my life has been preserved. " 10:41 This is none other than the Pre-Incarnate Son of God. 10:45 Takeaway Number 1: When you reach the end of your humanity, 10:49 God is there. 10:52 At our weakest point, God shows up. 10:55 Takeaway Number 2: I think this is significant. 10:58 God initiated the struggle. 11:00 You notice, it doesn't say, "Jacob was left alone 11:02 and he ran up to this Man... God 11:03 and started wrestling with Him. " 11:06 It said, "Man wrestled with him. " 11:08 There was a purpose in the wrestling 11:10 so that he could reach the end of his humanity... 11:13 he could realize his need for God... 11:16 his need for dependence on God. 11:19 It was for his character growth... 11:20 it was for his redemption and salvation. 11:23 Verses 25 and 26, 11:25 "Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, 11:28 He touched the socket of his hip; 11:30 and the socket of Jacob's hip was out of joint 11:33 as He wrestled with him. 11:34 And He said, 'Let Me go, for the day breaks. ' 11:38 But he said... " this is Jacob... 11:40 "I will not let You go unless You bless me!" 11:45 Takeaway Number 3: 11:48 Your opponent is not always who you think. 11:51 He could have thought his opponent was Esau. 11:53 Esau was coming against him 11:55 and he's terrified of his brother... 11:56 he's coming with 400 men... 11:58 Esau was not the barrier to entering the Promised Land. 12:01 Esau was not the barrier to entering Canaan. 12:03 Jacob's opponent was himself. 12:06 By trickery and treachery... 12:08 by cunning and deceit... 12:09 Jacob had sought to obtain spiritual blessings 12:13 through carnal means 12:15 and God was about ready to strip all of that away 12:18 and show him his true heart and his need of God. 12:22 Takeaway Number 4: 12:23 God touches our strengths to show us how much we need Him. 12:28 Often we think we're attacked at the point of our weakest point, 12:32 you think about it... in wrestling the hips and legs 12:35 is where a lot of the strength would lie 12:38 and He was touched in the hip. 12:41 What does that mean? 12:42 Often it's our strengths that keep us from surrender. 12:45 Often it's our strengths that keep us from obedience 12:48 because we think, "I got it together... 12:49 I can do it myself. " 12:51 But it's in our point of strength 12:53 where God needs to show us we're even weak 12:55 where we thought we were strong. 12:57 Takeaway Number 5: 12:59 Victory is obtained through recognition of yourself 13:02 in your insufficiencies... 13:03 through the recognition of who your God is 13:06 and your willingness to hang everything on His Word 13:10 and His promise. 13:12 God's blessings are obtained when we cling to Him 13:15 in helpless obedience 13:18 and we say, "I will not let You go 13:20 unless You bless me. " 13:23 And then He says, "What is your name?" 13:25 And Jacob said, "My name is Jacob. " 13:28 I think stating of his name coincides with his recognition. 13:31 "Well, I'm the deceiver... 13:33 I was that guy. " 13:34 He recognized... acknowledged his sin, 13:37 that's Takeaway Number 6 13:39 and finally, Takeaway Number 7: 13:40 Allow God to change you. 13:42 What did God do? "Your name is no longer Jacob... 13:44 your name is no longer the deceiver... 13:46 your name is now Israel. " 13:48 Changing name recognized change of ownership 13:53 and change of the person's character and destiny. 13:57 Jacob has finally reached the point where he is ready 14:01 to be changed 14:02 and that's where our God can show up. 14:05 Panel: Amen... wow! amen... 14:06 James: Powerful... 14:08 that was a great setup for the brothers meet 14:11 which is Monday's lesson, my name is James Rafferty 14:14 and we're going to be looking at Genesis chapter... 14:18 what chapter are we looking at here? 14:21 Genesis 33 verses 1 through 20, thank you. 14:24 Genesis 33 verse 1 through 20 14:26 and we have here the outworking of everything 14:29 that Jill has just shared with us. 14:31 We have the outworking of this preparation that Jacob makes 14:35 to meet his brother 14:37 and as he makes this preparation 14:39 and he gains this victory over himself 14:43 through the wrestling with Christ... 14:46 the wrestling with the Angel. 14:48 Everything else falls into place and that's... 14:51 that's what the Bible teaches us about this journey 14:55 that we're all... this journey of salvation 14:56 that when self is dethroned... 14:58 when self is defeated... 14:59 when self is surrendered, 15:01 everything else falls into place 15:02 and a lot of times, we wrestle with sin 15:05 and we wrestle with temptation with self all our life 15:09 and that's why it's such a struggle 15:11 because, you know, self just wants all of that 15:14 but once self is dethroned, 15:15 there's... there's no struggle with sin... 15:17 where there's no struggle with temptation 15:20 because it's clamoring after someone who is gone... 15:23 who's dead... someone who isn't answering the door 15:25 so, Jacob... we pick the story up here 15:29 in Genesis chapter 33 and verse 1, 15:32 "Jacob lifted up His eyes and he looked, 15:34 and behold Esau came 15:36 and with him four hundred men. 15:38 And he divided the children unto Leah and unto Rachel, 15:42 and the two handmaids. " 15:44 So, Jacob was going now from a place where 15:47 he sees the face of God... that's Genesis 32 verse 30. 15:51 Peniel... the place where he had this experience with God, 15:54 Jacob moves now to meet his brother 15:57 and, you know, there's been 20 years of separation 16:00 and when Jacob sees him coming with 400 men, 16:04 you can imagine, Jacob is worried 16:05 because the last thing that he remembers with 16:08 his relationship with his brother was: 16:10 fleeing for his life. 16:11 His brother had promised... "I'm going to take you out... " 16:14 and so, he prepares himself and his family... 16:16 he starts dividing them up... he divides children... 16:19 the children unto Leah... and the children unto Rachel 16:22 and unto the two handmaids, verse 2 16:24 and he put the handmaids and the children foremost... 16:28 that is... there's a succession here 16:33 that is kind of revealing to us. 16:35 I mean, when I think about our humanity, you know, 16:38 we think about... I don't know... 16:41 the best way to illustrate this might be 16:43 when I used to eat my food, 16:46 I would always save the best for last. 16:48 Panel: Laughter. 16:49 James: So, my mom would give me vegetables, you know, 16:51 and when I've got the vegetables on my plate, 16:53 you know, I tried a few times to feed them to the dog 16:56 under the table but that didn't work 16:58 because the dog didn't like them either 16:59 and so they ended up on the floor 17:00 and my Mom was really upset then, right. 17:02 So, I would try to eat all the vegetables first 17:04 and then, hopefully, you know, I could eat the rest of the meal 17:07 and that would take the taste of the vegetables 17:09 out of my mouth... save the best for last... 17:11 it seems like that's what Jacob is doing here. 17:13 He puts the handmaids and their children foremost in the front 17:16 Leah and her children... 17:18 remember, Leah wasn't his love as Rachel... 17:20 Leah and her children after the handmaids... 17:23 and then Rachel and Joseph at the very end 17:25 like the best for last... 17:27 like, "I want to protect them the best... " 17:28 and he passes over before them. 17:32 Now, that's to me... that's the redemption. 17:35 We just talked about how he wrestled with the angel 17:38 and he prevailed and he... he's become Israel now, 17:40 so, yes, we've got the handmaids and the children in front 17:43 and yes, we've got Leah next 17:45 and yes, we've got Rachel and Joseph behind... but guess what? 17:48 Jacob goes in front of all of them. 17:50 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm... 17:51 James: Jacob's in front of all of them 17:53 and this is a picture, really, if you will... of Christ. 17:56 Christ has placed Himself in front of all of humanity 18:00 and He has taken the wrath of the enemy, 18:02 the wrath that really belongs to us... 18:04 the wrath that we really deserve... 18:06 He's taking that on... He's taking that on first. 18:08 He's going to confront that first 18:10 and what's really amazing and we see this in the story 18:13 because the great illustration is... 18:15 Christ takes on the wrath of our enemy 18:17 and there's nothing left for the rest of us. 18:19 Panel: Hmmm... James: In other words, 18:20 Christ has taken out the second death for us 18:23 and those that trust in Christ will not be hurt, the Bible says 18:27 in the book of Revelation, 18:28 we'll not be part of the second death. 18:30 So, you see an analogy here... 18:31 you see a picture here of the plan of salvation 18:33 and you see Jacob putting himself in front of all of them, 18:36 he passed over before them 18:38 and he bows himself to the ground. 18:40 The Bible says that Jesus Christ humbled himself 18:45 in Philippians chapter 2, it says, 18:46 "He bowed himself to the ground seven times... " 18:49 and if you follow Hebrews chapter 2 very carefully, 18:51 you're going to find seven steps of Christ humbling Himself 18:57 down to the point of dying the death... 18:58 even the death of the cross. 19:01 So the type is here in Jacob. 19:03 He bows himself to the ground seven times 19:05 until he came near unto his brother. 19:07 So, Jesus came to this earth... He humbled Himself... 19:10 He came near to us... 19:12 He became one with the human family 19:13 and what happens? 19:14 Esau ran to meet him... embraced him... 19:18 fell on his neck and kissed him and they wept. 19:20 Hello, prodigal son... the return of the prodigal son. 19:24 So, you see here in the picture of Jacob and Esau, 19:27 you see again this picture of the plan of salvation. 19:31 You see the humility of Jesus Christ in our behalf 19:35 to protect us... to redeem us 19:36 and then you see the response of the enemy of Jacob 19:39 or the enemy of humanity, 19:41 you see that our enemies can be reconciled to us 19:43 as we humble ourselves 19:45 and reveal the character and the spirit and the grace 19:47 of Jesus Christ 19:49 and of course, this picture of the prodigal son is beautiful 19:51 and so, verse 5, he lifts up his eyes 19:53 and he saw... this is Esau... 19:55 he saw the women and the children, and said, 19:57 "Who are those with thee?" 19:58 You know, because when Jacob left, he was by himself... 20:00 he was all alone, right. Panel: That's right. 20:02 "Who are those with thee?" 20:03 And he said, "The children which God has" 20:05 here's the word... you're ready for this? 20:07 "graciously given thy servant. " 20:10 Oh, man, if you remember our last lesson 20:12 and you want to read Genesis chapter 29 and chapter 30, 20:16 it was anything but gracious, in a sense. 20:18 I mean, all the bickering and the envy 20:20 and the jealousy and the hate that was going on there 20:22 between Leah and Rachel, you know, 20:24 and then, the handmaids come in to her 20:26 because we don't want to be outdone by one of the others 20:29 and yet Jacob here in his converted transformed state says 20:32 "These are the children which God has graciously given... " 20:35 because in spite of the envy... in spite of the jealousy, 20:37 God came down and He blessed... 20:39 He blessed Leah and He blessed Rachel 20:42 and He blessed Bilhah... He blessed the handmaids... 20:44 God blesses humanity even in our dysfunction... 20:47 even in our failures. 20:49 "Then the handmaids came near, 20:51 and they and their children, they bowed themselves. 20:53 And Leah also with her children came near, 20:54 and they bowed themselves: 20:56 and after came Joseph near and Rachel, 20:58 and they bowed themselves. 20:59 And he said, 'What meanest thee this 21:01 by all that drove which I met?' 21:02 And he said, 21:03 'I've sent these to find grace in thy sight my lord. '" 21:06 This is amazing how Jacob is relating to Esau 21:09 and he says, "I have enough... I have enough, my brother, 21:11 keep that thou hast unto thyself. ' 21:13 And Jacob said, 'No, no, I pray you, 21:14 if I found grace in thy sight, 21:17 then receive my present at my hand: 21:19 for therefore I have seen thy face, 21:21 as though I had seen the face of God. '" 21:25 Now, this is a really powerful point right here 21:27 and even the rest of the... the outline here, 21:30 we're not going to go through it all, 21:31 just grace... grace... grace all the way through it. 21:34 But the Quarterly brings out an important point here 21:37 that I think we should really focus on 21:38 in its application to the plan of salvation. 21:41 Jacob bows himself seven times before his brother, 21:43 whom He calls several times: my lord... 21:45 and identifies himself as his servant. 21:48 Significantly, Jacob's "seven bows" 21:50 echo his father's "seven blessings" 21:52 which he had received, you know, 21:54 in Esau's place, 21:56 and furthermore, when he bows, 21:58 he specifically reverses his father's blessings 22:01 about the nations bowing to you. 22:02 So, it's as though Jacob is returning to Esau 22:06 the blessings that he deceived and took and stole from Esau 22:10 and he is reversing the blessing or the statement that was... 22:14 "nations will bow to you... " 22:15 he's bowing to Esau. 22:16 Jacob is bowing to Esau. 22:18 It's as if Jacob's intention 22:20 was to pay his debt to his brother 22:23 to return the blessing he had stolen from him. 22:25 So, when Esau saw his brother against all expectations, 22:29 he ran to Jacob and instead of killing him, 22:31 he kissed him and they wept. 22:34 Panel: Hmmm... yeah. 22:35 James: This is the power of grace... 22:36 this is the power of reconciliation 22:38 and then later Jacob comments and says, 22:40 "I have seen your face 22:41 as though I had seen the face of God. " 22:43 Now, I'm just going to be honest with you, 22:44 I struggled with this. 22:45 "What... what do you mean by Esau is the face of God? 22:47 Jacob, are you going a little bit overboard here, 22:49 I mean, aren't you really trying a little bit too hard here 22:51 to appease?" Right? 22:52 But notice, the point the Quarterly makes 22:56 and I think it's so good... 22:57 the reason for Jacob's extraordinary statement is 22:59 his understanding that Esau had forgiven him. 23:02 Panel: Hmmm... amen. 23:04 James: The Hebrew word "ratsah... " pleased 23:06 is a theological term referring to any sacrifice 23:09 that is pleasing or accepted by God 23:11 which then implies divine forgiveness. 23:13 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm... 23:14 James: So, Jacob was saying, 23:16 "I see your face as I see the face of the Lord... " 23:19 because he had already experienced the forgiveness 23:21 of the Lord. Panel: Right... hmmm... 23:23 James: And because Esau had ran to him 23:25 and fall upon his neck and kissed him, 23:27 he was experiencing the forgiveness of Esau 23:30 and he says, "This is just like the experience I had 23:32 with the Lord and so, I see you as I see the Lord... " 23:35 and Friends, really that's the bottom line for each one of us. 23:38 God wants to be so gracious to us 23:41 and touch our hearts with such power and love 23:45 that people who see us 23:47 especially people who perhaps are afraid of us... 23:50 afraid because they've mistreated us 23:53 would see in us the forgiveness of God. 23:56 That's why we're here on this earth, 23:58 that's the purpose... 24:00 that's the... the commission of the church of Christ 24:03 is to through us 24:04 reveal God's goodness and God's grace and God's forgiveness. 24:07 Panel: Amen... Jill: I love that Pastor James, 24:09 it's powerful... forgiveness... healing and reconciliation. 24:12 Don't go away, we have so much more for you, 24:14 we'll be right back. 24:15 Music... 24:21 Ever wish you could watch a 3ABN Sabbath School Panel again 24:24 or share it on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter? 24:27 Well, you can by visiting: 3abnsabbathschoolpanel. com 24:32 A clean design makes it easy 24:35 to find the program you are looking for. 24:37 There are also links to the Adult Bible Study Guide 24:40 so you can follow along. 24:42 Sharing is easy... 24:43 just click "Share" and choose your favorite Social Media. 24:47 Share a Link... Save a Life for Eternity. 24:50 Jill: Welcome back to our study of Jacob turned into Israel 24:56 and we're going to kick it over to Pastor John Lomacang 24:58 and Tuesday's Lesson. 25:00 Lomacang: Wow! one of the toughest chapters 25:01 in the book of Genesis is chapter 34. 25:03 We've talked about deceiving mothers... biased parents... 25:07 brothers who are hungry and willing to give up 25:10 what they could receive as a blessing from the father 25:14 to carry out throughout their generation. 25:17 We've... we've read about deception in the Garden of Eden, 25:19 Adam and Eve being deceived. 25:21 Now, we come to a... a part of the story and I think 25:24 there's a question that you asked earlier Jill, 25:26 that really shows 25:27 and I think one of the reasons that I can cite 25:30 that the Bible is not written by man, 25:33 is... it points out the worst in us. 25:36 Panel: Hmmm... 25:37 Lomacang: It points out the worst in us 25:39 so that we can see the best in Christ. 25:40 Jill: Amen. 25:42 Lomacang: And so, if you would ask yourself the question: 25:44 Is there anything about us that's good? 25:46 Foof... just read Genesis... 25:48 you don't have to read the rest of the Bible. 25:50 Panel: Laughter. 25:51 Lomacang: Just Genesis established a cadence that 25:53 the heart is deceitful above all things 25:57 and desperately wicked 25:59 and then it ends with a question... who can know it? 26:02 And so, this is one of those stories that... 26:03 it starts out by the land where... where Jacob settles 26:08 and he settles among a people that he doesn't know as well... 26:13 they're not committed to God 26:14 and it's a people based on what we're going to read here 26:18 that have... that have no control 26:21 in this particular story. 26:24 Shechem has no control of his faculties 26:28 and he allows his eyes to cause his flesh to sin 26:32 and so, we're going to walk through this story 26:36 rather than just making points, 26:38 I want to walk through it specifically because... 26:40 and then I'll... at the very end of it 26:42 highlight Simeon and Levi. 26:46 But the violation of Dinah opens the door 26:50 to remind us that this is not a new sin. 26:54 Panel: Yeah. 26:55 Lomacang: This has been going on for millennia. 26:59 Men, unfortunately, exercise among many men, 27:04 looking at the beauty of a woman and thinking that because 27:08 she looks beautiful, that he could take her by force 27:12 and think that his actions are justified by his passions 27:16 and the Bible shows that 27:19 not only in this story will you see that 27:22 whatever you sow... you're going to reap. 27:26 But you'll also see the aspects of how God looks at humanity 27:31 that puts him or herself in this category. 27:34 Today, we have something in the world called: Human Trafficking 27:37 and it... and it falls in line with this kind of story. 27:40 Women being snatched and kidnapped 27:42 and sold around the world 27:44 and bartered as though they are piece of property 27:46 and you'll see in this story that God... 27:49 that at a time where... and I say this... 27:52 at a time where Jacob could have put his best foot forward, 27:55 it's kind of... I ask myself the question, 27:57 "Where was he when he could have done more?" 28:00 Ryan: Hmmm... Jill: Absolutely. 28:01 Lomacang: So, let's start with verse 1 to 6: 28:03 The Violation of Dinah. 28:04 We're going to walk through every verse in the story. 28:06 "Now Dinah the daughter of Leah, 28:10 whom she had borne to Jacob, 28:13 went out to see the daughters of the land. 28:16 And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, 28:21 prince of the country, saw her, 28:24 he took her and lay with her, and violated her. 28:27 His soul was strongly attracted to Dinah 28:31 the daughter of Jacob... " 28:33 and this part is not Agape Love, this is carnal love. 28:37 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm... 28:39 Lomacang: "And he loved the young woman 28:40 and spoke kindly to the young woman. " 28:42 That was more of a... 28:43 that was more... not speaking to her respectfully, 28:46 but speaking to her suggestively... 28:50 yeah, he says, "You know... " 28:52 now-a-days in the city when you grow up in New York 28:54 rapping to her... "You know... how you doing... " 28:57 trying to find his way in which is a sad reality... 29:00 and it says... it goes on... 29:02 "So Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, 29:07 'Get this young woman as a wife. ' 29:08 And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter. 29:12 Now his sons were with his livestock in the field; 29:15 and Jacob held his peace until they came. 29:17 Then Hamor the father of Shechem 29:19 went out to Jacob to speak with him. " 29:22 Now, at this point, I should have said... 29:24 Jacob didn't have to wait till his sons came in. 29:26 As a father, he should have taken the lead right here 29:29 and called the sons and to say, 29:31 "Here's what happened to Dinah. 29:32 We need to take this matter into our hands 29:35 and approach this family about what just took place. " 29:38 But he waited... and I think that hesitation... to me... 29:41 he held his peace 29:42 and I don't understand the reason why he held his peace 29:45 but the Bible says... that's what he did. 29:47 But this next part which... 29:50 it shows me that we should not look at women 29:53 as comparable to property. Panel: Hmmm... hmmm... 29:56 Lomacang: Because that's what this part says. 29:59 "If I could just give you some land... would this be okay? 30:02 I mean, I just raped your daughter... 30:04 I just raped Dinah... 30:06 if I... if I give you this part... would that be cool?" 30:08 So, look at this... it's a very... 30:10 it's a minimization of her value 30:11 and I want to say this... don't ever look at a woman 30:13 regardless of what you think about her, 30:15 don't ever look at a woman 30:16 as though her value is just comparable 30:18 to something that can be traded 30:20 for the violation of her body. 30:22 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm... 30:23 Lomacang: Verse 6 as well... it's a sad story, 30:24 "Then Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob 30:27 to speak to him. 30:28 And the sons of Jacob came in from the field 30:29 when they heard it; 30:31 and the men were grieved and very angry, 30:33 because he had done a disgraceful thing in Israel 30:36 by lying with Jacob's daughter, 30:37 a thing which ought not to be done. 30:40 But Hamor spoke with them, saying, 30:42 'The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter. " 30:45 They're trying to... trying to fix it up. 30:47 "Please give her to him as a wife. " 30:49 Why... why couldn't you ask that before? 30:52 Panel: Hmmm... 30:54 Lomacang: "And make marriages with us; 30:55 give your daughters to us. " 30:57 Now, he's expanding... 30:59 "And take our daughters to yourselves. " 31:01 Sons of God... daughters of men. 31:02 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm... hmmm... 31:03 "So you shall dwell with us, 31:05 and the land shall be before you. 31:06 Dwell and trade in it, 31:09 and acquire possessions for yourselves in it. 31:12 Then Shechem said to her father and her brothers, 31:15 'Let me find favor in your eyes, 31:16 and whatever you say to me I will give. 31:18 Ask me ever so much dowry and gift, 31:21 and I will give according to what you say to me; 31:23 but give me the young woman as a wife. " 31:26 In other words... "Whatever you want, you can have it 31:29 but I just want her. " Panel: Hmmm... 31:31 Lomacang: And this... this kind of... 31:32 rather than any repentive spirit even saying, 31:35 "You know, I am so repentant of what I did to your daughter. 31:39 What can I do to show my repentance?" 31:42 He just went on to just property exchange... 31:45 Panel: Right... right. Lomacang: Very sad 31:47 but look at the brothers. 31:48 Verses 13 to 24, 31:49 The frustration of Simeon and Levi. 31:51 "But the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father, 31:55 and spoke deceitfully, 31:57 because he had defiled Dinah his sister. 32:00 And they said to them, 32:02 'We cannot do this thing, 32:04 to give you our sister... 32:05 give our sister to the one who is uncircumcised, 32:08 for that would be a reproach to us. 32:10 But on this condition we will consent to you: 32:12 if you will become as we are, 32:14 if every male of you is circumcised, 32:16 then we will give our daughters to you, 32:18 and we will trade your daughters to us; 32:20 and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people. 32:23 But if you will not heed us and be circumcised, 32:28 then we will take our daughter and be gone. " 32:31 Now, I don't want to go through the rest of the story 32:33 but what they're in essence saying... 32:34 and they knew in their hearts 32:36 that this is not what they were going to do. 32:39 They... they had other plans. 32:40 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm... hmmm... hmmm... 32:41 but they wanted to... they wanted to disseminate their... 32:45 their anger among the entire group of people 32:48 to cause them to go through these rituals 32:52 just to... in some sense... as a demeaning act 32:56 but they had no intention of allowing those actions 33:00 to become equal payment 33:01 for the violation of their sister 33:04 and then we find the vengeance of Simeon and Levi, 33:07 verses 26 to 29, 33:09 "And they ki... " 33:11 now, by the way, they... they followed all the requirements 33:14 but the Bible says in verse 26, 33:17 "And they killed Hamor and Shechem his son 33:19 with the edge of the sword, 33:21 and took Dinah from Shechem's house, and went out. 33:23 The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, 33:28 and plundered the city, 33:29 because their sister had been defiled. 33:32 They took their sheep, their oxen, and their donkeys, 33:35 what was in the city and what was in the field, 33:38 and all their wealth. 33:39 And their little ones 33:41 and their wives they took captive; 33:43 and they plundered even all that was in the houses. " 33:47 Panel: Hmmm... 33:48 Lomacang: They said, "We're going to rape the city, 33:49 you did that to our sister, 33:51 this is the vengeance... " 33:53 and, you know, I don't agree with either side of that 33:56 but this act was so vengeful... 33:58 that's why you find later on in Genesis chapter 49, 34:00 that speaks of Simeon and Levi as instruments of cruelty... 34:04 Genesis 49 verse 5, 34:07 they were instruments of cruelty 34:08 but here's a part of the story that really bothered me. 34:11 It seemed as though Jacob just kind of... let it go... 34:14 because look at verses 30 and 31, 34:16 "Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, 34:19 'You have troubled me 34:20 by making me obnoxious among the inhabitants of the land, 34:23 among the Canaanites and the Perizzites; 34:25 and since I am few in number, 34:28 they will gather themselves together against me and kill me. 34:31 I shall be destroyed, my household and I.' 34:34 But they said, 'Should he treat our sister like a harlot?'" 34:37 That's what Jacob should have been saying. 34:39 He was more concerned about his reputation 34:41 when he should have been defending the reputation 34:44 of his daughter 34:45 and the sons... now I don't agree with their... 34:47 their murderous actions 34:49 but they had more compassion 34:51 for what had happened to their sister than Jacob did 34:55 and I'll give my closing comments 34:57 on the last two minutes... what a story! 35:00 That is the reality that the Bible shows... 35:03 even the darker side of humanity. 35:05 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm... wow... wow! 35:07 Ryan: Oooooh oooo... almost need a moment just to... 35:09 just to get my thoughts together after that, 35:11 that's a... it's one of those stories... 35:13 it's hard to take in but... but praise the Lord, 35:16 we serve a gracious God 35:17 that even beyond our darkness and our frailties and... 35:21 and our mishaps and all of our issues that we have, 35:25 we serve a mighty God who is gracious and forgiving 35:28 and... my name is Ryan Day 35:29 and I have Wednesday's lesson 35:31 which is entitled: Prevailing Idolatry 35:34 and I'm going to be jumping right into the first verse 35:38 of Genesis chapter 35 because... this... now... 35:42 now there's a lot to take another turn... another change 35:45 in the camp of Jacob 35:48 and I just have to ask this question, 35:50 "Does God accept us as we are when we come to Him?" 35:53 Panel: Yes... yes. 35:55 Ryan: He certainly does, in fact, we hear that a lot, 35:57 you know, God accepts you just as you are 35:59 and that is so true. 36:00 We serve a loving, kind, gracious... wonderful God 36:03 who accepts us just as we are. 36:05 we come to Him with all of our problems... 36:08 with all of our... our issues in our life 36:10 and in all of the backwardness from this character... 36:13 He accepts us just as we are but as we're about to read, 36:15 He does not leave us and He does not... 36:18 He... He... He is not determined to leave us the way that we are. 36:21 God is a changing God... He is a transforming God... 36:24 and so, here what we have and we read Genesis chapter 35, 36:27 I'm going to begin in verse 1, 36:29 it says, "Then God said to Jacob, 36:31 'Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there; 36:34 and make an altar there to God, 36:35 who appeared to you 36:37 when you fled from the face of Esau, your brother. ' 36:39 And Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, 36:43 'Put away the foreign gods that are among you, 36:46 purify yourselves, and change your garments. 36:50 Then let us arise and go up to Bethel; 36:53 and I will make an altar there to God, 36:56 who answered me in the day of my distress 36:58 and has been with me in the way in which I have gone. ' 37:01 So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods 37:04 which were in their hands, 37:05 and the earrings which were in their ears; 37:07 and Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree 37:10 which was by Shechem. 37:12 And they journeyed, 37:13 and the terror of God was upon the cities 37:16 that were all around them, 37:17 and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob. 37:19 So Jacob came to Luz... that is, Bethel, 37:23 which is the land of Canaan, 37:25 he and all the people that were with him. 37:27 And he built an altar there and called the place El Bethel, 37:30 because there God appeared to him 37:32 when he fled from the face of his brother. 37:35 Now, Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died, 37:37 and she was buried below Bethel under the terebinth tree. " 37:40 And... so it goes on to say, 37:42 "the name of it was called Allon Bachuth. 37:44 Then God appeared to Jacob again, 37:48 when he came from Padan Aram, and blessed him. 37:51 And God said to him, 'Your name is Jacob; 37:54 your name shall not be called Jacob anymore, 37:57 but Israel shall be your name. ' 37:59 So He called his name Israel. " 38:01 And so, what we see here is that God... 38:05 He dealt with Jacob, right, 38:07 He's brought Jacob into... 38:08 you know, he's had a personal experience, 38:10 Jacob has had a personal experience with God 38:12 but now, God is going to get the rest of the camp 38:14 and He's saying, "Now, come back to Bethel... 38:16 make an offering to Me... " 38:18 but now, we see here that Jacob tells the camp... 38:20 he says, "Look if we're going to go up 38:21 and we're going to have an encounter with God, 38:22 we're going to extend worship to God... 38:24 we're going to be in God's presence, 38:25 you got to make some changes... 38:27 you got to change your garments, 38:28 you got to get rid of these false idols 38:31 because only God... Him... we serve alone, 38:34 so, it's not enough to make a physical move 38:37 from one place to another 38:39 or from one church to another 38:41 and expect God's blessing 38:42 while there are idols still in our lives. 38:44 That's the point we're going to bring from this. 38:46 Some of us are still cherishing idols in our hearts 38:49 and God cannot give us a new name as He did Jacob... 38:52 Jacob to Israel... God cannot give us that new name... 38:55 that new identification in Him unless we surrender all to Him. 39:00 That's the purpose of these verses. 39:01 It's not so much that we clean up to come to God 39:04 but rather, when God calls us, He accepts us as we are 39:08 but, yes, there is a cleaning process 39:10 that God requires and that God will do in you 39:12 and in those who are willing. 39:14 I love Colossians chapter 3, verses 1 to 7, 39:17 again, on this idolatry theme, 39:20 Colossians chapter 3 verses 1 through 7, 39:22 notice what the Bible says, 39:24 it says, "If then you were raised with Christ, 39:27 seek those things which are above, where Christ is, 39:31 sitting at the right hand of God. 39:33 Set your mind on these things above, 39:35 not on the things of the earth. 39:36 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 39:40 When Christ who is our life appears, 39:43 then you also will appear with Him in glory... " 39:46 and then notice verse 5 here, 39:47 "Therefore put to death your members which are of the earth" 39:50 and then again it gives the list here, 39:52 "fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, 39:55 and covetousness, which is idolatry. 39:58 Because of these things 39:59 the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 40:02 in which you yourselves once walked 40:04 when you lived in them. " 40:06 In this case, we know that God wants to... 40:08 He wants to be the sole God in your life. 40:11 He wants to be the only person... 40:13 and the only Bower that you idol... 40:15 God is your God and nothing else... 40:17 He is a jealous God 40:18 and there will be no more other gods in your life 40:21 if He is going to be in your life. 40:22 Panel: That's right. 40:23 Ryan: You know, there are many different ways 40:25 and I just want to kind of get practical here for a moment 40:26 in the remaining moments that I have, 40:28 there are many different ways... 40:29 different aspects in which we allow idols to creep up 40:33 in our life 40:34 and I'm going to just... and if I have time... 40:36 I have about eight different aspects here 40:38 that I want to mention that are... 40:40 that's going to make it practical... 40:41 it's going to make it meaningful for our time 40:43 and the first one that came to mind 40:45 as I was preparing this lesson, was your identity. 40:48 Some people allow their identity to become an idol. 40:52 You see, we have largely abandoned who we are in Christ 40:55 and placed our identity in other things 40:57 whether it be our Social Media following 41:00 or our position at work 41:02 or our abilities or our skills... 41:04 or the achievements we are after, 41:05 many have left their identity 41:07 and they're wrapped up in the wrong things. 41:09 Where is your identity? 41:10 Is it in Christ? 41:12 Is it in yourself? 41:13 Is it in other things of the world? 41:14 Where is your identity? 41:16 Don't allow that identity become an idol 41:18 and push you or draw you away from the Lord 41:20 but rather, your identity in Christ alone 41:22 is all that matters. 41:24 The second thing... 41:25 have you allowed money and material things... 41:28 the things of the world to become an idol to you? 41:30 This is a big one. 41:32 1st Timothy chapter 6 verse 10 comes to mind 41:34 when I think of this 41:35 because it says, "For the love of money 41:36 is the root of all kinds of evil, 41:39 for which some have strayed from the faith... " it says... 41:42 "in their greediness, 41:44 and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. " 41:46 We live in a world today where people chase... 41:49 and that's what they live for... 41:50 they live to make more money... more money... 41:52 more money... more money. 41:53 They want more wealth... more wealth 41:54 and this greed... this desire... this covetous heart 41:57 has led them to idol the mammon of the world, 42:00 the things of the world... 42:02 the money... the material things of the world 42:03 in which all is going to burn before Christ comes back. 42:06 Where is your heart? 42:07 Have you made that an idol in your life 42:09 because I promise you, 42:10 no matter how many mansions... no matter how many cars... 42:12 or how many... how much bling, bling you have on your body, 42:15 when Jesus comes back, it's all gone... 42:17 you're not taking it to heaven with you... 42:19 the Bible makes that very clear. 42:20 Do you allow your job... your status... your career 42:25 to become an idol? 42:26 Lives and homes being destroyed 42:29 because of selfish gain and status 42:32 over a title or career, 42:33 it's so sad because we live in a world today 42:35 where families are so segmented and broken and... 42:38 and... and... and torn apart 42:40 because we have selfish individuals 42:42 who are more interested and more into their career... 42:45 their job... and please don't misunderstand me, 42:47 I'm not saying that a career is bad to have, 42:49 I'm not saying that you shouldn't have a job 42:51 and men have to work, right... we have to pay the bills, 42:53 but certainly don't allow that career... that job... 42:55 that... that working status to become the idol in your life 42:58 where that becomes the one thing that you give most of your time, 43:01 your resources... and your love and your attention to 43:04 when obviously, God should come first... 43:06 then family and then, everything else. 43:08 Do you allow your physical appearance 43:11 to become an idol in your life? 43:14 This is a big one... 43:15 what... what... what do we see right there in the verses 43:17 that we read in Genesis 35 verses 1 through 10, 43:19 what did he address? 43:21 Not only for them to put away their idols 43:22 but he said, "Change your garments. " 43:23 Take off your earrings... 43:25 your jewelry and all these different things 43:26 when you're going to approach God... 43:27 God wants to make a change in your life... 43:29 He accepts you just as you are 43:31 but He doesn't leave you as you are. 43:33 Your heart... and again this is Ezekiel chapter 28 verse 17, 43:37 speaking from Lucifer's perspective, 43:38 Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; 43:40 you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor" 43:43 even the devil himself... 43:44 the devil himself had more bling than anybody could ever imagine 43:47 in all the face of the earth. 43:48 The Bible says, all the precious stones were his covering 43:51 and it corrupted his heart 43:53 because he made himself and his beauty... 43:55 his appearance... an idol. 43:57 Don't allow that to be you... put God first. 43:59 Entertainment... 44:01 has your entertainment become an idol? 44:03 Social Media... Streaming Services... 44:05 Sports... Worldly Concerts... 44:06 Music... all of these things... 44:08 I'm not saying all of these things are bad in of themselves 44:10 but at the end of the day, 44:12 we have to make sure that we don't allow the technology 44:14 and the entertainment especially in today's time, 44:17 to become an idol in our life. 44:19 Did you know you could possibly make "comfort" an idol? 44:22 While "comfort" is not a bad thing, 44:24 it can be dangerous 44:25 when it becomes our main pursuit of life. 44:27 When comfort is an idol, 44:29 we will struggle when God calls us to something more difficult. 44:32 Is there a time of trouble coming? 44:33 Is there a time of great testing coming? 44:36 Absolutely. 44:37 Where are you, my friends? 44:38 Are you in Christ or is your heart somewhere else? 44:40 And I mentioned this kind of earlier, 44:42 it kind of goes along with the entertainment 44:43 but also, technology... 44:45 talking about computer... 44:46 we live in the age of computers and phones and tablets... 44:48 you know, addiction to screen time 44:50 when our lives revolve around how many "Likes" we get 44:53 and what our "following" looks like 44:55 and if we can't sit in silence for five minutes 44:58 without refreshing our Newsfeed, 45:00 we might have a problem. 45:01 You know, these are issues 45:02 we really have to take to the Lord. 45:04 What is your... do you have an idol in your life? 45:05 Seek the Lord... pray to the Lord and say, 45:07 "Lord, search me O God... 45:09 create in me a clean heart O God 45:11 and renew a right spirit within me. " 45:13 Panel: Amen... Lomacang: Thank you, Ryan. 45:15 Dinzey: Amen... amen... thank you so much. 45:16 What a blessing it's been... 45:18 this lesson seems to have... flew... 45:21 I have Thursday's portion, my name's John Dinzey 45:25 and the title for Thursday is: The Death of Rachel 45:28 and it's in chapter 35 verses 15 to 29... 45:33 several events take place 45:36 that have impacted the life of Jacob and his family 45:39 and among those, you see that Jacob's last son is born... 45:44 a bitter experience... Rachel dies... 45:48 another bitter experience when Reuben, Jacob's firstborn son 45:53 sleeps with Jacob's concubine 45:55 and... we won't have time to get to it 45:58 but the death of Jacob's father, Isaac. 46:01 Now, let's go to Genesis chapter 35 verses 14 and 29, 46:05 beginning in verse 14 actually, 46:08 "So Jacob set up a pillar in the place 46:10 where He talked with him, a pillar of stone; 46:12 and he poured a drink offering on it, 46:14 and he poured oil on it. 46:16 And Jacob called the name of the place 46:18 where God spoke with him, Bethel... " 46:21 which means... the house of God. 46:22 Panel: Hmmm... 46:24 Verse 16, "Then they journeyed from Bethel. 46:26 And when there was but a little distance to go to Ephrath, 46:31 Rachel labored in childbirth, 46:34 and she had a hard labor. " 46:37 Verse 17, "Now it came to pass, when she was in hard labor, 46:40 that the midwife said to her... " 46:43 encouraging her because she saw her sufferings... 46:46 "Do not fear; you will have this son also. " 46:51 And so it was that as her soul was departing... 46:54 for she died... 46:56 that she called his name Ben-Oni... 46:58 which means: son of sorrow. 47:01 "But his father called him Benjamin... " 47:03 which means son of the right hand. 47:05 Now, don't be shaken by this part here where it says, 47:08 "As her soul was departing" 47:10 because this part "soul" here is the word Nephesh 47:13 which is about 119 times is translated... "life" 47:16 and we don't have time to get into this aspect, 47:19 but this is merely saying that in her dying breath, 47:23 she calls her son Ben-Oni. 47:25 As we continue here... verse 19... 47:28 "So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath... 47:32 that is Bethlehem. 47:33 And Jacob set up a pillar on her grave, 47:35 which is the pillar of Rachel's grave to this day. " 47:38 Now, Rachel was the love of Jacob's life. 47:42 Oh, he loved Rachel so much... 47:44 the Bible says... he worked 14 years 47:47 just to marry Rachel 47:48 and now, sadly he has to lay her in the grave 47:53 and he set up a pillar 47:54 to commemorate the place of her burial 47:57 and they... they say that there is still some significance 48:01 as to where she is buried. 48:03 Now, you'll find interesting 48:05 that in the book of Matthew chapter 2 verse 18, 48:08 Rachel is mentioned again. 48:10 It says, "In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, 48:13 and weeping, and great mourning, 48:15 Rachel weeping for her children, 48:16 and would not be comforted, because they are not. " 48:19 So, Rachel is one of the persons in the Bible, 48:23 that has a prophetic significance. 48:27 Now, when she was dying, it's interesting that she... 48:31 you know, she said at one point to Jacob, 48:34 "Give me children or I'll die. " 48:37 Panel: Yeah. 48:38 Dinzey: And unfortunately, giving birth to her second son, 48:41 she did die... 48:42 a rather interesting thing that takes place. 48:45 Now, Genesis 35 verse 21, 48:47 we go through the next event described there, 48:52 "Then Israel journeyed 48:53 and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder. 48:57 And it happened, when Israel dwelt in that land, 49:00 that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine" 49:05 and notice what it says, 49:07 "And Israel heard about it. " 49:09 Now, this is a rather interesting 49:12 thing that happens here 49:13 and it's kind of mentioned like a... "Oh, by the way, 49:16 Reuben did this horrible act... " 49:18 and then it just moves on to another story. 49:20 Panel: Laughing. 49:22 Dinzey: Now, the Bible doesn't just do that... 49:24 there are... there are reasons why this is mentioned 49:26 and I'm going to bring out some things here 49:28 that you'll find interesting. 49:30 When you get to Genesis chapter 49... 49:33 and apparently here in chapter 35, 49:36 Jacob just... he heard about it and apparently did nothing 49:39 or nothing is at least mentioned in chapter 35 49:42 but when you get to Genesis 49, now, here in verse 1, 49:47 notice what is taking place, 49:48 "And Jacob called his sons, and said, 49:50 'Gather together that I may tell you 49:52 what shall befall you in the last days. ' 49:54 Verses 3 and 4, he's talking about Reuben. 49:57 "Reuben, you are my firstborn, 50:00 my might, and the beginning of my strength, 50:02 the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power... " 50:06 Verse 4, "Unstable as water, you shall not excel; 50:10 because you went up to our father's bed, 50:13 then you defiled it... you went up to my couch. " 50:16 You see, Reuben was Jacob's firstborn. 50:20 He had the privilege to be the firstborn son of Jacob. 50:25 What does that mean? 50:26 That means that he had the high privilege 50:29 if he was faithful... 50:31 notice: if he was faithful to be in the lineage of the Messiah 50:35 and notice what happens here in Matthew chapter 1. 50:41 The lineage of Jesus is mentioned 50:43 and Reuben should be on that list but he's not. 50:47 I'm just going to read verses 1 and 2. 50:50 Matthew chapter 1 verses 2 and 3 actually, 50:53 "Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; 50:56 and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren. 51:00 And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; 51:04 and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram. " 51:06 Here Reuben should have been mentioned 51:09 but he lost the privilege to be... receive the blessing 51:13 of the firstborn 51:15 and he's not in the lineage of the Messiah. 51:18 And notice what it says in Hebrews chapter 7 verse 14, 51:23 "For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; 51:27 of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood. " 51:32 Is it possible that Reuben should have been there? 51:35 He lost the privilege to be... 51:37 to receive the blessing of the firstborn son. 51:41 In the book Patriarchs and Prophets page 236, 51:44 it says, "The crowning blessings of the birthright 51:48 were transferred to Judah. 51:49 The significance of the name which denotes praises... 51:53 unfolded in the prophetic history of the tribe... " 51:57 He lost that privilege because of the crime, he committed. 52:01 Also in Patriarchs and Prophets, 177, 52:06 it says, "They were taught to regard the birthright 52:09 as a matter of great importance, 52:11 for it included not only the inheritance of worldly wealth 52:14 but spiritual preeminence. 52:16 He who received it was to be the priest of his family, 52:19 and in the line of his posterity 52:21 the Redeemer of the world would come. " 52:24 Very important. 52:26 "On the other hand, 52:27 there were obligations resting upon the possessor 52:29 of the birthright. 52:30 He should inherit its blessings 52:33 must devote his life to the service of God. 52:36 Like Abraham, he must be obedient 52:38 to the divine requirements. 52:39 In marriage, in his family relations, 52:42 in public life, he must consult the will of God. " 52:45 And so, he lost that privilege 52:48 because of that horrible crime he committed. 52:50 Now, the book of Genesis chapter 35 52:54 beginning in verse 22... something marvelous happens 52:57 that just mentions the sons of Jacob 53:00 as he... as he's going back to his father's land... 53:04 very interesting because 53:05 what happened to Jacob as he was leaving his father's... 53:08 he left with a staff... probably some water 53:11 and something to eat but now he's returning 53:13 with a huge multitude of people and great wealth. 53:17 The Lord had... had blessed him mightily 53:21 and he had repented... he had become... 53:24 his name was changed from Jacob to Israel 53:28 and so, it is that Jacob was able 53:32 to come into his father's house with great blessings. 53:35 Now, the last part of Genesis chapter 35 53:39 records the death of one of the patriarchs named Isaac. 53:44 Beginning in verse 27, 53:45 "Then Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre, 53:50 or Kirjath Arba... that is, Hebron... 53:52 where Abraham and Isaac had dwelt. 53:55 Now the days of Isaac were one hundred and eighty years. " 54:00 Wow! one of the last individuals in the Bible to live that long 54:06 after the flood. 54:08 "So Isaac breathed his last and died, 54:11 and was gathered to his people being old and full of days: 54:14 and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him. " 54:18 Isn't that wonderful that these two sons of Isaac 54:24 that were, you know, Esau said, 54:26 "I'm going to kill him... I'm going to kill him. " 54:28 But the Lord worked out the reconciliation of these two 54:32 and together, they were able to bury their father. 54:37 You know, there are lots of lessons here 54:39 in the book of Genesis from the stories... 54:42 they're not just stories... they're not entertainment... 54:44 they have valuable lessons and we see here 54:47 that some of the things taking place in the book of Genesis 54:51 have prophetic significance 54:52 and so, read them carefully... 54:54 ask the Lord to give you understanding of what is there 54:57 to glean the lessons... 54:58 not only to understand prophecy 55:01 but to help you... guide you in your life because 55:04 those mistakes they made are there 55:06 to be examples for us 55:08 that we should be faithful to God 55:10 instead of making these mistakes 55:12 and then having to reap the bitter results of wickedness. 55:15 Jill: Amen... thank you all so much. 55:18 It was a heavy lesson this week... 55:20 to me a lot of it was heavy 55:21 but we see the consequences of sin... 55:24 of walking in the way of our own choosing, 55:27 but we see the blessing of God 55:29 and the promise of forgiveness and repentance 55:32 and reconciliation. 55:34 I want to give each one of you a moment 55:35 to share something about your day... Pastor James. 55:37 James: Well, the lesson that we see with the reconciliation 55:40 between the two brothers, 55:41 is the same lesson that Jacob learned 55:44 as he wrestled with the angel 55:46 and that was a lesson of grace and mercy and forgiveness 55:49 and that grace and mercy comes to us from God 55:52 in a vertical relationship 55:54 but then it is to go out from us to others in a horizontal way. 55:58 Panel: Amen. 55:59 Lomacang: You know, thank you, when I think about the story 56:00 of Dinah... a couple of thoughts came to my mind. 56:03 When you read Genesis 34 verses 1 to 3 it says, 56:05 Dinah the daughter of Leah 56:07 went out to see the daughters of the land 56:09 and being the only girl in the family at that time, 56:12 she may have dressed to fit into the crowd 56:14 but she was introduced to an environment 56:16 as a 14- to 15-year old that proved to be too strong for her 56:20 and then you see the story, it says, 56:22 Shechem saw her... took her and lay with her 56:25 and violated her 56:26 and when you study what commentators say 56:28 about the situation, 56:30 they say that this will be... 56:31 today what we might call: "date rape" 56:33 and not a violent rape as was the case with Tamar 56:37 because later on Shechem expressed how much he loved her 56:40 tried to fix it with her family 56:41 and Joseph consenting to the conditions 56:44 didn't see this as a violent act. 56:46 Here's the lesson, 1st Corinthians 15:33, 56:49 "Do not be deceived: 56:50 evil company corrupts good manners. " 56:53 Make good choices about your environment. 56:55 Ryan: Absolutely, you know, I mentioned I had eight points, 56:58 I'd listed seven... here's my eighth one here, 57:01 you can allow, possibly, family... spouse and children 57:04 to become an idol in your life... 57:06 obviously, we should love our family 57:08 and our spouse and children but Matthew 10... Jesus says, 57:11 "He who loves father or mother more than he loves Me 57:13 is not worthy of Me. 57:14 And he who loves son or daughter more than Me 57:16 is not worthy of Me. 57:17 And he who does not take up his cross and follow Me 57:19 is not worthy of Me. " 57:21 Put your... put your trust in God 57:23 and put Him first in every aspect. 57:24 Dinzey: Amen... amen... concerning birthright... 57:27 this is something marvelous I found in Letter 4 from 1898 57:30 Sister Ellen G. White says, "Christ has brought within reach 57:33 and secured for every man 57:35 high and temporal and spiritual blessings. 57:37 This is the birthright of every soul born into the world. " 57:41 If you are faithful those blessings will be for you. 57:45 Jill: Amen, thank you, Pastor Johny, 57:47 Ryan, Pastor John and Pastor James... 57:48 thank you for sharing. 57:50 I just want to leave you with one quote this time 57:52 of Jacob's trouble that I had talked about. 57:54 We will see at the end of time 57:55 where you and I can reach forward 57:57 and lay hold by faith on God 57:59 and say, "I will not let You go unless You bless me. " 58:03 Join us next week: Number 11... Joseph, Master of Dreams. |
Revised 2022-05-23