Hope for a Deceiver: Grace Abounds

Hope for a Deceiver

Grace Abounds

 

May 28, 2022

Larry R Evans

 

Introduction

 

It has been said that a veterinarian can learn a lot about a dog owner he has never met just by observing the dog. Such an insight begs another question, “What does the world learn about God by watching us, His followers, on earth?”

 

I remember a traumatic day in my ministry some years ago. I was the conference president at the time. One of our well-known employees had disappeared. His family had no idea where he was or what had happened. His abandoned car was found near a lake. The news spread and the community became alarmed. A massive search with police helicopters and hours of detective work turned up nothing. Newspaper and television reporters followed the story. Foul play was suspected. Prayer vigils took place asking that God might intervene. He did intervene. The employee was found hundreds of miles away. The truth eventually emerged that our respected employee had faked his death. We had been deceived. He later said that what he did he did because of some intense pressure he had been under. The public wasn’t so sure!  The community was enraged because of the “goose-chase” done at taxpayer expense. Needless to say, the Adventist community was embarrassed. 

 

Soon afterward I was invited to the home of a very prominent person who was well known both locally and nationally.  With me were members of our conference staff and leaders from the local hospital on whose board I sat.  I don’t remember what I had said when the employee had been found, but it was reported in the newspaper.  It was something to the effect that the person had made a mistake and we were working with him.  I must have said something else too because at the dinner table the wife of the prominent political figure by whom I had been seated, reached over, squeezed my wrist, and said, “If I weren’t, and she named her denomination, I would become a Seventh-day Adventist.” I don’t tell this story to pat myself on the back for I am far from perfect. I share this to tell how unexpected grace can speak volumes to the world that is watching to see how the Church responds to those who are the most undeserving.

 

An author by the name of Gordon McDonald, a morally fallen and well-known Protestant preacher, once wrote, “The world can do almost anything as well as or better than the church. You need not be a Christian to build houses, feed the hungry, or heal the sick. There is only one thing the world cannot do. It cannot offer grace.” McDonald has put his finger on one of the church’s single most important contributions. Where else can the world go to find grace?

 

For the past few weeks, we have been listening to God tell us His story as found in the book of Genesis.  The embarrassing story of the entrance of sin has not only gone public but has also spread throughout the entire universe.  As the story goes, the very ones God created in His image have misrepresented Him and some who claimed to be religious, cursed Him, murdered others, and later spat upon Him, stripped Him naked, and hung Him on the cross made for the most despicable criminal. Yet, in His agony, He asks that we might be forgiven. We must admit that there is something especially ugly about deceit. Deceit isn’t something new. We find it in the book of Genesis.  As God tells the story, He doesn’t hold back. He tells how one of His chosen people so desired to be blessed by Him that he used God’s promise as a rationale to deceive his brother.  

 

QUESTION: Is it possible to mistreat, deceive, or even lie to receive spiritual favors?

 

“Same Lake, Different Boats”

 

According to Genesis, human beings were God’s crowning act of creation. This means when we were born, we were fashioned to experience purposeful, blessed lives. We are each different and this is true of siblings who may have the same parents, be raised in the same home, and even go to the same school. However, as any parent can tell you, each child is different and has a unique personality. Such was the case with Jacob and Esau. The LORD begins the story about Jacob and Esau in Genesis 25.  

 

Before they were even born, they struggled with each other. When Rebekah asked why was she having a troubling pregnancy Lord said,

Two nations are in your womb,

and two peoples from within you will be separated;

one person will be stronger than the other,

and the older will serve the younger. (Gen. 25:22)

In the form of a poem, Rebekah was given an answer to her question with two parallel sentences  Each sentence is composed of two lines with the second line emphasizing the first.

 

The future would show that the descendants of Esau, the Edomites, would oppose the Israelites during the wilderness sojourn (Num. 20:14-21).  It is interesting to note that Jewish tradition identified Edom with Rome as Jews suffered under the oppression of Rome. 

 

The text does not identify which of the two, Jacob or Esau, is the stronger one. This omission seems to be intentional, because of the ambiguity regarding the understanding of what makes a person “strong.” Esau will always present himself as the stronger one (32:6-7; 33:1; 36:31f). However, it is Jacob, the one who seems weaker, who will ultimately triumph. It is Jacob’s weakness that will ultimately become his strength. 

Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.” (Gen. 32:28)

We learn in verse 17 that Esau, the oldest, developed into a tough hunter while Jacob, his twin brother, was mild-mannered and preferred to hang around home.  Some might think of Jacob as a “Mamma’s boy” and in fact, the Bible does say that Isaac loved Esau while Rebekah loved Jacob (25:17). The Hebrew word used to describe Jacob as “mild” is the same word translated as “blameless” for Job and “perfect” for Noah. As we shall see, Jacob was anything but blameless.  However, the partiality of the parents helped lay a trap for the family that would impact generations to come.

 

You are familiar with the story. Rebekah had taught Jacob bedtime stories that were filled with examples of God’s blessings and of the promise given to Abraham and how his father, Isaac, had been part of a test given to Abraham.  Hearing these stories, no doubt created a spiritual interest in the heart of Jacob. Of the promised birthright, Ellen White wrote, 

“It was not the possession of his father’s wealth that he craved; the spiritual birthright was the object of his longing.” (PP 178). 

Unlike Esau who is present-oriented, Jacob is future-oriented and particularly sensitive to spiritual values. Despite his spiritual leanings, we learn that even spiritual desires can lead us to do dreadful things!

 

QUESTION: Can you think of any modern examples where good motives are carried out with dreadful consequences?

 

Jacob, the Blessed Deceiver

 

Jacob did not agree with his mother’s deceptive plan at first, but he succumbed. Jacob received the “blessing” from his nearly blind father by deception! His brother was furious, and Jacob ran from his home never to see his mother again. What a price he paid for manipulating his father to bless him.

From the hour when he received the birthright, Jacob was weighed down with self-condemnation. He had sinned against his father, his brother, his own soul, and against God. In one short hour, he had made work for a lifelong repentance. This scene was vivid before him in afteryears, when the wicked course of his sons oppressed his soul. (PP 180)

But while he [Jacob] thus esteemed eternal above temporal blessings, Jacob had not an experimental knowledge of the God whom he revered. His heart had not been renewed by divine grace. (PP 178)

 

QUESTION: What does having “an experimental knowledge of God” mean? Can you think of a time when you had such an experience?

 

When Isaac asked Jacob “who are you?” Jacob began by identifying himself as Esau – “I am Esau your firstborn” (27:19) but when Esau was asked the same question, he began by identifying himself simply as Isaac’s son – “I am your son”. For Jacob, it is important to highlight Esau because he is not Esau. For Esau, it is important to highlight the particular son-father relationship. The deception impacted the whole family and Jacob could not retract what he had done.

 

Where the Ladder of “Success” Leads

 

The “blessed” brother was now running for his life from the brother who was not blessed. Do you remember another “brotherly conflict” in Genesis?  Indeed, Cain killed his brother because Abel’s worship was accepted and he was not. Isn’t it interesting to see how religion can bring both the best and the worst out of people!

 

It has been said that the ladder of success is never crowded at the top. That is a good insight from conventional wisdom, but in the experience of Jacob and his dream (The ladder experience is found in Genesis 28:10-22.) what matters most is who is at the top of the ladder.

 

Jacob had run from Beersheba and set out for Haran. The total trip would be about 550 miles!  It must have taken weeks. When he reached “a certain place” something wonderful happened! In a dream, Jacob encountered God. It was no ordinary dream. He saw angels ascending and descending on the ladder.

 

Generations later Jesus would describe Himself as the ladder on which angels would ascend between heaven and earth (Jn 1:51).  

 

In the dream, the Lord identified Himself as the ladder.

I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, . . . (Gen 28:13,14)

There was to be a continuity to the story God is telling, the promised covenant still stands!

 

QUESTION: What message does the ladder experience have for us today?

 

Indeed, Jesus is the link between heaven and earth!  Jacob was having a learning experience and he knew it. To mark the moment in time Jacob named the place Bethel which means “the gate of heaven.”  Does that bring back any memories of another story also told in Genesis?  The inhabitants of Babel built their “own ladder” to the heaven which we refer to as “The Tower of Babel.” The ladder they built was meant to help them make a name for themselves (Gen. 11:1-4).

 

Pay Back Time?

 

The lens through which we see God often limits both our understanding of Him and the help He desires to provide for us.  Such is the case with the story of Jacob and Laban. In the past, I’ve had trouble with this story.  It seems so unfair and while the deception was unfair some lessons emerge.   

 

Providentially, Jacob found exactly the right wife. He meets a woman at a well (sound familiar) and from there, things begin to happen.  He meets not only Rachel but from that encounter he meets her father, Laban. No doubt Laban had great hopes that a relative of Abraham would bring with him a valuable bride price. He must have been frustrated when he learned that Jacob had no possessions. 

 

Negotiations took place and Jacob agreed to work for 7 years so that he might have Rachel. That sounded fair since he had no nothing to offer. Laban outsmarted Jacob and instead of marrying Rachel, Jacob married Leah.  Seven more years and he finally married Rachel.  Family conflict and jealousy were the result and show the wisdom of following God’s plan for families. 

 

Similar to Abraham’s experience with Sarah and Hagar, Jacob was to suffer the consequences of a polygamous household where jealousy reigned supreme.  Despite the breakaway from His ideal, we see God’s compassion revealed when He shows concern that Leah was being loved less than Rachel (29:31).  Let’s not forget that God is telling this story and He is telling us that He had compassion and care for every person – including Leah.

 

QUESTION: Is the experience with Laban God’s way of paying Jacob back for his deception with Esau? Why or why not?

 

The Blended Family

 

If the Bible teaches anything it teaches that when we depart from God’s original plan things get “complicated”!  Jacob indeed had a blended family at least of principle. By definition, a blended family is identified as being

'a couple family containing two or more children, of whom at least one is the natural or adopted child of both members of the couple, and at least one is the stepchild of either partner in the couple'.

In the case of Jacob, Leah, and Rachel, all the parents in the family and all the children are “blended” into a single family. What a challenge!  “The fact that Leah was a party to the cheat, caused Jacob to feel that he could not love her” (PP 189). The decision to retain Leah was not easy.  For fourteen years he labored to have Rachel and during that time his wages were changed 10 different times!  Laban was not a man of his word! Knowing that Leah was part of the deception did not help. Despite the deception, the Lord cared for Leah just as he cared for Jacob and Rachel. 

 

With the birth of Joseph, the fourteen years came to an end. Jacob wanted to return home. His sudden departure received a rebuke by Laban, “You’ve deceived me” (31:26). There is much more to the story, of course, but Joseph has learned some important lessons about himself and God with more to come. Next week we will learn more lessons he was to learn. Jacob’s time of trouble provides an insight we must never forget.

 

Concluding Reflections

The Shortest Distance Between Two Points 

Does Not Seem to be Our Preferred Route

 

What has been called the cycle of apostasy is a pattern repeated over and over again. Throughout history, God has attempted to prepare faithful people. The cycle in Scripture goes something like this:

 

1.     A relationship is broken with God

2.    Disobedience

3.    Punishment

4.    Repentance

5.    Forgiveness

6.    Obedience

7.     Relationship Restored.

 

 

 

We began our study of Genesis with the words, “In the beginning God.” This was followed by what He did to prepare a special place and time for us  (in a collective sense) to be with Him.  When sin entered, we found God asking “where are you?” and “where is your brother?” Relationships were broken and still are at every level.

 

God is still calling the Jacobs of the world to come to Him. We cannot help but wonder about such abounding grace. What a great and patient God we have.  I received the following quote, a reminder, from some followers of our Sabbath School class in Nigeria. 

Those who have had opportunities to hear and receive of the truth and who have united with the Seventh-day Adventist church, calling themselves the commandment-keeping people of God, and yet possess no more vitality and consecration to God than do the nominal churches, will receive the plagues of God just as verily as the churches who oppose the law of God.—Manuscript Releases 19:176 (1898). LDE 172.2

God’s grace does abound!  It is amazing because it is the God who cares, who loves, that is so often despised and rejected.

There is one catch to grace. One church historian many years ago put it this way, “God gives where he finds empty hands.”

 

 A man whose hands are full of parcels can’t receive a gift. Grace, in other words, must be received. 

 

Jacob had to learn that he could not manipulate God.  The blessing he sought is God-initiated. The ladder to heaven that Jacob saw was Jesus who gives us our identity and purpose. Bethel (the gate of heaven) and not the Tower Babel brings the hope and assurance we need.