January 8, 2023

God in the midst of family divisions

Preacher:
Passage: Genesis 31:17-42
Service Type:

Introduction

Looking at v14-54
Title: "God in the midst of family divisions"

The book "Spare" has been published [about the Royal Family]
Can God be in the midst of family divisions
Tonight – looking at love that covers over

What happens in family divisions?

Pain
Broken trust
No peace or harmony
Often separation

God can resolve divisions in wonderful ways
There needed to be a division between Jacob and Laban

Peace and harmony was to come through this division
Jacob had lived with Laban for 20 years and been mistreated throughout this

God was calling home

What about his wives?

How would they respond to leaving their home and their land?

They are prepared to leave everything for their husband

Loyalty to our spouse should trump other family relations

There was complications

Jacob steals away at night
Rachel steals the household idols – this brought things to a head

A truce follows (v43 onwards)

God used the situation for peace

This passage leaves us with many questions?

Why did Rachel steal her father’s idols?
Was Jacob’s actions an act of cowardice or shrewdness?
Who knows a person’s motives – 1 Cor 2:11

Looking at three main characters:

Laban
Rachel
Jacob

The Main Characters
Laban

Have we misjudged him?

Was he really a wicked man?

He made Jacob rich ("exceedingly prosperous")

Was it not natural that he would want to say goodbye to his daughters?
He said he would send them away with great fanfare

He abused Jacob

He brought him into a contract – to work 7 years for a wife
He tricked him over his wife
He had him work for another 7 years – slave labour
He has little or no love for his daughters
He considered everything that Jacob had – as his own
He is an example of a bad father/father-in-law
Consider what the daughters say about their father

Family conflicts can arise when one member neglects their duties for another

Bad parenting
Parents in law not accepting children in law
Interference in a marriage

As Christians, we live in a messy world

Example of David who forgave Saul
We are called to love and forgive
We are to act wisely with our own children

Slanderer

He chases after Jacob in hot pursuit

v26 – on the face of things his words might seem justified

He is actually slandering Jacob

The daughters went freely/gladly
It was Laban who treated Jacob liked a captive

Have you been a victim of slander?

False

v27 – he was not going to throw a party or let them go gladly

He is making himself look good in order to make Jacob look worse

Have you ever done this?

Harm

v28/29 – he really wanted to do him harm, but could not on account of God

Rachel

Was she an idolator or God-fearing?

Is she superstitious?
Maybe she cannot stand the fact that Laban is an idolator?

This family original came from Abraham who served the living God
Laban maybe follows God but has adopted pagan gods

Have you ever taken something from another?

We do not know the motive

However, it would appear that she did not respect it given her actions
She was likely not an idolator but had removed it so it would not be in her father’s home

Application: we should flee from idolatry

Personal example from Brazil
What idols do we put before the living God?

Jacob

Was he honourable or dishonourable?

He could have said a proper goodbye with Laban and trusted God for the outcome

He knows what Laban is like
v31 – He was afraid of Laban, that he would take his daughters by force

It is easy to misjudge people

Examples

v38 -40 – a man of integrity who was prepared to suffer loss

He honoured Laban, even though he was treated badly
He was not a pretender – he was honest about being afraid

Jacob is fallible, he makes a rash statement – v32
He is realistic

He realises only a separation from Laban will bring peace

v51-52

Sometimes conflict resolution requires separation

We want to be reconciled if we can
If irreconcilable – then separation may be required

God in the midst of family divisions

God has a purpose in all this

God had given him a promise, to leave and to come back – Gen 28:15

We want things to be sorted quickly
Jacob has to wait 20 years for the fulfilment of the promise

God protected Jacob from the evil hand of Laban

God had a purpose to bring everything out in the open and to a truce

Sometimes things need to be brought out into the open

Not to keep things quiet

Laban backs down

Should this surprise us?
God is in the midst of messy situations

Even when we crucified Jesus Christ
Yet the greatest blessing has come through this

Closing Remarks

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths." Prov 3:5-6