Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20081116.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Genesis: Explaining The Foundations Of History
Part VII: Explaining God's Plan To Bless Men Regardless Of Apostasy
U. Heeding God For Blessing In Times Of Intrigue, Danger And Fear
(Genesis 31:17-32:2)
  1. After Jacob learned that Laban was hostile toward him, God told Jacob to leave Haran and return to Canaan, Genesis 31:1-3.
  2. Jacob feared Laban would forcibly retrieve his daughters, Jacob's wives, were he to make his plan to leave known, so Jacob secretly fled with his wives, sons and possessions, Genesis 31:17-18, 27, 31.
  3. Though Laban then pursued him, since Jacob heeded God in going to Canaan, God restrained Laban, He judged the intrigue Jacob faced and He defended Jacob's welfare by angels, Gen. 31:22-32:2:
    1. Jacob's flight heeded God's will that he return to Canaan, so God checked Laban from harming Jacob, Genesis 31:22-29:
      1. When Laban learned Jacob had fled, he pursued, planning to harm Jacob by retrieving his daughters, Jacob's wives and sons and the herds Laban believed Jacob had unjustly gained, Gen. 31:22-23, 29; Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978 ed., ftn. to Gen. 31:29.
      2. However, since God had promised to bless Jacob in line with the Abrahamic Covenant (Gen. 28:13-15), and Jacob was heeding God in returning to Canaan, God warned Laban not to tell Jacob "good or bad," an idiom meaning "anything" that would disrupt Jacob's effort to return with his family and possessions to Canaan, Genesis 31:24; cf. H. C. Leupold, Expos. of Genesis, 1974, vol. II, p. 843.
      3. This warning kept Laban from harming Jacob, Genesis 31:29.
    2. Jacob's flight heeded God's will that he return to Canaan, so God judged the dangerous intrigue he faced, 31:19b, 34-35 with 35:16-19:
      1. Neither Laban nor Jacob knew that Rachel had stolen her father Laban's "small figurines of female deities" considered in the pagan Nuzi tablets to carry the right of inheritance, Ibid., ftn. to Genesis 31:19; Bible Know. Com., O. T., p. 78. She might have been bitter at Laban's having cheated her from being Jacob's first wife, and so had taken his figurines to claim his goods when he died! (Ibid.)
      2. Thus, when Laban found Jacob and ominously charged him with taking his figurines, Jacob defensively offered to have whoever possessed them executed, Genesis 31:30, 32.
      3. Laban searched but could find the figurines, for Rachel lied about them, claiming she could not rise from her saddle where she had hidden them due to a physical condition, Genesis 31:33-35.
      4. Thus, when Laban did not find the figurines, Jacob erupted with anger, charging Laban for years of mistreatment, Gen. 31:36-42.
      5. Laban replied that all Jacob's family and herds belonged to him, and that it was in his human power to harm Jacob, but that he could not do so because of God's warning, Genesis 31:29, 43.
      6. Thus, Laban suggested he and Jacob make a nonaggression pact, and they set up stones as a border that neither man might cross it to harm the other, Genesis 31:44-55. In forming the pact, "Suspicion permeated the entire arrangement (e.g., v. 50)," showing both men parted in distrust of one another, Ibid., Ryrie, ftn. to Gen. 31:44-55.
      7. However, since God had promised to bless Jacob, and Jacob was in the process of heeding God's will by returning to Canaan, God judged Rachel for the great danger her intrigue had caused Jacob:
        1. God let Rachel lose her life at her next childbirth, 35:16-19.
        2. This event judged Rachel in relation to her theft and hiding her father's figurines in dangerous intrigue for Jacob: (1) it heeded Jacob's call to execute the party who had taken Laban's figurines (Gen. 31:32). (2) It also judged Rachel in accord with her lie to keep her father's figurines: she had lied about her physical condition, so she died by a complication of that part of her anatomy, Genesis 31:34-35.
    3. Jacob's flight heeded God's will that he go to Canaan, so God guarded his company from harm by a company of angels, Genesis 32:1-2:
      1. Jacob had left his untrustworthy, potentially dangerous Uncle, Laban to return to Canaan in obedience to God, Genesis 31:1-3.
      2. Accordingly, in keeping with God's initial vision to Jacob at Bethel that revealed the presence of protective angels (Genesis 28:13-15), God caused Jacob to see a company of His angels who protected Jacob's family and possessions on their journey, Genesis 32:1-2!
Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

Many people fear the future, thinking the mainstream media promoted a questionable President-elect to power. To honor Mr. Obama as an official in heeding 1 Peter 2:17, we verify this claim by citing only his supportive media and Democratic National Committee:

(1) The November 6, 2008 issue of The Boston Globe, p. A 20, ran a story by Brian C. Mooney, noting: "After Barack Obama's victory . . . the . . . jubilation happened on the television screens, not in the streets of much of America's heartland . . . [for, in Ashland, Ohio,] . . . Several voters said they still had questions and doubts about Obama's background and accused the media of not delving deeply enough . . ."

(2) What little the media did report raises deep concerns:

(a) Maxine Sautter of Bellville, Ohio was cited in this article as saying "she couldn't understand how Obama could become involved with such people as the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr., whose ranting anti-American sermons 'were way out of bounds,' and William Ayers . . . once a leader of the radical Weather Underground." (b) Then, during the campaign, the Democratic National Committee released a 40-page "Unfit for Publication" report critiquing Jerome Corsi's work, The Obama Nation, and on pages 9-10 of the report allowed that Mr. Obama's mentor in his youth who was called "Frank" in his book, Dreams of My Father was Frank Marshall Davis.

That is quite a concession in light of an Associated Press story "Poet advised young Obama" that ran on August 12, 2008. It told how "Frank Marshall Davis" was "an important influence" on Mr. Obama "in his adolescence," and that Davis's "leftist politics could enable the candidate's critics to group Mr. Davis with Obama friends and acquaintances with purportedly anti-American views."

(c) Thus, many people are concerned about the future: (1) Dr. James Dobson told his November 7, 2008 evangelical radio audience not to be dismayed though the President-elect's views deeply contrasted with those of his Focus on the Family group! (2) A reporter at John McCain's concession speech in a Phoenix hotel heard a party gloomily respond: "Every civilization comes to an end eventually!" (The Economist, "Scenes from a wake," Nov. 8th-14th, 2008, p. 42)

We may then ask, "With the distrust and fear many have over the rise of the President-elect to power, how are we to live?!"

(We turn to the sermon "Need" section . . . )

Need: "With the distrust and concern many have surrounding the rise of the President-elect to power, how are we to live?!"

Application: In times of intrigue, danger and fear, (1) may we trust Jacob's God, Jesus Christ, for eternal life and come under His care, John 1:11-12; Romans 8:32. (2) Then, may we (a) leave to God the task of checking our foes, judging perilous intrigue and protecting us (b) so we can do His will. (c) That will includes honoring officials, and in 1 Peter 2:17, this meant honoring Nero! (Ibid., Ryrie, p. 1757)

Lesson: God had promised to bless Jacob in accord with the Abrahamic Covenant, and Jacob was heeding Him by returning to Canaan, so God restrained his foe, judged the dangerous intrigue and protected Jacob!

Conclusion: (To illustrate the sermon lesson . . . )

God's provision for people in times of national intrigue, peril and fear so they can do His will was displayed to the past generation at the Battle of Midway in the Spring of 1942 during World War II.

After its attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese navy had sent four aircraft carriers to invade the Island of Midway in the Pacific Ocean. Thinking the United States Pacific Fleet had only two carriers left, Japan's military leaders planned to invade Midway to lure the rest of America's Pacific carriers out to Midway so they could be destroyed.

Admiral Nimitz's forces had decoded the Japanese naval communications, and learning of their plan, he had sent a fleet of ships to attack the Japanese carriers while they focused on invading Midway.

When the first wave of Japanese planes had returned to their carrier decks from pounding Midway in the early morning hours of June 4, 1942, and they had begun to refuel and rearm with land bombs for a second attack, Vice Admiral Nagumo in command of the carriers was told of the approaching American fleet. He ordered his planes to have their bombs replaced with torpedoes. At the time, the Japanese combat air patrol was out of position to protect their carriers while it was engaging American torpedo bombers, so the Japanese carriers, with decks full of bombs, torpedoes and fuel lines had no protection.

At this critical moment, at 10:22 a.m., American SBD Dauntless dive bombers arrived on the scene. Unopposed in the air, they merely dropped their bombs on three of the carriers, igniting their mix of fuel, bombs and torpedoes and leaving them burning wrecks in under six minutes! The fourth Japanese carrier was destroyed by a dive bomber attack that afternoon, marking a turning point of the war!

We can only credit the "chance" meeting of the unopposed American dive bombers and the first three Japanese carriers at a highly vulnerable moment for them to the providence of God. He was protecting our country, and, in light of history, the whole world! (The military facts are from About.com: World War II: Battle of Midway - Turning Point in the Pacific.)



In our present era, with what intrigue and concern may affect us, as it was in a past generation, and as it was in Jacob's flight from Laban in Haran to Canaan, may we trust God to be our Help and focus on fulfilling His assignments for us!