Read to Read
Again...
Daily Reading: Genesis 27-29
Genesis 29:23
And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her.
Jacob met his match. He came across someone as subtle and downright conniving as he. He met Laban. Laban was Jacob’s uncle, Rebekah’s brother. The back story is this.
Jacob sowed a seed of deception at least once concerning his brother Esau. The way Esau saw it, Jacob stole his birthright and his blessing as the firstborn son of Isaac. Esau was angry with Jacob and determined that he would slay Jacob after their dad passed; so Jacob had to flee for his life. On the advice of his father (Isaac) he took off for the east, ultimately meeting Rachel, Laban’s daughter. Jacob and Laban agreed that the nephew would serve the uncle for seven years for the right to marry Rachel. But, on the wedding night, Laban switched out Rachel, the beautiful one, for Leah, the tender eyed one. On his first day of marriage, Jacob woke up with the wrong wife, the wrong sister. Can you imagine? Laban had pulled a fast one for sure.
This story is a real-life illustration of the New Testament teaching of the “law of sowing and reaping” found in Galatians 6:7. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. In context Paul is using this universal law of God concerning eternal life, but its application is not limited only to eternal life, it is applicable to everything in life. Sow forgiveness, reap forgiveness. Sow friendliness, reap friends. Sow lies, reap lies. Sow understanding, reap understanding. Sow deceit, reap deceit. Jacob did.
Every farmer, gardener, and florist understands this law. Sow a seed of corn, reap corn. Sow an apple seed, reap an apple tree that will bear many apples. As many a preacher has preached: “You reap what you sow, later than you sow, and more than you sow.”
As the pages of the Bible are read this year, there will be many examples of sowing and reaping. Try to pick them out. Some will be wonderful stories of gain; some will be stories of loss. Some will thrill the heart and encourage the soul; some will break the heart and warn the flesh. As different as the story may be they all reinforce the truth of the law of sowing and reaping. If you are keeping notes on what you read, start a page for examples of the law of sowing and reaping. By time you finish the Bible you will have ample cases to review.
Many today are deceived about this law. They think it will not happen to them. Well, it happened to Jacob, David, Ananias, Daniel, Jonah, and many, many more. Some reaped great things like Boaz, some hardships and even death like Athaliah, or Haman the hangman…He was hanged on his own gallows that he built for Mordecai.
Keep an eye out for their stories (like Jacob’s) they are very instructive.
William T. Howe Ph.D.
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