God orchestrates end

Genesis 31:44-55

Jacob and Laban- Genesis 31

Genesis 27-31.

• God prepares you mostly in isolation.
• God purposes you to relationship.

God purposes relationship but devil opposes the partnership relationship. When we have the wrong the relationship, we are at the wrong place and at the wrong time which compromises the destiny what our God kept for us. Satan will always try to disturb that plan of God.

God makes you to choose the right people and right time. God has unique way to show us the end. God planned the endings. God engineered endings.

God puts an end to some relationship to put you in your right destiny. You will see the hand of God in ending the wrong relationship. Grown up and matured will understand and thank God for ending the relationship. A network established by God is very fruitful in the kingdom of God.

Jacob Laban separated.

Genesis 31:44-55, Now therefore, come, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it be a witness between you and me.” 45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar. 46 Then Jacob said to his brethren, “Gather stones.” And they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there on the heap. 47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed. 48 And Laban said, “This heap is a witness between you and me this day.” Therefore its name was called Galeed, 49 also Mizpah, because he said, “May the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent one from another. 50 If you afflict my daughters, or if you take other wives besides my daughters, although no man is with us—see,

God is witness between you and me!” 51 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Here is this heap and here is this pillar, which I have placed between you and me. 52 This heap is a witness,

and this pillar is a witness, that I will not pass beyond this heap to you, and you will not pass beyond this heap and this pillar to me, for harm. 53 The God of Abraham, the God of Nahor, and the God of their father judge between us.” And Jacob swore by the [l]Fear of his father Isaac. 54 Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain, and called his brethren to eat bread. And they ate bread and stayed all night on the mountain. 55 And early in the morning Laban arose, and kissed his sons and daughters and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned to his place.

Please take time red from Genesis Chapters 27 to 31 for the full details. The name Mizpah means “watchtower” or “lookout”. Genesis 27. Jacob, meaning trickster, tricks his brother by taking the birth right from their father Isaac.

Easu was very angry with his brother and Rebecca the mother of the brothers and ask his younger son to escape to Laban, her brothers’ home in Mesopotamia. Genesis 28

Jacob escape to his uncle home on his way he was met with God in Bethel. Genesis 29 As soon as Jacob arrives first, he meets Rachel. Love at first sight. Jacob willing to work for 7 years to marry the younger sister Rachael. After the 7 years he gets married and he marries and after the first night he finds it was not Rachel but Leah.

Laban makes a deal with Jacob to work for another 7 more years to marry Rachel. When you operate in trickery you will end up with some one more trickery. What you sow that is what you will reap. Evil will always meet it is match!

Leah has been fruitful, and she gives birth to 4 Sons to Jacob. Genesis 30. Rachel is barren and she send her maid, Bilhah to Jacob, and she gives birth to 2 sons.

Looking at Rachel’s maid given birth to 2 sons Leah sends her maid Zilpah to be Jacob’s wife. Now Ruben brings mandrake fruit, which is supposed to help to fertile. To exchange for this Rachel allows Jacob to sleep with Leah. Leah bore 2 sons and one daughter.

Finally, Rachel conceives and bore Jacob 2 sons. Totally 13 children, including one daughter bore by these 4 women. The tension between these two sisters Rachel and Leah brought two life lessons. 1. You cannot force someone to love you.

2. Children cannot be used as pawn to fight among adults. Someone can hold you, yet you can feel there is no love! Children are named after the fight among the leaders. Shame on you those who use their child to shield because of their insecurity.

God calls Jacob to go back to homeland. Jacob speaks to Laban, but he refuses. Laban is always interested in money.

Jacob trick Laban by producing the livestock out of Laban’s in 6 years rime. Jacob tricks in a way that stronger lamb, goat, and oxen belongs to him and the weaker one to Laban. After 6 years Laban sons see the trick of Jacob and furious and they tell their father.

Genesis 31. Now Jacob flees from Laban away with his wife’s and children and the livestock which belongs to him. Laban pursues and catch up with Jacob. Both realised that God brought an end to this relationship. The relationship which was productive partnership and fruitful now it has become toxic and needs to end.

Now both realise that they it is good for them to be over. They meet at Mizpah.

What led them to mizpah? What made the partnership was so productive to this?

Before coming to mizpah there were some signs and signals that this relationship going to be over?

Is your relationship heading towards Mizpah?

Is your partnership heading to towards Mizpah?

Is your job heading towards Mizpah? There are three forewarnings you can see how you end up reaching your Mizpah.

1. Perception of Money

2. Discerning the Will of God

3. Bringing the worst in you

1. Perception of money. The perception of the purpose, priority, and practice of money was different. Seeing the money playing different role.

Money test

Are you seeing the same way? Money is seen a tool for you build something. Money is seen as a toy.

When you have the money, what do you see?

How to spend on your life? Or how to use it for your purpose and the priority?

Spending on self-indulgences? How to use the money for the kingdom of God? How to use the money build a big barn for you?

Luke 12:16-21, Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. 17 And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ 18 So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” ’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ 21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

Remember both Laban and Jacob are wealthy. It is not the question of money but how you view it. The problem is not how much money you make or how much money you take home. It is about how you view the money when you get in your hands.

Laban believed that he could get it done with money whatever he wants.

Genesis 30:38-42, These twenty years I have been with you; your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried their young, and I have not eaten the rams of your flock. 39 That which was torn by beasts I did not bring to you; I bore the loss of it. You required it from my hand, whether stolen by day or stolen by night. 40 There I was! In the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night, and my sleep departed from my eyes. 41 Thus I have been in your house twenty years; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times. 42 Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God has seen my affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked you last night.” Laban manipulated Jacob for ²⁰ years. Have you met a Laban in your life? Laban with money he wanted control Jacob.

Is your job/business controlling you? Just because someone is making more money, they are controlling you?

Have you met a Laban who controls you by the money? Have you met a Laban who buys a gift to hide all his wickedness? Do not let money control or a person with money control you. Jacob sees money has come from God. Laban sees the money from business.

Jacob knew the source of his money is God. Laban sees that money from herds. They both see money differently.

Why do you give offering to God?

Is God ran out of money?

Is God in need?

Psalms 24:1, The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein.

What is your source of life?

Money or God? Money is the number one competitor of devotion to God.

Luke 16:13, “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to

the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

Do you trust God with your money? In the OT people must pay 3 Tithes. Not option! It was compulsory.

How much are you giving to God? 2. Discerning the will of God. Jacob wants to go back because the will of God.

Genesis 31:3, Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your family, and I will be with you.” Laban wanted him to stay back because he can make more money. Laban does not say that if God wants you to go, please go. Or he does not say let us seek God. Or he does not say let us pray about it. Rather Laban says stay here. Jacob makes Laban wealth added to him.

Have you met a Laban who is concerned about only his wealth? Look at the contrast. Leah and Rachel say to Jacob to do whatever God wants you to do!

Genesis 31:14-16, Then Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, “Is there still any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house? 15 Are we not considered strangers by him? For he has sold us, and also completely consumed our money. 16 For all these riches which God has taken from our father are really ours and our children’s; now then, whatever

God has said to you, do it.” Look for some person who will fast and pray with you to find and do the will of God. Look for a church who will see the purpose in your life and let go and do it! Even in our church we do not want any permanent members learn, equip yourself and go and do the ministry.

Find someone come and say that let us lock the door and sit and we will pray until we hear from God. 3. Bringing the worst in you.

God is trying to bring the best in Jacob. God changed Jacob to Israel. From trickster to blesser. But Laban is bringing the worst in Jacob. Your relationship with someone like Laban holding you to your old nature then you are heading towards Mizpah.

Have you got a Laban in your life bringing the worst in you? Have you got a Laban what God is trying you to get you out of it? Have you got the Laban in your life who strangles you in your old nature? Conclusion. Laban is facing up to the inevitable, and then he says to Jacob in a more rational tone of voice.

It is a great moment of reconciliation after the tension and the disappointment. This defeated man soon to return home empty-handed.

Genesis 31:44, Now therefore, come, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it be a witness between you and me.”

The great invitation of the gospel? Isaiah 1: 18, “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.

It is God who is saying those words to rebels. Let us say them when we are hurting. A covenant sign is erected. A covenant meal is eaten. Covenant terms are spelled out. The covenant relationship is sealed with an oath.

Genesis 31:49, also Mizpah, because he said, “May the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent one from another.