Genesis 29:1-30: The Deceiver Is Deceived

Genesis 29:1-30: The Deceiver Is Deceived

We’ve been working our way passage by passage through the book of Genesis, and today the next passage we come to is Genesis 29:1-30, so I’ll be reading a selection of verses from that passage. It says:

1 Then Jacob went on his journey and came to the land of the people of the east. 2 As he looked, he saw a well in the field, and behold, three flocks of sheep lying beside it, for out of that well the flocks were watered. The stone on the well’s mouth was large, 3 and when all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep, and put the stone back in its place over the mouth of the well. 4 Jacob said to them, “My brothers, where do you come from?” They said, “We are from Haran.” 5 He said to them, “Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?” They said, “We know him.” 6 He said to them, “Is it well with him?” They said, “It is well; and see, Rachel his daughter is coming with the sheep!”… 9 While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess. 10 Now as soon as Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, Jacob came near and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother. 11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud. 12 And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s kinsman, and that he was Rebekah’s son, and she ran and told her father. 13 As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he ran to meet him and embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Jacob told Laban all these things, 14 and Laban said to him, “Surely you are my bone and my flesh!” And he stayed with him a month. 15 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my kinsman, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?” 16 Now Laban had two daughters. The name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance. 18 Jacob loved Rachel. And he said, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.” 19 Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to any other man; stay with me.” 20 So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her. 21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife that I may go in to her, for my time is completed.” 22 So Laban gathered together all the people of the place and made a feast. 23 But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and he went in to her…. 25 And in the morning, behold, it was Leah! And Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?” 26 Laban said, “It is not so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. 27 Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years.” 28 Jacob did so, and completed her week. Then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife…. 30 So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah, and served Laban for another seven years. 

May God bless the reading of his Word.

Let’s pray: Father, we’re told that there are different kinds of soils on which the seed of your Word falls—thorny soil, rocky soil, soil on a path, and good fertile soil. And it’s only when the seed falls on that last kind of soil that it actually produces fruit. So, please, help us to be that fertile soil this morning, so that the seed of your Word can take root and bear fruit in our lives. It’s in Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

I heard a story recently of a man in London rudely pushing past another man on the subway. Yet, instead of apologizing, he hurled a very obscene insult at the other man before quickly walking away. But that wasn’t the end of it. Because the guy who did this was on his way to a job interview. And when he arrived at his interview and was ushered into the office of the person responsible for interviewing him, it was none other than the man he had just pushed and insulted on the subway. Now, I don’t know for sure how the interview went, but I’d imagine not very well. 

And things often have a way of working out like that, don’t they? I believe the saying is, “What goes around comes around.” And that’s certainly the case here in our main passage of Genesis 29. Just to remind you of what’s been going on: back in chapter 27, Jacob had tricked his father Isaac into pronouncing a blessing over him instead of pronouncing it over his brother Esau. This blessing was quite valuable because it was understood to determine the respective futures of Jacob and Esau. And, typically, the blessing would be pronounced by a father over his firstborn son—who, in this case, was Esau. Yet, Jacob knew that his father’s eyesight wasn’t very good. So, Jacob went to great lengths to disguise himself so that he even felt and smelled like his brother Esau. And it worked. Jacob went in to see his father Isaac, pretended to be Esau, and successfully obtained Isaac’s blessing. Of course, in order to do so, he told three bald-faced lies to his father. But, hey, you’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do, right? So, Jacob did. He obtained the blessing by lying to own father.

Not surprisingly, when Esau discovered what Jacob had done, he wasn’t all that thrilled about it. In fact, he actively made plans to kill Jacob. Now, I’m sure all of us who have siblings have gotten frustrated with our siblings at one time or another. Maybe it was a game of Monopoly that went bad or something like that. But this was another level. Esau was very serious about killing Jacob. Fortunately, though, their mom found out about it and sent Jacob away before anything bad could happen. 

And that’s the situation in which Jacob finds himself here in Genesis 29. He’s on his own and on the run. So, he goes to where his relatives live several hundred miles away with the hope that he can stay with them for a while and hopefully find a wife. Look at verses 1-3: 1 Then Jacob went on his journey and came to the land of the people of the east. 2 As he looked, he saw a well in the field, and behold, three flocks of sheep lying beside it, for out of that well the flocks were watered. The stone on the well’s mouth was large, 3 and when all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep, and put the stone back in its place over the mouth of the well. 

So, basically, there was a communal well at that location that had a large stone over it to keep it from being contaminated when it wasn’t being used. And, typically, it would take a few men to move that stone. So, the shepherds of the area apparently had a habit of meeting there at a particular time of day in order to get water for their flocks. Then, in the subsequent verses, Jacob asks them if they’ve heard of Laban, his uncle, and they say that they do know Laban and actually that Laban’s daughter Rachel is on her way to the well with some sheep. 

We then read in verses 9-10, 9 While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess. 10 Now as soon as Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, Jacob came near and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother. Now, remember, removing that stone was a job that typically required several men. Yet, Jacob apparently removes it all by himself. You know, I can just see him out there rolling up his sleeves, rubbing his hands together, and showing that stone who’s boss. And, sometimes, guys, when you’re looking for a wife, that’s just the kind of thing you’ve gotta do. I remember, when Becky and I first started dating, we went on a hike together through the woods. And there was a tree about this big that was right next to a huge rock that was about 20 feet high with a flat face on it. And, as a young 21-year-old, I just had this urge to climb that tree. So, I did. I put my feet on the face of the rock and shimmied right up there like it was nothing. And Becky ended up marrying me. So, there you go—some wonderful wisdom we find here in Genesis 29. 

Then, after seeing Jacob accomplish this impressive feat and learning about who he is, Rachel runs home and tells her father Laban the exciting news that Jacob is in town. Then verses 13-14 tell us, 13 As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he ran to meet him and embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Jacob told Laban all these things, 14 and Laban said to him, “Surely you are my bone and my flesh!” And he stayed with him a month. Now, as we’ll see, Laban’s a pretty devious and conniving guy. So, I’m sure the gears in Laban’s mind were already turning as he considered how he could exploit the situation for his own personal gain. 

Jacob then offers to serve Laban for seven years as a kind of dowry payment in order to obtain Rachel as his wife. Look at verses 18-20: 18 Jacob loved Rachel. And he said, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.” 19 Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to any other man; stay with me.” 20 So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her. Obviously, that is one heck of a dowry. But Jacob’s so head-over-heels in love with Rachel that he doesn’t even care. The seven years only seem like a few days to him. 

We then read in verses 21-28, 21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife that I may go in to her, for my time is completed.” 22 So Laban gathered together all the people of the place and made a feast. 23 But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and he went in to her. 24 (Laban gave his female servant Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her servant.) 25 And in the morning, behold, it was Leah! And Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?” 26 Laban said, “It is not so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. 27 Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years.” 28 Jacob did so, and completed her week. Then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. 

So, it turns out that old uncle Laban is quite the con artist. Back in ancient Mesopotamian culture, the way weddings worked is that there was a huge wedding feast for an entire week. And after the first day’s festivities, the groom would wrap his cloak around the bride and take her to his tent, where the marriage would be consummated. And you have to remember that it was very dark—since it was nighttime and electricity hadn’t yet been invented—and Jacob was probably also more than a little drunk. Not only that, the bride would have been wearing a veil over her face. So, if you put all three of those things together—the darkness, the alcohol, and the veil—you can see how it was possible for Jacob to not realize that he’s actually consummating a marriage to Leah rather than a marriage to Rachel. “Surprise!”—right? 

So, Jacob confronts Laban in verse 25 and asks, “What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?”  And, you have to wonder at this point whether Jacob heard the irony in his own words. That word translated “deceived” has the same stem in the original Hebrew language as the word used to describe Jacob deceiving his father Isaac back in chapter 27. Again, what goes around comes around. 

So, after deceiving his father Isaac, Jacob is deceived by his uncle Laban. If you’re taking notes, that’s the main idea of this passage. After deceiving his father Isaac, Jacob is deceived by his uncle Laban. The deceiver is deceived. The con artist is conned. Jacob gets a taste of his own medicine. 

And, of course, this is anything but a coincidence—as we can clearly see from other passages of Scriptures such as Galatians 6:7-8. These verses from Galatians distill down into explicit propositional form what’s being taught implicitly in the narrative of Genesis 29. It’s amazing how closely aligned these two passages are. So, I’d actually like to spend a little bit of time in Galatians. Look what it says—Galatians 6:7-8: 7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 

So, the Apostle Paul first gives his readers a warning. “Do not be deceived,” he says. Paul says this, of course, because it’s very easy to be deceived about these things. We’re often tempted to think that the foolish and sinful things we do will never catch up with us. So, we continue on in our foolish and sinful ways, naively assuming that, just because there aren’t any immediate consequences to our behavior, that there won’t be any consequences at all. Kind of like when someone runs up a huge credit card debt as if it’s not real money and as if the bill will never come due. That’s the mindset many people are tempted to have in many different aspects of their lives. I imagine Jacob was probably thinking along those lines back in Genesis 27. 

Yet, Paul tells us not to be deceived and then states that “God is not mocked.” If it were true there were no consequences for sin, it would be a mockery of God’s justice. Paul then says, “[F]or whatever one sows, that will he also reap.” Those nine words really sum it all up, don’t they? “[F]or whatever one sows, that will he also reap.” You don’t plant corn in the Spring and then discover that you’ve got a crop of potatoes to harvest in the Fall. You don’t plant wheat and then discover a field full of soybeans several months later. Instead, one of the most basic rules of agriculture is that whatever you put into the ground is what you’ll get out of the ground. It’s a universal law that applies to every agricultural endeavor. It doesn’t matter if you’re a young farmer or an old farmer, experienced or inexperienced, or living in the northern hemisphere or southern hemisphere. Whatever you sow is what you’ll one day reap. No exceptions. And the same is true in our lives. Back in our main passage, Jacob sowed seeds of deception and reaped a harvest of being deceived. 

Then, after that in Galatians 6, we’re told that there are two options. Paul writes in verse 8, “For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” Now, in this context, the word “flesh” refers to the sinful desires of our wayward hearts. Therefore, to “sow to [our] own flesh” means following those sinful desires. And the result of that, Paul says, is “corruption.” When you think of corruption, think of the process of wood rotting away or food scraps gradually decomposing. Or maybe the best example, given the fact that we live in Pittsburgh, is what’s happening to the bottom of most of our vehicles as a result of the salt that’s used on the roads during the winter. I don’t know if you’ve ever failed an inspection because of rust before, but that’s a perfect example of corruption. 

And that’s what we reap as a result of sowing to our flesh. Not only will we one day reap “corruption” in the form of God’s eternal punishment, we also reap “corruption” in the form of the misery and heartache and ruin and hardships that our sins bring upon us even in this life. Think of all the consequences, for example, that Jacob experienced as a result of his devious and deceptive behavior. He became estranged from his brother Esau, drove a wedge between himself and his father Isaac, and was forced to leave behind everything that was familiar to him as he fled for his life. That included having to say goodbye to his beloved mother—whom he would never see again before she died, by the way—as well as leaving behind the comfortable living situation he had enjoyed as a member of a very wealthy family. And, obviously, in our main passage, Jacob’s also exploited by his own uncle for numerous years. So, Jacob learned the hard way that, as Paul says, “one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption.”

And there are plenty of different ways in which that’s also true of us today. Sin has all kinds of different consequences even in this life. It often has relational consequences, emotional consequences, financial consequences, legal consequences, physical consequences, and, of course, spiritual consequences. And that’s true even for those of us who are Christians. You know, even though we’d never say it out loud, we sometimes assume that, as Christians, we can commit certain “smaller” sins without any negative consequences. We can just commit these sins in secret, ask God’s forgiveness, and everything will be okay, right? 

Yet, in reality, that’s not right at all. Sin always has consequences. Just take pornography as an example. Perhaps some Christian men, in certain moments of weakness, are tempted to think that they can just anonymously get on a pornographic website real quick, look at what they want to look at, and then leave the site and ask God’s forgiveness and everything will be okay. No real harm done, no significant consequences, nothing much to worry about. Yet, that’s just not true. Even a single lustful thought is going to have consequences in your life. And the same goes for other sins as well—gossip, envy, pride, whatever sin it is. They all have consequences. 

Most notably, sin will always affect your relationship with God—eroding the fabric of that relationship and diminishing your view of God’s glory and robbing you of closeness and communion with God. Not only that, sin will also affect your relationships with other people in some way and to some degree. And, lastly, sin has a profound effect on your heart. In a certain sense, it becomes a part of you. Just like everything you eat becomes a part of you in some way, everything you do also becomes a part of you—part of your mentality and perspective and mindset. A theologian named J. C. Ryle writes that, “Every fresh act of sin lessens fear and remorse, hardens our hearts, blunts the edge of our conscience, and increases our evil inclination.”

Ryle then observes how sin has a way of picking up momentum in our lives very quickly. He compares it to a boulder rolling down a hill. The longer that boulder continues rolling down the hill, the more speed it picks up. It rolls faster and faster and becomes harder and harder to slow down. And that’s the way it is with our sin. Ryle states, “Believe me, you cannot stand still in the affairs of your souls. Habits of good or evil are daily strengthening in your hearts. Every day you are either getting nearer to God for further off.” Or, in the words of Galatians 6:7, “Whatever one sows, that will he also reap.”

So, just to get super-practical, how have you been sowing the seeds of your life? Every moment you live is like a seed, and every decision you make is like a seed. How have you been sowing those seeds—even this past week or this past month? 

Let’s start with general things related to your own physical and spiritual health. And, by the way, as I go through these things, you won’t have time to write all of them down, but I encourage you to write down 2-3 of them that you believe are especially relevant for you. So, general things related to your own physical and spiritual health. 

• Are you being a good steward of your body through a healthy diet and regular exercise? 
• Is there anything that’s controlling you that shouldn’t be? Examples might include alcohol, prescription drugs, caffeine, or smoking.  
• Also, are you maintaining a healthy spiritual diet? That refers to anything you’re allowing yourself to take in spiritually—including the movies you watch, the articles you read, the social media you consume—anything and everything that you take in. What does your spiritual diet look like? 
• And, as a part of that, are you engaging in Bible reading and prayer on a regular basis—hopefully daily? 

What kind of seeds are you sowing related to your own physical and spiritual health? 

Also, for those who are employed outside the home, think about the seeds you’re sowing related to your career. 

• First of all, are you working hard and striving for excellence? 
• Are you stealing from your employer in any way—including stealing through a lack of punctuality or a pattern of laziness? 
• Are you being driven by greed or by a desire to serve others? 
• Do you ever lie to or mislead those you encounter at work? 
• And are you allowing yourself to be controlled by a desire to impress others or by a fear of what others will think of you?

Furthermore, if you’re married, think about the seeds you’re sowing in your marriage. 

• Do you work through conflict in a healthy way? 
• Are you allowing patterns of selfishness to go unchecked? 
• Do you have a pattern of speaking harsh or careless words or exhibiting uncontrolled anger? 
• Do you consistently seek your spouse’s forgiveness for your sins? 
• Are you regularly praying with your spouse and having meaningful interactions about spiritual things?
• Do you ever allow yourself to have any inappropriate interactions with members of the opposite sex who aren’t your spouse? Even a single text message or flirtatious comment? 
• Do you ever exhibit a lack of discretion in the circumstances in which you put yourself with members of the opposite sex who aren’t your spouse?

Then, related to parenting, for those who have kids in the home. What kinds of seeds are you sowing as a parent? 

• For example, how often do you deliberately spend quality time with your kids? 
• How faithfully are you teaching your kids about Jesus? 
• To what degree are you modeling godliness in the home? 
• Are you teaching your kids about the value of a good work ethic and personal responsibility? 
• To what degree are you involving your kids in evangelistic and outreach-related activities? 
• And, just like I asked with marriage, do you have a pattern of speaking harsh or careless words or exhibiting uncontrolled anger toward your kids? 
• Are you putting your kids down, teasing them excessively, disregarding their feelings, or exasperating them? 
• Do you ask for your kids’ forgiveness whenever you sin against them? 
• And are you consistent in disciplining your children? 

Think also about your finances and the seeds you’re sowing in that area of your life. 

• Are you consistently taking on debt for things that don’t increase in value? 
• Are you using the wealth that God’s entrusted to you in any way that isn’t wise? 
• And closely related to that, are you stewarding your wealth in a way that glorifies God through generous giving? 
• And are you doing anything that falls short of demonstrating absolute financial integrity?

Then, finally, consider the seeds you’re sowing related to church involvement. 

• Are you prioritizing church gatherings above social and recreational activities? 
• Are you tearing others down with your words or building them up? 
• Are you participating in gossip of any kind? 
• Do you have a fault-finding or critical spirit? 
• Is there any bitterness or resentment you’ve been nursing or any grudges you’ve been holding? 
• Are you more concerned about your own personal comfort in the church or the advance of God’s Kingdom through the church? 

So, again, I encourage you to identify 2-3 things from this list that you believe are especially relevant for you and prayerfully start working on those things. And, if it would be helpful for you, I’ve actually put a stack of printouts listing all of these items on the Resource Table in the back, so feel free to pick one of those up on your way out this morning if you desire. 

And, again, the point I’ve been making is that sin always has consequences. As we see demonstrated in Genesis 29 and as we see specifically stated in Galatians 6:7, “[W]hatever one sows, that will he also reap.” The seeds you sow today determine the kind of harvest you’ll reap tomorrow. 

And I’ve already emphasized the earthly consequences for our sin. But the fact is that there are also eternal consequences as well—particularly for people who aren’t yet Christians. You know, it may seem, at times, as though you can go on sinning without anything that terrible ever happening to you. But be assured that, one day, you will reap the consequences of what you’ve sown. God himself will make sure that your sins receive the punishment they deserve in hell for all eternity. Justice may be delayed for a time, in order to give you an opportunity to repent, but justice won’t ultimately be denied. 

In Genesis 29, we see Jacob experiencing some significant consequences for his devious and deceptive behavior in previous chapters. But those consequences are only a small taste of the consequences everyone will experience after they die. I mean, do you really think you can spend an entire lifetime sowing to the flesh and not reap the consequences of that? We’ve said it repeatedly: “[W]hatever one sows, that will he also reap.” It’s a universal law. 

However, the good news of the gospel is that Jesus interrupted this universal law when he came to this earth in order to rescue us. That’s the most important thing you can remember out of anything we’ve talked about this morning. Jesus interrupted the universal law of sowing and reaping when he came to this earth to save us. You see, Jesus was fully God, yet came to this earth as a human. And after living a perfectly sinless life, Jesus allowed himself to be crucified on a cross in order to pay for our sins. Our sins were actually placed on his shoulders—so that, instead of us being punished for our sins, Jesus suffered that punishment in our place. He suffered God the Father’s wrath so we couldn’t have to. As the Apostle Paul states in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For our sake he [God] made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

So, understand what’s happened. Jesus reaped the consequences of the sin we sowed so that we could reap the benefits of the righteous life he sowed. Let me say that again. If you’re taking notes, you might want to write that down. Jesus reaped the consequences of the sin we sowed so that we could reap the benefits of the righteous life he sowed. He endured the consequences of our sin so that we can enjoy the rewards of his righteousness. 

Yet, we don’t experience those rewards automatically. The Bible teaches that in order for us to benefit from what Jesus has done in his perfect life, sacrificial death, and victorious resurrection, we have to put our trust in him for rescue. That means we can’t be trusting in ourselves or in the habits we develop in response to all those items I listed a few moments ago. Listen, you could spend every moment of the rest of your life doing all of those things to the best of your ability, and you’ll go straight to hell when you die. Jesus is the only one who can save you. And he will—if you’ll put your trust exclusively in him to do so. 

In addition, maybe you’re here this morning and are, in some sense, already reaping a portion of what you’ve sown in the past. Maybe you’re experiencing the consequences for things you’ve done in the past and are feeling nearly overwhelmed with misery and despair. Listen to me when I say that your life isn’t hopeless. Regardless of what you’ve done in the past, Jesus offers you redemption and forgiveness and healing and freedom and wholeness and hope. Maybe you’re tempted to think there’s no hope for you. That’s a lie. There is hope, and his name is Jesus. He’s the answer to whatever you’ve done in the past and to whatever you’re going through in the present. Will you embrace him and put your trust in him to save you today? 

You know, I’ve always appreciated the words of John Newton as he was lying on his deathbed. In his younger years, John Newton had been a slave trader. But, later in life, he became a Christian and eventually a pastor and a very vocal opponent of the slave trade. And he said this as he lay on his deathbed: “Although my memory's fading, I remember two things very clearly: I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior.” Do you have the confidence that Christ is your Savior today?