Genesis Ch29v31-Ch30v24 - Beauty In The Brokenness

Today and how God is at work in the midst of lives.

Again, if you've missed any of the talks, there was a bit of a lull there for a while,

but thankfully Ralph has been able to sort that out in the website,

so the recent talks are all now up online again,

and you can catch up or follow along if you missed any.

We are reading this morning Genesis 29 verse 31 to chapter 30 verse 24,

Genesis 29:31

and Kirsty is going to read this morning.

When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved,

he enabled her to conceive, but Rachel remained childless.

Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son.

She named him Reuben, for she said,

It is because the Lord has seen my misery.

Surely my husband will love me now.

She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son, she said,

Because the Lord heard that I am not loved, he gave me this one too.

So she named him Simeon.

Again she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son, she said,

Now at last my husband will become attached to me,

because I have born him three sons.

So he was named Levi.

She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son, she said,

This time I will praise the Lord.

So she named him Judah.

Then she stopped having children.

When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children,

she became jealous of her sister.

So she said to Jacob,

Give me children or I will die.

Jacob became angry with her and said,

Am I in the place of God who has kept you from having children?

Then she said,

Here is Bilhah, my servant.

Sleep with her so that she can bear children for me,

and I too can build a family through her.

So she gave him her servant, Bilhah, as a wife.

Jacob slept with her,

and she became pregnant and bore him a son.

Then Rachel said,

God has vindicated me.

He has listened to my plea and given me a son.

Because of this, she named him Dan.

Rachel's servant Bilhah conceived again

and bore Jacob a second son.

Then Rachel said,

I have had a great struggle with my sister,

and I have won.

So she named him Naphtali.

When Leah saw that she had stopped having children,

she took her servant, Zilpah,

and gave her to Jacob as a wife.

Leah's servant, Zilpah, bore Jacob a son.

Then Leah said,

What good fortune?

So she named him Gad.

Leah's servant, Zilpah, bore Jacob a second son.

Then Leah said,

How happy I am.

The women will call me happy.

So she called him Asher.

During wheat harvest,

Reuben went out into the fields

and found some mandrake plants

when he brought to his mother Leah.

Rachel said to Leah,

Please give me some of your son's mandrakes.

But she said to her,

Wasn't it enough that you took away my husband?

Will you take my son's mandrakes too?

Very well, Rachel said.

He can sleep with you tonight

in return for your son's mandrakes.

So when Jacob came in from the fields that evening,

Leah went out to meet him.

You must sleep with me, she said.

I've hired you with my son's mandrakes.

So he slept with her that night.

God listened to Leah,

and she became pregnant

and bore Jacob a fifth son.

Then Leah said,

God has rewarded me

for giving my servant to my husband.

So she named him Issachar.

Leah conceived again

and bore Jacob a sixth son.

Then Leah said,

God has presented me

with a precious gift.

This time my husband

will treat me with honor

because I have borne him six sons.

So she named him Zebulun.

Sometime later,

she gave birth to a daughter

and named her Dinah.

Then God remembered Rachel.

He listened to her

and enabled her to conceive.

She became pregnant

and gave birth to a son

and said,

God has taken away my disgrace.

She named him Joseph

and said,

May the Lord add to me another son.

Thank you, Kirsty.

Great stories, aren't they?

But they're not just stories.

They're true stories.

Before we look at it,

if anybody wants notes this morning,

the sheets that we hand out

or a pen,

I forgot to pass them out earlier.

Alex is standing patiently

if any of you want them.

just wave a hand

and he will bring it to you.

No takers.

Thanks, Alex.

Well, let's pray

and ask for God's help

as we look at his word together.

Our Father God,

thank you so much

for these accounts,

these true records

of an ancient family

and all that they went through.

not as examples for us,

but demonstrations

of the great God that you are,

who is at work

in the midst of many difficulties

and struggles.

And Father,

you look down upon us today.

You are present here with us.

And you know each of our hearts.

You know what we struggle with.

You know the things

that we find hard.

And so we pray

that you would speak to us afresh.

And that you would give to us

all that we need

as we seek to follow you

in our life.

So help us, we pray.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

One husband,

four wives,

twelve children.

It's a mess, isn't it?

Jacob's selfish choices

and sinful decisions

has led to a life

of sadness and hurt,

jealousy and rivalry,

division and despair.

It's a picture of what happens

when we leave God

out of our lives

and go it alone.

And maybe as we read this story,

you're thinking,

gosh,

that's a bit like my family.

Maybe you feel hurt

and sad

from family experiences.

Maybe you're experiencing

division and despair.

We face all kinds

of struggles,

don't we,

with family relationships,

friend relationships.

And we wonder,

is there any way

through all of the mess?

Yet behind the scenes

of this story,

we'll see that

there is a beauty

in the brokenness.

There is hope

in the despair.

because as we

follow this true account,

we see the goodness

and kindness of God.

The God who

longs to restore

broken lives

and renew

this disordered world.

We're going to look

at four big themes.

We're going to see

God's love,

God's mercy,

God's faithfulness

and God's grace.

And as each one

piles upon each other,

so we will see

the beauty

in the brokenness.

So first,

let's look at

God's love

for the unloved.

God's love

for the unloved.

It was meant

to be a wedding

they would never forget.

Jacob was marrying

the love

of his life,

Rachel,

except her father,

Laban,

had other plans.

Just go back

a couple of verses

to chapter 29,

verse 22.

It's on the eve

of the wedding

of Jacob and Rachel.

Chapter 29,

verse 22.

So Laban the father

brought together

all the people

of that place

and gave a great feast.

This is a wedding celebration.

Plenty of food,

the wine was flowing.

But when evening came,

under the cover

of darkness,

and when the wine

had taken its effect,

he took his daughter Leah,

not Rachel,

and brought her

to Jacob.

And Jacob made love

to her,

and Laban gave

his servant Zilpah

to his daughter

as her attendant.

And when morning came,

when Jacob woke up,

my goodness me,

there was Leah.

It turned out

to be a wedding

they would not forget

for all the wrong reasons.

Well, despite Jacob

being married off to Leah,

Jacob also married

Rachel too.

So he has two wives.

But there was only love

for one wife.

Look at verse 30,

chapter 29.

Jacob made love

to Rachel also,

and his love

for Rachel

was greater

than his love

for Leah.

Leah was used

by her father

in his cunning plan,

and now Leah

is unloved

by her husband.

She felt it

and she knew it.

But so did God.

Look at verse 31.

When the Lord

saw

that Leah

was not

loved.

God's not immune

to what's going on.

God saw

that Leah

was literally

hated

by her husband.

In fact,

because Rachel

couldn't have children,

Jacob

used Leah.

What a desperate

existence for her.

Leah's only value

was to produce

children

for an unloving

husband.

And when the deed

was done,

Leah was discarded.

Well,

God saw

her brokenness

and heartache.

And he does

something about it

because that's

what God does.

When he sees,

he acts.

He gets involved.

In fact,

the names

of the children

reveal this.

God enables

Leah to conceive

and she gives birth

to her first son.

Look at verse 32.

She gives birth

to her first son

who she calls

Reuben,

which means

it's because

the Lord

has seen

my misery.

Then she has

another son

who she calls

Simeon

and he's called

Simeon

because

the Lord

heard

that I am

not loved.

You could imagine

a young Reuben

and Simeon

playing outside

and Leah

calling them in

for dinner.

The Lord

has seen

my misery.

The Lord

has heard

I'm not

loved.

Dinner time.

Now such

name calling

can be strange

to us.

But every time

she called

their names

it was a reminder

not just

about her

husband

but of

God's love

to her.

God

sees

her misery.

God

hears

her pain.

God

knows

Leah

is

unloved

and so

God

reaches

down

and

he

loves

her.

Now isn't

that what

we all

so desperately

need to

know?

That where

we are

right now

God

sees

you

in

your

misery.

He

sees

your

heartache

and

he

loves

you.

God

hears

your

cry

of

pain

and

your

hurts

and

he

loves

you.

In fact

God's

love

is a

steadfast

love.

Leah

is

desperate

for

love.

She

longs

doesn't

she

for

the

affection

of

her

husband.

Leah

hopes

that

by

giving

children

to

Jacob

somehow

his

hardened

heart

will

soften

and

he

will

show

some

kind

of

affection

and

love

towards

her.

Give

her a

hug

at

least.

we

can

feel

her

longing.

Look

at

verse

2.

Surely

my

husband

will

love

me

now.

And

as she

gives

birth

again

in

verse

34.

Now

at

last

my

husband

will

become

attached

to

me.

The

vows

he

made

will

become

true.

But

love

never

came.

But

what

she

does

discover

that

in

all

her

human

disappointments

is

a

love

that's

never

going

to

let

her

go.

Look

at

verse

35.

She

conceived

again

and when

she

gave

birth

to

a

son

she

said

this

time

I

will

praise

the

Lord.

So

she

named

him

Judah

which

means

praise.

I

think

that

this

is a

humble

recognition

on

behalf

of

Leah

that

all

her

hopes

in

people

all

her

dreams

in

something

else

will

always

let

us

down.

The

loves

of

this

world

will

never

satisfy

but

there

is

one

who

is

loyal.

Despite

all

the

mess

and

brokenness

we

can

praise

the

Lord

because

God's

love

is

steadfast.

Hear

his

voice

to

you

today.

God

loves

you.

God

loves

you.

So

first

God's

love

for the

unloved.

Second

we're

going to

see

God's

mercy

in the

madness

because

this

is

where

the

madness

really

kicks

off.

If

God

sees

and

he

acts

in

love

Rachel

also

sees

and

acts

but

not

in

love.

Chapter

30

verse

1

when

Rachel

saw

that

she

was

not

bearing

Jacob

any

children

she

became

jealous

of

her

sister.

So

she

said

to

Jacob

give

me

children

or

I'll

die.

And

so

the

blame

game

begins

fighting

and

squabbling.

And

what

follows

are

the

results

of

bitter

rivalry.

Because

Rachel

can't

conceive

she

hands

over

her

maid

servant.

Verse

3

She

said

here's

Bilhah

my

servant

sleep

with

her

so

that

she

can

bear

children

for

me

and

I

too

can

build

a

family

through

her.

And

Bilhah

has

two

children

for

Rachel.

The

first

called

Dan

which

means

God

has

vindicated

me

or

God's

justice.

The

second

she

calls

Naphtali

which

means

I

have

won.

Well

Leah's

not

going to

stand

for

this

is

she?

So

she

responds

by

giving

her

maid

servant

to

Jacob

verse

9

When

Leah

saw

that

she

had

stopped

having

children

she

took

her

servant

Zilpah

and

gave

her

to

Jacob

as

a

wife

and

she

also

has

two

children

the

first

is

called

Gad

which

means

lucky

or

good

fortune

the

second

is

called

Asher

which

means

I'm

happy

again

we can

imagine

these

four

children

at the

school

gates

waiting

for their

mothers

to appear

Rachel

arrives

to collect

her

children

and

with a

sly

look

at

Leah

calls

her

first

son

God's

justice

and

he

comes

running

over

Leah

in

response

shouts

out in

delight

good

fortune

and

he

runs

over

and gives

her

a

big

hug

well

Rachel's

not

going

to be

outdone

so she

shouts

out for

all to

hear

I

have

won

and

well

as

little

I

have

won

comes

skipping

through

the

gate

Leah

with

a

beaming

smile

calls

out

I'm

happy

well

her

behaviour

is

shameful

isn't

it

the

children

have

become

innocent

weapons

in a

war

of

rivalry

the

maids

servants

are

used

and

abused

in a

game

for

power

but

perhaps

what is

worse

is

they

both

claim

to have

God

on

their

side

God

has

blessed

me

this

is

what

God

is

doing

in

my

life

well

yes

God

is

at

work

but

not

in the

ways

they

could

ever

imagine

you

see

the

wonder

in

all

of

this

is

that

God

doesn't

abandon

them

or

give

up

on

them

it

seems

God's

patience

with

these

two

fighting

sisters

is

immense

it

truly

is a

case

of

their

sins

they

are

many

but

his

mercy

is

more

now

doesn't

this

tell us

something

about

how

God

treats

us

how

many

relationships

have

we

been

in

and

we

have

seen

them

break

and

fall

apart

maybe

within

our

own

very

family

units

or

within

our

friendships

there's

a

breakdown

and

things

aren't

the

same

not

just

because

of

what

others

have

done

to

us

but

perhaps

because

of

how

we

have

reacted

yes

we've

all

been

hurt

we can

tell

our

stories

of

how

people

have

said

things

and

done

things

but

haven't

we

hurt

others

too

we

mightn't

call

our

children

God's

justice

but

we

sure

know

how

to

hand

it

out

by

our

refusal

to

forgive

and

we

mightn't

declare

I

have

won

but

don't

we

inwardly

replay

our

arguments

in

our

minds

over

and

over

again

so

that

we

come

out

the

winners

and

we're

always

on

top

isn't

it

a

wonder

that

God

doesn't

abandon

us

all

together

amazingly

God

does

not

treat

us

as

our

sins

deserve

so

second

note

God's

mercy

in

the

madness

third

God's

faithfulness

over

the

unfaithful

now

when we

think

things

can't

get

any

worse

we

have

the

incident

of

the

mandrakes

ever

had

mandrakes

delivered

to your

house

well

Reuben

brings

in his

mom

a bunch

of

flowers

or

perhaps

their

fruits

as

well

we're

not

quite

sure

one

day

after

work

he

brings

in

these

mandrakes

and

well

Rachel

kicks

off

doesn't

she

because

she

wants

the

flowers

too

not

red

roses

I

want

mandrakes

well

what's

the

interest

in

mandrakes

well

commentators

tell us

that they

were a

symbol

for

fertility

perhaps

it was

the

scent

of

the

flowers

or

the

taste

of

the

fruits

it

was

like

an

aphrodisiac

this

is

going

to

help

me

anyways

Rachel

has

no

kids

that's

what

we've

learned

not

of

her

own

anyway

so

she

wants

to

try

out

the

fertility

flowers

maybe

that's

going

to

help

Leah

is

not

too

keen

on

sharing

the

flowers

but

for

the

chance

of

having

Jacob

for

the

night

well

she'll

pass

on

the

mandrakes

to

Rachel

so

Rachel

trades

in

her

husband

who

also

happens

to be

Leah's

husband

as well

by the

way

for

the

fertility

flowers

verse

16

so

when

Jacob

came in

from the

fields

that

evening

Leah

went

out

to

meet

him

Jacob

you're

sleeping

with

me

tonight

it's

pathetic

isn't

it

it

seems

Jacob

has

gotten

used

to

being

told

with

who

he

must

sleep

with

his

role

as a

husband

is

gone

he's

lost

all

respect

and

all

honour

what

is

this

strange

incident

all

about

well

I

think

it's

here

to

tell

us

that

it

is

God

who

is

ultimately

in

control

and

it

is

God

alone

who

gives

life

not

Jacob

and

not

fertility

flowers

look at

verse 17

because

God

listened

to

Leah

and

she

became

pregnant

and

bore

Jacob

a

fifth

son

and

on

it

went

and

she

had

other

sons

don't

you

think

it's

strange

that

these

fertility

flowers

were

passed

over

to

Rachel

well

she

didn't

get

pregnant

but

Leah

did

you

see

God

is

in

control

here

God

is

working

according

to

his

purposes

and

his

plans

and

what

are

those

purposes

and

plans

well

remember

what

God's

promise

has

been

all

the

way

along

God

had

promised

that

they

would

have

a

nation

that

he

would

have

a

people

for

himself

it

started

with

Abraham

your

offspring

will

be as

numerous

as

the

stars

in

the

sky

the

same

promise

was

handed

down

to

Isaac

you

will

be

fruitful

and

increase

in

numbers

Isaac

and

that

was

passed

down

to

his

son

Jacob

your

descendants

will be

like

the

dust

of

the

earth

in

sin

heaven

and

baby

Jacob's

family

is

increasing

where you

say

12 kids

is not

quite

a

nation

no

it's

not

there

aren't

so

many

that

he

can't

count

them

all

but

nations

begin

somewhere

don't

they

and right now he's got a whole clutter of kids.

You see, in the midst of all the unfaithfulness,

God is remaining faithful to his promise

and working out his purposes.

God promised a people for himself

and he's going to do it.

Despite all the rivalries and all the bitterness,

the division and the despair,

God is at work.

Now we mustn't think that God approves

or condones all this family's mad behaviour,

but what it is telling us is simply

that God's people, God's family,

is going to be made up of broken people.

Now doesn't that give us a little bit of hope?

That despite all of our mess and our sinful lives

and all our decisions and all our choices,

God could possibly include you and me,

that we could be part of his family too.

God's faithfulness over the unfaithful.

And then, God's grace to the disgraced.

Rachel may be loved by Jacob,

but her situation was not easy.

Let's go back to chapter 29, verse 31.

When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved,

he enabled her to conceive,

but Rachel remained childless.

Now that's always hard.

It's always painful.

And especially in a culture

where a woman's value and worth

was measured by how many children you had.

The shame and the stigma was breaking Rachel.

Yes, she had the love of her husband,

but to everybody else looking in on the situation,

she was a loser.

Not fit for purpose.

But instead of prayerful submission,

Rachel takes things into her own hands.

She's driven by jealousy,

eaten up by bitterness and angry.

She uses her servant

and trades her in for her husband.

Yeah, we can understand Rachel's hurt and pain,

but at the same time,

Rachel really isn't a nice person, is she?

We might be quick to write off a Rachel,

but God...

Look at verse 22 of chapter 30.

Then God remembered Rachel.

He listened to her

and enabled her to conceive.

It's not like that God had forgotten Rachel,

that you've kind of gone absent-minded for a while

and forgotten all about her.

No, when God remembers,

it always points to an action of saving.

God acts on behalf of the lost and the broken.

We can see that back in Genesis chapter 8

Genesis 8 · chapter mention

when God remembers Noah

and he intervenes and he acts to save.

And God remembers Rachel

and he enables her to have a son.

You see, this is God's gracious intervention.

She has a son.

Her shame is removed.

Her stigma is gone.

In the words of Rachel herself,

look at the end of verse 23,

God has taken away my disgrace.

No longer a loser,

but a treasured person.

No longer an outsider,

but valued.

You see, this is what God does.

God takes away our disgrace.

He takes what is worthless

in the eyes of the world

and gives us a position

that is immeasurable.

This is the kind of God we deal with.

This is beauty in the brokenness.

This is how God works.

This is the story of the whole Bible.

In fact, what God has done for Rachel,

God has done for you and for me

in a greater and more eternal way

than we could ever imagine.

Because God sees our disgrace.

He sees and knows our shame and our guilt.

He sees our sinful choices,

our selfish decisions.

He sees how we're crushed

by the standards that others place upon us.

He hears our cries as we suffer

under the weight of family expectations.

He remembers us.

And he intervenes and he acts on our behalf

and he saves us.

He does this through his son,

Jesus Christ,

the one who would come from Jacob's family.

Turn with me, please,

to Romans chapter 5.

Romans 5 · chapter mention

Romans chapter 5.

Romans 5 · chapter mention

Verse 6.

As we think of how God has intervened

into our world,

the God who longs to renew

our broken lives

and restore this disordered world.

Let's pick it up in verse 6.

Romans 5, verse 6.

Romans 5:6

You see, at just the right time,

according to God's good plan and purposes,

when we were still powerless,

unable to change our situation,

Christ died for the ungodly.

Very rarely will anyone die

for a righteous person.

Though for a good person,

someone might possibly dare to die.

But God?

Well, God demonstrates

his own love for us in this.

While we were still sinners,

sinners,

Christ died

for you

and for me.

When we were powerless

and unloved,

when we were unfaithful,

when we were enemies and sinners,

God in his love

showed grace

to the disgraced.

Because when we

humbly trust

in Jesus,

he intervenes

and he renews

and he restores

and he gives us

a brand new

status

and position.

He takes away

the shame

and the stigma.

We become

children of God,

brothers and sisters

of Jesus Christ,

broken people

made beautiful

for God's family.

We are forever

welcomed

and accepted.

A value

that no price

could ever be put on us.

Our God's

loved ones.

This

is his love.

This is his mercy.

This is his faithfulness.

This is his grace

to people

like you

and me.

Hear

his voice

to you today.

I love you.

I love you.

Let's pray.

Let's pray.

Let's pray.

Let's pray.

Father,

sometimes

all we can ever see

is the brokenness

all around us.

the brokenness

that has hurt us,

the brokenness

that has

affected our families

and our friendships.

But yet

in the midst

of it all,

there is a

shining light

of hope.

There is

extraordinary

beauty.

God sees,

God hears,

and God

has acted

through his son.

He has poured out

his love,

his mercy,

his faithfulness,

and his grace.

and he offers

new beginnings,

fresh starts

to all

who will trust

in him.

How can we not

but adore you

and worship you?

For you are good

and you are kind.

Thank you

for your love

to us today.

help us

that we might

show this

same love

to the broken

world around us.

In Jesus' name,

Amen.

We're going to

sing a song

of praise.

Leah called

her son

Judah,

which means

praise

because of

God's love

for you.