Last 5 Days
Being shaped by God
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!” 7 He said, “Behold, it is still high day; it is not time for the livestock to be gathered together. Water the sheep and go, pasture them.” 8 But they said, “We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together and the stone is rolled from the mouth of the well; then we water 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. 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. 29 (Laban gave his female servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her servant.) 30 So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah, and served Laban for another seven years.
Jacob knew he has got into trouble after deceiving the birth right from Esau and Esau was out to get him. In desperation, he escaped from his home and went to seek refuge with his uncle, Laban. By God’s grace, Jacob found his uncle during his escape. It was the interaction with Laban that God has started the processing of shaping Jacob.
Jacob fell in love with Rachel, Laban’s youngest daughter. Laban seized the opportunity to make Jacob serve in his family for seven long years. Jacob’s deep love for Rachel made these seven years past like a breeze. However, during the wedding night Jacob was cheated when Laban arranged his older daughter, Leah to consummate the marriage. Jacob was angry for being cheated. Laban then set a condition of working another seven years to officially marry Rachel.
Jacob was deceived by Laban! We may think how unfair that must have been for Laban to cheat and exploit his own nephew. When we think back, Jacob has done something similar to his next-of-kin, his father and brother, as well. God was using Laban to let Jacob learn a big lesson by letting him have a taste of his own medicine. On top of that, Rebecca, Jacob’s mother, will never get to see her beloved son come back home alive. She passed on during Jacob’s escape.
Jacob had deceived his father, Isaac, to take over the birth right of the eldest son from Esau. Although God did not change his plan to grant Jacob the birth right, God made Jacob go through hard knocks and difficulties to be shaped by Him.
If we reflect on our life journey, we would have experienced similar episodes as Jacob. God has perfect plans for all who believe in Him. However, sometimes, we feel that God seems to let us know this perfect plan much later in our life. If we look back, this may come after episodes of hard knocks and lessons in life.
The question is why is this necessary? Why must God let us go through hard knocks and discipline before He reveals his plans and purposes for us?
The answer lies in God shaping and molding us. When the time is not right for God to reveal His plan to us, we may receive His plans with a wrong attitude. We may be arrogant because God has revealed something so special to us. We may still have certain sinful characteristics in us that God needs to remove to live out His purpose.
We give thanks to God for using every opportunity to shape and mold us, so we can live out His plans for us in His image. In the process of discipline and molding, God still provides. In the example of Jacob, during those years of hard knocks, God blessed him with a large family and eventually Jacob was the forefather of the Israelites.
Therefore, when we are going through hard knocks in life, it may be God’s way of shaping and molding us. Instead of wallowing in self-pity or be bitter to God, be thankful that we are being shaped to be more like God. When we are more like God, with every rough edge smoothened by Him, we can then fulfil God’s plan and purposes in our life.
