Jacob Gets a Good Look at Himself | Genesis 29 | Ben Akatsa | July 5, 2026

Preaching Passage: Genesis 29 (ESV)

Ethnos Church of Houston, Texas

Welcome to Ethnos Church: A Church for the Nations

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:02

First through fifth graders, you may join your teachers who have prepared a wonderful lesson for you. You may exit through the door to your right. Today's passage comes from Genesis chapter 29, verses 1 through 35. If you have one of these black Bibles like me, you can turn to the page 21. At the bottom of page 21, that's where we are going to begin. Would you all stand for the reading of the holy and inerrant word of the Lord? Then Jacob went on his journey and came to the land of the people of the east. 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, and when all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone from the mouth of the well and watered the sheep, and put the stone back in its place over the mouth of the well. Jacob said to them, My brothers, where do you come from? They said, We are from Haran. He said to them, Do you know Laban, the son of Nahor? They said, We know him. He said to them, Is it well with him? They said, It is well, and see, Rachel, his daughter, is coming with the sheep. He said, Behold, it is still high day. It is not time for the livestock to be gathered together. Water the sheep and go and pasture them. 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. While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with a father's sheep, for she was a shepherdess. 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 a stone from the well's mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother. Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud. 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. 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 home house. Jacob told Laban all these things. And Laban said to him, Surely you are my bone and my flesh. And he stayed with him a month. Then Laban said to Jacob, Because you are my kinsman, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be? Now Laban had two daughters. The name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah's eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance. Jacob loved Rachel and he said, I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter, Rachel. Laban said, It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to any other man. Stay with me. So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her. Then Jacob said to Laban, Give me my wife that I may go into her, for my time is completed. So Laban gathered together all the people of the place and made a feast. But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and he went into her. Laban gave his female servant Zilbah to his daughter Leah to be her servant. 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? Laban said, It is not so done in our country to give the younger before the firstborn. Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other one, the other also, in return for serving me another seven years. Jacob did so and completed her week. Then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. Laban gave his female servant Bilha to his daughter Rachel to be her servant. So Jacob went into Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah and served Laban for another seven years. When the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb. But Rachel was barren. And Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben. For she said, Because the Lord has looked upon my affliction, for now my husband will love me. She conceived again and bore a son and said, Because the Lord has heard that I am hated, he has given me this son also. And she called his name Simeon. Again she conceived and bore a son and said, Now this time my husband will be attached to me because I have borne him three sons. Therefore his name was called Levi. And she conceived again and bore a son and said, This time I will praise the Lord. Therefore she called his name Judah. Then she ceased bearing. This is the word of the Lord. Please be seated.

SPEAKER_01 7:56

And then the second prayer I'm going to ask you to make for me, I just pray this way. Lord Jesus, enable Ben to speak clearly, helpfully and worshipfully. Just like that. Enable Ben to speak clearly, helpfully and worshipfully. And then I'm gonna pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you for this morning. We have sung your word. We just came from praying and listening to your word read. Speak to each one of us. I need you just as much as my listeners this morning. You humble me so much every time I am preparing to come and preach because I realize how far I am from the things I speak. And also realize how little I know. So Jesus, would you take my five loaves and two fish to multiply them to feed your people? Because if you don't do it, I can't. In Jesus' name I pray. And all of God's people said. Amen. Seeing yourself in a mirror has an interesting effect. One of the effects it has is changing your behavior. Psychologists have discovered that when somebody looks at themselves in the mirror, it can change what they're about to do. And some of them ran an experiment where they had Halloween candy and placed Halloween candy somewhere with a sign to the children saying, pick only one candy. And in this part of the experiment, they had no mirror. And what they noticed is kids would come and a lot of them would pick more than one candy. Then they ran the experiment again, same thing, but this time they put a mirror in front of the candy. And they discovered that when the kids came and they saw themselves, a lot fewer of them picked the candy. And it's this kind of phenomenon where they've realized that when you see yourself in the mirror, it makes you think about your moral values and think, is this the person I want to be? In some way, in Genesis 29, we're gonna see a mirror placed in front of a person called Jacob. Now, of course, it's not a real mirror, but it's this idea where he's gonna meet his uncle, and his uncle is gonna do the same thing to Jacob that Jacob had done to his family. And in that way, it's kind of God places a mirror in front of Jacob. Our message this morning is titled, Jacob Gets a Good Look at Himself. You'll see a family tree that I have up on the screen. This is just kind of to give us some context for where we are. At the top, we've got a person called Abraham. That's Jacob's grandfather. Abraham lies. There's a scene in Genesis where Abraham lies, and because of his lie, he and he endangers a whole country. Isaac is born to Abraham. There's a scene in Isaac's life where Isaac lies. And then Jacob, who is Isaac's son, we find right before where we are today that Jacob not only manipulates his brother to get something, but he lies to his father's face. The lie that Abraham begins is continued by Jacob. It's continued by Isaac, and Jacob perfects the art of lying. And surprisingly, here's what we see in Genesis 28. This is right after Jacob has committed the biggest fraud of his life. He lied to his dad, and he got away with it. And then something interesting happens. This is probably the same night of the same day that Jacob lied. It might have been longer, but in terms of the narrative, the way that the writer writes it for us, it's probably the same day. That night, what happens? God appears to Jacob and promises blessing. Just listen to it. These are the words to Jacob. I am the Lord, the God of Abraham, your father, the God of Isaac. And he starts promising Jacob things. The land on which you lie, I will give to you and to your offspring. Your offspring will be like the dust of the earth. And God says, And in you, Jacob, and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And God promises, I am with you, and will keep you wherever you go. This is a man who's just come from committing the biggest fraud of his life, and will keep you wherever you go. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you. So does this mean that what Jacob did is okay in lying to his dad? In fact, all through Abraham's life, Isaac's life, and now Jacob's life, we are confronted with what is going on? Because these people seem to be getting away in some way with what they've done with no more than a slap on the wrist. Yet the Bible says in the book of Galatians, listen to it. Do not be deceived. God is not mocked for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. But Jacob is not reaping the consequences of his actions. God has just given him promise. And then in what follows, watch everything going according to plan, okay? He's been sent to his uncle to get a wife. Watch everything going according to plan in chapter 29. Jacob has gone on his journey after this vision of God, and he came to the land of the people of the east, and he looked, he saw a well, and behold, there were three flocks of sheep lying beside it. Wells in the book of Genesis so far are a sign of God's blessing. This is telling us Jacob is experiencing God's blessing. He's arrived where he's going. He sees flocks, and there are shepherds there. Verse 4, he starts talking to them. They said, We are from Haran. Oh, Haran is where Jacob is headed. Wow, just like that. Apparently he didn't know where he was, but God had led him exactly where he wanted to go. And then verse 5, he asks them, Do you know Laban, the son of Nahor? They said, We know him. What are the odds? What are the odds? He doesn't know where he's going, he knows he's going to the east. He ends up where he's supposed to be. And the shepherds he's talking to, they know his uncle. What's going on? And then while he's talking to them, verse 9, while he was still speaking with them, they're still having this conversation, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she was a shepherdess. And then we find out as we read the story that Rachel is the person that Jacob ends up falling in love with. So right there, maybe when he sees her, maybe there's violence playing. I don't know if you're watching a movie, maybe that's what's going on. But the Bible closes in. This Rachel is gonna be important. And then verse 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 what does he do? He rolled the stone from the well's mouth and watered the sheep of Laban, his mother's brother. At the beginning of Genesis 29, we've been told there are three flocks of sheep. The shepherds tell Jacob that to move the stone away from the well, we normally wait for all the shepherds to come so we can push the stone away. It's like the Bible is telling us this stone is so big, it takes three people to move it. Jacob, one person moves it. It's like he sees Rachel. I don't know if that's what's going on, but suddenly, like any red-blooded young man is like, I'm gonna show her what I can do, and he pushes this rock away. You know, at one point when I was dating Anita, because you know, I'm not strong, I wasn't trying to impress her with my muscles. At one point, what I did, I planned this lunch and this uh kind of date where I invited her friends, and guess what I did? She did not know this. I I had planned with the restaurant that I'd sit at a piano and play a song for her that I had written. I'm not gonna impress her with my muscles, but I'm gonna impress her with music. Jacob is gonna impress Rachel with his muscles. Everything is going according to plan. And to communicate to us that everything is going according to plan, verse 12, what happens? After Rachel tells, after Jacob tells Rachel that he was her father's kinsman, she ran and told her father. Speed. As soon as she tells her father about Jacob, um, Jacob, when Jacob hears the news in verse 13, he ran to Jacob. Everything is going according to plan. After they get together, a month later, Laban tells Jacob, it's not good for you to work for me for nothing. What should I give you? Jacob says, this is Jacob's words, let me work for you for seven years, so that, and then at the end of the seven years, give me your daughter. It's not like an idea of payment, it's this idea of giving dowry, which would be appreciation. That's what they did, and some cultures still do that today. But notice what the Bible says about the seven years, because this is important, and this is going to be in verse 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. Everything is going according to plan. Even the seven years do not feel like seven years. Jacob seems like he's gotten away, no consequences. What is going on? I think what the Bible is trying to show us here in living color in his story is that to demonstrate his kindness, God will sometimes delay the consequences of our actions. To demonstrate his kindness, God will sometimes delay the consequences of our actions. Instead of consequences, everything is going according to plan for Jacob. Even seven years ends up feeling like a few days. And if you've been following along with Jacob, I mean with Genesis up to this point, you realize that what's going on in Jacob's story is mirroring what happened years earlier with Abraham's servant, when Abraham's servant was getting a wife for Isaac. And I have it up on the screen and you'll see it. Both of them meet the bride to be at the well. In both circumstances is watering of flocks. In both circumstances, Abraham's servant and Jacob's, Laban runs out to meet the visitor at the well. The thing that's missing in this 29, in Jacob's circumstance, Jacob does not pray even once. Yet everything is going according to plan. Abraham's servant prays. Each step of the way, Jacob does not pray. But God is still blessing him. You know, sometimes it's so easy to see blessing in our life, to see good things in our life, and think it's because of everything good I've done. But it's God's kindness toward us. So Jacob, no consequences, but to demonstrate his kindness, God will sometimes delay the consequences of our actions. Romans 2, 3 says this, and it's up on the screen. Do you suppose, oh man, you who judge those who practice such things has just come from listing a list of vices and sins, you who practice such things and yet do them yourselves, that you will escape the judgment of God? And then in the next part it says, or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and the forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness, what does it say, is meant to lead you to repentance. Sometimes God delays consequences because he's demonstrating his kindness to us. See, Jacob could have thought so easily that God doesn't care about my character. I got away with it, not knowing that's God's kindness toward him. Meant to give him time to come clean. When God appeared to Jacob, Jacob did not come clean. For a whole seven years, the Bible doesn't tell us that he faced what he had done. Here's my question to you and I. Is there an area in your life where you know you need to come clean with something you've done? Where it feels like there's no consequences, and maybe it's okay. Can I tell you we're never better off for having disobeyed God? And when God is delaying consequences, he's not giving you and I permission. He's showing us his kindness and giving us time so we can come clean. All the kids in the room, all the students, parent of your kid is next to you, just prod them to look at me. Is this something you may have done that you're hiding from your parent and you've gotten away from away with it, and you're thinking it's okay? That's God being kind to you, giving you time to come clean with them. Now, the title of the message is Jacob gets a good look at himself. There's about to be a turn in the story. And when the story turns, what we find out is that to reveal our heart, sometimes God will use difficult people and circumstances. And actually, let me say it like this to reveal what he wants to change in our heart, sometimes God will use difficult people and circumstances. So everything is going according to plan. Jacob may have thought. Verse 22, Laban gathered together all the people of the place and made a feast. Verse 23, if you have the ESV Bible, what's the first word? But, but something changes. Because in the evening, instead of Laban bringing the daughter that he was supposed to bring, he brings in the older daughter to Jacob. And somehow Jacob did not know. Maybe because it was dark. Maybe because during the party, maybe he had drunk too much. We don't know. The point is, he didn't know. Until morning, verse 25, behold, it was Leah. And Jacob said to Laban, What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve you? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me? And then in verse 26, Laban says, It is not done in our country to give the younger before the firstborn. Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years. What you notice right after is Jacob does not speak. He's completely quiet. The only thing the Bible says is Jacob did so and completed her week. Then Laban gave him his daughter to Rachel. What happens with Jacob exactly mirrors what he had done to his family. And I have a table on the screen, and you'll see on this side, Jacob and Esau are flesh and blood brothers. On the other side, when Laban meets Jacob, what does it say? You are my own flesh and blood. On that side, Jacob gives his father a meal before he gets a blessing from his father. On this side, what does Laban do? He throws a face for Jacob. There's a meal before the waiting night. Isaac could not see because he was blind. Jacob is deceived in the evening, in the darkness. Jacob, directed by his mother, cheats his father. Leah is taken by her father to Jacob. You can move to the next screen. Jacob, the younger brother, takes the birthright of the firstborn. And what does Laban say? It is not done so in our country to give the younger before the firstborn. Do you not think that when Jacob heard those words, he heard the very same words that have been spoken over him before? Same words that he used with his brother. Everything so mirrors what Jacob does, that we have no choice but to hear in this, whatever a man sows, he reaps. The same word that Isaac uses for saying, Jacob, your brother, came to me deceitfully, is the same word in Genesis 29, 25, where Jacob asks, Why have you deceived me? Jacob sees a mirror of himself. The consequences that had been delayed for a whole seven years come to Jacob. You notice that the next seven years, the Bible doesn't say they felt like one day. The first seven years felt like one day because of his love for Rachel. The next seven years felt like seven years. I'm gonna take some liberty here, because of God's love for Jacob. This was not karma, what goes around comes around. Like some impersonal force is driving things. It is so perfect that you have to see the hand of God loving his man. God is so careful with everything he does, so careful with everything he does with Jacob. By the time God is done with Jacob, seven years later, ten years later, listen to it. This is what Jacob says to God in Genesis 32. Verse 9. And Jacob said, Oh God of my father Abraham, and it's gonna be up on the screen. I know I have it on all the slides. Oh God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Lord who said to me, return to your country and to your kindred that I may do you good. In verse 10, these are the words. I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant. I am not worthy of any kindness. When you delay the consequences, I am not worthy. Everything you have done in giving me all this wealth, I am not worthy. You will notice that in Genesis 29, verse 21, listen to the pronouns when Jacob is talking to Laban. Give me my wife, that I may go into her. For my time has come, is completed. How does he move from being such a self-centered person to a person who says, I am not worthy? Because God has revealed what he wants to change in Jacob's heart in those seven years through a difficult person and difficult circumstances. This is what Hebrews 12, 5 through 11 says. That word, but is really important. But he, who, God, disciplines us for our good. You see, the Bible knows that our parents can make mistakes when they discipline us. They'll do things that seem right to them. But don't mistake your earthly parents for God when God brings difficult people and circumstances into our lives to reveal our hearts. Why? He always disciplines us for our good. What Jacob went through is God's discipline. Those seven years that felt like seven years that were really, really hard was God's loving discipline on Jacob. Now I I want to be completely clear. Laban is responsible for his actions. God did not tell Laban, you go lie to Jacob. That's Laban's decision. Everything Laban did is his decision. But in the background was a loving God disciplining Jacob. That does not mean that when you're going through you have difficult people in your life making uh making things hard for you, that you should not seek relief. I mean, I don't know your story. This is not a blanket statement. But all I am telling is that sometimes God will use difficult people and circumstances to reveal our heart. That's all I'm saying. And so my question to you, please think about this. What difficult person have you been dealing with in your life recently? Or difficult circumstances? And what might God be trying to show about your heart that he wants to change? I don't know. But you know your life story much better than I do. Just consider there may be something he's trying to show you about you. You see, Jacob saw a mirror of himself and realized, oh, I'm the deceiver. And sometimes God, using difficult people in difficult circumstances, is trying to show us you're just as unimpatient as they are. You're just as unloving as they are. But I want to change you. So I'm gonna ask you to just bow your heads for a moment. I'm not done, I'll be done really quick. Almost done. Really take a moment and do this. Because to reveal what he wants to change in our hearts, sometimes God will use difficult people and circumstances. That's what he did for Jacob. And sometimes he does the same thing for us. It may even be this past week. Someone really difficult in your life. What has that shown you about you that God wants to change? Mention it to Him right now and say, God, change this in me. Do not leave me the same. Do not leave me the same. You can go ahead and look up. Verse 31. When the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb. But Rachel was barren. Leah was a wife that Jacob did not love. How do you read Genesis 29 and not just feel something for Leah and for Rachel? Though Leah was hated, the wife that was hated, God opens her womb. Because God saw her. I'm so glad we serve a God who sees us. Verse 32. She conceived a son, and she called his name Reuben. What she says is important. Because the Lord has looked upon my affliction, for now my husband will love me. She thinks because of the child her husband will love her. Verse 33, she conceived and bore a son and said, Because the Lord has heard that I am hated, he has given me this son also, and she called his name Simeon. In verse 34, there is a change. Oh, not yet. Verse 34, she conceived and bore a son and said, Now this time my husband will be what? Attached to me, because I've borne him three sons. Therefore his name was called Levi. The change comes in verse 35. And she conceived again and bore a son. And what did she say? This time I will praise the Lord. There's nothing about Jacob in that verse. There is a song called Love That Will Not Let Me Go. The words of that song say this: O love that will not let me go, I rest my weary soul in thee. I give thee back the life I owe that in thine ocean depths its flow. May richer fuller be. The person who wrote that hymn was a man who, at some point when he was younger, when he was entering his teenage years, doctors told him he was going blind. Regardless, he pressed on with his education. And by the time he completed seminary, he had completely lost his sight. And then something heartbreaking happens to him. His fiance broke the engagement, returning his ring with this note. I cannot see my way clear to go through life bound by chains of marriage to a blind man. This man would never marry in his life. And he adjusted to a life without sight. Years later, at his sister's wedding, the searing pain of that unrequited love for his fiancee returned. And it was in that moment of ache, knowing he lost love from his fiance and may never find love. He penned the words of that hymn. Because he realized there is a love that would not let him go in his circumstances. Leah was in a messed up situation. But God comes into that situation. And two of the sons that she gives birth to, from two of them come the most important institutions in the Old Testament: the priesthood, the people who serve in the temple, and the kingship from which eventually our Savior Jesus comes. If someone had told Leah that your descendant someday will be the savior of the world, this unloved woman by her husband, who likely had no say in going into this marriage with Jacob being forced in a situation that she did not ask for, she would have said, You must be kidding. But that is what God does. And Jesus was born through a messy family, communicating to all of us that he wants to identify with your mess and mine too. And my question for you this morning is this do you know Jesus Christ? Do you know the love that will not let you go? Leah found it, and you can find it too. Because the Bible tells us that God so loved the world, that includes you and me, that he sent his only son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life. If you have not made a conscious decision to follow Jesus, talk to somebody who invited you today. And if they tell you they have no idea what you're talking about, come talk to me or to Jonathan. We're not gonna shame you. We want you to find a love that will not let you go. Please bow your head with me. I know I already asked um us earlier to pray, and so I'm not gonna spend a lot of time here. I just want to bring these two thoughts back to you. That to demonstrate his patience sometimes God delays consequences. If there is something you have done and you are hiding, I would recommend. I would exhort, I would challenge. Go make things right. God is being kind to you. God is being kind to you. If you do not know Jesus, the Bible says it's appointed once man to die and then to face judgment. And the Bible tells us so clearly that those who are not in Jesus, who have not trusted in Christ, the judgment they face is an eternity without God. God is being patient with you. You do not know when that last day is. Do not delay. Do not delay. Come to Jesus. Come to Jesus. Come to Jesus. Come to Jesus. Come to Jesus. And early in the message I asked you to consider what difficult person has been in your life that's been making things hard, what difficult circumstance and what that has revealed in your heart. When God brings these sorts of circumstances and people, he's doing it to reveal our heart and reveal what he wants to change. Heavenly Father, we thank you for this morning. Thank you for your love. Thank you for the hope of the gospel, for the hope of the message of Jesus. Lord, I trust that in ways I never could, your Spirit has spoken to your people. And I trust that you have taken my five loaves and two fish. And you've multiplied them to feed your sheep because you love them. Be glorified, Jesus, in all things. Be glorified in what you continue doing through us at Ethnos. And the things you will do in the future. And that we never credit ourselves. But always give all the glory to you. In Jesus' name we pray, and the Church of the Living God said, Amen.