Sermon # 5 "The Promise Keeper"

How do we withstand being wronged, unloved, and crushed?

Big Idea: What God promises, God fulfills!

 I.      When wronged, remember what God promises, God fulfills.

A.     The setting  (Genesis 29:1-14).

Genesis 28:2, 13-15

“Jacob…came to the land of the people of the east” (29:1-14).

“’Brothers, Haran, Laban?’” (vv. 4-5).

“’Rachel his daughter is coming with the sheep’” (v. 11).

“Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud…her father’s kinsman, and that he was Rebekah’s son” (vv. 11-12).

“Laban heard…ran…brought him to his house” (v. 13). 

“He stayed with him a month” (v. 14).

B.     Wronged Jacob (vv. 15-28).

“’Serve me nothing’” (v. 15).

“Laban had two daughters, Leah, Rachel” (v. 16).

“Leah’s eyes were weak” (v. 17).

“Jacob loved Rachel…’serve you seven years…Rachel’” (v. 18).

“Jacob served seven years for Rachel…seemed but a few days because of his love for her” (v. 20).

“’Give me my wife…my time is completed’” (v. 21).

“But took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob” (v. 23).

“In the morning, behold, it was Leah!... Why have you deceived me?’” (v. 25).

“’Not done in our country to give younger before firstborn’” (v. 26).

“Give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years’” (v. 27).

Genesis 2:24; Matthew 26:21, 31; 28:10

    II.      When unloved or crushed, remember what God promises, God fulfills (vv. 30-30:24)

A.     Unloved Leah (vv. 30-35).

“He loved Rachel more than Leah” (v. 30).

“The Lord saw that Leah hated, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren” (v. 31).

“Leah …bore a son…Reuben, ‘Because the Lord has looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me’” (v. 32).

“Bore a son…Because the Lord heard that I am hated, he has given me this son, Simeon’” (v. 33).

“Bore a son, ‘Now…my husband will be attached to me, borne him three sons’…Levi” (v. 34).

“Bore a son, ‘This time I will praise the Lord’…Judah” (v. 35).

B.     Crushed Rachel (vv. 30:10-24

“Rachel envied her sister. ‘Give me children, or I shall die!’” (v. 1).

“Jacob’s anger was kindled…’Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?’” (v. 2).

“’Here is my servant Bilhah…give birth on my behalf, that even I may have children through her’” (v.3).

“Bilhah as a wife… Bilhah conceived” (vv. 4-5).

“’God has judged me…heard my voice and given me a son…Dan’” (v. 6).

“Rachel said, ‘With mighty wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister and have prevailed’…Naphtali” (v. 8).

“Leah…took Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife” (v. 9).

“Zilpah bore a son. Leah ‘Good fortune has come’ Gad” (v. 11).

“Leah, ’Happy am I! For women have called me happy’…Asher” (v. 13).

“Leah bore a fifth son…Issachar” (v. 17).

“Leah bore a sixth son…Zebulun”(vv. 19-20).

“God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb” (v. 22).

“She conceived and bore a son and said, ‘God has taken away my reproach’… Joseph” (vv. 22-23).

Revelation 5:1-7,9