The Response

DEVOTION

GENESIS

THE RESPONSE

Gen 29:1-14

29:1 Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples. 2 There he saw a well in the field, with three flocks of sheep lying near it because the flocks were watered from that well. The stone over the mouth of the well was large. 3 When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone away from the well's mouth and water the sheep. Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well. 4 Jacob asked the shepherds, "My brothers, where are you from?" "We're from Haran," they replied. 5 He said to them, "Do you know Laban, Nahor's grandson?" "Yes, we know him," they answered. 6 Then Jacob asked them, "Is he well?" "Yes, he is," they said, "and here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep." 7 "Look," he said, "the sun is still high; it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. Water the sheep and take them back to pasture." 8 "We can't," they replied, "until all the flocks are gathered and the stone has been rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we will water the sheep." 9 While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she was a shepherdess. 10 When Jacob saw Rachel daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, and Laban's sheep, he went over and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle's sheep. 11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep aloud. 12 He had told Rachel that he was a relative of her father and a son of Rebekah. So she ran and told her father. 13 As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister's son, he hurried to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his home, and there Jacob told him all these things. 14 Then Laban said to him, "You are my own flesh and blood."

NIV

Love at first sight. Sure, we are not told this is what happened but we know that is what it was. Nevertheless let us not get ahead of ourselves here. First we should take note that Jacob is becoming a new man. This deceiver of the birthright and the blessing seems to be acting in a more gentlemanly manner. But is it simply to impress this beautiful young Rachel? After his inquiry as to where all the shepherds are from and finding out they are from the very place he was to go, he asks if they know Laban. Upon finding they do, he asks about his health. Their answer includes that fact that Rachel, his daughter is arriving with more sheep. Jacob responds with this act of chivalry, rolling away the stone over the well opening and watering her sheep. Surely the other shepherds were watering theirs, but Jacob only waters Rachel’s. This would have been her job, but he did it and we can only imagine he was endeavoring to either impress her, or simply be acting the part of servant. Yet upon his completion of watering the sheep, he then went to Rachel and kissed her and wept out loud. This we can be sure he was overjoyed at the success God had given him, leading him right to the family of his mother’s brother. We are surely seeing the beginning of a new man. Jacob just had that personal experience with God, and had made that commitment that as God blessed him, he would bless God, and that the Lord God would be his God. There is no question he is a changed man. He waters her sheep and is overjoyed because God has blessed him by leading him right to the place he needed to be. Laban was extremely happy to meet Jacob and it appears all is well. Everything is the way it should be. We are going to see Laban is not the upright man as he should be, but first we need to focus on Jacob and how he has changed. This is what happens when people encounter God on a personal level. This is our own personal story, changing from what we once were to who we have become. We cannot remain the same once we encounter the Lord God. It would seem some people say they know about God, but they may not know God. Although we can introduce people to God, they need to have that personal encounter with him in order to make the change in their lives, we see happening in Jacob. He will be among the names of those referred to for years to come. When people speak about God, they will say the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Although we will see God changes his name to Israel and he is in fact the father of the twelve tribes, right now he is this changed man, beginning his own personal journey with the Lord. This is the story of each one who comes to Christ, who accepts him as their Lord and Savior, who becomes born again. We begin a new journey in life with God. All things have passed away and all things have been made new. Our whole focus on life is different. We do not follow after the things we once did. Instead we follow after God and bless him because he blesses us. Will people say of us, he served the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, he served the Lord Jesus Christ? Only those who knew us before we found Jesus could be able to testify of our change. Those who only know us now never should be able to see who we once were, but only who they see now. Do they see a person who is overjoyed with the lord’s leading? We can be assured if we are following God, then we are exactly where we should be, and thus we should be overjoyed, weeping loudly because God has blessed us in his leading of our lives. We will learn more from Jacob and his life, but for now let us remember how much God has blessed us and let us be that open with our joy. Let us live in response to God.