Rolled The Stone Away

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

ROLLED THE STONE AWAY

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

We are about to come to the deceiver being deceived, but first, we should take note of the shepherd’s system of watering the sheep. They did not want to roll the stone away from the mouth of the well until all the flocks had gathered. It would appear they were waiting for Rachel and her flock, although we are not told exactly the reason for not rolling the stone away. Now we come to the meeting of Jacob and Rachel which will begin a long tale of the house of Israel and the birth of Joseph. We know this story, but what can we learn from this first chapter in the life of Jacob and Rachel. Certainly, we know she must have been the fairest of young ladies, yet she was a shepherdess, a woman of the fields, and one who was always in the company of sheep. She was most likely not dressed in the finest clothes, and perhaps her face and hands may have been tanned and even chapped by the sun. Her hair may not have been perfectly in place. Still, she was of Jacob’s family and his success in finding Laban was from the hand of God. When Jacob finally met Laban there was great joy all around. Yet what is our lesson? Could it be about family? Could it be about hospitality? Could it be Jacob's testimony when he told Laban all these things? We would have to think that Jacob recounted his blessing from his father, and his mother, the sister of Laben telling him to find a wife from her family, and how he had a vision, or visit from God Almighty reaffirming His covenant with Jacob, the one he first gave to his grandfather Abraham and to his father Isaac. Of course, from now on God will be known by the Israelites as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Still, we should take our lesson from what appears that Jacob witnessed to Laban the hand of God upon his life, by telling all these things. God was certainly watching over Jacob because of his covenant with him. We know we live within another covenant God has made with us through Jesus. We know God watches over us. We know God has blessed us beyond what we are worthy of, yet through Jesus, we will live even though we die. What greater blessing can there be, yet as with Jacob, God has shown his lamp, no, he has shown his blight light upon our feet, directing our way, leading us step by step to the place he wants us, just as he did for Jacob. Jesus is our Great Shepard. As the stone was rolled away by Jacob to water his uncle’s sheep, Jesus rolled a stone away to rise from the grave, and he has rolled a stone away from our eyes, but more importantly, from our hearts and He waters our soul. Jesus said that if we came to him we would never be hungry or thirsty. This is our best lesson. Jesus has rolled the stone away from our hearts, and our souls, and watered our spirits, from the spring of living water.