Q1. Decieving the Deceiver

[JanMary]

Q1. (Genesis 29) Why do you think God allows Jacob to be tricked into 14 years of labor for two wives?

I think this was a case of Jacob reaping what he'd sown, in kind. I believe God allowed this to teach Jacob that deception isn't His way of doing things. God is holy, and there is no guile or sin in Him, and like Him, we are to deal honestly with people. There is nothing more powerful in a lesson in character building than to experience the consequences of our unholy actions toward another, and to get "into their skin" to see how our self centered actions hurt them. The pain we feel is meant to remind us to never do this again, and to seek God for His means of conducting life. I think too, that God was training Jacob to be wise rather than gulible to further deception for his future in birthing a nation. He was to train his children to be godly men and women, separate from the peoples around them.

What purposes do you think God is working out through these circumstances?

After conversion there is a wilderness period, the first of many, where God teaches and trains us as our relationship with Him develops...this is where we learn that He is trusworthy, and that and His ways are higher than our ways....that He is our Father. He was training Jacob to be a man of integrity and honor. This was also the beginning of the building of his family which was to become as numerous as the stars.

[okno]

Who know God

[hidi]

Q1. (Genesis 29) Why do you think God allows Jacob to be tricked into 14 years of labor for two wives? What purposes do you think God is working out through these circumstances?

Jacob tricked Isaac and Esau. He had gotten away with the deception. Now he was being deceived and he had to pay the consequences of the deception of his father in law. I'm sure that Jacob could see the similarities and realized that it isn't very fun to be deceived. Deception is hurtful and can cause hardships for the person being deceived for a long time. God was dealing with one of Jacob's flaws. God has a tendency to shine a light on our flaws to make us aware of them, and then help us change. Thank goodness he is such a gracious God and shines a light on the one he wants us to work on instead of shining a light on all of them, we would be so overwhelmed.

[nurselaino]

Q1. (Genesis 29) Why do you think God allows Jacob to be tricked into 14 years of labor for two wives? What purposes do you think God is working out through these circumstances?

Gen 29:1 Then Jacob went on his journey and came to the land of the people of the east.

Gen 29:25 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?"

Gen 29:26 Laban said, "It is not so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.

Gen 29:27 Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years."

Gen 29:28 Jacob did so, and completed her week. Then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife.

Gen 29:29 (Laban gave his female servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her servant.)

Gen 29:30 So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah, and served Laban for another seven years.

Gen 29:31 When the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.

Gen 29:32 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."

Gen 29:33 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.

Gen 29:34 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.

Gen 29:35 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.

There is probably many reasons the Lord allowed Jacob to have to labour for 14 yrs before he could marry Rachel. This may have given Jacob a look into deception. He would understand more on how both his father and brother would have felt with the deception he did to them. Also it provides the beginning to the many offspring that was promised to him. It gives him an understnading of people and their evil natures...there are plenty more reasons that only the Lord knows and maybe when we are with Him he can reveal them to us.

[janel]

Q1

God allows Jacob to be tricked so that he can tastes his own medicine. What goes around

comes around. In this way, God is reminding Jacob of his own ways when he tricked his

own brother.

God is building a character of integrity in Jacob and God needs to deal with this serious flaw of deceit. In spite of all these God is ever forgiving and generous God.

[Greta]

I think that God allows Jacob to be tricked into 14 years of labor for 2 wives because Jacob had a lot to learn to be transformed. There was a lot of character building to do; leadership training and lessons in understanding and kindness and he had to get to know God more closely, and this all takes time.

Likewise, Moses spent many years in the desert while God prepared him for the role of bringing God's people out of Egypt. Saul, after being converted to Paul, spent many years in seclusion with God, being transformed and trained for his ministry.

Jacob's main task was to produce a large family for God, fulfilling God's promise to Abraham. Rachel was only able to give birth twice (+ 2 more sons from her slave girl). Leah gave birth to 6 sons, and there were also 2 more sons from her slave girl.

Four women gave birth to the sons of Israel (Jacob). I think this might make their future decendants healthier, as they would need to marry their cousins in years to come.

Love from Greta

[Pearl]

Because God needs to deal with Jacob's serious flaw of deceit. Sometimes the only way that we can see something is to experience it. Because Jacob reaped what he sowed, he can now realize the consequenses of his sin.

This is a time of character and family building. God is raising up for Jacob the beginnings of the great people that He promised Abraham. God began the Israelite people with five individuals, three of them closely related (Jacob, Leah, and Rachel), and two of them completely different, the servant girls (Bilhah and Zilpah).

[sylverd]

Q1. (Genesis 29) Why do you think God allows Jacob to be tricked into 14 years of labor for two wives? What purposes do you think God is working out through these circumstances?

I believe this was God's way into build Jacob into a more understanding person. Jacob had deceived his brother and God wanted him to see what it is like when someone takes something away that belongs to you. When Jacob deceived his brother I dont think he understood the ramifications from that, Jacob just wanted what he wanted with out giving thought to his brother's feelings. Now Jacob is in that same position and he now understands that when you are promised something and the other person does not deliver it hurts. Of course we know that what Jacob "did" was in line with God's purpose, but thats not why Jacob robed his brother, he did it for pure greed, but God used that flaw for God. Now God is transforming his servant to become that which he created and Jacob is learning exactly how to love the Lord and others thru God's Grace and therefore mightily blessed for his love and faith in God

[Craig]

Q1. (Genesis 29) Why do you think God allows Jacob to be tricked into 14 years of labor for two wives? What purposes do you think God is working out through these circumstances?

God is developing Jacob's character. God is refining Jacob to be a leader of a large family that will be the foundation of a nation.

[studybug52]

Q1. (Genesis 29) Why do you think God allows Jacob to be tricked into 14 years of labor for two wives? What purposes do you think God is working out through these circumstances?

I feel Jacob was tricked in this way so that he could feel what deception felt like after he was decieved.

It served the purpose to let him know how he had made his brother feel

It also brought many more children to Jacob so that abraham's seed began to grow into nations thru all his children

It was bringing him into more righteous character and a better relationship with God. God wanted Him to be more

upright and though he failed at some problems he also changed with all the work and experiences with his wives.

He was being tried and changed in order to allow God's character to show more than his deceptive character.

[Magnus]

God has huge plans for Jacob (see Genesis 28:13-15), but first he has some character building to do. Through Laban, God is teaching Jacob "the law of the harvest"... that you reap what you sew. Jacob has sewn deceit and his crop has ripened.

What will Jacob sew next season?

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[smurf1948]

Q1. (Genesis 29) Why do you think God allows Jacob to be tricked into 14 years of labor for two wives? To teach him a lesson and built integrity and character in him.

What purposes do you think God is working out through these circumstances? To carry out his plan to built this great people.

[Gann]

Q1. (Genesis 29) Why do you think God allows Jacob to be tricked into 14 years of labor for two wives?

Jacob has always been about doing things for himself and his own way but now he has made a vow to be submissive to God so therefore I feel like the Lord is going to test Jacob and train him and to build character in him so he can be the man that God wants him to be. And to get the spirit of deceit out of his system to humble him.

What purposes do you think God is working out through these circumstances?

To train Jacob up to what he needs him to be and prepare him for the journey that still lies ahead. All to allow Jacob to humble down to submissiveness.

[Standing On the Rock]

God is molding, shaping, preparing Jacob for His original plan. I think God in this instance is teaching Jacob a lesson

[maddog]

Q1. (Genesis 29) Why do you think God allows Jacob to be tricked into 14 years of labor for two wives? What purposes do you think God is working out through these circumstances?

God has plans for us but He needs to put us in the fire to extract the impurities. Jacob has a conversion but still needs his heart, mind, and soul transformed into the vehicle that can be used by God. It took Jacob 14 years to reach his usability.

God is changing his selfishness that made him concerned excessively and exclusively with himself. His underhandedness and his seeking and concentrating on his own advantage, pleasure, or well-being without regard for others. God had to continue shaping him on thr "Potter's Wheel."

[Antwan]

Q1. (Genesis 29) Why do you think God allows Jacob to be tricked into 14 years of labor for two wives? What purposes do you think God is working out through these circumstances?

God allows Laban to trick Jacob to teach him how it feels to have someone do him the way he did his father and brother; it's amazing, God could have just told Jacob to depart from his deceitful ways and given him the reasons why, but God doesn't work that way. He has to let Jacob go through some things to purge him of things not pleasing to God. To me, in Jacob experiencing the deceit and betrayal by his uncle, he learns first-hand how it feels, and maybe grows more empathetic towards the victims of such. This is the starting point of him being purged from his manipulative ways.

[PATCH]

Q1. (Genesis 29) Why do you think God allows Jacob to be tricked into 14 years of labor for two wives? What purposes do you think God is working out through these circumstances?

1) God was teaching Jacob that inspite of God's grace and mercy, his sins would not go "unpunished". Here Jacob experienced the hurt of being deceived by family - his father in law.

2) Through Jacob's marriage to Leah and Rachel and having children through their servant girls, he established a large family unit. The 12 tribes of Israel descended from Jacob's sons.

I am just wondering if God permitted Jacob to serve 14 years for his 2 wives so he is "forced" to stay away from home for some time, allowing God to work in Esau's life as well. In the past Jacob was so impatient that he stole. By having to wait out the 14 years, God is teaching Jacob that everything works out fine in His time.

[linda bass]

I think God allowed Jacob to be tricked into working 14 years for two wives,because He wanted Jacob to get a taste of his own medicine. God wanted Jacob to feel what it was like to be on the receiving end of a deception.

[royk]

Q1. (Genesis 29) Why do you think God allows Jacob to be tricked into 14 years of labor for two wives? What purposes do you think God is working out through these circumstances?

Jacob cound have done a lot of things to "check" who his first wife was on the wedding night. He could have tried to see her in the light. He might have been a little suspicious of Laban, and he could have been more open about understanding the 'rule' regarding the oldest daughter. It is not recorded that he did any of these things. To say he was tricked, he ignored a lot of things and only thought of his desire for Rachel. This seems hard to imagine such an approach could go on for 7 years culminating with the "trick." This reminds me to be more attentive and alert to situations thqat God puts us in; are they not all tests of how we react and what we do and who are we serving, ourselves or others?

[Tim501]

Q1. (Genesis 29) Why do you think God allows Jacob to be tricked into 14 years of labor for two wives? What purposes do you think God is working out through these circumstances?

Jacob was quite the deceitful man himself and now, I believe, God had Jacob tasteing his own medicene.

[DrD]

God's ways are beyond finding out - however, I think God allowed Jacob to work 14 years for his two wives so that he would have some understanding of what people are subject to when we place our confidence in some thing or some one other than God - as well as to have some compassion for them when they are going through based on their failure or unwillingness to trust God. . . Anytime and in all situations when we fail to trust God - wen we refuse to all Him to direct and guide us - we find ourselves in difficult situations. . .Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT)

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.

6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

This experience should help Jacob in the teaching and training of his descendents directing them to always trust God - and to trust God in all things. . .

[l.a.]

Q1. (Genesis 29) Why do you think God allows Jacob to be tricked into 14 years of labor for two wives? What purposes do you think God is working out through these circumstances?

God needed to show Jacob exactly what it was like to be decieved; the consequences can seem devastating. I believe this is a wonderful example of how God works in our life, if only we will let Him. He opens our eyes to our sin, then helps us overcome them. What a wonderful God we serve!

[Guitar Jim]

Q1. (Genesis 29) Why do you think God allows Jacob to be tricked into 14 years of labor for two wives? What purposes do you think God is working out through these circumstances?

Jacob has more than one serious character flaw. The most blatant one is that he's a deceiver. God used the old: "See how you like it when it's being done to you" method of curing Jacob of that character flaw. Jacob's whole life so far had been lived in the premise that the end justifies the means. Only by being on the receiving end of a deceit even more life-changing than any Jacob himself ever attempted could God bring about a change in Jacob. We see Jacob become a hard working industrious man who is now willing and eager to work hard and honestly for what he hoped to attain. I reckon Jacob well and truly met his match, and then some, in the form of his wily uncle.

There is more to this than just acquiring a wife, which was Jacob's primary mission. God worked actively in those fourteen years to build Jacob a family unit that would be cohesive and to give him some serious wealth as well. We see later in the narrative that God blessed Jacob in the breeding of large flocks of sheep and goats, the measure of a man's wealth in those days.

At the end of the fourteen years Jacob has become the man God intended him to become: A real "head of the household" who is ready to take up that position and strike out on his own as a patriarch of sorts in his own right.

[Soboath7752!]

God allowded Jacob to be tricked into 14 years of labor so that he could get the glory. God what to humble Jacob and prove what was in her heart and to see if he would trust and obey him. Also God would prove to Jacob who God was.

[wifee]

1a)God is developing in Jacob patience,integrity, steadfastness and trust in God, as he experiences for himself what it is like to be deceived by someone with whom you have made a promise.Teaching him the error of his ways first hand.

b)In building up his family,God will teaches him about leadership, building up of resources ,cattles,managing wealth to feed his family as he toiled, and the cost of sacrifice that true love requiresGod is maturing Jacob in spiritually to be ready to be father of 12 tribes of Israel. He committed himself to serving God and placing his life in God’s hands totally.