Bible Study:
Genesis Chapters 29 through 31
A Picture of Satan: the Author of Deceit
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I am so easily lured into temptation. Help me to resist the devil’s snares and to submit to You drawing ever nearer to You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Introduction:
Instead of working on the Bible study today, I picked up a little black box called a Nintendo DS just to play a couple of games to unwind. My intention was to relax for half an hour then get busy.
There seemed nothing wrong with taking a break between tasks. That half-hour rest lingered until suppertime as those video games worked like a drug numbing my brain and lulling me into foggy submission. It became difficult to think about anything other than beating that top score. Although my name appeared in the number one spot on most of the games I had played, I felt defeated and ashamed for wasting the time the LORD had given me to write.
Later, I asked my daughter what the DS stood for on the game box. She thought it meant Digital System, but I countered with Devil’s Stratagem. Satan worked on my desire to relax and convinced me that I could quit in a few minutes. I knew it would be difficult to lay that little black box aside and get back to work, but I succumbed to the temptation and sinned through omission. Satan is the master of deception and without the power of the Holy Spirit we are helpless to resist. Turning to the book of James, I found renewed strength, Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up (James 4:7, 8, and 10).
The Lesson:
God desires to inform us of the devil’s stratagems that keep us from the LORD’s work and worship. Through the account of Laban’s dealings with Jacob, our Father illuminates the enemy’s subtle tactics to lure us from God’s work, to hinder our testimonies, and to delay our progress, not to mention to subdue our praise and worship of our Savior.
Jacob was lured from doing his father’s work the day he agreed with Rebekah to deceive Isaac (Genesis chapter 27). Jacob may not have heard the phrase—sin will take you further than you ever intended to go, keep you longer than you ever intended to stay, and cost you more than you ever intended to spend—but he learned the lesson first hand.
According to family tradition, had Jacob not followed his mother’s advice, his father would have sent a servant to find him a wife just as Abraham had done. Thus, Jacob’s journey and life-lesson began and we get a glimpse of how Satan lures us away from our Father’s work and leads us into forbidden territory. As we discussed in chapter 27, Jacob and Rebekah believed God’s promise, but failed to trust Him to execute it.
DECEPTION # 1: YES, GOD PROMISED,
BUT CAN OR WILL HE DELIVER?
This is the same voice Eve heard in the Garden of Eden—Yea, hath God said. . . (Genesis 3:1). One of the greatest deceptions is convincing people that God is incapable of keeping His promises. If we believe that, we lose faith. But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him (Hebrews 11:6).
In chapter 29:13, we see another glimpse of Satan through Laban’s welcome to Jacob. Laban ran to meet Jacob, embraced and kissed him, and took him to his house.
DECEPTION # 2: YOU ARE LOVED, ACCEPTED,
AND CARED FOR IN THE ENEMY’S HOUSE. . . WHAT EMEMY?
We have a tendency to think of Satan as only doing very dark evil things, but Paul had something else to say: … for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness… (2 Corinthians 11:14-15). Another one of Satan’s most alluring tactics is to make evil seem good and good seem evil. He wants us to believe he doesn’t even exist let alone intends to harm us. He sends his ministers to deceive us into following a false Christ and believing a false gospel. Jesus warns us, For there, shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect (Matthew 24:24).
Like Laban, these false Christs greet us with the promise of love, forgiveness, and grace, then lead us into their house of tolerance completely ignoring our need for repentance and the precious blood of the Lamb. They would have us believe that since God is love, all are forgiven and admission of sin and repentance are unnecessary. Insisting that feelings convey the reality of our spiritual well-being, they promote that all paths lead to heaven’s door and God is whatever or whomever we claim Him to be.
DECEPTION # 3: YOU ARE EQUAL TO GOD
OR YOU ARE YOUR OWN GOD!
In chapter 29:15, Laban’s offer to Jacob to name his own wages introduces Satan’s device that exalts self. Listen to Laban’s words—Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? Tell me, what shall thy wages be?
Satan wants us to believe that we can work our way to heaven. Salvation becomes our earnest endeavor to save our own soul. Instead of what God has done for us through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, we focus on what we can do for ourselves. Thus, we glorify and worship self rather than God, thereby breaking the first Commandment—Thou shalt have no other gods before me (Exodus 20:5).
DECEPTION # 4: SERVE THE DEVIL LONG ENOUGH
AND YOU’LL RECEIVE THE DESIRES OF YOUR HEART
Laban promised his younger daughter, Rachel, to Jacob in exchange for seven years service. At the end of the work agreement, Laban gave his older daughter, Leah, in marriage to Jacob (chapter 29:18-23). Jacob agreed to work seven years longer for Rachel. Although Laban kept his promise, he convinced Jacob to stay another six years to earn livestock.
Satan’s strategy never changes. He always promises the best even when he tempted Jesus. Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me (Matthew 4:8-9).
Although he could not deceive our LORD, Satan can and does deceive us. We must ask the Holy Spirit for discernment. Hosea 4:6 reads: My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. This passage is not referring to academic training, but to the ability to discern or understand right from wrong.
According to Hosea, there are two reasons for this lack that so many Christian suffer from today: 1) we reject it, which implies we have been taught; we have read it in our Bibles, but we refuse to submit or commit to it. 2) We have forgotten God’s law. What is the big deal about the Ten Commandments? It is the law of God, which points to our lack of understanding of and our declining dedication to Jehovah God. It illuminates our need for a Savior.
DECEPTION # 5: YOU DESERVE WHAT SOMEONE ELSE HAS
Realizing that his blessings were directly related to Jacob’s relationship with God, Laban persuaded his son-in-law to work for wages. But in the course of six years, he changed Jacob’s wages ten times (chapter 31:41). Why? Laban saw that Jacob’s flocks and herd were increasing, while his livestock grew thin and frail. In simple terms, Laban coveted Jacob’s possessions.
Why are there so many thefts? People believe they deserve what others have. When they cannot come by it honestly, they steal it.
I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating. Our society teaches that we deserve “the good life”—expensive cars, big houses and bank accounts, lots of leisure time.
But God’s word says we deserve punishment and death, not a popular teaching and certainly not one many will sit still long enough to listen to. False teachers tell their audiences that God is love and we deserve His blessings on earth and His inheritance in heaven. People who believe they deserve forgiveness because of what they’ve done, will never appreciate it. If we deserve salvation, then Jesus’ sacrifice was unnecessary.
If we deserve God’s love and forgiveness, where does mercy and grace enter the equation? Mercy and grace are as much the essence of God as love. Our unworthiness to enter into the presence of the Holy God depends on His mercy and grace to do what we cannot do. In His mercy, Father God gave us His Son to die for our sins. Not what we deserved at all. In His grace, Father God saved us from death and clothed us with the righteous of Jesus Christ to enable us to come to the Father. Definitely not what we deserved.
Conclusion and Challenge:
Within these chapters, we learn some important truths that bring our attention back to the One we want to glorify.
TRUTH # 1: ALTHOUGH HE ALLOWS HARDSHIP
GOD IS WITH HIS CHILDREN AND PROSPERS THEM
Jacob had to learn the value of fair play and to depend on God rather than himself. God allowed Laban to take advantage of Jacob, but the LORD remained faithful and blessed Laban as well as Jacob (Genesis 30:27).
While we go through trials, it may be difficult to see how God is blessing us in the mist of them. But after the trial is over, we often marvel at the many blessing that came out of it. Hebrews 13:5-6 reminds us—Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
TRUTH # 2: GOD SETS THE CAPTIVES FREE
The angel of the LORD spoke to Jacob in a dream revealing to him that Laban and his sons were angry and that it was time from Jacob to take his family back to the land of his father (chapter 31:11-13). As we read chapter 31, we learn God’s method of deliverance. It comes through obedience without hesitation. Consider Peter’s deliverance in Acts 12:7-11. An angel opened the prison doors and told Peter to dress quickly and follow him. Did Peter stop to think about it? Of course not, he immediately responded with obedience. The Bible does NOT teach that God helps those who help themselves. In fact, it teaches the opposite. God helps those who cannot help themselves. Peter could not free himself any more than Jacob could have delivered himself and his family out of the hands of Laban. BUT, when God sends help, He expects us to trust His guidance and move on the opportunity.
TRUTH # 3: SATAN HAS CONTROL OVER US
ONLY AS LONG AS GOD ALLOWS IT
It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spake to me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad (Genesis 31:29). Laban spoke these words to Jacob, but we hear the enemy’s voice in them.
Twice Satan petitioned God for the right to harm Job, a righteous man in God’s sight. Both times, God granted the petition with limitations placed on the tormentor. Satan could NOT go beyond those boundaries.
The enemy constantly roams the earth to find a target to shoot his fiery darts at. But we need not fear what he can do to us if we are a child of God. Although God may allow the hardship, we can trust Him to bring us safely through to the end.
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 5:8, 10, and 11).
