Who said, “All is fair in love and war”? Certainly not the Lord! He says love “is kind.” What a contrast! Our story in Genesis 30 describes, in quick-fire action, the matrimonial duel between Jacob’s two wives. What is their ammunition? Baby boys! In chapter 28, Leah shoots first, with Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah. […]
We love flattery; God wants honesty. The strange thing is, by grace God’s view of us is way higher than we would ever dream for ourselves. The phrase “warts and all” is said to have first occurred when Oliver Cromwell instructed Sir Peter Lely to paint his portrait without any flattery. And he did! So […]
Heaven’s perspective is always better than earth’s. Our eyes stop at the horizon; God sees all the way to forever. “Leah was unloved” (Gen 29:31). A lonely woman, living in a household with her younger sister who is more beautiful and the object of her husband’s affection. Used as a bartering chip by her father […]
Read More… from July 19, 2021 — The Good Viewpoint Is God’s Viewpoint
Don’t be disheartened when things seem not to be working out, Christian. Those who love God know a secret: all things will work together for good, sooner or later. At first, we read that Jacob “loved Rachel more than Leah” (Gen 29:30). Have you heard where an arrangement like that ever worked? I’m no mathematician, […]
When problems arise, we need to go to God about them. If not, trying to solve them on our own can often turn problems into disasters! Our title asks, “Who says, ‘Two are better than one’?” Well, the Bible does! Here are the words of Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, “Two are better than one, because they have […]
Read More… from July 15, 2021 — Who Says “Two Are Better Than One”?
If Jacob was the ultimate trickster, he certainly met his match in Uncle Laban. Jacob swapped the younger for the older. And Laban did just the opposite. The day arrived that Jacob had waited and worked for: Rachel’s hand in marriage! It had been seven long years, and he was eager to get on with […]
Read More… from July 14, 2021 — Wedding Bells! Morning Tells!
Life is hard work if it’s done well. Good relationships are costly but worth it. But it’s doing things for the right reason that turns mere drudgery into a labor of love. Henry Van Dyke wrote: “Time is Too Slow for those who Wait, Too Swift for those who Fear, Too Long for those who […]
There are many motivations for doing things. One of the major themes in the Bible is that the greatest motivator is love. Was it love at first sight? When Jacob saw Rachel, he gave her a kiss! Of course, in that day it was often simply an expression of respect and friendship. How do we […]
It seems that the village well was the favorite place in ancient times for love to bloom. Jacob found it to be so as well. Please excuse the pun! The first thing Jacob saw as he approached the settlement of Paddan Aram was a well. According to The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, “‘Paddan Aram’ and […]