Hidden (Krypto) Treasures

To get pearls, one must dive deep!

Month: August 2016

What should our wages be?

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On August 2, 2016

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

In our personal lives, we seek to be paid for the time and effort we put into our work for our earthly employers. When Jacob stayed with Laban his uncle for a month, working for him, Laban questioned “Just because you are a brother (relative) of mine, should you work for nothing?” and asked him “Tell me what your wages should be?” Though Jacob served Laban, Laban recognizes him as a brother and not a servant.

Points to Ponder:
Jesus referred to his disciples not as his servants but as his friends (John 15:15) and upon his resurrection referred to them as his brothers (Matthew 28:10). In other words, we who do the will of God the Father as Jesus’ disciples are his relatives – his brothers and sisters (Matthew 12:46-50). The Bible also tells us that we are laborers together with God (1 Corinthians 3:9; 2 Corinthians 6:1). So the question that looms to be answered is – Is our work that we do for our Lord God worthy of wages?

For the wages of our sin is death and Jesus paid the price with his life to give us life. An equitable exchange would be “life for life” and so are we willing to pay the price of our lives for The One who has given us life? If God was to ask us as to what our wages should be, what would be our response? In other words, Is our work that we do for the Lord God worthy of wages?

Genesis 29:15 (KJV)
15 And Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? tell me, what shall thy wages be?

 

Confession – Coming out Clean

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On August 1, 2016

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

Genesis 29:11-14 records the account of Jacob meeting Rachel and her father, Laban when he came into the land of his mother’s people. When Rachel ran and told her father of her encounter with Jacob at the well, Laban ran to meet him, embraced him and kissed him and brought him into his home, as a gesture of hospitality and kinship. And the Bible records, that Jacob told Laban all these things. In order words, Jacob came out clean, no longer deceiving as he did his brother, but instead confessing. We are not told what “all these things” are but from what is record of Jacob’s life till that time, we can assume that it was possibly:
– how he had deceived his father and his brother Esau of his birthright and his blessings,
– how his brother intended to kill him,
– how his mother did not want to lose him and sent him to Laban her brother to find a wife,
– how he had encounter the Lord God on his journey, and of God’s promises of God’s presence, provisions and protection, and
– how he had providentially met Rachel at the well.
And Laban exclaimed, you are surely my bone and my flesh and let him stay with him for a month.

Points to ponder:
Jacob’s confession was not warranted but yet he confessed and was accepted as family into the home of his kin. When we confess all our sins and come out clean, no longer deceiving ourselves (James 1:22), the Lord God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9), adopting us into his family (Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:5; Ephesians 1:5). Have you confessed Jesus as Lord? Have you come out clean?

Genesis 29:11-14 (KJV)
11 And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept.
12 And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s brother, and that he was Rebekah’s son: and she ran and told her father.
13 And it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob his sister’s son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things.
14 And Laban said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him the space of a month.

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