And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her. Genesis 29:20.
How different his [Jacob’s] arrival from that of Abraham’s messenger nearly a hundred years before! The servant had come with a train of attendants riding upon camels, and with rich gifts of gold and silver; the son was a lonely, footsore traveler, with no possession save his staff. Like Abraham’s servant, Jacob tarried beside a well, and it was here that he met Rachel, Laban’s younger daughter…. Though he came portionless and unattended, a few weeks showed the worth of his diligence and skill, and he was urged to tarry. It was arranged that he should render Laban seven years’ service for the hand of Rachel.
In early times custom required the bridegroom, before the ratification of a marriage engagement, to pay a sum of money or its equivalent in other property, according to his circumstances, to the father of his wife. This was regarded as a safeguard to the marriage relation…. But provision was made to test those who had nothing to pay for a wife. They were permitted to labor for the father whose daughter they loved, the length of time being regulated by the value of the dowry required. When the suitor was faithful in his services, and proved in other respects worthy, he obtained the daughter as his wife; and generally the dowry which the father had received was given her at her marriage….
The ancient custom, though sometimes abused, as by Laban, was productive of good results. When the suitor was required to render service to secure his bride, a hasty marriage was prevented, and there was opportunity to test the depth of his affections, as well as his ability to provide for a family. In our time many evils result from pursuing an opposite course. It is often the case that persons before marriage have little opportunity to become acquainted with each other’s habits and disposition, and, so far as everyday life is concerned, they are virtually strangers when they unite their interests at the altar. Many find, too late, that they are not adapted to each other, and lifelong wretchedness is the result of their union.
Conflict and Courage p. 67
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Prayer Requests
—–Please continue to pray for Carol who is on hospice and is in her final days. Pray also for the Tucker family as Gayle has passed away. Rose
—–Please pray that the Lord will help us find a home in the country and that He will help our whole family draw closer to Jesus. Esther
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Dear Friends,
The sixteenth psalm is full of food for thought. “Preserve me, O God:
for in thee do I put my trust. O my soul, thou hast said unto the LORD,
Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee; But to the saints
that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.
Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: their
drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into
my lips. The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou
maintainest my lot. The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places;
yea, I have a goodly heritage. I will bless the LORD, who hath given me
counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons. I have set the
LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be
moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also
shall rest in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither
wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt show me the
path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there
are pleasures for evermore.” Ps 16
In his great sermon on Pentecost, Peter refers to the tenth verse of this
psalm. He says, “Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth,
a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which
God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him,
being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye
have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God hath
raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible
that he should be holden of it. For David speaketh concerning him, I
foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that
I should not be moved: Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was
glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: Because thou wilt not
leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see
corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make
me full of joy with thy countenance.
Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David,
that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this
day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an
oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he
would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; He seeing this before spake
of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell,
neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up,
whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God
exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost,
he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. For David is not
ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my
Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make thy foes thy footstool”
Acts 2: 22-35
Paul also used this psalm when he was speaking to those in the synagogue
in Antioch. He said, “Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou
shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. For David, after he
had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was
laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption: But he, whom God raised
again, saw no corruption.” 13:35-37
Praise God that we serve a living Saviour! This very same Jesus Who
loved us so much that He bore our sins on the cross, is the very same
Jesus Who intercedes for us in the Heavenly Sanctuary! John speaks of
this when he says, “My little children, these things write I unto you,
that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous.” 1 John 2:1
Isaiah also speaks of this in his great prophecy of Jesus, “Therefore
will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil
with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he
was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and
made intercession for the transgressors.” Isa 53:12
Paul asks, “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is
God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died,
yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God,
who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love
of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or
nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are
killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that
loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels,
nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate
us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Rom 8:34-39
Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto
God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” Heb
7:25
Let us ever look “to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith.” Heb
12:2 Let us rely upon His atoning sacrifice. Let us look in faith to
the courts above where He is even now interceding for us.
Rose