WHEN JACOB SAID HIS 130 YEARS HAD BEEN “EVIL” (GENESIS 47:9), HE MEANT HIS LIFE AND BEEN HARD, UNPLEASANT, DIFFICULT. WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS MAN’S LIFE, WE FIND THAT HE REALLY DID FACE SOME HARD THINGS.
1) In Mt. 6:11 Jesus spoke about praying for “daily bread.”
2) In ancient times many lived “day by day.”
3) Another hardship in the ancient world was transportation.
4) In the past ancient people had problems with water.
5) If people wanted water, they often had to dig a well.
6) In Jn. 4:6 we read about “Jacob’s well” (this is the same Jacob described in Gen. 47).
7) In ancient times women worked inside their houses.
8) In Mt. 12:44 and the parallel in Lk. 11:25 the Lord referred to a “swept” house.
9) 2 Tim. 2:6 speaks about “hardworking farmers” (husbandmen that labors).
WHEN WE LOOK AT THE BIBLE AND OUR DAY AND TIME WE FIND THAT MANY OF THE HARDSHIPS FACED BY PEOPLE LIKE JACOB HAVE BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED OR ELIMINATED.
1) In Rom. 8:35-39 the apostle Paul listed some of the problems man continues to face.
2) One of the things Paul spoke of was “death.”
a) Gen. 35:19 says Rachel died in conjunction with the bird of a child.
b) Maybe this was one of the things Jacob was thinking of when he said his days had been evil.
3) In addition to the problem of death, man continues to struggle with unfairness.
a) Back in Gen. 31:7 we find Jacob making a complaint.
b) This man said his wages had been “changed ten times” by Laban.
4) After the situation with Laban in Gen. 31, we read about some more family problems in Gen. 32.
a) Esau was Jacob’s brother and Esau had been holding a grudge.
b) Jacob had ended up with some important family blessings and this made Esau very angry.
5) There was a time when Esau wanted to kill Jacob.
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7) Jacob was someone who knew what it felt like to have a son die.
8) The Bible says this father mourned for “many days” (Gen. 37:34).
MAN TYPICALLY DOES NOT RELISH HARDSHIP, BUT WE CAN LOOK AT THE HARDSHIPS WE EXPERIENCE AND OFTEN FIND SOME BENEFIT IN THEM.
a) Stated another way, there are some advantages to hardships.
b) Most know that man’s immune system is strengthened by short term stress.
2) Adversity and difficulty can make people much, much stronger.
a) Adversity is one of the things that can drive a Christian to more fully seek God.
b) Difficulties can forcefully lead a person to be much more diligent about prayer.
3) More than a few people in life seem to have the idea that becoming a Christian will lessen adversity.
a) In Jas. 1:2 we find – READ
4) The Hebrew writer (12:10) said trials help in the area of “holiness.”
5) Paul told the Corinthians (2 Cor. 12:9-10) he was “strong” when he was “weak.”
6) Hardship should be a regular reminder of the life we have chosen: We are a Christian.
7) The Christian life also provides some benefits the world cannot match.
8) Are we a Christian? Remember:
Without faith we cannot please God (Heb. 11:6).
We cannot be a child of God without repentance (Lk. 13:3).
We must confess that Jesus is the Son of God (1 Tim. 6:12; Acts 8:36-38).
Finally we must be baptized into Christ (Gal. 3:27) for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16).
Have we done these things and are we living a faithful Christian life?
