Sunday, December 12, 2010

“What Is My Trespass?” (Gen 31:36-55)


“Then Jacob was angry and rebuked Laban, and Jacob said to Laban: What is my trespass? What is my sin, that you have so hotly pursued me?” (vs36)

The Lord Jesus is the sinner's friend. Why will you die? He has done everything justly, lived perfectly, and done good to evil people. Peter said, “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him” (Acts 10:38). Why not bow to Him? He promises eternal life, performs all that He commands in us, and does us good freely and according to His word. He is just.

Yet, man's response, the response of unbelieving flesh is, “These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and this flock is my flock; all that you see is mine”, so that we don't bow to His rights as Lord (vs43-44). We don't surrender to His mercy. We don't say, “You're right to rule me”. Only grace makes us obey, because the natural man says “no” to God, and, “Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do no know the Lord, nor will I let Israel go” (Ps 14:1-4; Ex 5:2).

Laban's response is foolish. Christ, as pictured by Jacob, stands before him innocently, desiring good, and yet Laban, by corruption, sets up an irremovable barrier and tells God, “stay out of my life, and don't come back”. Laban said, “Here is this heap and here is this pillar, which I have placed between you and me. This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not pass beyond this heap to you, and you will not pass beyond this heap and this pillar to me, for harm” (vs51-52). Unbelief perishes for willful rebellion. Men don't perish accidentally; they shut the truth out with all their might and resist mercy to the death (Rom 1:18-27).

The Lord, though rejected of men, has been exalted by the Father. He approved of the Son.

Laban called the dispute by one name, but God's word calls the dispute by Jacob's description, showing that God and all of eternity will bear record to the rightness of Jesus Christ. “Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galled. And Laban said, This heap is a witness between you and me this day. Therefore its name was called Galeed” (vs47-48). Men have rejected Him, but God has given Him the throne and declared that all will bow to Him, every knee, and every tongue will confess that He is Lord (Acts 2:23-24). The gospel isn't subject to man's approval; it is true. Men may perish rejecting Him, but God's Son is the only One who will stand as Judge in eternity.

Why will you die? Why not obey? Why not yield to be saved by grace? Jacob said, “What is my trespass? What is my sin, that you have so hotly pursued me... These twenty years I have been with you; your male and your female goats have not miscarried their young, and I have not eaten the rams of your flock... There I was! In the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night, and my sleep departed from my eyes” (vs36-41). I have faithfully served God, loved men, and answered justice, says the Christ. Why not trust Me?

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Heshimu Colar, Pastor

Heshimu Colar, Pastor
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