Moses was the author of the first
five books of the Bible, and Moses is the man who wrote the
book of Genesis. And the Lord said to the Pharisees
in John chapter five, verse 46, for had you believed Moses, you
would have believed me. For Moses wrote of me. Now the meaning of this passage
that Moses wrote has something to do with the person and work
of the Lord Jesus Christ. We know that from the Lord telling
us that. Now when I come to a passage
of scripture like this, I come with some measure of fear because
I don't want to force myself on it. and give what, I don't
want to try to be clever, but I can get the gospel out of that.
And it kind of becomes like that Waldo game, you find Waldo, remember? And you know what, I never found
him. Every time I'd look, I couldn't
find him or any of those pictures where you're supposed to see
some kind of figure, I'd look at him and I never have yet.
And I do not want to treat the scriptures like this. God to
teach us the gospel from this passage of scripture. So pray
for me. I do not want to simply try to be clever to see if I
can pull the gospel out of an obscure passage of scripture.
That is irreverent. That's blasphemous to have that
kind of attitude toward God's holy word. So I do covet your
prayer as I attempt to bring this message on spotted, speckled,
and brown. Verse 25, now late of chapter
30, and it came to pass when Rachel
had born Joseph. This is his 11th son and remember
he's been working for 14 years. Seven years for Leah, seven years
for Rachel. They've now been married for
14 years. And it came to pass when Rachel
had born Joseph, that was her first son, that Jacob said unto
Laban, send me away that I may go unto mine own place, into
my own country. He wanted to go back home. He
wanted to go back with Isaac and Rebekah and his family. Give
me my wives and my children for whom I have served thee and let
me go. For thou knowest my service which
I've done thee. And evidently Jacob was a very
industrious, hardworking man. And the Lord had prospered what
he had done through serving Laban in a miraculous way almost. Now look what he says. And Laban
said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favor in thine eyes,
Terry, don't leave. For I have learned by experience
that the Lord hath blessed me for thy sake. Now we see the
gospel there clearly, don't we? I've learned this by experience.
Have you learned this experience? God has blessed me for Christ's
sake. Not for my sake, for Christ's
sake. He says I've learned this by
experience.