Genesis 29
You remember Jacob was afraid to be near the gate of heaven and the house of God. People now are like this; they forget they are sinners until near the gate of heaven; then they know it, so when a man is going to die, he is afraid. All his sins, like a black cloud, are before him. He knows that he will soon be near the gate, but because of his sins he cannot enter. I knew a child who was fishing, but suddenly fell into the river and sank. At that very moment, all his sins came quickly before his eyes, many he had forgotten, one by one, as clear as in a book. He was so afraid, he did not think of being drowned; he thought of his many sins—how to meet God. A man was to be put to death; at eight o’clock the next morning he would be shot. That night a Christian visited him. The prisoner, a very brave man, walked up and down all night. The Christian asked, “Are you afraid to die?” “No, I only fear what comes after death; the Bible says ‘after death the judgment’.” You and I will both meet God. He says, “Prepare to meet thy God.”
Jacob did not believe God could love a bad sinner, so was afraid. But God loves us and He tells us that Christ died for us, when we were yet sinners (Rom. 5:8). The Lord Jesus says, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” However, sinners think they must become better first. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are God’s thoughts higher than ours. “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Tim. 1:15).
“If you wait until you are better, you will never come at all.” So come now, because the precious blood of the Lord Jesus can wash away all our sins.
“Just as I am—without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And now Thou bidst me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come! I come!”
Jacob went a long way, and came to his mother’s old home; there he saw flocks of sheep lying by a well. The well’s mouth was covered by a great stone. The shepherds waited until all the flocks of sheep came, then they drew water for the sheep. Jacob asked them where they came from, and whether they knew his mother’s brother, Laban. They said, “We know him.” And they told him, “Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep.” Jacob was very happy to see his cousin Rachel, so he went and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered her sheep. Then he kissed Rachel, and told her that he was her Aunt Rebekah’s son. She ran to tell her father, and Laban came out and brought Jacob to his house. He told Laban about his father, mother, and home, for at that time there was no post office for letters.
Jacob kept Laban’s sheep for one month. Laban asked, “Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou serve me for naught, tell me what shall thy wages be?” Laban had two daughters; the older, Leah, had bad eyes, but the younger, Rachel, was beautiful. So Jacob said, “I will serve thee seven years for Rachel.” And Laban agreed. Because Jacob loved Rachel so much these seven years seemed to him like a few days. At the end, Laban cheated Jacob, and gave his older daughter, Leah, for his wife. Jacob had deceived his father. Now he reaped what he had sown. Jacob was very angry, but Laban said that if he would work another seven years, then he would give him Rachel too. And Laban gave his daughters two maids.
“THIS MAN RECEIVETH SINNERS”
“This Man receiveth sinners,”
The Pharisees once said.
“This Man receiveth sinners,
And with them eateth bread.”
“This Man receiveth sinners.”
Oh, praise the Lord indeed:
Praise God, it was for sinners
He came to earth to bleed.
“This Man receiveth sinners.”
Yes, thank the Lord that He
Is still receiving sinners,
And so receiveth me.
“This Man receiveth sinners”
And with them eateth bread.
He who receiveth sinners,
Is now those sinners’ food.
“This Man receiveth sinners.”
Glory to God above!
It was to poor lost sinners
He shows His matchless love.
“This Man receiveth sinners.”
He is the “sinner’s Guest”
The sinner who receives Him
Finds joy, and peace, and rest. (Luke 19:7)
“This Man receiveth sinners.”
The Pharisees spake true.
Because He loveth sinners,
He loves and welcomes you.
“This Man receiveth sinners.”
He is “the sinner’s Friend!”
With sinners all around Him,
Eternity He’ll spend. (Matt. 11.19)
Then, to “The Man Christ Jesus”
Those sinners sing aloud:
“He loves us, and He washed us
In His own precious Blood!”