We have already looked at our word for today. So why then are we doing this? Well because the irony is just too good not to talk about it. We are still in chapter 29 of Genesis with our word for today רִמִּית The root of our word is רָמָה deceive, beguile, deal treacherously with, desert, abandon, betray. It is used 8 times in the Old Testament. A good example of the word is with Joshua and the Gibeonites. Joshua 9:3-6, 22 When the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, they resorted to a ruse: They went as a delegation whose donkeys were loaded with worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended. They put worn and patched sandals on their feet and wore old clothes. All the bread of their food supply was dry and moldy. Then they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said...“We have come from a distant country; make a treaty with us.”…Then Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said, “Why did you רִמִּיתֶ֨ם deceive us by saying, ‘We live a long way from you,’ while actually you live near us? Remember when we looked at our word earlier with Jacob and Esau?
Genesis 27:35-37 But he said, “Your brother came בְּמִרְמָ֑ה deceitfully, and he has taken away your blessing.” Esau said, “Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has יַּעְקְבֵ֙נִי֙ cheated me these two times. If you remember in the last chapter of Genesis we were just in the root word for Jacob’s name יַעֲקֹב is עָקַב follow at the heel, seize someone by the heel, go behind someone, betray, to take the place or move into the position of, cheat. This is what Esau is saying that Jacob came up behind him and took his place that is he cheated him. And we looked at how angry Esau was that his brother did this to him. Now let’s take this thought into our chapter today were we find our word. Genesis 29:23-25 But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and he went in to her…And in the morning, behold, it was Leah! And Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you רִמִּית deceived me?” The heel grabber gets his heel grabbed. The deceiver gets deceived. God turns the table on Jacob. This is an amazing example of how God not only uses freewill actions of people to still bring about his purposes he also teaches Jacob a lesson on the way. When we looked at the root word רָמָה earlier we saw that this is something God hates. Psalm 5:6 You destroy those who speak lies; the Lord abhors the...מִרְמָה deceitful man. God equates it with evil. Psalm 50:19 You give your mouth free rein for evil, and your tongue frames מִרְמָה deceit. Psalm 55:23 But you, O God, will cast them down into the pit of destruction; men...מִרְמָה treachery shall not live out half their days.
Even so God still uses this deceit to eventually create a whole nation of people from because the children will become the twelve tribes of Israel. And through this nation he will bring his son Jesus into the world to save us so that we can all be children of Abraham through faith. Galatians 3:6-9 Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
There is no one like God who can bring about his purposes while working in and through the free will actions of his creation. What is the lesson that he also teaches Jacob while doing all of this? Jacob needed to feel what it was like to be deceived so he could better understand how he hurt his brother when his mom and he did the same thing to him. This will play an important role when he sees his brother Esau again. God not only works events around us to accomplish his will. He also works in our hearts and those around us to get us ready to better recognize his will and direction in the future.
