SERIES: THE STONE MEMORIAL
TEXT: GENESIS 30:22-24
Rachel’s womb is finally opened. Rachel is the one that Jacob loved from the very beginning, but she was the last one to give birth to any children.
Rachel had to stand by a watch 10 sons be born to her husband with none of them coming from her directly.
This delay was really messing up her mind. Rachel dealt with the shame, disgrace and guilt of being childless. She had also to persevere watching her elder sister Leah bear 6 sons and one daughter. Let us consider:-
RACHAEL
- The name Rachel means ewe or a sheep.
- Rachel speaks of being the sheep of God’s pasture.
- Rachel speaks of being what God is looking for in the church.
- Rachel represents the era or type of the church that truly operates as she should- as a sheep of God.
- The sheep is the type of church that God is mostly interested and most in love with.
- This is the church He as the Great Shepherd is able to produce the most through.
- Rachel was beautiful and highly favoured and is the one that Jacob loved.
- Out of these four women came the 12 tribes of Israel, of these 4 women the fruit of God in His people. Out of these 4 women we find the different types and manifestations of the church.
- As we look at the 12 tribes going forward, we can begin to see what things are produced during their times. Looking at them we see what God has done for His people.
- Leah- weary, grieved and offended.
- Bilhah- means trouble or troubled.
- Zilpah- trickle or drops.
- Rachel- means ewe or sheep.
JOSEPH- Joseph means Jehovah has added.
- Rachel named him Joseph, declaring that God had finally added unto her a son and taken away her disgrace.
- Joseph speaks of God adding or blessing in His time and His way.
- It took years of patience on the part of Rachel before she held God’s addition in her arms.
- What would have happened if Rachel had truly given up and quit enjoying intimacy with Jacob?
- Joseph was the son most favoured of his father.
- Joseph was used of God to be a blessing to the entire camp of Israel in providing for them in time of famine.
- When it seems like God’s provision or addition is never going to come, it may be that He is preparing you and things to bring about the greatest provision of all.
- You and I do not know what God is preparing for us- we must keep on trusting and never lose heart.
- In Gen. 49 and Deut. 33, we read of the great blessings and promises given to Joseph. Gen. 49:22-26; Deut. 33:13-17.
- Joseph represents everything in the church that we want.
BENJAMIN
- Benjamin means son of my right hand or son of good fortune.
- There was a big gap of time between the birth of Joseph and Benjamin.
- Benjamin’s birth was hard and difficult to the point that Rachel died during the birth of Benjamin.
- As she was told by the midwife that she had bore son, she named him Benoni saying, “Son of my sorrow.”
- Jacob however changed his name. Jacob was unwilling to view his son as sorrowful.
- He saw Benjamin as strength and good fortune.
- Jacob was declaring that he was happy to have Benjamin no matter what it cost to get him into this world.
- About Benjamin he said in his blessings, “Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him. For he shields him all day long and the one the Lord’s love rests between his shoulders”- Deut. 33:12.
Two important lessons from the birth and life of Benjamin for you and me:-
- You have been produced by God and therefore you are a blessing, no matter what it may have cost to get you here, you are worth it.
- It makes no difference what others may have said or thought, the Father says you are blessed and a blessing
- God does not see you the way you see yourself or the way others see you. God sees you as special and most important person in His world.
- If the church is going to produce what God has in mind, she is going to die to herself
- Through the death of Rachel, we have Benjamin.
- Jacob the father declared that Benjamin was the son of his right hand, he was born at the death of Rachel.
- As Rachel (the church) died to herself, Benjamin (Christ) was the son of the Father’s right hand in manifest.
- When we as the church truly die to ourselves, we will begin to see the true manifestation of Christ and God’s kingdom.
- The Lord says to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”- Psalm 110:1.
- God strategically put together this family and used this family to impact and change the entire world.
- God desires to do the same thing for you and through you. He is strategically placing and producing things in and through you to impact and change the world today.
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Rev, Dr. Willy Mutiso is the Senior Pastor at First Baptist Athiriver. He is widely known for his practical and dynamic teaching style which helps people apply the timeless truths of Scripture to their everyday lives.
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