The first thing that Jacob sees when he arrives at the place of destination is a stone, perhaps a hint referring back to the stone of Bethel, which signified God’s presence (Gen. 28:18, 19). It is this stone that will, after all, give Jacob the opportunity to interact with Rachel. When Jacob hears from the standing shepherds that Rachel is coming with her sheep to water her flock, he urges the shepherds to roll away the stone. They refuse, which gives Jacob the opportunity to do it alone, and to introduce himself to Rachel (Gen. 29:11).

Rachel responds by running to her family. This first contact between Jacob and Rachel was productive: “Jacob loved Rachel” (Gen. 29:18), so much that the seven years he worked for Laban in exchange for Rachel were like “a few days” (Gen. 29:20).

However, after these seven years, Jacob is deceived. On the night of the wedding, it is Leah, the elder sister, and not Rachel, whom Jacob discovers in his bed. Taking advantage of the confusion of the feast and of Jacob’s intense emotion and vulnerability, Laban had managed this trick. Interestingly, Jacob uses the same root word for “deceive” (Gen. 29:25, NKJV) that Isaac had used to characterize Jacob’s behavior toward his father and his brother (Gen. 27:35).

Note that the same thinking also is implied in the lex talionis (law of retaliation), “eye for eye, tooth for tooth” (Exod. 21:24; compare with Gen. 9:6), which forces the culprit to identify with his or her victim in that the culprit faces what the victim did. In a similar way, then, what Jacob had done to someone else had now been done to him.

Jacob understands now what it means to be the victim of deception. Ironically, God teaches Jacob about his own deception through Laban’s deception. Although Jacob as “deceiver” (Gen. 27:12) knows well what deception means, he is surprised when he is the victim of deception. Thus, he asks the question, “ ‘Why . . . have you deceived me?’ ” (Gen. 29:25, NKJV), which shows that he knows deception is wrong.

Supplemental EGW Notes

Seven years of faithful service Jacob gave for Rachel, and the years that he served “seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.” But the selfish and grasping Laban, desiring to retain so valuable a helper, practiced a cruel deception in substituting Leah for Rachel. . . . His indignant rebuke to Laban was met with the offer of Rachel for another seven years’ service. But the father insisted that Leah should not be discarded, since this would bring disgrace upon the family. Jacob was thus placed in a most painful and trying position; he finally decided to retain Leah and marry Rachel. Rachel was ever the one best loved; but his preference for her excited envy and jealousy, and his life was embittered by the rivalry between the sister-wives.

For twenty years Jacob remained in Mesopotamia, laboring in the service of Laban, who, disregarding the ties of kinship, was bent upon securing to himself all the benefits of their connection. Fourteen years of toil he demanded for his two daughters; and during the remaining period, Jacob’s wages were ten times changed. Yet Jacob’s service was diligent and faithful.—Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 189, 190.

Deceit, falsehood, and unfaithfulness may be glossed over and hidden from the eyes of man, but not from the eyes of God. The angels of God, who watch the development of character and weigh moral worth, record in the books of heaven these minor transactions which reveal character. If a workman in the daily vocations of life is unfaithful and slights his work, the world will not judge incorrectly if they estimate his standard in religion according to his standard in business.

“He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.” It is not the magnitude of the matter that makes it fair or unfair. As a man deals with his fellow men, so will he deal with God. He that is unfaithful in the mammon of unrighteousness, will never be entrusted with the true riches. The children of God should not fail to remember that in all their business transactions they are being proved, weighed in the balances of the sanctuary.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, pp. 310, 311.

Jesus took upon Himself man’s nature, that He might leave a pattern for humanity, complete, perfect. He proposes to make us like Himself, true in every purpose, feeling, and thought—true in heart, soul, and life. This is Christianity. Our fallen nature must be purified, ennobled, consecrated by obedience to the truth. Christian faith will never harmonize with worldly principles; Christian integrity is opposed to all deception and pretense. The man who cherishes the most of Christ’s love in the soul, who reflects the Saviour’s image most perfectly, is in the sight of God the truest, most noble, most honorable man upon the earth.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 235.

"God is love." His nature, His law, is love. It ever has been; it ever will be. Every manifestation of creative power is an expression of infinite love. The history of the great conflict between good and evil from the time it first began in heaven is also a demonstration of God's unchanging love.

The Sovereign of the universe was not alone in His work of beneficence. He had an associate who could appreciate His purpose and share His joy in giving happiness to created beings. See John 1:1, 2.

Christ the Word was one with the eternal Father, one in nature, in character, in purpose. "His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6. His "goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." Micah 5:2.

The Father wrought by His Son in the creation of all heavenly beings. "By Him were all things created, ... whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers." Colossians 1:16. Angels are God's ministers speeding to execute His will. But the Son, the "express image of His person," "the brightness of His glory," "upholding all things by the word of His power," holds supremacy over them all. See Hebrews 1:3, 8.

God desires from all His creatures the service of love—service that springs from an appreciation of His character. He takes no pleasure in a forced obedience; and to all He grants freedom of will, that they may render Him voluntary service.

So long as all created beings acknowledged the allegiance of love, there was perfect harmony throughout the universe of God. There was no note of discord to mar the celestial harmonies.

But a change came over this happy state. There was one who perverted the freedom that God had granted to His creatures. Sin originated with him, who, next to Christ, had been most honored of God and was highest among the inhabitants of heaven. Lucifer, "son of the morning," (Isaiah 14:12) was holy and undefiled. "Thus saith the Lord God: Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty... . Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so. Thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee."

Little by little, Lucifer indulged the desire for self-exaltation. "Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty; thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness" Ezekiel 28:12-15, 17. "Thou hast said in thine heart, ... I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; ... I will be like the most High." Isaiah 14:13, 14. Though honored above the heavenly host, he ventured to covet homage due alone to the Creator. This prince of angels aspired to power that was the prerogative of Christ alone.

Now the perfect harmony of heaven was broken. In heavenly council the angels pleaded with Lucifer. The Son of God presented before him the goodness and justice of the Creator and the unchanging nature of His law. In departing from it, Lucifer would dishonor his Maker and bring ruin upon himself. But the warning given in infinite love and mercy only aroused resistance. Lucifer allowed his jealousy of Christ to prevail, and became the more determined.

The king of the universe summoned the heavenly hosts before Him, that in their presence He might set forth the true position of His Son and show the relation He sustained to all created beings. The Son of God shared the Father's throne, and the glory of the eternal, self-existent One encircled both. About the throne gathered the holy angels, "ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands." Revelation 5:11. Before the inhabitants of heaven, the King declared that none but Christ could fully enter into His purposes and execute the mighty counsels of His will. Christ was still to exercise divine power in the creation of the earth and its inhabitants. EP 9.1 - EP 10.5

This messenger was John the Baptist. He lived in the wilderness and was preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had turned from their sins and turned to God to be forgiven. Mark 1:4

John the Baptist’s camel-hair cloak should not be confused with the luxurious, woven garments found in upscale stores today. His was most likely a tanned, hairy hide held together with a leather belt. He did not preach in the comfort of a temple but baptized in the stark setting of the wilderness. He was well known for his not-so-gentle speeches. His diet was meager, consisting of locusts and wild honey. Though these facts alone set John apart from other religious men, it was his single-minded dedication to his calling that etched his name in history. John never forgot his purpose. When John’s disciples left to follow Jesus, his loyal friends complained bitterly, yet John assured them that this was exactly what he hoped would happen. He wanted to decrease so that Christ could increase. His whole mission in life was to point the way to Jesus. When God gives us a particular ministry, it is easy to assume ownership. We birth it. We pray over it. Yet our calling was never ours in the first place. Just like John the Baptist’s, our purpose is to point others to Christ, not to ourselves.

LORD, thank you for the ministry you have entrusted to me. If others praise me, help me to remember that my one purpose should be that your gospel is proclaimed and you are exalted. In everything I do, may I be a stepping-stone instead of a stumbling block so that others may come to know you as Savior and Lord.

Our method of proclaiming salvation is this: to point out to every heart the loving Lamb, who died for us, and although He was the Son of God, offered Himself for our sins.Count Nikolaus von Zinzendorf (1700–1760)

This messenger was John the Baptist. He lived in the wilderness and was preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had turned from their sins and turned to God to be forgiven. Mark 1:4

John the Baptist’s camel-hair cloak should not be confused with the luxurious, woven garments found in upscale stores today. His was most likely a tanned, hairy hide held together with a leather belt. He did not preach in the comfort of a temple but baptized in the stark setting of the wilderness. He was well known for his not-so-gentle speeches. His diet was meager, consisting of locusts and wild honey. Though these facts alone set John apart from other religious men, it was his single-minded dedication to his calling that etched his name in history. John never forgot his purpose. When John’s disciples left to follow Jesus, his loyal friends complained bitterly, yet John assured them that this was exactly what he hoped would happen. He wanted to decrease so that Christ could increase. His whole mission in life was to point the way to Jesus. When God gives us a particular ministry, it is easy to assume ownership. We birth it. We pray over it. Yet our calling was never ours in the first place. Just like John the Baptist’s, our purpose is to point others to Christ, not to ourselves.

LORD, thank you for the ministry you have entrusted to me. If others praise me, help me to remember that my one purpose should be that your gospel is proclaimed and you are exalted. In everything I do, may I be a stepping-stone instead of a stumbling block so that others may come to know you as Savior and Lord.

Our method of proclaiming salvation is this: to point out to every heart the loving Lamb, who died for us, and although He was the Son of God, offered Himself for our sins.Count Nikolaus von Zinzendorf (1700–1760)