And he said, Lo, it is yet high day, neither is it time that the cattle should be gathered together, water ye the sheep, and go and feed them. Genesis 29:7
Nobody ever had an excuse to call Jacob lazy! And as our text reveals, he didn’t much like laziness in other people, either. In this account, he comes upon a well that is used for watering livestock, and all of the shepherds are about it with their sheep. Rather than watering their sheep and taking them to pasture, they are wasting the day at the well, relaxing and no doubt gossiping and skylarking. They had excuses for their behaviour, but no good reasons. They did not really need to wait for everybody else to show up. And moving the stone from the well couldn’t have been a problem, if Jacob was able to do it by himself. Even though Jacob doesn’t know these men, he can’t help but speak out against their sloth. If it weren’t for people like Jacob among us today, we wouldn’t get nearly as much done as we do.
Are there any Jacobs in your Assembly? Some Christians are always looking for things to do for the Lord, and reminding others of us of our responsibilities as well. These folks are either making sure the Hall is always tidy and in good repair, or they are always inviting children to Sunday school and inviting friends and family to Gospel meetings. They keep in mind events that are coming up and make sure that preparations are made in plenty of time. They keep tally on the older Christians and make sure they are visited, and if any of the saints are having difficulties of any kind, they are at the forefront of providing whatever help is needed. God bless the Jacobs among us!
Jacob knew what he was talking about when it came to tending the sheep. He wasn’t out of line when he reminded those shepherds of their responsibility. So too, God’s Assembly has those who know what they are talking about when they encourage and prod us into action for the Lord. We can be justifiably insulted when somebody who doesn’t know what they are talking about gives us orders. That’s not the way of the true Assembly Jacob. Such folks lead by example, and are able to provide the guidance and direction needed for the things they urge us to do.
Give thanks today for the Assembly Jacobs; the Lord gets more service from you because of their diligence and faithfulness. -Jim MacIntosh