# 288 Besetting Sins

The Book of Genesis

Day 288

Ge 31:25 So Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountains, and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mountains of Gilead.  26 And Laban said to Jacob: "What have you done, that you have stolen away unknown to me, and carried away my daughters like captives taken with the sword?  27 "Why did you flee away secretly, and steal away from me, and not tell me; for I might have sent you away with joy and songs, with timbrel and harp?  28 "And you did not allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters. Now you have done foolishly in so doing.  29 "It is in my power to do you harm, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, 'Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.'

Have you ever been overtaken by a besetting sin? You know, those habitual wrongdoings that you just can’t seem to shake? I think this relationship between Laban and Jacob paints a picture of our own struggles with temptation and besetting sins.

Laban, representing the besetting sin, and Jacob representing the one enslaved by that sin. Jacob has been a slave to Laban for 20 years! Rather than argue with the devil about his slavery, Jacob takes off, making a clean break and heading back to his homeland! Good advice in the matter of the devil and besetting sins! Resist! Jas 4:7 says, “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”

But the besetting sin and the devil catch up with Jacob, (those sins aren’t called besetting for nothing!) Temptation will come again even as we seek to resist and flee! “C’mon Jacob,” says the besetting sin, “I wasn’t all that bad was I? We could’ve had a real nice send off with joy and songs!”

Jacob was in a sense, powerless for those 20 years for he was under contract with Laban, but now something new has been added to the mix, and that someTHING is really SomeONE! God has intervened and pulled Jacob away from the besetting sin and tells him to return to his homeland. He does this in a dream to Laban and warned him to keep his hands off Jacob. God, in effect, was demonstrating His love toward Jacob saying, “I love you Jacob! I love you too much to see you go back to bondage!”

Listen, if you are struggling with besetting sins. God the Father wants you to know the fullness of joy in Christ! He wants to set us free from the bondage of besetting sins! He has given us all we need to be set free In His Son Jesus Christ.  Flee from sin and run to Jesus! For if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.