We learn here several things. It was God’s will for Jacob to return to the land of Canaan, and God had provided for Jacob by blessing him. Also we learn that Laban’s daughters were by this point ‘no fans’ of Laban. They were apparently angry with him as well. Jacob responded to God’s call by leaving and going to where God desired him to go. When God calls, He intends for us to answer and act as He has directed. While God certainly has given people specific tasks and has called individuals to certain areas, God has given other commands to all. The clearest example is to preach the good news of the Gospel to all peoples. Our job, as was Jacobs’, is to answer God’s call through obedience.
1 And he heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, Jacob hath taken away all that was our father's; and of that which was our father's hath he gotten all this glory. 2 And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as before. 3 And the Lord said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee. 4 And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock, 5 And said unto them, I see your father's countenance, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father hath been with me. 6 And ye know that with all my power I have served your father. 7 And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me. 8 If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the cattle bare speckled: and if he said thus, The ringstraked shall be thy hire; then bare all the cattle ringstraked. 9 Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me. 10 And it came to pass at the time that the cattle conceived, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dream, and, behold, the rams which leaped upon the cattle were ringstraked, speckled, and grisled. 11 And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I. 12 And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ringstraked, speckled, and grisled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee. 13 I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred. 14 And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house? 15 Are we not counted of him strangers? for he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money. 16 For all the riches which God hath taken from our father, that is ours, and our children's: now then, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do. 17 Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon camels; 18 And he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gotten, the cattle of his getting, which he had gotten in Padanaram, for to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan (Genesis 31:1-18).
We learn here several things. It was God’s will for Jacob to return to the land of Canaan, and God had provided for Jacob by blessing him. Also we learn that Laban’s daughters were by this point ‘no fans’ of Laban. They were apparently angry with him as well. Jacob responded to God’s call by leaving and going to where God desired him to go. When God calls, He intends for us to answer and act as He has directed. While God certainly has given people specific tasks and has called individuals to certain areas, God has given other commands to all. The clearest example is to preach the good news of the Gospel to all peoples. Our job, as was Jacobs’, is to answer God’s call through obedience.
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35 And he removed that day the he goats that were ringstraked and spotted, and all the she goats that were speckled and spotted, and every one that had some white in it, and all the brown among the sheep, and gave them into the hand of his sons. 36 And he set three days' journey betwixt himself and Jacob: and Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flocks. 37 And Jacob took him rods of green poplar, and of the hazel and chesnut tree; and pilled white strakes in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods. 38 And he set the rods which he had pilled before the flocks in the gutters in the watering troughs when the flocks came to drink, that they should conceive when they came to drink. 39 And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth cattle ringstraked, speckled, and spotted. 40 And Jacob did separate the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the ringstraked, and all the brown in the flock of Laban; and he put his own flocks by themselves, and put them not unto Laban's cattle. 41 And it came to pass, whensoever the stronger cattle did conceive, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the cattle in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods. 42 But when the cattle were feeble, he put them not in: so the feebler were Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's. 43 And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses (Genesis 30:35-43).
So Jacob really made out on this deal. But Laban really has no one to blame but himself in many respects. Laban really used Jacob and in the end Laban paid a price for this. This is really a story of deceit and trickery and there are always consequences for sin. There is no such thing as benign sin. And while both men were less than honest at times, Jacob certainly put his heart and soul into earning the marriage of Leah and Rachel. Jacob, even in his imperfection, was blessed by God, and the blessings of God are always good. 25 And it came to pass, when Rachel had born Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban, Send me away, that I may go unto mine own place, and to my country. 26 Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served thee, and let me go: for thou knowest my service which I have done thee. 27 And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favour in thine eyes, tarry: for I have learned by experience that the Lord hath blessed me for thy sake. 28 And he said, Appoint me thy wages, and I will give it. 29 And he said unto him, Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how thy cattle was with me. 30 For it was little which thou hadst before I came, and it is now increased unto a multitude; and the Lord hath blessed thee since my coming: and now when shall I provide for mine own house also? 31 And he said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob said, Thou shalt not give me any thing: if thou wilt do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep thy flock. 32 I will pass through all thy flock to day, removing from thence all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats: and of such shall be my hire. 33 So shall my righteousness answer for me in time to come, when it shall come for my hire before thy face: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the sheep, that shall be counted stolen with me. 34 And Laban said, Behold, I would it might be according to thy word (Genesis 30:25-34).
Jacob was ready to get away from Laban. But Laban had grown to rely on Jacob and his work. Really it was about money. Laban feared that Jacob would take his property or demand some payment and Jacob was tired of working for Laban. Laban also knew that he had been blessed by Jacob’s presence. Now it may appear here that Jacob is being generous by taking the spotted animals (they were seen as inferior) but we will quickly find out that this was not so. Both men were being less than honest with each other, they were family but nether really trusted the other and to some extent for good reason. The lesson here is whenever there are self-interests involved somehow someone is going to lose. 22 And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb. 23 And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach: 24 And she called his name Joseph; and said, The Lord shall add to me another son (Genesis 30:22-24).
Rachel recognized that God was in control even though her previous actions (and the actions of others) seemed to belay this fact. And isn’t this often the case with us? We want God to act according to our time frame, according to our desires…according to our will. And this is the problem; we often want a god that works according to our will. But a god that works according to our will is no god at all; rather he is, just us. How we sell God short and often our own selves short when we look to human will to be our god. Why not wait on the power of heaven to work things out for His glory and our good? 14 And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son's mandrakes. 15 And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy son's mandrakes. 16 And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have hired thee with my son's mandrakes. And he lay with her that night. 17 And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son. 18 And Leah said, God hath given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband: and she called his name Issachar. 19 And Leah conceived again, and bare Jacob the sixth son. 20 And Leah said, God hath endued me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have born him six sons: and she called his name Zebulun. 21 And afterwards she bare a daughter, and called her name Dinah (Genesis 30: 8-21).
The saga continues. We see the problem with polygamy. Although God allowed polygamy in ancient times, it was never really sanctioned. Inevitably, jealously and competition ensued and sin was always ‘crouching at the door’. It is hard to devote yourself to one person, let alone several. But God is accustomed to working with sinful people. God’s plans are not thwarted by human actions, and eventually all actions work to complete God’s plan. 7 And Bilhah Rachel's maid conceived again, and bare Jacob a second son. 8 And Rachel said, With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called his name Naphtali. 9 When Leah saw that she had left bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife. 10 And Zilpah Leah's maid bare Jacob a son. 11 And Leah said, A troop cometh: and she called his name Gad. 12 And Zilpah Leah's maid bare Jacob a second son. 13 And Leah said, Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed: and she called his name Asher (Genesis 30:7-13).
The story seems to just get worse by the sentence. There is jealousy and unfaithfulness and yet as we now know God uses this ‘far from perfect’ family to bring hope to the world. How counterintuitive are God’s actions at times. But this is the gulf between God and Man. What we should realize is that it is only mercy that has allowed the human race to continue and it is by mercy that we are saved. So it is God that shows restraint with us and in fact goes to extremes to restore us to a proper relationship. But we should not look to our current actions as the standard, but rather to standards of the God that created us. For while we were originally the standard bearer; in the beginning pure and in the image of God, we must wait for the restoration of all things to be returned to this original design. 1 And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die. 2 And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God's stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb? 3 And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her. 4 And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went in unto her. 5 And Bilhah conceived, and bare Jacob a son. 6 And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore called she his name Dan (Genesis 30:1-6).
Sometimes the facts of the bible go against even our ‘sensibilities’. This should not surprise us though. The bible is true in all it discusses. And human nature and actions are discussed frequently. The fact is even the giants of our faith were sinners and made mistakes acting according to their own will. But God still works it all out. God’s plan for salvation accounts for human sin and in fact is designed to deal with it specifically. Interestingly as we will learn later the tribe of Dan is excluded from the list of tribes in Revelation. Sin always has consequences. 31 And when the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren. 32 And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the Lord hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me. 33 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the Lord hath heard I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon. 34 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi. 35 And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the Lord: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing (Genesis 29:31-35).
As is always the case, God knows the beginning from the end. Israel would become a nation through the offspring of Jacob. The first offspring would be from Jacob and Leah. God is just and in God’s justice Leah was to be honored even if Jacob favored Rachel. So God sometimes intervenes to right our unjust thoughts and actions. Regardless though all things work together according to God’s will. This is a profound and often perplexing mystery to us, but true nonetheless. 21 And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her. 22 And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast. 23 And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her. 24 And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid for an handmaid. 25 And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me? 26 And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. 27 Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years. 28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also. 29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid. 30 And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years (Genesis 29:21-30).
This is not exactly a set-up for martial bliss. Jacob ends up here with 2 wives, one of which he loves. Laban has successfully married off two of his daughters and they are now Jacob’s responsibility even though Jacob was really only interested in Rachel. It may be hard to see the hand of God here, but as follow the future of Jacob we learn that God works in things even when Men fail to do what is right. 13 And it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob his sister's son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things. 14 And Laban said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him the space of a month. 15 And Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? tell me, what shall thy wages be? 16 And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured. 18 And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter. 19 And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with me. 20 And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her (Genesis 29:13-20).
Seven years seems like a long time to serve Laban. Seven in Hebrew is representative of the exact right amount of time or the completeness of time. And so Jacob served Laban the right amount of time in exchange for being giving his daughter in marriage. The distinction between Leah and Rachel is also interesting. Apparently Rachel got all the beauty in Laban’s genes, and as we learn later, Laban used her beauty and Jacob’s desire to gain more from Jacob. Seems a bit shallow but as we often find from the bible, it is dealing with real people and real circumstances. |
AuthorBob Hawkins, a follower and servant of the Lord Jesus Christ I can be contacted by e-mail at [email protected]
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