Jacob and Laban

Jacob and Laban

Question of the day: If you could choose a "next step" for your life what would it be? 

Good morning and happy Sabbath.  This morning we are looking at a very interesting story that may have us scratching our heads, and wondering, "what is the point?"

We are continuing the story of Jacob this week starting in Genesis chapter 30 and continuing on in chapter 31.

READ: Genesis 30:25-43

Jacob’s Flocks Increase

25 After Rachel gave birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me on my way so I can go back to my own homeland. 26 Give me my wives and children, for whom I have served you, and I will be on my way. You know how much work I’ve done for you.”

27 But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please stay. I have learned by divination that the Lord has blessed me because of you.” 28 He added, “Name your wages, and I will pay them.”

29 Jacob said to him, “You know how I have worked for you and how your livestock has fared under my care. 30 The little you had before I came has increased greatly, and the Lord has blessed you wherever I have been. But now, when may I do something for my own household?”

31 “What shall I give you?” he asked.

“Don’t give me anything,” Jacob replied. “But if you will do this one thing for me, I will go on tending your flocks and watching over them: 32 Let me go through all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb and every spotted or speckled goat. They will be my wages. 33 And my honesty will testify for me in the future, whenever you check on the wages you have paid me. Any goat in my possession that is not speckled or spotted, or any lamb that is not dark-colored, will be considered stolen.”

34 “Agreed,” said Laban. “Let it be as you have said.” 35 That same day he removed all the male goats that were streaked or spotted, and all the speckled or spotted female goats (all that had white on them) and all the dark-colored lambs, and he placed them in the care of his sons.36 Then he put a three-day journey between himself and Jacob, while Jacob continued to tend the rest of Laban’s flocks.

37 Jacob, however, took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond and plane trees and made white stripes on them by peeling the bark and exposing the white inner wood of the branches. 38 Then he placed the peeled branches in all the watering troughs, so that they would be directly in front of the flocks when they came to drink. When the flocks were in heat and came to drink, 39 they mated in front of the branches.And they bore young that were streaked or speckled or spotted. 40 Jacob set apart the young of the flock by themselves, but made the rest face the streaked and dark-colored animals that belonged to Laban. Thus he made separate flocks for himself and did not put them with Laban’s animals. 41 Whenever the stronger females were in heat, Jacob would place the branches in the troughs in front of the animals so they would mate near the branches, 42 but if the animals were weak, he would not place them there. So the weak animals went to Laban and the strong ones to Jacob. 43 In this way the man grew exceedingly prosperous and came to own large flocks, and female and male servants, and camels and donkeys.

This is obviously an interesting passage.  Let's start first with reminding ourselves what Laban was like.  What had he done that revealed his character?

If you were to just describe his character traits how would you describe him?

What do we learn about Jacob in this passage? 

What kind of shepherd is he?

What kind of son in law?

If you were to describe his character traits how would you describe him?

What do we learn about shepherding from this passage? 

What does that tell us about our Shepherd?

Ellen White writes this...

"Christ says, “The good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth; and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the Good Shepherd, and know My sheep, and am known of Mine.” Verses 11-14. PP 191.1

Christ, the Chief Shepherd, has entrusted the care of His flock to His ministers as undershepherds; and He bids them have the same interest that He has manifested, and feel the sacred responsibility of the charge He has entrusted to them. He has solemnly commanded them to be faithful, to feed the flock, to strengthen the weak, to revive the fainting, and to shield them from devouring wolves. PP 191.2To save His sheep, Christ laid down His own life; and He points His shepherds to the love thus manifested, as their example. But “he that is an hireling, ... whose own the sheep are not,” has no real interest in the flock. He is laboring merely for gain, and he cares only for himself. He studies his own profit instead of the interest of his charge; and in time of peril or danger he will flee, and leave the flock."

She continues...

"The apostle Peter admonishes the undershepherds: “Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.” 1 Peter 5:2, 3. Paul says, “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which He hath purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.” Acts 20:28, 29. PP 191.4All who regard as an unwelcome task the care and burdens that fall to the lot of the faithful shepherd, are reproved by the apostle: “Not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind.” 1 Peter 5:2. All such unfaithful servants the Chief Shepherd would willingly release. The church of Christ has been purchased with His blood, and every shepherd should realize that the sheep under his care cost an infinite sacrifice. He should regard them each as of priceless worth, and should be unwearied in his efforts to keep them in a healthy, flourishing condition. The shepherd who is imbued with the spirit of Christ will imitate His self-denying example, constantly laboring for the welfare of his charge; and the flock will prosper under his care."

So what do we take away from this passage?

What is our responsibility?

How are we bad shepherds?

What principles can we learn from the type of shepherd Jacob was?


Now what is all this about the branches and the water trough?
Does it sound like hewy to you?

I found an interesting blog post about this subject.  He starts his post talking about how many atheists think this crazy story is just one more example of the bible being just a fanciful story.  However then he starts talking about science and some interesting things that have been found.  I have copied a short portion of what he wrote. 

Furthermore, poplar trees contain salicin (an anti-inflammatory related to aspirin). This species of poplar was the Populus alba. The almond tree is the Amygdalus communis. Notice that Jacob "stripped" them and placed them in the watering troughs, since the stripping of wood is simply a method of leaching the chemicals into the water. Thus, a fascinating 2008 paper by Joshua Backon (from the Department of Pharmaceutics at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem) was published examining this in light of recent advances in epigenetics. In this paper, Backon showcases how prenatal nutrition can affect the agouti gene that regulates fur color in both sheep and mice. The fungi that resides in the bark of these specific types of branches of poplar and almond provide the chemicals that comprise the exact amino acids to create alterations in the color of fur without having any direct affect on the DNA

So what do you think? Was Jacob tricking Laban with this deal? 
Did God tell him to do this? So was this a type of blessing to prosper Jacob?

What kind of sheep and goats was Jacob asking for?
Why?

There are a couple takeaways here for us.

1. Jacob tried to make a deal with Laban and he wisely did it in such a way that he couldn't be accused of cheating.

2.  He was willing to take what was considered "less than."

3.  Then we can assume one of two things happened.  Either he was a very smart shepherd and knew that putting those limbs in the trough would result in growing his flocks or God impressed or told him to do so.  Either way, he didn't just make a deal and then sit back and expect God to make it happen, or to prosper him.  Look, if ever it would be understandable to sit back and let God make the miracle happen, would be after making a deal that had to do with the coloration of sheep, but instead, Jacob kept working.  Tending his flocks and he prospered.

If you connect what Ellen white says about us being shepherds and how Jacob was as a shepherd what is the challenge for us? 

1. We must be wise and wisdom is something that comes from time with God, and asking for it!  Do you ask for wisdom as you work as a shepherd? 

2. Are we willing to be the shepherd for the less than desirables?  I once heard a leader talk about his flock in terms of them being such good people from good families and how proud of that he was.  I remember thinking, shouldn't we be proud of those who don't come from good backgrounds.  Shouldn't those be the ones we seek after and bring in.

3.  Are we willing to constantly be doing what we can (with God's help and wisdom) to work for those entrusted to our care?  Are we willing to be up all night, trying different types of care even different types of sticks in water to help grow our flocks?  Or are we stuck in our old ways, our safe ways, our comfortable ways? 

Let's read on...

Jacob Flees From Laban

31 Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were saying, “Jacob has taken everything our father owned and has gained all this wealth from what belonged to our father.” 2 And Jacob noticed that Laban’s attitude toward him was not what it had been.

3 Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you.”

4 So Jacob sent word to Rachel and Leah to come out to the fields where his flocks were. 5 He said to them, “I see that your father’s attitude toward me is not what it was before, but the God of my father has been with me. 6 You know that I’ve worked for your father with all my strength, 7 yet your father has cheated me by changing my wages ten times. However, God has not allowed him to harm me. 8 If he said, ‘The speckled ones will be your wages,’ then all the flocks gave birth to speckled young; and if he said, ‘The streaked ones will be your wages,’then all the flocks bore streaked young. 9 So God has taken away your father’s livestock and has given them to me.

10 “In breeding season I once had a dream in which I looked up and saw that the male goats mating with the flock were streaked, speckled or spotted. 11 The angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob.’ I answered, ‘Here I am.’ 12 And he said, ‘Look up and see that all the male goats mating with the flock are streaked, speckled or spotted, for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you. 13 I am the God of Bethel,where you anointed a pillar and where you made a vow to me. Now leave this land at once and go back to your native land.’”

14 Then Rachel and Leah replied, “Do we still have any share in the inheritance of our father’s estate? 15 Does he not regard us as foreigners? Not only has he sold us, but he has used up what was paid for us. 16 Surely all the wealth that God took away from our father belongs to us and our children. So do whatever God has told you.”

17 Then Jacob put his children and his wives on camels, 18 and he drove all his livestock ahead of him, along with all the goods he had accumulated in Paddan Aram,[a] to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan.

19 When Laban had gone to shear his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household gods. 20 Moreover, Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him he was running away. 21 So he fled with all he had, crossed the Euphrates River, and headed for the hill country of Gilead.

Laban Pursues Jacob

22 On the third day Laban was told that Jacob had fled. 23 Taking his relatives with him, he pursued Jacob for seven days and caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead. 24 Then God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and said to him, “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”

25 Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead when Laban overtook him, and Laban and his relatives camped there too. 26 Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done? You’ve deceived me, and you’ve carried off my daughters like captives in war. 27 Why did you run off secretly and deceive me? Why didn’t you tell me, so I could send you away with joy and singing to the music of timbrels and harps? 28 You didn’t even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye.You have done a foolish thing. 29 I have the power to harm you; but last night the God of your father said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’ 30 Now you have gone off because you longed to return to your father’s household. But why did you steal my gods?”

31 Jacob answered Laban, “I was afraid, because I thought you would take your daughters away from me by force. 32 But if you find anyone who has your gods, that person shall not live. In the presence of our relatives, see for yourself whether there is anything of yours here with me; and if so, take it.” Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the gods.

33 So Laban went into Jacob’s tent and into Leah’s tent and into the tent of the two female servants, but he found nothing. After he came out of Leah’s tent, he entered Rachel’s tent. 34 Now Rachel had taken the household gods and put them inside her camel’s saddle and was sitting on them. Laban searched through everything in the tent but found nothing.

35 Rachel said to her father, “Don’t be angry, my lord, that I cannot stand up in your presence; I’m having my period.” So he searched but could not find the household gods.

36 Jacob was angry and took Laban to task. “What is my crime?” he asked Laban. “How have I wronged you that you hunt me down? 37 Now that you have searched through all my goods, what have you found that belongs to your household? Put it here in front of your relatives and mine, and let them judge between the two of us.

38 “I have been with you for twenty years now. Your sheep and goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten rams from your flocks. 39 I did not bring you animals torn by wild beasts; I bore the loss myself. And you demanded payment from me for whatever was stolen by day or night.40 This was my situation: The heat consumed me in the daytime and the cold at night, and sleep fled from my eyes. 41 It was like this for the twenty years I was in your household. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks, and you changed my wages ten times. 42 If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands, and last night he rebuked you.”

43 Laban answered Jacob, “The women are my daughters, the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks. All you see is mine. Yet what can I do today about these daughters of mine, or about the children they have borne? 44 Come now, let’s make a covenant, you and I, and let it serve as a witness between us.”

45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar. 46 He said to his relatives, “Gather some stones.” So they took stones and piled them in a heap, and they ate there by the heap. 47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed.[b]

48 Laban said, “This heap is a witness between you and me today.” That is why it was called Galeed. 49 It was also called Mizpah,[c] because he said, “May the Lord keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other. 50 If you mistreat my daughters or if you take any wives besides my daughters, even though no one is with us, remember that God is a witness between you and me.”

51 Laban also said to Jacob, “Here is this heap, and here is this pillar I have set up between you and me. 52 This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not go past this heap to your side to harm you and that you will not go past this heap and pillar to my side to harm me. 53 May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.”

So Jacob took an oath in the name of the Fear of his father Isaac. 54 He offered a sacrifice there in the hill country and invited his relatives to a meal. After they had eaten, they spent the night there.

55 Early the next morning Laban kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them. Then he left and returned home.

So what do we take away from this chapter?

What do we learn about the character of both wives?

Does it bother you that Rachel isn't caught?

Has it ever bothered you when you see people getting away with wrongs and those doing right seem to loose out?

Was this a moment of grace for Rachel? 

Can you imagine how Leah must have felt?

In this passage we also learn more about the type of shepherd Jacob was.  Wow.  What a challenge for us all!

This chapter ends with a covenant and which is the beginning of a new chapter for Jacob and his family.  They leave one place and head onto another.  I can relate to that this week.  I left one chapter and headed into another one this week. Two weeks ago I turned 50, and last Sunday was my last day working at MPA.  Leaving chapters and moving into another one can be challenging, but is also beautiful and refreshing. 

What do you think this "new chapter" was like for Jacob? 

Was he excited to head home or did he dread it?

We will look at that more next week, but one thing is for sure he was willing to make this oath, to clearly state that he will not go back and harm Laban, and that Laban will not pass that point to harm Jacob.  

Do you ever wish you could have such an oath, a promise that you will only move forward into a new life and that you will leave the old behind and it also will not come after you?  

I know that God has called each and everyone of us into a new life just as he told Jacob to go into his new life.  He is asking you today, and me today to not look back, to not go back but to keep moving forward.  To go where He is leading us and to do so regardless of our fears or the unknown.  

What new chapter is God leading you into?

Are you willing to do the hard work?

Are you willing to go even though there are no guarantees? 

Are you willing to live as He is calling you to live?

KNOW LOVE.

LIVE LOVE.

SHARE LOVE.