Chapter 29:31 – 30:24 ~ the baby war

RachelRachel (the barren)(the barren)Joseph Joseph

LeahLeah (the unloved)(the unloved)Reuben Reuben Simeon Simeon Levi Levi Judah Judah Issachar Issachar Zebulun Zebulun DinahDinah

BilhahBilhah Dan Dan Naphtali Naphtali

ZipahZipah Gad Gad AsherAsher

25After Rachel gave birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me on my way so I can go back to my own homeland.

Jacob desires to get back to where his home really is now that his chosen heir is born.

The land is the place of promise, where he belongs.

25After Rachel gave birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me on my way so I can go back to my own homeland. 26Give 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.”

25After Rachel gave birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me on my way so I can go back to my own homeland. 26Give 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.” 27But 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.” 28He added, “Name your wages, and I will pay them.”

Laban did worship idols, but “divination” could simply refer to careful reflection.Let us make another deal!

31:41 – Consistent changing of the terms for 20 years.

25After Rachel gave birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me on my way so I can go back to my own homeland. 26Give 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.” 27But 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.” 28He added, “Name your wages, and I will pay them.” 29Jacob said to him, “You know how I have worked for you and how your livestock has fared under my care. 30The 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. ~~~~~~~~~~~

The Joseph principle.

With what shall I bribe you to stay?

“Don’t give me anything,” Jacob replied. “

~~~~~~~~~~~Abraham to the King of Sodom.

(Take nothing from an evil man. There will be strings.)

““Don’t give me anything,” Jacob replied. “But if you Don’t give me anything,” Jacob replied. “But if you will do this one thing for me, I will go on tending your will do this one thing for me, I will go on tending your flocks and watching over them: flocks and watching over them: 3232Let me go through Let me go through all your flocks today and remove from them every all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb and every spotted or speckled goat.and every spotted or speckled goat. They will be my They will be my wages.wages.

““Don’t give me anything,” Jacob replied. “But if you Don’t give me anything,” Jacob replied. “But if you will do this one thing for me, I will go on tending your will do this one thing for me, I will go on tending your flocks and watching over them: flocks and watching over them: 3232Let me go through Let me go through all your flocks today and remove from them every all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb and every spotted or speckled goat.and every spotted or speckled goat. They will be my They will be my wages.wages. 3333And my honesty will testify for me in the And my honesty will testify for me in the future, future,

Honesty has been needed in his life . . .Honesty has been needed in his life . . .

“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: 32Let 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. 33And 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.”

Jacob says: give me the extreme minority of the sheep.

Jacob chooses to trust God to provide with little.

Beware the agreement of an evil man . . .

“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: 32Let 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. 33And 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.” 35That 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.

Laban has not changed his cheating heart.

“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: 32Let 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. 33And 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.” 35That 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. 36Then he put a three-day journey between himself and Jacob, while Jacob continued to tend the rest of Laban’s flocks.

37Jacob, 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. 38Then 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.

37Jacob, 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. 38Then 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, 39they mated in front of the branches. And they bore young that were streaked or speckled or spotted.

From what we know of genetics, the branches had nothing to do with what kind of lambs/kids were born. God is in control of the natural process in order to bless Jacob, Inc., in spite of Laban’s cheating.

37Jacob, 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. 38Then 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, 39they mated in front of the branches. And they bore young that were streaked or speckled or spotted.

~~~~~~~~~~~~Genesis 31:10-13“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. The angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob.’ I answered, ‘Here I am.’ 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. 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.’ ”

37Jacob, 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. 38Then 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, 39they mated in front of the branches. And they bore young that were streaked or speckled or spotted. 40Jacob set apart the young of the flock by themselves, but made the rest face the streaked and dark-colored animals that belonged to Laban.

He separates his sheep into their own spotted/striped flock, which does bring a recessive trait into the foreground.

37Jacob, 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. 38Then 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, 39they mated in front of the branches. And they bore young that were streaked or speckled or spotted. 40Jacob 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. 41Whenever 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, 42but if the animals were weak, he would not place them there. So the weak animals went to Laban and the strong ones to Jacob. ~~~~~~~~~~~~

Again, the branch thing does not work, but God’s superintending does.

43In this way the man grew exceedingly prosperous and came to own large flocks, and maidservants and menservants, and camels and donkeys.

God enables him to become fully independent from Laban and gives enough provision to get the family through tough times yet to come.

Develop and maintain integrity.

Jacob seems to have done this seeing that he calls Laban to acknowledge his honesty in spite of Laban’s swindling.

Develop and maintain integrity:

God can provide in the midst of folks working against you.

Psalm 56:1-6Be merciful to me, O God, Be merciful to me, O God, for men hotly pursue me;for men hotly pursue me; all day long they press their all day long they press their attack.attack. My slanderers pursue me all day My slanderers pursue me all day long;long; many are attacking me in many are attacking me in their pride.their pride. When I am afraid,When I am afraid, I will trust in you.I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise,In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be in God I trust; I will not be afraid.afraid. What can mortal man do to What can mortal man do to me?me? All day long they twist my words;All day long they twist my words;

they are always plotting to they are always plotting to harm me. harm me. They conspire, they lurk, They conspire, they lurk, they watch my steps,they watch my steps, eager to take my life.eager to take my life.

Develop and maintain integrity:

God can provide in the midst of folks working against you.

Psalm 118:5-9In my anguish I cried to the In my anguish I cried to the LORD, LORD, and he answered by setting and he answered by setting me free. me free. The LORD is with me; I will not The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. be afraid. What can man do to me?What can man do to me? The LORD is with me; he is my The LORD is with me; he is my helper.helper. I will look in triumph on my I will look in triumph on my enemies.enemies.

It is better to take refuge in the It is better to take refuge in the LORD LORD than to trust in man.than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the It is better to take refuge in the LORD LORD than to trust in princes.than to trust in princes.

Develop and maintain integrity:

God can provide in the midst of folks working against you.

Laban probably tried the branches strategy on his flocks to no affect whatsoever. This would have conveyed to Laban, Inc. that God’s hand upon Jacob, Inc. was the determining factor of his success.

Recall that Pharaoh's magicians could duplicate some of the plagues (staff to a snake, Nile to blood and frogs). Once they were bested, they said, “This is the finger of God!”.

20/30 years later, Joseph’s labor in Egypt is honored by God.

Develop and maintain integrity:

God can provide in the midst of folks working against you.

Expect your godly efforts to be more fruitful than those of others. Deuteronomy 28:1-14

Folks should see and acknowledge: “This is the hand of God.”

Develop and maintain integrity:

God can provide in the midst of folks working against you.

It is the working of God that matters (sometimes regardless of human efforts and strategies)

Deuteronomy 7:7-8 The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. 8But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore to your forefathers that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

Develop and maintain integrity:

God can provide in the midst of folks working against you.

It is the working of God that matters (sometimes regardless of human efforts and strategies)

2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

Develop and maintain integrity:

God can provide in the midst of folks working against you.

It is the working of God that matters (sometimes regardless of human efforts and strategies)

Moses the bold leader-type. (“Um, who made your mouth?”)Gideon the brave! (“I will be with you!”)David the warrior for the sheep!

I Samuel 17:37 ~ “The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”

Develop and maintain integrity:

God can provide in the midst of folks working against you.

It is the working of God that matters (sometimes regardless of human efforts and strategies)

Moses the bold leader-type. (“Um, who made your mouth?”)Gideon the brave! (“I will be with you!”)David the warrior for the sheep! Jesus, the unschooled peasant sinner-lover from Nazareth.

Proverbs 3:1-12 My son, do not forget my teaching,

but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years

and bring you prosperity.

Let love and faithfulness never leave you;

bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your

heart. Then you will win favor and a good name

in the sight of God and man.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own

understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:1-12Do not be wise in your own eyes;

fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body

and nourishment to your bones.

Honor the LORD with your wealth,

with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing,

and your vats will brim over with new wine.My son, do not despise the LORD'S discipline

and do not resent his rebuke, because the LORD disciplines those he loves,

as a father the son he delights in.

This is not a prosperity teaching, but that general principle that as you trust God and seek to honor him in your daily life, he has your back, seeing that as one who seeks to follow Jesus, you are in the line of Abraham.

Develop and maintain integrity.

Trust in God’s provision in the chaos.

Give glory to God, taking none for yourself.

Wait, and see what he does.