A False Apreciation Will Get Its Reward

Genesis 30:25-43

25 Soon after Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Please release me so I can go home to my own country. 26 Let me take my wives and children, for I have earned them by serving you, and let me be on my way. You certainly know how hard I have worked for you.”

27 “Please listen to me,” Laban replied. “I have become wealthy, for the Lord has blessed me because of you. 28 Tell me how much I owe you. Whatever it is, I’ll pay it.”

29 Jacob replied, “You know how hard I’ve worked for you, and how your flocks and herds have grown under my care. 30 You had little indeed before I came, but your wealth has increased enormously. The Lord has blessed you through everything I’ve done. But now, what about me? When can I start providing for my own family?”

31 “What wages do you want?” Laban asked again.

Jacob replied, “Don’t give me anything. Just do this one thing, and I’ll continue to tend and watch over your flocks. 32 Let me inspect your flocks today and remove all the sheep and goats that are speckled or spotted, along with all the black sheep. Give these to me as my wages. 33 In the future, when you check on the animals you have given me as my wages, you’ll see that I have been honest. If you find in my flock any goats without speckles or spots, or any sheep that are not black, you will know that I have stolen them from you.”

34 “All right,” Laban replied. “It will be as you say.” 35 But that very day Laban went out and removed the male goats that were streaked and spotted, all the female goats that were speckled and spotted or had white patches, and all the black sheep. He placed them in the care of his own sons, 36 who took them a three-days’ journey from where Jacob was. Meanwhile, Jacob stayed and cared for the rest of Laban’s flock.

37 Then Jacob took some fresh branches from poplar, almond, and plane trees and peeled off strips of bark, making white streaks on them. 38 Then he placed these peeled branches in the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink, for that was where they mated. 39 And when they mated in front of the white-streaked branches, they gave birth to young that were streaked, speckled, and spotted. 40 Jacob separated those lambs from Laban’s flock. And at mating time he turned the flock to face Laban’s animals that were streaked or black. This is how he built his own flock instead of increasing Laban’s.

41 Whenever the stronger females were ready to mate, Jacob would place the peeled branches in the watering troughs in front of them. Then they would mate in front of the branches. 42 But he didn’t do this with the weaker ones, so the weaker lambs belonged to Laban, and the stronger ones were Jacob’s. 43 As a result, Jacob became very wealthy, with large flocks of sheep and goats, male and female servants, and many camels and donkeys.

What I see happening here in this story is a man who had very little, swindled another man into working for him for 14 years, becomes wealthy because of another man's work and still tries to swindle him again. Apparently Laban thinks the only way to get things in life is by swindling others. Jacob was known to swindle a blessing from his father, but in his dealings with Laban he appeared to be a hard working man. Because the blessing of the Lord was on Jacob his father-in-law prospered greatly.

In verses 27 and 28 Laban pretty much admits where his wealth has come from, but they appear to be empty words. The Word speaks about what will happen if you do this:

Proverbs 28:11

11 Rich people may think they are wise, but a poor person with discernment can see right through them.

Proverbs 29:6

6 Evil people are trapped by sin, but the righteous escape, shouting for joy.

Laban thinks he is wise by trying to hide all the goats and sheep that matched what Jacob had said would be his payment for the work he had done. Not only did this plan backfire on Laban, but Jacob saw right through his father-in-law's worthless words and became more wealthy than him. Why would Laban think that Jacob would not have known that he had done what he did? Jacob was the one who was tending to the flocks and knew what was there.

I know that he would have known because when I was growing up on the farm we knew what animals we had, we knew when a calf was born who their mother was by looking at them and we knew if there was anything wrong with our herds. When you spend time with the animals that you tend you get to know them. You know their markings, their way of how they do things, etc. You learn when something is wrong with them and try to prevent bad things from happening to them.

I don't know how Laban thought he would be able to get away with his plan. Jacob saw what had happened and the Lord gave him wisdom as to how to handle the situation. Notice what Jacob didn't do, complain. He didn't run to Laban and accuse him of swindling him, again. He didn't pray to God to smite Laban. He didn't run around and tell everyone what Laban had done to him and how unfair that was. He stayed and cared for the rest of the flock. He was rewarded for his loyalty to his word with his father-in-law, despite the way he was treated.

Proverbs 27:18 speaks to this:

18 As workers who tend a fig tree are allowed to eat the fruit, so workers who protect their employer’s interests will be rewarded.

These words in Proverbs were written many centuries after Jacob had lived his life. Maybe it was Jacob who inspired these verses to be written?

Lord, I pray that I have the discernment to see through the devilish wisdom that some will use to entrap me or swindle me. I pray that Your wisdom will flow through me in my everyday life so that I will increase in all areas of my life. It is by Your plan that I will succeed and by Your grace that I have the ability to increase. I thank You this day for Your Word and for Your revealing timeless truths to me each day. Continue to reveal more of Yourself to me through the Word and Your Holy Spirit. I praise You and glorify You more today than I did yesterday. Amen.