Jacob And Laban Round 2 - Gen. 30:25-43

There are some passages of scripture that are clear and straightforward and then there is Gen. 30:25-43.
When reading and thinking through a passage like we must not only ask what the main point is but what is the main theme or point of the book of the bible it’s in. Remember we’ve focused on Genesis to highlight the theme that God has one people that are saved by one plan through one man Jesus Christ.

Along with that we’ve seen how some of the main themes of scripture get their start in this book of beginnings. Thus, we have explored the nature of scripture, God, the person and work of Christ, humanity, sin, salvation, God’s covenants, marriage, mission, ethnicity, worldliness, sexuality, judgment and worship. Having now come to Abraham’s dysfunctional children we’re now dealing with the subject of growth or maturity in Christ. You’ll find this subject throughout scripture where many times it’s called sanctification.

At this point in Genesis and history God is unfolding His plan by choosing Abraham and making him into a great nation. This greatness will come strictly by God’s sovereign grace and power. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were chosen by God’s grace in that there wasn’t anything within them that caused God to choose them for salvation. Beyond that each proved that apart from God he would not have the knowledge, wisdom, morality or power to grow and become a great nation. God who called Abraham, Isaac and Jacob must also be present with and keep them throughout the time they lived as foreigners in the land of promise. And these chapters that record the important events of Jacob’s life reinforce and highlight the truths that God is completely and independently sovereign.

By sovereign I mean that God because He is God can act with, in, through or apart from His people, those opposed to His people, inanimate creation, animate creation, nations and empires to accomplish His purpose independently. I say independently to stress that God doesn’t need anyone’s permission nor is He dependent on anyone’s actions or even their faith to act at anytime within His creation.

We see that in so many ways within these chapters that record some of the years of Jacob’s life. God blessed Jacob to marry Laban’s daughters. God gives Leah children thus beginning Jacob’s family. God also blesses Rachael and Leah’s servants to have children and eventually when God is ready He blesses Rachael to have a son whose name is Joseph.
God blesses Jacob’s work in shepherding. The blessing is so evident that both Jacob and Laban know it’s the Lord.
And God blesses, protects and prospers Jacob even through Laban’s latest scheme to cheat him once more.

Do you see the sovereign, gracious and powerful hand of God in your life? You might say I don’t know because I’ve had a hard life. Perhaps, but so did Jacob. Remember these weren’t easy years for him and yet just because they weren’t easy didn’t mean that God was not with him nor does it mean that just because your life has been or is difficult now that God isn’t with and at work in you. So I’ll ask you again, do you see the sovereign, gracious and powerful hand of God in your life? And if so does that knowledge move and motivate you to submit to Him completely? If it doesn’t why not?

We’ve been looking at how God was working in Jacob’s life to unfold His plan of salvation for the world and how that impacted Jacob’s life for his own growth in godliness. We first looked at Jacob’s dealings with Laban in the second half of Gen. 29. And from that passage we focused on getting real with and getting rid of sin. We looked at how Laban’s sin affected Jacob and how the Lord used that teach Jacob something about sin.

First sin is an offense against the living God. Sin biblically speaking, is not only the absence of good. It also entails our active opposition to God. It is, then, the defiance of his authority, the rejection of his truth, the challenge to his sovereignty in which we set ourselves up in life to live the way we want to live. It is the way we wrench ourselves free from obedience to him, cut ourselves off from his grasp, and refuse to let him be God. It is therefore all the ways we live life on our own terms, to our own ends, with accountability to no one but ourselves. (David Wells - The Courage To Be Protestant)

Are you getting real with and in the process of getting rid of sin? Do you know your own sinful patterns, habits and ways and do you really want to stop living in them? Remember, if you are not in the process of getting real with and getting rid of sin you can be assured that sin is in the process of destroying you. God who made you is right when He said to Cain The Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7  If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it." Gen. 4:6-7.

We now come to Genesis 30 where once again Jacob has to deal with Laban. Now our focus is on recognizing our growth issues. Don’t forget we’re getting real with sin and recognizing our issues of growth so that we might continue to grow to be more and more like Jesus Christ

Our goal in sanctification is to strive toward biblical growth which develops into Christ-like character that is put into practice in the everyday events and relationships that God has sovereignly placed in our lives so that we will bring Him glory and more accurately live lives worthy of the gospel.

The story is organized in three scenes.
Scene one is the agreement between Jacob and Laban, vss. 25-34.
Scene two which is the shortest, yet is important to the story is Laban’s attempt to cheat Jacob once more, vss. 35-36.
Scene three is how God works through Jacob’s wisdom and plan to bless Jacob. vss. 37-43.

The story shows us how Jacob is learning to depend on the Lord. This is crucial to his growth for Jacob will not grow and develop in the Lord if he continues to lean on his old ways of deceit.
As soon as Rachel had borne Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, "Send me away, that I may go to my own home and country. 26 Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, that I may go, for you know the service that I have given you." Gen. 30:25-26.

Jacob approaches Laban and is ready to leave. He’s fulfilled his obligation to him even though Laban deceived him into seven more years of service. Jacob however has served his time and now wishes to go with his wives and children for which he served Laban. Note that Jacob isn’t asking anything else from Laban than what he’s due under their agreement.

Jacob therefore shows growth in this way. He doesn’t ask for or try to trick Laban out of any of the wealth that he made for him. Before he arrived at his uncle's Jacob was a man who knew how to take advantage of a good opportunity. Jacob is content to get what he agreed to and therefore to depend on the Lord to fulfill His promise of blessing He made to him.

But even before that Jacob didn’t try to cheat Laban by not working hard. The term translated service in vs. 26 refers to daily, hard work in the fields. Jacob has worked hard for Laban. He has served him faithfully and honestly. In his work Jacob looked out for Laban’s best interest and did what he could increase the bottom line of Laban’s business.

Jacob realizes that though he’s worked hard it was the Lord that had blessed his efforts. In these years Jacob has come to learn something about himself and God. It was something however that he’d probably heard about concerning his father and grandfather. Both Abraham and Isaac started out with some amount of cattle and livestock, but what they had multiplied through God’s blessing of their work. While Jacob had no doubt heard of this he had not yet placed his faith in God to see if it would prove true for him. At one point he was convinced that the pathway to his own earthly abundance and security lay through his own deceitful schemes. Though it took several years he’s now learned that God can and will bless his work and provide for him and his family.

And I think we can see an example of how Jacob is learning to put his trust in God in vss. 32-33 let me pass through all your flock today, removing from it every speckled and spotted sheep and every black lamb, and the spotted and speckled among the goats, and they shall be my wages. 33 So my honesty will answer for me later, when you come to look into my wages with you. Every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats and black among the lambs, if found with me, shall be counted stolen.

Jacob has grown from a man willing to live by deceit into one who is learning to depend on the Lord and thus willing to let his honesty speak for him. Jacob puts himself in a position where he can once again be cheated and taken advantage of but is not willing to use deceit to get himself out of this situation. If Jacob is to leave Laban with anything at all it will be because God has blessed him to do so.

What is your growth issue? There found all over in scripture. And we know that God will intentionally put us in situations and circumstances where these issues can rise to the surface. One passage that lists several growth issues is Col. 3.
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Col. 3:1-3.

1) Where is your attitude, what are you appetites and what are you living for?

2) A biblical, godly and Christ-centered view of sexuality. Is life about sensuality?

3) A biblical godly and Christ-centered view of things. Is bling your thing? Is life about getting and having things?

4) A biblical, godly and Christ-centered view of peacemaking. How do you handle conflict? Is life about getting back, getting even and getting revenge?

5) A biblical, godly, and Christ-centered view of truth. Is life about getting over?

Why did Jacob enter into an agreement with a man whom he knew would cheat him if given the chance? And once he did why did Jacob remain in the agreement? Jacob's no dummy, I'm sure he knew that Laban had taken all of the spotted and speckled sheep out first. Jacob knew that he could not entrust himself to an evil, greedy man like Laban and yet he continued to work for him. Why? Perhaps because Jacob is learning that while he can't depend on his own flesh and blood he can depend on the God who made a covenant with him.

And thus like his great descendent Jesus Christ Jacob in this instance of his life places his fate in the hands of God.

For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. 1 Peter. 2:21-25.

To Him Who Loves Us...
Pastor Lance