Today’s Devotion
Topic: The God of Bethel
(Part 5)
(Self Assessment 156)
Background: Jacob has served Laban for so many years, now he wants to start a family of his own. However, Laban is reluctant because it is because of Jacob he has been blessed. He persuaded Jacob to stay and name what he (Laban) should give him in return.
“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: Let me go through all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-coloured lamb and every spotted or speckled goat. They will be my wages. 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-coloured, will be considered stolen.”
“Agreed,” said Laban. “Let it be as you have said.” However, that same day Laban 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-coloured lambs, and he placed them in the care of his sons. Then he put a three-day journey between himself and Jacob, while Jacob continued to tend the rest of Laban’s flocks.
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. 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, they mated in front of the branches. And they bore young that were streaked or speckled or spotted. Jacob set apart the young of the flock by themselves, but made the rest face the streaked and dark-coloured animals that belonged to Laban.
Thus he made separate flocks for himself and did not put them with Laban’s animals. In this way the man (Jacob) grew exceedingly prosperous and came to own large flocks, and female and male servants, and camels and donkeys.” (Gen 30: 31b-40, 43).
Let us zoom straight into our weekly Bible study and find out Laban’s reaction when he discovered that the man he tried to outsmart and exploit has become greater than he is.
Text: Genesis 31: 1- 13
1 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.’” Amen
Questions:
i) Why do you think it was easier for Laban’s son to think of Jacob as the one who has taken what their father owned than the one through whom their father has been blessed? Did they not see the exploitation of their father against Jacob? Did they not see Jacob working hard just to meet their father’s demands? How come all of those meant nothing to their conclusion?
ii) Why do you think Laban’s attitude changed towards Jacob as stated in verse 2?
iii) In verse 3, the Lord instructs Jacob ‘it’s time to leave’. What can we say regarding this to the benefit of all who are where they feel they are not being treated fairly, although they also know it was God who placed them there?
iv) Read verses 5- 9. What can you say about the God of Bethel turning every circumstance around for our good?
v) Read verse 10- 13 again. So it was God all along? He was seeing everything Laban was doing to Jacob? It was He who made majority of the flock either streaked, speckled or spotted? What can we then say to encourage all who feel mistreated and exploited?
vi) What have you learnt from today’s discussion?
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