City Life Starter

Written by Paul Lane

The Word

²⁵ 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.” ²⁷ But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your sight, I have learned by divination that the Lord has blessed me because of you. ²⁸ Name your wages, and I will give it.” ²⁹ Jacob said to him, “You yourself know how I have served you, and how your livestock has fared with me. ³⁰ For you had little before I came, and it has increased abundantly, and the Lord has blessed you wherever I turned. But now when shall I provide for my own household also?” ³¹ He said, “What shall I give you?” Jacob said, “You shall not give me anything. If you will do this for me, I will again pasture your flock and keep it: ³² 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.” ³⁴ Laban said, “Good! Let it be as you have said.” ³⁵ But that day Laban removed the male goats that were striped and spotted, and all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had white on it, and every lamb that was black, and put them in the charge of his sons. ³⁶ And he set a distance of three days’ journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob pastured the rest of Laban’s flock.

Genesis 30:25-36 ESV

²⁵ With the faithful You show Yourself faithful;
With the blameless You prove Yourself blameless;
²⁶ With the pure You show Yourself pure,
And with the crooked You show Yourself astute.

Psalm 18:25-26 NASB

Reflection

Ok, so Jacob was tricked when Laban slipped Leah into the marriage chamber instead of Rachel.  Then he worked for years to pay off the debt, and he was faithful to his uncle.  While Laban knows that this has been a good deal, he must know that Jacob will not be happy to stay working like this forever.  So, a new deal must be made.  He tells Jacob to make an offer.  In business, it is said that the first one to make an offer loses, which is probably why Laban is pushing the issue.  And the offer that Jacob makes probably sounded pretty good.  Jacob is willing to take the imperfect, or less desirable livestock, but also, the enforcement mechanism is very clear.  If Jacob has any perfect animals, then Jacob must have stolen them.  Given that theft is the main concern, this seems to be a great deal to Laban.

The thing that kicks it up a notch is that Laban is in control of the flock.  He is able to change the game a bit by having his sons sneak away with the animals that would go to Jacob.  So, it seems that Jacob will have nothing, and the punishment for his deeds will continue.

At this point you should ask yourself two questions: 1) Has Jacob been punished enough for his previous deeds? 2) Has the character of Jacob changed?  I’m not sure there can be a clear answer for the first question. When have any of us been punished enough? But as to the second question, I think the answer is, not quite yet.  It’s coming.

Application

In this story, I think we are being asked to consider our own lives and the work of redemption that the Lord is doing.  Are there old ways in your life to which you are unwilling to release?  When you are faced with a difficult situation do you turn to your old ways, or do you turn to the Lord?  Are you willing to trust the Lord’s way, which may not seem as effective as the way you have always done things?

Yes, I know.  These are not easy questions.  But these are the questions the followers of Christ must ask, continually, as one taking up their cross.  The first step is to learn to turn to the Lord for His leading, unlike what we see Jacob and Laban doing here.  It is in the learning to be innocent in the midst of a crooked world, that we learn to hear and follow the voice of the Lord.

This weekend we went hiking in the hills north of Austin, Texas.  Sometimes the trails were very easy to follow, but sometimes it was very difficult to see it.  Though, if you slowed down, usually you could pick it up without too much trouble.  Let the Lord be your shepherd, slow down and listen, and you will find that his voice is much easier to understand, and His path is something that you can follow.

Prayer

Dear Lord, I thank You that You are my shepherd, that You lead me in paths of righteousness, and that You attend to all that I need.  Speak kindly to me and give me the strength and wisdom to follow Your voice always.  In Jesus name, amen.