AP

Genesis 30:31-33   “What shall I give you?” [Laban] asked.  “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 spot ted, or any lamb that is not dark-coloured, will be considered stolen.”

I really struggle to understand what is going on between Jacob and Laban and their livestock.  I have never studied biology, and I know nothing about animal husbandry, but one thing seems fairly clear:  These two very ambitious men are desperately trying to appear generous to each other while at the same time covertly manipulating circumstances to their own personal advantage.  In a similar fashion, earlier in the chapter, Jacob’s two wives, Laban’s daughters, Leah and Rachel, were involved in their own little competition for their husband’s love, affection and approval.  Regardless of the ‘science’ behind any aphrodisiac effects of the mandrakes (verses 14-16) and the stripping of the bark from poplar, almond and plane tree branches (verses 37-43), it is obvious that jealousy and greed play a very powerful part in their (and our) fallen nature.

And we have further evidence of the ‘fallenness’ of our human nature in the dynamics of Jacob’s 12 sons growing up in a household with four different mothers competing with one another.

All this made me reflect on how much we all depend on the power of the Gospel and the Holy Spirit’s work in us if we are going to make any headway in the task of doing what the Holy Spirit commands through the Apostle Paul: “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.” (Colossians 3:5); and “Be devoted to one another in love. Honour one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord.  Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.  Share with the Lord’s people who are in need.  Practise hospitality.” (Romans 12:10-11).

Thank you, Heavenly Father, for sending Jesus to die in order to rescue us from ourselves, and to enable us to get rid of the various ‘Rachel-Leah’ and ‘Jacob-Laban’ tensions that are so much a part of our fallen nature in community, and even in families.  By your grace, may we see some progress in the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit in us that will enable us to live in blessed harmony with one another!- Bruce Christian