Bible Study Online ArticleLocated at the Bottom of Page In the last article we learned that Jacob had proposed a counter-offer that he'd received from God to Laban's latest proposal. Jacob's counter-offer dealt with him receiving all the newly "spotted and speckled" that were born from out of the flock that he'd tended.
Under this new counter-proposal that was being offered by Jacob - these newly born "spotted and speckled" would be his wages for continuing to stay on and tend Laban's flocks. Laban knew that history showed that newly born were primarily born solid in color, and it was rare that they were born "spotted and speckled". Because of this, Laban jumped at this deal - for he felt that he would be getting Jacob's services for next to nothing. But as time went on, we would find that Laban's assessment of this new deal would turn out to be wrong. For we find that within six years after he'd made this new deal with Laban - Jacob would finally bear prosperous fruit from his overall ordeal with Laban. In short, Jacob was now a very wealthy man. And it was all made possible through the vision that God had given to Jacob which led to the new business agreement with Laban. And now that Jacob had become very wealthy, we also find that the business relationship between him and Laban would begin to sour. This is why we find Laban's sons saying things like: "Jacob has taken everything our father owned and has gained all this wealth from what belonged to our father." Now if you don't mind, I would like to take this moment and point out some things that I find to be very interesting from within this recorded account. For I find it disappointing that those who teach and preach this account, present it in such a way that depicts Jacob as being a deceiver. And for those that have been traveling along with me, as we journey throughout the Sacred Scriptures, you should know by now that I've been defending Jacob and actions for some time now. And now, once more, I find that I must stand by him and go against the majority when it comes to this situation as well. For it appears that those who are teaching and preaching this record, in such a way that depicts Jacob as a deceiver, would seem to forget that everything that Jacob had done when it came to him presenting a counter-proposal that called for him to accept the spotted, streaked and speckled young as his wages, was done through the guidance of the Lord, from a dream that God had given him. "In breeding season I once had a dream in which I looked up and saw that the male goats mating wit the flock were streaked, speckled or spotted. The angel of God said to me in the dream, 'Jacob.' I answered, 'Here I am.' 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. 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.'" -- (Genesis 31:10-13) Now I don't want to get too far ahead of where we're at from within the account, but in order to make my point I wanted to reveal that particular Scripture a little bit earlier than anticipated. However... Let's go back to when Jacob and Laban had made the new deal and let's do a quick summary. For we find that after Jacob had worked honestly and hard for Laban for the last fourteen years, the Sacred Record reveals how Laban had prospered because of Jacob. Now remember when I kept pointing out that Jacob wanted to get Laban on record when it came to him acknowledging all that Jacob had done for him the last fourteen years? This was the reason why? For it dealt with the time that Laban had came to Jacob and pleaded with him to stay and continue on managing his flocks. And it also dealt with the success record that Jacob had accomplished throughout the years when it came to those flocks as well. And it was because of Jacob's successful track record when it came to those flocks, that Laban was willing to pay him a top salary. And because of the dream that Jacob had, in which God had showed him a vision, that dealt with the young that were spotted, speckled and streaked. And after seeing this vision, Jacob would take advantage of what God had shown him. And this is what lead to him making Laban a counter-proposal when it came to his wages, instead of accepting a high paying salary. And of course Laban would quickly accept the deal, for he felt that since the spotted, speckled and streaked young were so few in number, he would be paying Jacob next to nothing for his expert services. The first mistake that Laban would make, is when he'd separated the majority of his flock and put them under the management of his sons, and placed a three day journey between them and Jacob. By Laban doing this, he thought that he would be taking the advantage away from his son-in-law by giving Jacob less to work with. But instead, he ended up hurting himself when he placed the majority of his flocks under the control his sons. And by doing so Laban had instantly put his business in a state of stagnation. For his sons would be considered amateurs when compared to Jacob. And as a matter of fact, before Jacob had came on the scene - Laban's sons weren't even running the flocks at that time either - it was his daughter, and Jacob's wife Rachel. You see, Laban thought that if took away what Jacob had built for him during the past fourteen years, and force Jacob to start from scratch when it came to the flocks he managed, that it would somehow limit Jacob's wages. But as time went on Laban would soon find out, he thought wrong. Now when it came to Jacob's own flock, which consisted of just the spotted, speckled and the streaked young. Jacob would simply be a good steward of what was rightfully his and since it was his own personal flock, he took more aggressive measures when it came to them. This is where the "mating branches techniques" would be applied. And let's not forget, the "mental focus methods" he would use on the female livestock, in hopes of getting them to give birth to spotted, speckled and the streaked young. Which was perhaps an overreach on Jacob's part, being that God had already shown him what his results were going to be in the first place. So bottom line, if Jacob wanted to risk the health of his own flock by using aggressive methods and techniques, than... that's his business. And fortunately for him - it paid off. Remember in my last article, I gave Jacob the credit of being what you would call "a master shepherd" and I still stand by that comment, even though he had guidance from the Lord from that dream that God had given him. Now the reason why I stand by the statement, is for the mere fact that God did not tell Jacob how to manage the flock. He simply showed Jacob what his results were going to be. But know that it would still take the skill and knowledge that Jacob had acquired throughout the years, when it came to his craft in order for him to pull it off. Now within the Sacred Record I did not read anything that would suggest that Laban did not have any progress when it came to his flocks. For I like to believe that he did have some, but when he compared his results with Jacob's - he simply wasn't happy with how his results matched up with Jacob's overall success. Remember that because of Jacob, Laban had been very prosperous during the last fourteen years. But it would be through greed, that he decides to have Jacob start from scratch when it came to his flocks, therefore placing the majority of his flocks under the control of his sons. And like I stated earlier, this would be a huge mistake on Laban's part, for it caused his business to go into a state of stagnation. I stand by that statement, being that within the Sacred Record there's no indication that Laban's son's had did well, when it came to managing their father flocks. Know that Jacob was just being obedient and following what the Lord had shown him. And it's for these reasons I can't agree with calling him a "deceiver" in this particular situation. As a matter of fact, it was because of his honesty, work-ethic and humbleness, the Lord had provided and blessed him in a very special way. As for Laban - he simply reaped a bad harvest from all the bad seeds he had sown against Jacob during fourteen of the past twenty years. Remember that Laban had did well while Jacob was managing his business, but it was Laban's greed that would eventually cause him to lose all that he had gain under his son-in-law. Now that the business agreement has begun to go sour between Jacob and Laban, what will be Jacob's next move? And how will Laban react to it? **YOUR CURRENT BIBLE STUDY ONLINE SERIES WOULD BE HERE** 43) Jacob - The Path of Uncertainty 44) Jacob - The Stone Pillow Dream 46) Jacob - The Love Season of Reaping 50) The Mandrake Plant of Love 54) <-CURRENT BIBLE STUDY ONLINE PAGE->  |
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