OF FLOCKS AND DEALS (30:25-43)
Neal Pollard
Two horse traders lock horns! It is hard to say who was more duplicitous in his dealings with the other, as a case could be made both ways. Now that Jacob has a tent full of children and a virtual harem, not to mention that he had devoted at least a decade and a half of service on Laban’s spread, he is ready to provide for his own household also (30). That will require “income,” and the source of that is the “cattle” (29), “sheep,” and “goats” (32-33). Jacob appeals to his years of service (26), which both men acknowledge had greatly enriched Laban (27,29-30).
Jacob proposes a deal that seems strange to us today and that had to have had the hand of God in it to succeed. Laban wants to know what Jacob wants (31), and Jacob says, “let me pass through your entire flock today, removing from there every speckled and spotted sheep and every black one among the lambs and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and such shall be my wages” (32). Some suggest that these were the rarer colors and types of the sheep, lambs, and goats of the time and place. Whether or not it was, it provided clear delineation between the two men’s flocks. Jacob would tend these livestock and take only the offspring as he describes them and the two men agree upon (33-35). Mathews remarks, “In the future any animals that were found among Jacob’s personal herd that were not of the uncommon varieties must be considered stolen (v. 33). Jacob presumed that Laban would periodically inspect his flocks. By this openness, Jacob wanted to avert any unjust charges of fraud leveled against him. He anticipated trouble with Laban’s family, and he was not far from the mark” (NAC, Vol. 1B, p. 499).
Throughout this process, each man will try to outmaneuver and outsmart the other. Each is trying to have the advantage over the other, and each appears to think he has gotten the upper hand over the other. Laban hurries his animals away from Jacob, a three days’ journey away (36). Jacob engages in selective crossbreeding to result in larger, healthier herds for himself and smaller, feebler livestock for Laban (37-43). Whether or not Jacob’s odd practice with the peeled tree rods and the water troughs was scientifically sound, God allowed it to succeed. The summary statement of the chapter is, “So the man became exceedingly prosperous, and had large flocks and female and male servants and camels and donkeys” (43).
Jacob had been a supplanter and schemer his entire life. Time and again, he would get a taste of his own medicine. He had been tricked and conned by Laban multiple times. His own sons would sell him a lie when Joseph is older, one he would believe for many years. The Lord’s name is mentioned only in passing (27,30), but the crux of this situation seems to be two men trying to outfox each other. God is working through time and events to bring about the fulfillment of His promise to Abraham. When his in-laws are thoroughly jealous and outraged with Jacob over his scheme, God will lead Jacob and his household away from there and back to their future promised land (31:1ff).
How should we view Jacob’s behavior in this situation? Some see Jacob as trying to produce his own blessings by his cunning and conniving. It is hard to overlook the fact that the Lord, who witnessed all of this, was on Jacob’s side (31:12). Jacob may have been more focused on himself, but God was focused on His eternal plan and His perfect promises. Jacob would continue to reap what he had sown in deceit, but he, like all of us, was a work in progress who needed his faith further refined. That would happen in multiple ways. Jacob would eat the fruit of his schemes.
Of all the lessons we might learn from this, isn’t it much better to trust God’s guidance than to take matters into our own hands? Do we trust Him to take care of our every need and be with us in all our relationships? That does not mean we should not be wise in our dealings with our fellow man, but we should not try and do God’s part for Him.
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