Genesis 30:25-43
Rachel has finally born a son to Jacob and he feels, after 20 years, it is time to gather his wives and children and return to his father's house in Canaan. But first he must discuss his due from Laban, his father-in-law whom Jacob has served all these years..
And thereby begins a charade worthy of any French farce.
On letting his plans be known to Laban, Laban discloses that he has learned from the Lord "by divination," in other words, the Lord has not exactly spoken to him but he sort of inituits it, that Jacob has done good things for him. So what would Jacob like?
Jacob allows as how, indeedy, he has done good things, for "the Lord has blessed YOU wherever I turned." So how will Laban reward him? Laban bounces the ball back to Jacob.
Jacob puts forth a plan. Seeing as he is such a humble and honest fellow, he will take all the spotted, speckled and black sheep and goats from Laban's herds. These animals are in a minority and perhaps considered not so desirable, so Laban thinks this is a good deal and agrees.
Immediately upon doing this, Laban, fine fellow that he is, sends all his speckled, spotted and black goats a distance of three days away with his sons, while Jacob is tending Laban's sheep elsewhere. Jacob, not above shenanigans himself, peels bark from tree limbs to make them spotty in appearance, and places them where the sheep come to the water trough, and where they also mate. This assures that all the young will be spotted and speckled. This is not a method used in today's stock breeding. And we are reminded that these events took place in about 1600 B.C., and were passed down orally until about 600 B.C. when recorded language was created.
Furthermore, Jacob only let the strongest sheep see these spotted sticks, and he kept these himself. He kept his own flocks apart, so the feebler of them were Laban's and the stronger were his. Jacob grew rich and had large flocks and many slaves and camels and donkeys.
Jacob , who is still hanging around Laban, begins to feel there is some bad blood between them, and the Lord tells Jacob it's time to move on to the land of his kindred. Jacob confers with Rachel and Leah, tells them, after all the nice things he has done for their father, that he feels Laban doesn't like him anymore, but the Lord must be on his side, see how the Lord has favored him with all these fine flocks. It is noted that conferring with women in these times was most unusual; but remember, Jacob adored Rachel.
Rachel and Leah felt Laban had taken away their inheritance, so when Jacob revealed that God had spoken to him, not divined, mind you, but out and out told him to go and take his family and flocks to the land of his ancestors, they all left. Because of Rachel's bitter feelings toward her father, she stole his household gods, and Jacob compounded the felony by not telling Laban he intended to flee.
Upon finding Jacob and his group had left, and the household gods were also gone, Laban went off in hot pursuit, furious. But God came to Laban , for real, this time, and told him not to say a word to Jacob, neither good nor bad. Go figure.
When he found Jacob et al after seven days' travel, Laban lit in to him, although God had told him not to, and was most furious about the gods. Jacob knew nothing about Rachel's theft, and had no objection to Laban and his troops going through all their belongings. Rachel, meanwhile, sat on the gods (!), announced that she could not get up for the search because "the way of women was upon me."
Well! It is important to note that Rachel stole the gods which were a sign of leadership and authority. By doing this, she insulted her father and disinherited her brothers. But, most sifgnificantly, she fouled the gods sitting on them at her "time of the month." This is the first time menstruatioin is mentioned in the Bible, which in itself is significant. To be continued.
Submitted by Betty Jean Miller
