Monthly Archives: October 2011

Jacob Quarrels with In-Laws (Gen 31)

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Bible Summary:

Jacob realizes Uncle Laban and his sons do not like him for taking their wealth.  God tells him to return to Canaan, so Jacob complains to Rachel and Leah about their father’s attempts to cheat him out of his wages.  Jacob’s wives agree to leave since nothing is left to inherit and their father treats them like foreigners.  They leave in a hurry with all their animals and belongings.  Unknown to Jacob, Rachel steals Laban’s household gods.

A week later, Laban and his men catch up to Jacob.  In a dream on the way, God warns Laban not to threaten Jacob, but he feigns the hurt father who didn’t get to say goodbye and then confronts Jacob about the stolen household gods.

Jacob says he left in a hurry for fear that Laban would take his daughters back and challenges him to search for the household gods.  Laban unsuccessfully searches all the tents as Rachel hides the household gods in a camel saddlebag under her.

Jacob rants to Laban about hunting him down for no good reason, about giving him twenty good years of work, fourteen to win his daughters and six for his flocks, about suffering the heat of day, cold of night, and sleeplessness, and about incurring the loss whenever a sheep was killed or disappeared.  On top of that, Laban tried to change his wages ten times but was confounded by God each time.

Laban yells back that he owns everything, his daughters, their children, and all the flocks, but then agrees to a truce because there is nothing he can do.  Jacob can leave with everything after he agrees not to mistreat Laban’s daughters or marry another.  Laban and Jacob promise not to attack each other, then celebrate over a sacrificed animal.  The next morning, Laban kisses his family goodbye.

My Thoughts:

Appreciation: It’s easy to get lulled into the repetition of everyday life and forget to acknowledge or appreciate the people around you.  Laban learned this the hard way when his daughters and grandchildren suddenly disappeared one day over his son-in-law feeling cheated.  Be sure to appreciate those closest to you today!

Family Owned Business: Working with family can be very difficult.  The skills that made the business survive and thrive in the beginning, like minimizing expenses, can be a great area of contention when the expense is the other family member’s wage.  Many families struggle or even dissolve today over similar issues to this story.  And, it sure doesn’t help that Jacob is the son-in-law when there are other sons.  You might want to consider talking your kids into a different line of work.

Jacob Bargains with Laban (Gen 30: 25-43)

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Bible Summary:

After the birth of Joseph, Jacob asks his uncle Laban to let him return home to Canaan with his wives, children and earnings.  Laban asks him to name his wages.  Jacob says he has made Laban’s flocks prosper and does not want wages.  Instead, he would like all the black lambs and spotted and speckled goats.  Laban agrees.

Laban tries to trick Jacob, removes the blemished animals, and has his sons take them three-days journey away.  Jacob uses stripped tree branches to entice the remaining unblemished animals to mate, which results in streaked, speckled and spotted offspring. Furthermore, Jacob entices healthy animals to breed but not the weak.  Soon, Jacob owns all the healthy flocks and Laban is left with weak animals.  Jacob becomes very wealthy with many flocks, slaves, camels, and donkeys.

My Thoughts:

Smarts beat Tricks: I think the morals of this story are to be smart about your actions in life and that playing tricks on people will come back to bite you some day.  Jacob is very knowledgeable about breeding, which allows him to get his agreed wage after Laban tries to trick him.  Of course, you might say Jacob just “out-tricked” him.

Assets over Income: The most important lesson from this story is that assets are more important than income.  Assets, like the livestock of old, will continue to produce value for you long after the income is spent.  All the rich people of the world understand this rule and guard it with their life.  Why do you think there is an income tax and not an asset tax?

Jacob has Children (Gen 29: 31-35, 30: 1-24)

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Bible Summary:

Since Jacob loves Leah less, the Lord gives her children but not Rachel.  Leah has four sons, including Reuben, and expects Jacob to love her more after each one.

Jealous Rachel tells Jacob to give her children.  He erupts that God is to blame for her lack of children.  Rachel gives Jacob her slave Bilhah so she can have a child and ends up with two sons.  Not to be one-upped, once Leah stops having children she gives Jacob her slave Zilpah who then has two sons.

One day, Rachel asks Reuben for some mandrakes.  Leah complains that she has already taken her husband.  Rachel bargains a night with Jacob for the mandrakes.  Leah becomes pregnant again with a son and later has another and a daughter.

Then God answers Rachel’s prayers and gives her a son, Joseph.

My Thoughts:

Change Fallacy: Expecting someone in your life to change after some significant event is achieved is a recipe for heartbreak.  That person has likely been that way their whole life and will not change unless they choose to change.  Your choices are: (1) talk to the person about the issue and ask if they will change, (2) accept the person for who they are, foibles and all, or (3) leave the situation.

I suspect that second marriages are more successful because people learn the grass is not always greener.  Having been through it once before, they realize nobody is perfect and then accept those foibles.  So, take a deep breath and try to look beyond those idiosyncrasies, try to find those reasons you got married in the first place and nurture them.  Try to talk.

Blaming God: This story blames God for controlling Rachel’s ability to have children.  We all like to blame God for our misfortune.  Why doesn’t He give us what we want so badly right when we pray for it?  I love the movie Bruce Almighty when he says “Yes” to all the prayers and chaos ensures.  Sometimes your prayers are answered later, maybe years later.  Other times they are not answered but something even better happens.  Try not to blame God next time, but look for the reason.  What are you supposed to learn?  And by all means, thank God when your prayers come true.

Jacob Marries (Gen 29: 1-30)

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Bible Summary:

Jacob arrives at Uncle Laban’s well, meets his daughter Rachel, and falls in love.  Laban runs out to meet Jacob, invites him to the house, and Jacob stays for a month.  Laban tells Jacob he should not work for free, so asks his price.  Jacob admits he loves Rachel and is willing to work seven years for her hand in marriage.  Laban agrees.

After seven years, Laban gives a wedding feast but then brings his eldest daughter Leah to Jacob for the night.  Jacob does not realize the trick until the morning and then confronts Laban.  Laban says it is custom for the oldest daughter to marry first, but if Jacob will agree to seven more years of labor, he can marry Rachel at the end of the weeklong marriage celebration.  Jacob agrees and Rachel becomes his wife at the end of the week. Jacob works for Laban for another seven years.

My Thought:

For Love: What would you do for love?  Jacob endures 14 years of labor and being tricked into marrying someone he is not really interested in.  The customs of that time and culture are vastly different, but the fairytale of love rings true to this day.  Divorce seems more the truth of today.  True love is very hard to come by.  Maybe Jacob had it right, to wait until they were older and more mature before getting married.

Jacob’s Ladder (Gen 28)

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Bible Summary:

Rebecca tells Isaac she is sick and tired of Esau’s foreign wives and would just die if Jacob marries one of the Hittite girls.  Isaac sends Jacob to Mesopotamia to marry one of Uncle Laban’s daughters and blesses him to receive many children, so he will become the father of many nations.

Esau learns of this new blessing, Jacob’s leaving, and that Isaac does not approve of local women, so he marries one of his Uncle Ishmael’s daughters.

On the way to Uncle Laban’s, Jacob camps overnight and dreams of a stairway to heaven, with angels going up and down.  God stands beside him and promises many descendants and the land he is lying on, and blesses all these nations through Jacob.  God tells Jacob He will protect him wherever he goes and will bring him back safely to this land.

Jacob wakes and becomes frightened since this must be the house of God with a gate that opens to heaven.  The next morning, Jacob dedicates a memorial to God and renames the place Bethel.  He vows upon his safe return to worship God there and give Him a tenth of everything he is given.

My Thoughts:

Marry Your Kind: The message is pretty clear that the author thought Hebrews should marry their kind and not foreigners, especially since biblical patriarchs like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob married other Hebrews.  My opinion is that we are all of the humankind and no one is a foreigner.  Differences between us are only manmade.

Jacob’s Ladder: Led Zepplin aside, this stairway to heaven is also known as Jacob’s Ladder in other Bibles.  I believe this story is the beginning of formal religion with a vow by Jacob to worship God at Bethel.  I don’t understand why Jacob would be frightened though. He just saw God who vowed to take care of him.  Seems to be the religious establishment putting fear into people that they need to worship God and tithe.

Tithing:  There is a lot of debate about tithing, especially since a few have taken advantage of it and are now living in multi-million dollar homes from donations of their members.  I believe tithing is healthy, but in your own way.  Give some to your church, temple, or mosque, some to charities, and to others you know really need help.  I’m not sure 10% is the magic number, so give what you feel is appropriate.  If you are short on money, give your time and expertise by volunteering, even if only a couple times a year.

The key to tithing is in the giving.  It is about thinking of others, thinking of the greater good, and making a difference on a regular basis.  This is what I believe is pleasing to God.