God Blesses Jacob and Rachel - Genesis 30:22-43

In our fast-paced world where everything is required to happen ASAP (as soon as possible), delays can be especially frustrating. Delays seem to be a common part of God’s modus operandi in Scripture. He appears to prefer operating by another kind of ASAP: as slowly as possible. Consider the patriarchs in the book of Genesis. Abraham entered Canaan at the age of 75 (), having received God’s promise that he would be the source of a great nation (12:2). Yet his covenant son, Isaac, was not born until Abraham had reached age 100.

Rachel also spent time in God’s waiting room as she struggled with the disappointment of her inability to conceive (). It is hard to imagine the depths of her frustration at seeing the other women in her household bearing children while she remained barren. It is hard at times for us to explain or fully understand why God delays promises. This is where faith provides another outlook (or “uplook”). We trust that God will do what he has said, by accepting another interpretation of ASAP: as sure as promised.

Following Jacob’s dream at Bethel (last week’s study), he traveled on to Harran. There he met Rachel, Laban’s daughter (and Jacob’s cousin) when she came to water her father’s sheep. Rachel ran back home to tell her father about Jacob’s arrival; and Laban hurried to meet Jacob, welcoming him with great excitement. Then followed the series of events that resulted in the master deceiver, Jacob, being deceived in turn by Laban. As a result, Jacob first married Leah, then Rachel (whom he truly loved).

The Bible then records how Jacob began to build a family that would grow to 12 sons and a daughter (Dinah), with the sons becoming the source of the 12 tribes of the nation of Israel. Leah gave birth to Jacob’s sons Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah (). Then Rachel, who was barren, determined that she would build a family through her servant Bilhah, who gave birth to Dan and Naphtali (30:4-8).

Leah’s servant Zilpah then gave birth to Gad and Asher (30:9-13). Later, Leah gave birth to sons Issachar and Zebulun plus daughter Dinah (30:17-21). Rachel voiced her anguish to Jacob with great emotion. She must have grown increasingly discouraged as she watched the three other women in her household provide children for Jacob while she remained barren. The sibling rivalry between Rachel and sister Leah must have reminded Jacob of the friction that had developed between him and Esau back home. But circumstances were about to change.

Increase of Family -

Genesis 30:22–24 NRSV

Then God remembered Rachel, and God heeded her and opened her womb. She conceived and bore a son, and said, “God has taken away my reproach”; and she named him Joseph, saying, “May the Lord add to me another son!”

When Scripture says God remembered something or someone, that does not imply something that had slipped his mind now pops back to memory. God does not need to have his memory jogged as we do. He needs no reminders. Rather, when the text says that God remembers, the meaning is that he is about to act to fulfill a promise.

In verse 22, it is interesting to compare this statement with . There the text says that God listened to the prayer of husband Isaac on behalf of his barren wife, Rebekah. Here, however, God responds to the barren wife’s own expression of anguish. Perhaps she has been praying about her condition, but the text does not specifically say that.

Barrenness is a source of disgrace in biblical times. When Elizabeth is allowed to conceive in her old age, she declares. “In these days (the Lord) has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people” (). With the birth of a son, an especially heavy burden has been lifted from Rachel’s shoulders, and she is grateful.

What are some ways that the church can help alleviate the shame people feel about their circumstances? How, if at all, should the church’s approach to the issue depend on whether the shame is due to voluntary or involuntary circumstances?

In verse 24, we see that she named her son Joseph. The name comes from the Hebrew word meaning “to add.” Rachel hopes and prays that her childbearing prowess is not limited to bearing him. Rachel will give birth to another son; however, the birth of that son, Benjamin, in Canaan will result in Rachel’s death.

Increase of Flocks - ,

Genesis 30:25–32 NRSV

When Rachel had borne Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away, that I may go to my own home and country. Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, and let me go; for you know very well the service I have given you.” But Laban said to him, “If you will allow me to say so, I have learned by divination that the Lord has blessed me because of you; name your wages, and I will give it.” Jacob said to him, “You yourself know how I have served you, and how your cattle have fared with me. For you had little before I came, and it has increased abundantly; and the Lord has blessed you wherever I turned. But now when shall I provide for my own household also?” He said, “What shall I give you?” Jacob said, “You shall not give me anything; if you will do this for me, I will again feed your flock and keep it: let me pass through all your flock today, removing from it every speckled and spotted sheep and every black lamb, and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and such shall be my wages.

Genesis 30:43

Genesis 30:43 NRSV

Thus the man grew exceedingly rich, and had large flocks, and male and female slaves, and camels and donkeys.

Joseph’s birth seems to serve as a signal to Jacob that it is time that he should return to Canaan, his homeland. A woman’s status is very uncertain if she has no children. A barren woman is probably in better surroundings if she remains among family members who will care for her; otherwise she risks being ostracized and possibly mistreated. But now that Rachel has a son of her own, Jacob seems to feel more at ease about making the request we see here.

Another factor influencing Jacob’s desire to return home at this point is that the 14 years for which he had agreed to work in order to marry both Rachel and Leah have apparently been fulfilled. That work represents what Jacob has “paid” for both Leah and Rachel: 7 years initially for Rachel (only to be given Leah instead) and then 7 additional years for Rachel, though Jacob was allowed to marry Rachel before his second 7-year obligation was carried out (, ).

Jacob already had 10 sons before Joseph - who would be his favorite son - was born. However, the birth of this son by the wife he loved seems to have resulted in a decision point: it was time for him to ponder anew his promised role in the nation through which God would bless the world.

What questions are helpful to ask ourselves when considering a major transition? How might issues of body and issues of spirit affect one another during such a transition?

In verse 27 Laban has been as much of a deceiving “heel-grabber” as Jacob. This is seen in Laban’s sister-swap of Leah in place of Rachel (). His deception has been rewarded by 14 years of labor from Jacob, and Laban is hesitant to let good help get away.

Laban’s deceiving and manipulative ways cause us to be suspicious about the sincerity of his declaration that he has learned by divination that the Lord has blessed him because of Jacob. Is Laban merely “playing the Lord card” as a further attempt to manipulate Jacob? Laban claims to have discovered what he knows about Jacob as the instrument of the Lord’s blessing through divination. Elsewhere in Scripture this term refers to the attempt to discover hidden information by a means that is tied to pagan religious practices. This is the first time the term is used in the Bible; the practice will later be clearly spelled out as forbidden in the Law of Moses.

We do not know what rituals Laban has engaged in to determine what he says he knows. Even so, it appears that some elements of superstition or pagan religion are practiced in his household. This is seen by the use of mandrake plants to induce pregnancy (). It is also apparent given the presence of the “gods” that Rachel later takes from Laban and hides (31:19, 30-35).

Jacob’s presence has been very profitable for Laban; he is reluctant to lose that expertise. So he uses the promise of a blank check in an attempt to persuade Jacob to stay. The offer we see in the verse before us is the same as the one Laban made after Jacob had been in Laban’s household a month (, ). The offer that had worked before may work again, or so Laban seems to hope.

In verse 29 & 30, Jacob mentions the service he has already rendered Laban. Jacob repeats Laban’s observation regarding credit to be given to the Lord for the blessing that has resulted. Laban has indeed prospered well because of the Lord’s blessing after Jacob’s arrival. But Jacob adds that he needs to think about his family and what is best for them.

How do you know when you’ve met your responsibility to assist others given your responsibility to meet the needs of your own family? What are some ways to determine if your motives are selfish?

In verse 31 Laban offers Jacob a blank check, giving the appearance of being more than fair. Jacob responds with a proposal that will allow Laban to keep Jacob in his service for an unspecified amount of time. This immediately makes us wonder why Jacob yields to Laban’s desire after Jacob had voiced his desire to return to his homeland. Is Jacob already thinking ahead to what he will do to outsmart Laban at his own game? It is tempting with someone like Jacob or Laban, to try to discern some ulterior motive for his actions. Perhaps Jacob simply has had a change of heart.

Sheep (and lambs) are usually all white, while goats are all black. Speckled or spotted animals (and dark-colored sheep) are far fewer in number. Essentially, Jacob is proposing to keep for himself the least numerous animals among the livestock for his wages; Laban is to retain all the rest.

In the verses that immediately follow those in our lesson text, Jacob further proposes that any unspeckled or unspotted livestock found among Jacob’s flocks will be assumed to be stolen. Laban immediately (and understandably) agrees to Jacob’s suggestion.

In verse 43, we see the ultimate result - when Jacob uses a combination of selective breeding and superstitious beliefs - is that Laban is outsmarted, and Jacob increases his holdings greatly at Laban’s expense. Laban’s desire to retain Jacob’s expertise proves the validity of the old warning. “Be careful what you ask for because you may just get it!).

The man (Jacob) later acknowledges to Rachel and Leah that God has been the source of the blessings and the abundance he has received. It appears that the tree branches Jacob uses in 30:37-42 have an impact similar to mandrakes on the ability to females to become pregnant. However such things work, God is, in truth, the source of the desired fertility. Both Rachel and Jacob attest to this fact.

The results God desires are obtained, above and beyond what Rachel and Jacob do or desire. Throughout all of this, God has been keeping the promise he made to Jacob in his dream. That increase will also apply to Jacob’s descendants, the children of Israel, while in Egypt.

How can we determine if God is please with our plans and decisions?

Conclusion

We’ve all heard the quip “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” That lighthearted advice offers perspective in surviving difficult circumstances that are not of our own making. The idea is to try to make the best of a bad situation.

What do we do when life gives us “Labans”? We have Jacob’s “heel-grabbing” ability on display in the previous lessons of this unit, but Laban was just as crafty as Jacob. Each man learned to live by his wits, to “do unto others before they can do unto you.” Having two “heel-grabbers” in such proximity to one another was bound to create a constant atmosphere of tension. Even Laban’s own daughters, Leah and Rachel, admitted that he had not treated them fairly in denying them what they were entitled to receive as an inheritance. They felt more like “foreigners” than daughters in the household.

We may come across people who remind us of Laban. We may meet them in the workplace, at school, or perhaps (sadly) even in the church. They are always looking to gain an advantage over others. They may even use the Lord’s name as Laban did with Jacob. We want to think the best of people, but the track record of some may cause us to be cautious.

When life gives us Labans, what do we do? Our main desire should be to maintain a God-honoring attitude and conduct. We do so as we are “as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves” (). Spiritual maturity and tact are important in knowing when and how to confront a Laban in a way that does not make matters worse.

It is easy to allow life’s Labans to sour our relationship with God and with other people. We may think that we have to become Labans in order to survive. We end up leaning on our own understanding rather than trusting in the Lord, contrary to . True, life’s Labans are not easy to face or to love. Perhaps a long, hard look in the mirror will remind us that at times we are not all that easy to love or deal with either. We all need God’s grace on a daily basis - grace to avoid being like Laban and grace to love the Labans who cross our paths.

Prayer

Almighty and ever-loving God, we strive to follow you but we stumble and fall. We listen to the siren song of our own desires, placing our desires ahead of your will. But you have taught us through the people in the Book of Genesis that we need not be perfect to know you and try to follow your will for our lives. Lord, forgive us. Strengthen our faith. Make us mindful of your presence and your love for us despite our shortcomings. We offer this and all our prayers in the name of Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

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