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"Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples!" Psalm 105:1

Text: Genesis 30:1-43

SKILLED NEGOTIATIONS

Did Laban mention the name of the Lord? Did that at least reflect that he had a special regard for His Name? Then Jacob would also mention the Lord’s name in the on-going negotiation.

“So Jacob said to him, ‘You know how I have served you
and how your livestock has been with me. For what you had
before I came was little, and it has increased to a great amount;
the Lord has blessed you since my coming. And now, when
shall I also provide for my own house?’
So he said, ‘What shall I give you?'”
GENESIS 30:29-31a

‘You know how I have served you…”

Jacob brought into full view his faithful hard work to Laban for review. His track record was faultless! Laban knew that he could not find fault with the way his son-in-law had looked after his livestock!

“For what you had before I came was little…”

Jacob had to press home this point. Laban’s flock was small when Jacob came on the scene. His possessions may well be described as “little”. That may have been humiliating to Laban but Jacob felt that he had to state the obvious.

“And it has increased to a great amount”

Laban was now quite well-to-do. His flocks had grown considerably over the last fourteen years – all thanks to Jacob’s hard work. Was Laban only offering “wages”? Should he not have offered at least a partnership to Jacob?

“The Lord has blessed you since my coming…”

Lest Laban found fault with Jacob for sounding arrogant, the latter swiftly added that he knew that it was all God’s blessings. Jacob must have sensed that Laban emphasized God’s blessing in order to downplay the part of his son-in-law. Jacob on the other hand, had to emphasize that though God’s hand must indeed be recognized, the human factor must not be discounted at all! It would not harm the glory of God to recognize the part that he had played in looking after Laban’s flocks! Jacob was not interested in claiming glory. He knew that his father-in-law was just trying to push him into a corner so that he would not ask for too high wages. He saw through the language used by his shrewd father-in-law.

“When shall I also provide for my own house?

Jacob had successfully won the first round of negotiations. He had succeeded in stating the worth of his role in the growth of Laban’s sheep-breeding industry! Wages was obviously out of the question if he was going to provide for his own house!