Message Notes

INTRODUCTION

1. Jacob living with his parents-in-law

a. Many years

b. Many children (11 sons and one daughter)

2. Future plans must be considered

a. To stay in Haran

b. To return to Canaan

DECISION OF JACOB TO RETURN TO CANAAN

25 And it came to pass, when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away, that I may go to my own place and to my country.
26 Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, and let me go;
for you know my service which I have done for you.”

Genesis 30:25-26

1. Every reason to return to Canaan

a) It was “my own place”

b) “My country”

2. Jacob obviously did not feel Haran was his home

a) Laban was his father-in-law

b) He had his own family (sons)

c) Not stated here, but Laban had deceived him as an employer
(Genesis 31:7… Jacob noted that Laban had changed his wages 10 times)

3. He felt that he had served Laban very well all these years!

RESPONSE OF LABAN

27 And Laban said to him, “Please stay, if I have found favour in your eyes, for I have learned by experience that the Lord has blessed me for your sake.”
28 Then he said, “Name me your wages, and I will give it.”

Genesis 30:27-28

1. Laban was alarmed

2. He pleads with Jacob to stay on

3. He states plainly what he knew was true

a) The LORD had blessed him

b) It was for Jacob’s sake

4. Discussion of Wages

a) He is prepared to pay whatever wages Jacob demands

b) He promised that he would keep his word this time round

But can Jacob trust Laban?

JACOB’S DISCUSSION WITH LABAN

29 So Jacob said to him, “You know how I have served you and how your livestock has been with me.
30 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?”

Genesis 30:29-30

1. Jacob presents his work history

a) How Jacob served

b) How his livestock had been under his care

2. An honest evaluation

a) Laban had little before Jacob worked with him

b) His livestock had increased to “a great amount”

c) The LORD had indeed blessed since Jacob had come

3. Jacob wants to provide for his own family

a) It was large

b) It was growing

c) Wages would not do!

LABAN’S QUERY

So he said, “What shall I give you?”
Genesis 30:31a

1. Laban had no answer to give to Jacob’s evaluation

2. He asked what could be done to have Jacob to stay on

JACOB’S SUGGESTION

31 And Jacob said, “You shall not give me anything. If you will do this thing for me,
I will again feed and keep your flocks:
32 Let me pass through all your flock today, removing from there all the speckled and spotted sheep, and all the brown ones among the lambs, and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and these shall be my wages.
33 So my righteousness will answer for me in time to come, when the subject of my wages comes before you: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the lambs, will be considered stolen, if it is with me.”
Genesis 30:31b-33

1. Jacob’s insistence

He is not looking for higher wages

2. He offers a suggestion that seems to be in Laban’s favour

a) The flocks of Laban

i) Sheep

ii) Goats

b) He will take all the sheep/ goats

i) Speckled

ii) Spotted

iii) Brown spots

c) The ones that are not speckled/ spotted
These would be Laban’s flocks

d) Jacob would separate the flocks

i) Laban’s

ii) Jacob’s

LABAN’S ACCEPTANCE

34 And Laban said, “Oh, that it were according to your word!”
35 So he removed that day the male goats that were speckled and spotted, all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had some white in it, and all the brown ones among the lambs, and gave them into the hand of his sons.
36 Then he put three days’ journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob fed the rest of Laban’s flocks.
Genesis 30:34-36

1. Laban was in full agreement
It would seem that he had a better deal

2. Laban immediately separated the flocks

a) He chose his flocks

b) He gave them to his sons

3. He made sure that they would be 3 days’ journey apart from each other

4. Jacob took what was left behind

JACOB’S SKILL AS A SHEPHERD

37 Now Jacob took for himself rods of green poplar and of the almond and chestnut trees, peeled white strips in them, and exposed the white which was in the rods.
38 And the rods which he had peeled, he set before the flocks in the gutters, in the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink, so that they should conceive when they came to drink.
39 So the flocks conceived before the rods, and the flocks brought forth streaked, speckled, and spotted.
40 Then Jacob separated the lambs, and made the flocks face toward the streaked and all the brown in the flock of Laban; but he put his own flocks by themselves and did not put them with Laban’s flock.
41 And it came to pass, whenever the stronger livestock conceived, that Jacob placed the rods before the eyes of the livestock in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods.
42 But when the flocks were feeble, he did not put them in; so the feebler were Laban’s and the stronger Jacob’s.
43 Thus the man became exceedingly prosperous, and had large flocks, female and male servants, and camels and donkeys.

Genesis 30:37-43

1. Jacob had become a knowledgeable shepherd

2. He knew how to breed strong offspring

3. The results were astonishing

a) Jacob’s flocks were stronger

b) He became exceedingly prosperous

c) He expanded to have

i) Camels

ii) Donkeys

d) He also increased the strength of his staff

i) Male servants

ii) Female servants

CONCLUSION

1. God was mentioned briefly

a) By Laban

b) By Jacob

2. But God’s hand was obvious!

a) He had blessed Abraham with prosperity Genesis 24:1

b) He had also blessed Isaac with prosperity Genesis 26:13

c) He was now blessing Jacob similarly Genesis 30:43