Daily Devotions
Genesis
"Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!" Psalm 105:3
Text: Genesis 30:1-43
AN UNHEARD OF BUSINESS PLAN
Jacob rehearsed before Laban the contribution he had made to his sheep-breeding industry. His father-in-law could not but agree that his own sons had not been as successful in the business as Jacob. But what did Jacob want, after having said his piece?
“So he said, ‘What shall I give you?’
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. 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.
So my righteousness will answer for me in time to come,
when the subject of my wages comes before you:
everyone that is not speckled and spotted among the goats,
and brown among the lambs, will be considered stolen,
if it is with me.”
Genesis 30:31-33“You shall not give me anything…”
Jacob will not ask for wages! What a relief those words must have sounded to Laban! Jacob had already worked for no wages for the past fourteen years! This part of the agreement, Laban could accept without hesitation.
“The speckled and spotted sheep, and all the brown ones among the lambs…
The spotted and speckled among the goats… these shall be my wages…”What was Jacob thinking when he made this offer to Laban? Surely, Jacob must have been jesting! He had been a shepherd for fourteen years and more! How could he have made such a request!
The spotted, the speckled and the brown-coloured sheep were considered “inferior” to the normal black or white sheep. This understanding was applied to goats as well. Could Jacob be serious about taking these animals? This sounded most acceptable to Laban. It seemed as if the negotiations were all in Laban’s favour!
“So my righteousness will answer for me in time to come…”
Jacob asked that there be a clear separation of the spotted, speckled and brown animals from the other regular sheep and goats! What could Jacob hope to gain from this arrangement?
There was an appeal to his “righteousness”. This was a most unusual deal! Jacob would depend on the Lord to bless his righteousness as part of the new business plan that he was proposing. It would be an act of faith on Jacob’s part. He would indeed have to be sure that his life was marked by “righteousness” or else he would end up a big loser!
This was the third part of the business plan. Laban must have been agog with surprise! What was Jacob thinking when he brought all these things up for discussion?