Genesis 30:25-43
25 As soon as Rachel had borne Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away, that I may go to my own home and country. 26 Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, that I may go, for you know the service that I have given you.”
27 But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your sight, I have learned by divination that the Lord has blessed me because of you. 28 Name your wages, and I will give it.”
29 Jacob said to him, “You yourself know how I have served you, and how your livestock has fared with me. 30 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?”
31 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 pasture your flock and keep it: 32 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 they shall be my wages. 33 So my honesty will answer for me later, when you come to look into my wages with you. Every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats and black among the lambs, if found with me, shall be counted stolen.” 34 Laban said, “Good! Let it be as you have said.” 35 But that day Laban removed the male goats that were striped and spotted, and all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had white on it, and every lamb that was black, and put them in the charge of his sons. 36 And he set a distance of three days' journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob pastured the rest of Laban's flock.
37 Then Jacob took fresh sticks of poplar and almond and plane trees, and peeled white streaks in them, exposing the white of the sticks. 38 He set the sticks that he had peeled in front of the flocks in the troughs, that is, the watering places, where the flocks came to drink. And since they bred when they came to drink, 39 the flocks bred in front of the sticks and so the flocks brought forth striped, speckled, and spotted.
40 And Jacob separated the lambs and set the faces of the flocks toward the striped and all the black in the flock of Laban. He put his own droves apart and did not put them with Laban's flock. 41 Whenever the stronger of the flock were breeding, Jacob would lay the sticks in the troughs before the eyes of the flock, that they might breed among the sticks, 42 but for the feebler of the flock he would not lay them there. So the feebler would be Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's.
43 Thus the man increased greatly and had large flocks, female servants and male servants, and camels and donkeys.
(Yesterday's Post ... )
2 Samuel 5 ~ Nevertheless)
Yesterday/s Post explains the obscure Plan of God. Amazing Jerusalem was not part of Israel until 1000 B.C. and filled many unforeseen Biblical comments. We see today David changed Jerusalem for 3000 years. And with all this God Planning seen in hindsight - the first family of Israel seems oddly unplanned.
Today -
Did God just blunder in?
Isaiah said Nations would arrive at the Birth of Jesus. And in the Magi this is true. Slavery is usually the result of foreign war - we have no idea what Nationalities combined to form the Sons of Jacob due to the slaves used as child bearers.
Joseph is being a blessing finder. I knew a family who were prosperous but not overwhelmingly so. When the wife had an opportunity to get a divorce, she did so. Claiming everything they owned was broken, repaired, used or not top shelf. The Divorce Attorneys were not impressed with the assets for their pay. The wife divorcing felt even more justified. Queen Elizabeth II said just as you count something as a sadness and burden, the real tragedy was yet to occur and in hindsight the burden was very, very light. And this proved to be the case in this family.
Jacob has a perpetual disagreement on his hands. A small sample of the events of the Middle East complete with foreign gods and greed. And Jacob is not looking for the perfection - Jacob is finding the hidden blessing. Prospering his life and the people depending on him by finding the way God would bless them. Jacob isn't so interested in fleeting perfections. Jacob is correctly looking for true substantial help for his family.
The Spots are Enjoyed. Israel's First Family is a melting pot.
Jacob was guessing using Almond Branches. Jacob might even only found only a foreshadowing of Aaron. Aaron would not be guessing as Aaron placed the Budding Walking, Dried up, stick, now filled with Almond Blossoms into the Ark of the Covenant. God is fully able and fully capable to make what is dry and make this bloom. God uses spotty people and spotty animals and spotty business deals to make the way to His Plan. Even spotty family.
Ebb and Flow. Prosperity and Adversity. God is planning through all seasons to provide Hope and Encouragement. The Bible leaves such accurate descriptions the Palace of David is found. The Bulla of Jeremiah's servant is found and even the Bible lists the servant's father. Because David's Palace is found - the bulla is found. The Scriptures tell us in great detail were Sarah (Jacob's grandmother is buried) and we are able to find the Natural description given and find this is accurate for the area. The bones of Sarah are known with Abraham and their Promises from God Live on. Spots and all.
Father God filled the world from Jacob working to provide for his family. This one family determined to live in plenty, in famine, in loss and in recovery. And with the endurance - Steadfast Love pressed down and pouring out like the Heavens spilling forth.
I've heard Leaders look at life and tell people to prepare for death. To realize the spots will get you. The Bible says take each season and find purpose and meaning. Prepare for Life. Jesus tells us He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.
God is Good.
Abba,
In You we have Steadfast Love. Your Willing Blessings sustain us. Where we look to Life.
Surround, enfold, uplift our Loved ones. We trust them to You. We bless You for the Children of God praying for more Heaven upon the earth. We lift all of our cares into Your Willing Hands - so very wise and high - even the Nation is held in Your Arms as we trust in You. We continue with how High and Wide and Deep is Your Love for all the Nations trusting in You.
Blessed is the Name of Jesus. Where we are covered. In Jesus. Amen.
♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †
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