Today I read in Genesis 30 about Rachel and Leah's struggles.
Rachel's desire to have a child and Leah's desire to have Jacob's affection.
They make a deal over some mandrakes. Mandrakes were thought to promote pregnancy in barren woman, so when Rachel heard that Leah's son found them, she wanted some. She offered Leah a night with Jacob as a trade.
Leah desired Jacob's affection more then anything, Rachel wanted a child more then anything, win win for both of them.
Also it may have served as a bridge between the two sisters, maybe even giving them some healing. They are coming to understand each others needs or desires at least.
But they both know full well God's plan and they still chose to manipulate His timing.
I believe we are like that still today. I know that I can be. I am very impatient. I want things done on my time, often not thinking about whether it is God's time or not.
So I see history repeating itself. Each generation, from the beginning to the present repeating the same mistakes.
Thankfully we have an awesome forgiving God and He is patient with us. He keeps His promises.
He also listens to us. In this case He listened to these two women's pleas.
He gave Leah more children, two more sons and a daughter, and finally Rachel a son.
This son was Joseph.
Joseph later plays a key role in the Bible and the future of his people.
God's promises kept.
God's Grace shown once again.
Now we move on to Jacob's struggle. He wants to separate from Laban.
He asks Laban to released with his possessions and household, to move on with his life.
Laban asks what he wants in return to stay.
Jacob knows of Laban's manipulative ways, considering how he tricked him concerning Rachel.
He makes a deal with Laban saying:
Genesis 30:31
....“Don’t give me anything,” Jacob replied. “But if you will do this one thing for me, I will go on tending your flocks and watching over them: 32 Let me go through all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb and every spotted or speckled goat. They will be my wages. 33 And my honesty will testify for me in the future, whenever you check on the wages you have paid me. Any goat in my possession that is not speckled or spotted, or any lamb that is not dark-colored, will be considered stolen.”
They then separated the flock and moved them 3 days away from Laban's flocks.
Jacob then tended Laban's flocks while his son's tended his.
While Jacob tended Laban's flocks he placed twigs he had removed bark from, making stripes, in the troughs where they were watered.
When they mated he had them face the twigs, in doing so the offspring were speckled or spotted and dark colored.
I don't know if God told Jacob to do this, or if this was just a old way of doing things, but it worked for Jacob, so he continued to do it with all of the strong flock.
Then all of the offspring that were spotted, speckled or dark colored became his, as agreed.
All the strong flock were becoming his flock and all the weak were becoming Laban's flock.
43 In this way the man grew exceedingly prosperous and came to own large flocks, and female and male servants, and camels and donkeys.
Divine intervention? A way for Jacob to be released from Laban's hold? A way to honor His promise to prosper Jacob and his offspring? I believe so.
I seem to come back to the same conclusion.
God's faithfulness is exceedingly wonderful!
He is kind and merciful, even when we have a hard time waiting for it!
In Lamentations 3:23-24 Jeremiah reminds us:
23 They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness! 24“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in Him.”…
Thanks for coming by today and reading along with me!
I have run out of time to create today so maybe tomorrow? We will see....
Have a blessed week!
Deb B
The Crafting Fool
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