Genesis Chapter 30

Sons of Jacob – Struggles with Laban

30:1-6

In their culture, bearing children was essential to the family being successful and in continuing. Thus a wife who was unable to bear children was considered inferior, and even worse, cursed. Rachel was miserable because she could not conceive and she was envious at all the children her own sister, was producing. She began to blame Jacob for her inability to conceive, by demanding he get her pregnant. Jacob immediately became angry with Rachel stating that God was the one who had withheld children from her, not him! So, in response, she offers Jacob her maid Bilhah to produce children on her behalf. Keep in mind this is the same thing that Sarah had done with Hagar. Despite Jacob knowing the disaster that resulted from having children with women other than his own wife, he willingly has relations with Bilhah, and she becomes pregnant and bares a son. (6.) Since Rachel claims the son born of Bilhah as her son, she names him Dan, which is from dananni, meaning ‘god has vindicated me.’ Rachel felt God had judged her and given her a son by her handmaid.

30:7-8

Rachel perceives she and her sister are ‘wrestling’ for the ‘top position’ with Jacob. The baring of a second son, through Bilhah, seems to Rachel to be allowing her to prevail over her sister. The name Naphtali is close to niptali which means ‘I fought’. What a sad situation, that the sisters are struggling to outdo one another for the love of Jacob. No one wants to be a ‘second class wife’; and both sisters feel less than adequate in the eyes of their husband, Jacob. Can you imagine how uncomfortable, insecure, unhappy and no doubt sad and angry both sisters felt? No wonder God tells us marriage is between one man and one woman and that adultery is such a terrible sin.

30:9-13

Since Leah sees that she is no longer becoming pregnant, she continues the struggle for superiority over her sister by giving her maid Zilpah to Jacob as a ‘secondary wife’. Zilpah bears Gad, then Asher. Leah then claims to be ‘happy’ about the ‘troop’ of sons she and her maidservant have borne to Jacob. Why is Jacob going along with this foolish plan? Surely he knows of the disaster caused by his grandmother in giving Hagar to Abraham. Is he allowing his emotions to rule his life rather than seeking God’s counsel? When we allow our emotions to be the source of our decision making, then we bring disaster upon ourselves. Remember our scripture? 1 Corinthians 9:27 “But I discipline my flesh and bring it into subjection, lest when I preach Jesus to others, I myself, will be disqualified.” God wants us to discipline ourselves and seek His Will for our lives. Being outside the Will of God is always sin.

30:14

The mandrakes were a plant that produces small berrylike fruit which was thought to be an aphrodisiac and inducer of fertility. Rachel, now being quite desperate to become pregnant, somehow believed that these mandrakes would help her become pregnant. As we are thinking, ‘how foolish’ keep in mind the foolish and ridiculous man-made superstitions and beliefs we operate under! Knocking on wood; Karma; broken mirrors; the list is endless. Keep in mind that All superstitions are evil, as they represent demonic activity. Either we believe God controls everything, or we don’t really trust Him. We can’t have it both ways.

30:15-16

Obviously Leah believes the same lies and superstitions, as she confronts her sister accusing her of ‘stealing’ her husband. Rachel is so desperate for the mandrakes she ‘trades’ the right to sleep with her husband to Leah for the mandrakes. Leah can’t even wait for Jacob to get home; and she runs out to meet him, telling him he has to sleep with her because she has ‘purchased’ him for the night. Jacob goes along with the arrangement. We wonder what has happened to Jacob. Doesn’t he have a spine? Is he completely controlled by his dueling wives?

30:17-21

God allows Leah to become pregnant and she now gives birth to her own fifth son and names him Issachar; which is explained by siekartika meaning ‘my hire’. (19. – 21.) Leah is obviously now again becoming pregnant by Jacob as she has a sixth son, naming him Zebulun which could mean dowry, or gift, as well as honor. Leah again has hopes that Jacob would treat her with honor and favor over her sister. After the sixth son, she also gives birth to a daughter, named Dinah. Daughters were usually not even mentioned, yet we are told the name of this girl for future reference.

30:22-24

Finally God allows Rachel to conceive and she bares a son, naming him Joseph. His name also has a double meaning: asap; my disgrace and yosep; adding. Rachel believes God has removed her disgrace and she prays for yet another son. She now finally realizes that only God can allow her to conceive.

30:25-26

After the birth of Joseph, Jacob finally asks Laban for ‘permission’ to return to his own county, asking for all his wives and children to be allowed to return with him. Jacob reminds Laban of all the hard years of work he has given him for his wives.

30:27-28

Crafty Laban tells Jacob IF I have found favor in your eyes stay awhile longer, because I have learned that the Lord has blessed me for your sake. Laban knew that all his wealth had been accumulated due to the Lord blessing Jacob’s hard work; and he didn’t want to give that up! By using these phrases he leaves Jacob in the position of NOT being able to argue with him or insist on leaving. So he now asks Jacob to now state what his wages would be to continue to work for him. Keep in mind that all these years Jacob has been working for Laban only for his wives and children. He has no hope of any inheritance, land, flocks, nothing! Plus Jacob knows he MUST return to the land God has promised Abraham, Isaac and now, himself.

30:29-30

Jacob repeats the Truth that all the wealth of cattle and flocks have all come through him, from God, to Laban. He gently reminds Laban that he had little when he came, and now he is very wealthy. Jacob now asks him ‘how shall I provide for my own household?’ Jacob is not demanding anything, as that is unacceptable in that culture. Instead, he is now stating the truth that he has no way to provide for his own family with the current arrangements.

30:31-33

This type of ‘negotiating’ is done in a very cultural mind set. Neither man wants to appear to ‘demand’ anything from the other; and to ‘give’ anything would mean ‘what are you willing to do or give, for me to give something to you?’ None of this ‘giving’ is a ‘gift’ but rather a way of negotiating for something one must earn. This is tough bartering. Jacob says don’t ‘give’ me anything; yet, if you would do this one little thing, then I will again, or continue, to feed and take care of your flocks. Jacobs plan is proposed so that it would appear that he would only gain a very little and that Laban would continue to reap greater wealth and gain. The spotted and off-color markings on the animals would determine the ownership as belonging to Jacob. The dominant solid colors were the majority of the flocks. This arrangement would presumably leave Jacob without the possibility of EVER being able to leave Laban’s hire.

30:34

Laban immediately recognized the proposal as being heavily weighted in his favor. He knew the majority of all animals were solid-colored and dominant-colored animals. This would leave him with an enormous advantage over Jacob. Laban’s greed caused him to agree to the terms, stating that Jacob now had to keep his word to Laban.

30:35-36

To add to his own benefit, Laban immediately, that same day, goes into fields with the flocks and has all the ringstraked, and spotted males removed as well as all the speckled and spotted females as well as any that had any white on them as well as all the brown sheep and gave all of them to his sons. Laban knows that if he removes all the animals with any type or kind of marking, it would be almost impossible for any newly born animals to have those markings; leaving Jacob with nothing! In addition, Laban wants to insure that the animals cannot possibly cross breed, so he has his sons take all of these marked animals a three days journey away from the herds Jacob is to take care of.

30:37-39

Jacob sees the unfair removal of all the marked animals from the flocks and then acts on God’s leading regarding the rods. These ‘rods’ were cuttings of green poplar, hazel and chestnut trees. Jacob peeled the rods to expose the white streaks; placing the rods in the watering troughs the flocks drank from. It is unclear exactly how the rods, or perhaps the natural chemicals from the rods, affected the animals. Except we are told they bred and conceived when they came to drink. These flocks then brought forth young lambs and kids that were streaked, speckled and spotted. Just as a husband and wife with brown eyes may have a blue eyed child because the blue is a recessive gene, yet two recessive genes would cause the child to have blue eyes. I am one of those blue eyed children with parents that have brown eyes and hazel eyes. Yet God knew that solid colored male and female could bring forth young that could be streaked, speckled, spotted, etc. God IS in charge of everything. If you read ahead to chapter 31:10, Jacob reveals to his wives that God had revealed to him that the offspring would be streaked, speckled and spotted. In any case, Jacob did NOT deceive Laban, he simply obeyed God regarding the negotiating for off-colored animals.

30:40-42

Jacob now carefully separates the lambs and places the animals, which are now his, in a separate drove so that they would only interbreed by themselves and not breed with any of the solid colored animals, which were all Laban’s. Further he carefully places the rods only before the stronger animals in the watering troughs. Presumably to encourage only the stronger, healthier animals to breed and reproduce. He separates the animals and does not place rods in front of Laban’s feebler animals.

30:43

Note that Jacob quickly becomes exceedingly rich. He has many sheep, goats, camels, donkeys and servants.

Do we obey God even when it doesn’t seem to make sense? Jacob did, and God blessed him for his obedience, despite the fact that he had made some terrible mistakes regarding his family dynamics. Be encouraged that when you seek God’s Word, to understand and obey His Will for your life, you will be blessed. This does not mean that all your difficulties and problems will disappear, but that you will be blessed in areas that have eternal value. We need to focus on understanding God’s Word and seeking to obey His Will for us. Begin now to praise Him for the good He has given you and learn to deal with adversity with the guidance, direction and wisdom of the Holy Spirit.