Genesis 30:25-43

9. Jacob’s new contract with Laban 30:25-43

Jacob and Laban ("White") made an agreement that each man felt he could manipulate to his own advantage. However, God sovereignly overruled to bless Jacob as He had promised in spite of Laban’s deceit and Jacob’s deviousness (cf. Job 5:13; Psalms 7:15; 1 Corinthians 3:19).

As the previous pericope shows how Yahweh provided descendants for Jacob as He had promised (seed), this one demonstrates how He made Jacob wealthy (blessing). In both cases God acted in spite of and independent of the bickering, superstition, deceit, and disobedience of Jacob and his wives.

"By crossing the heterozygotes among themselves, Jacob would produce, according to the laws of heredity, twenty-five percent spotted sheep. Thus he multiplies his flock. Jacob has displayed ingenuity; he has not practiced deception.

"Jacob’s knowledge of zoology is far from primitive. But perhaps such knowledge has been given him by God, just as his son’s capacity to interpret dreams was a gift from God." [Note: Hamilton, The Book . . . Chapters 18-50, p. 284. Cf. Sarna, Understanding Genesis, p. 212; and Wenham, Genesis 16-50, p. 257.]

Jacob was evidently relying on a popular superstition, namely, that certain experiences of the mother during pregnancy influenced the condition of her offspring, to mislead Laban (Genesis 30:37-39). At least one writer thought that Jacob was mistakenly counting on this custom to ensure fertility among his flocks.

"All marking of the offspring such as that which Jacob thought he was accomplishing in Laban’s flocks, is completely impossible. . . . In the placenta and umbilical cord, which constitutes the only connection between the mother and the fetus, there are no nerves. . . . Thus, absolutely no mechanism exists whereby the mother can mark her offspring in the way that Jacob thought he was accomplishing the marking." [Note: Frank L. Marsh, Studies in Creationism, pp. 368-69.]

Whether Jacob was very smart or very superstitious, the success of Jacob’s plan was due to the grace of God ultimately (cf. Genesis 31:10-12).

"As with many of the tricks which Jacob attempts in these narratives, God blessed Jacob in spite of them, not because of or through them." [Note: Sailhamer, The Pentateuch . . ., p. 196. Cf. Mathews, Genesis 11:27-50:26, p. 502.]

The herdsmen believed the stronger members of the flock mated in the summer and the weaker in the fall (Genesis 30:41-42). [Note: See Martha A. Morrison, "The Jacob and Laban Narrative in Light of Near Eastern Sources," Biblical Archaeologist 46:3 (Summer 1983):155-64, which contains many helpful explanations of herding practices, contracts involving herding, marriage customs, and the significance of household gods.] Jacob’s ownership of camels (Genesis 30:43) shows that he was very rich since these animals were rare and costly. [Note: Mathews, Genesis 11:27-50:26, p. 503.]

Jacob’s behavior was devious in that he sought to prosper at the expense of his employer. The text records that Jacob became very wealthy (Genesis 30:43), but it does not say that his wealth was a blessing from God. Jacob made his own fortune, but the text says that God made Abraham rich. God allowed Jacob to become wealthy through his own toil and deception. God probably would have done more for Jacob than he could have done for himself if Jacob had placed himself under God’s authority. This is what God usually does.

The lesson of this section is that people who experience God’s material blessing need to acknowledge that it comes from Him rather than from their own abilities.