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40 Then Jacob separated the lambs, and made the flocks face toward the streaked and all the brown in the flock of Laban; but he put his own flocks by themselves and did not put them with Laban’s flock. 41 And it came to pass, whenever the stronger livestock conceived, that Jacob placed the rods before the eyes of the livestock in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods. 42 But when the flocks were feeble, he did not put them in; so the feebler were Laban’s and the stronger Jacob’s. 43 Thus the man became exceedingly prosperous, and had large flocks, female and male servants, and camels and donkeys. ~ Genesis 30:40-43
Today, we conclude our study of Genesis 30 where Jacob after fourteen years of serving Laban is now about to head back to Canaan with his wives, children and livestock. Underneath all that has taken place has been the deepening of Jacob's trust in the God of the Bible. The once disinterested Jacob had been awakened to the wisdom of God. And, like Jacob, as we see the Father heart of God with more clarity, the more we will trust Him. And, the more we trust Him the more we will be defined by Him. This is the real story of Jacob's fourteen years in Haran.
In v.40 of today's passage we read, "Then Jacob separated the lambs, and made the flocks face toward the streaked and all the brown in the flock of Laban; but he put his own flocks by themselves and did not put them with Laban’s flock."
The previous verses described Jacob's strategy for getting his black goats to produce striped, speckled, and spotted offspring. This verse describes his method for getting the white sheep to produce black lambs. Jacob caused the white sheep to mate while facing the black and striped animals in the flock, causing them to produce black offspring. As a result of drawing nearer to the Lord and being defined by Him, Jacob was growing in the wisdom of the Lord. The Lord honored Jacob's unusual method for identifying which of those animals he wanted to produce off-colored offspring and He caused it to happen. As we will see in Genesis 31:7-12, Jacob had been given this understanding from the Lord that resulted in his flock yielding more offspring.
In v.41 of today's passage we read, "And it came to pass, whenever the stronger livestock conceived, that Jacob placed the rods before the eyes of the livestock in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods."
Here, Jacob used another tactic to increase his wealth. Sheep give birth twice a year, in the spring and in the fall. But there is also a divide in those born in the first part of the birth cycle, closer to the winter, and those later as the spring has progressed. Those born earlier would be the stronger and heartier of the flock. Those born later in the season would be the weaker ones. The stronger and more healthier ones ended up in Jacob's herd while the others were left in Laban’s.
In v.42-43 of today's passage we read, "42 But when the flocks were feeble, he did not put them in; so the feebler were Laban’s and the stronger Jacob’s. 43 Thus the man became exceedingly prosperous, and had large flocks, female and male servants, and camels and donkeys."
God providentially prospered Jacob in answer to prayer and in accordance with His promise. In fact, against all odds, Jacob ended up prospering to a phenomenal degree. Jacob’s prosperity was undoubtedly beyond anything he or his father-in-law Laban could have ever thought possible. I find it quite instructive that Jacob left Canaan and became poor, not accepting anything as wages except His brides and the fruit of his flock. When it came for the time for him to travel back home to Canaan, he traveled back as a wealthier man. All of this was the result of a man learning to walk with God. The real reason for the massive increase in Jacob’s net worth was the fact that God was blessing him. God was the One who caused those flocks to have so many spotted and speckled offspring. He was the One who intervened in order to make Jacob so wealthy. And Jacob, in the very next chapter, will credit God for the increase in his flocks.
In 2 Corinthians 8:9 we read, "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich."
There are so many who want to say that God wants us to be wealthy and they evaluate such wealth by what this world has to offer. I'd say this is short sided for when we truly are walking with God, His value system will govern our view of true wealth. In Proverbs 3:13-14 we are told that God's wisdom and understanding according to His economy is of far more profit than silver and gold, and that nothing we desire can compare with it. Jacob's story points us to the Lord Jesus Christ who gave up His incredible place in heaven to come and dwell among sinful man. Through the fulfillment of His law and paying our debt on the cross, He made it possible for you and me to become a part of His family. Like Jacob, the Lord Jesus is obtaining the fruit of His flock. Through His poverty all who place their trust in Him become wealthy beyond this world's ability to measure.
In Psalm 37:4-6 we read, "Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light and your judgment as the noonday."
This passage describes the principle illustrated in today's passage. God loved Jacob and was determined to bless him but Jacob had to position himself to receive the blessings that He had in store for him. As we learn to give our hearts to God, He gives His to us. It is then that we gain heaven's wisdom to navigate life on earth as we ought and in the right way. Through the story that God gives us with Him others will be blessed as well. This is the point of our lives: To know Him and to make Him known.
