Genesis 30-32
Genesis 30 opens with the same conflict that we read about with Abraham and Sarah. Sarah gave her servant to Abraham to sleep with to have a child. Now, just 2 generations later, Rachel is doing the very same desperate move. From this a competition between the sisters ensued to having the most babies. This is how the seven years passed as Jacob worked for Laban for the hand of Rachel in marriage.
When Jacob requests to leave and return to his homeland in Canaan, Laban realized how valuable Jacob was in his work and how wealthy Laban had become while having such a good worker. He didn't want to see him go. So they bargined and decided any sheep or goat with color in its coat will be Jacob's. All of the pure white ones will remain Laban's. Bust Laban schemed against Jacob and had all of the colored goats moved to a field that was a 3 day journey to get to. Therefore, Jacob set out to train the goats to mate near the watering trough at which he placed peeled tree branches. This method seems incredibly ridiculous. However, some shepherds during this time thought you could affect the color of the goat's coat by the images that you place in the mind of the mother carrying the kid. Perhaps more believable, it was God's provision and promise to make Jacob into a great nation that caused the goats to react to the tree branches.
The Lord then sent Jacob home to Canaan-he, his family, and all of the wealth that he had acquired. It was three days before Laban realized that they had left. So he left in pursuit to find them. Seven days later, he caught up to them. But on the sixth day, Laban had a dream in his sleep and it was God speaking to him. God said to Laban, "Be careful what you say to Jacob." God was continuously watching out for Jacob. After several events, they made a treaty not to harm one another and the next day, Laban left for good.
Along the way home, Jacob and his family must pass through the land of his brother Esau. It had been more than 20 years since they had last seen each other and it was then that Jacob deceived his father Isaac for Esau's blessing. So Jacob was afraid that Esau would still be angry and might seek to bring harm to Jacob and his family. And so at the news that Esau was coming to meet Jacob personally, Jacob split up his family into 2 groups. He had hopes that at least on of the groups would make it through safely. In addition, Jacob prepared a gift for Esau in hopes to appease him or earn his favor. He prepared a huge gift of more than 550 animals! Such a gift would instantly make a man incredibly wealthy! In addition to his own extravagant gift and splitting up his family, he prayed to God. Don't you know that it is good for us to act under our own minds and figure out solutions to our problems. However, we should also entreat God on our life's situations! Jacob prayed to God for provision. We should too!
As Jacob sent his family and possessions away, Jacob spent the night alone at the camp. In the night, "a man" came and began to wrestle with Jacob. Why would this unexpected event happen? Well, for the first time Jacob turned his problem totally over to God when He prayed! And so, possible to test him, God came in the form of a "man" and began to wrestle with Jacob. But Jacob would not give up. This went on all night. Jacob continued, in utter exhaustion, until morning. Then the "man" touched Jacob's hip and put it out of socket so that Jacob might give up. He never did and only asked that God "bless" him. At that, God changed Jacob's name to Israel which means "He struggles with God." Jacob finally got it with God! No longer will he be a deceiver but now will be one who struggles through life with God but will overcome with God! What do you need to trust to God so that you can overcome it in your life?
We will now continue into a set of Psalms (Psalm 11-13) that carries a unified theme-"David is overwhelmed with the wickedness in the world." Although this may seem very somber and not very uplifting; how many times do we feel the same way? The setting of this Psalm is continuing when David was hiding from King Saul who was seeking to kill him (1 Samuel 18-26). David cries out to God amidst his hiding "The wicked are stringing their bows and setting their arrows in the bowstrings." He is afraid for his life. But he continues to trust in the Lord that He would carry out justice: "The Lord still rules from heaven" (verse 4). Bear in your heart today as you go about your day verse 7--"For the Lord is righteous, and he loves justice. Those who do what is right will see his face." Do what is right in the name of the Lord.
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