Jacob leaves Laban with Leah and Rachel
How many of you have a dog? Is it a mixed breed or a pure breed? What characteristics of each breed does it have?
What we skipped: Jacob meets uncle Laban and Rachel, agrees to work for 7 years so that he could marry Rachel. Jacob gets Leah, agrees to 7 more years of labor, gets Rachel. Several children are born to Leah, Rachel, and their 2 maids.
30:25-36 The Bargain (Jacob gets the spotted sheep)
After 14 years, Jacob is ready to go back “home”.
He strikes a bargain with Laban, but it has no exact time.
If you were Jacob, would you trust Laban?
30:37-43 Jacob uses a combination of selective breeding and popular superstition to increase his flock.
Jacob became exceedingly prosperous.
"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. (Heterozygote advantage)
Jacob's behavior was devious because he sought to prosper at the expense of his employer.
The text records that Jacob became very wealthy (v. 43), but it does not say that his wealth was a blessing from God. Jacob made his own fortune, as opposed to God making him rich like Abraham. 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.
In this section of Genesis we have walked through some of Jacob’s trials and experiences. As Jacob prepares to go back to his homeland, in obedience to God, how would you describe his maturity, his faith, and his personality?
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