GENESIS LESSON 44


     We will begin this lesson in Genesis 30:25  "And it came to pass, 
when Rachel had born Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban, Send me away, 
that I may go unto mine own place, and to my country."
     Genesis 30:26 "Give [me] my wives and my children, for whom I
have served thee, and let me go: for thou knowest my service which I
have done thee."

     Many years had passed since Jacob left his home. He came to this
strange land and lived and took two wives. He did not know whether his
parents were still alive, or not. His brother's anger had, probably,
cooled by now. You might say, he was homesick. Jacob had fulfilled his
side of the bargain with Laban.

     Genesis 30:27 "And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have
found favour in thine eyes, [tarry: for] I have learned by experience
that the LORD hath blessed me for thy sake."

     This was the first time we really hear any praise going from Laban
to Jacob. He was, in a round about way, reminding Jacob that he took
him in. Experience is the best teacher. This was no exception. Laban
realized that Jacob was a man of God. He also, realized that the
blessings God had poured out were because of Jacob, and not anything
that he had done.  When God pours a blessing, it is so big it will
extend to those in close association.

     Genesis 30:28 "And he said, Appoint me thy wages, and I will give
[it]."

     Laban was just making a deal with Jacob to work for him.  He knew
Jacob was fair, so he said, what ever you want I will pay.

     Genesis 30:29 "And he said unto him, Thou knowest how I have
served thee, and how thy cattle was with me."
     Genesis 30:30 "For [it was] little which thou hadst before I
[came], and it is [now] increased unto a multitude; and the LORD hath
blessed thee since my coming: and now when shall I provide for mine
own house also?"

     Jacob was just telling Laban, here, that he, with God's help, 
had built Laban a huge heard of cattle. He saw his family growing 
and desired to have something for them. It was time to have his own herd. 
Soon he would be needing to help his children get started on their own.

     Genesis 30:31 "And he said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob
said, Thou shalt not give me any thing: if thou wilt do this thing for
me, I will again feed [and] keep thy flock."

     Jacob was not asking for a hand out. He was willing to work for
Laban, to build himself a herd.

     Genesis 30:32 "I will pass through all thy flock to day, removing
from thence all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown
cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats:
and [of such] shall be my hire."
     Genesis 30:33 "So shall my righteousness answer for me in time to
come, when it shall come for my hire before thy face: every one that
[is] not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the
sheep, that shall be counted stolen with me."

     Here was an easy way to tell their animals apart. Very few sheep
are brown. Most are white, so Jacob was trying to take a large
quantity of animals. Really he was taking the odd and unusual animals
of the flock. Jacob spoke of his righteousness speaking for him. He
knew God would abundantly bless his flock.

     Genesis 30:34 "And Laban said, Behold, I would it might be
according to thy word."

     Laban was just saying it was a deal.

     Genesis 30:35 "And he removed that day the he goats that were
ringstraked and spotted, and all the she goats that were speckled and
spotted, [and] every one that had [some] white in it, and all the
brown among the sheep, and gave [them] into the hand of his sons."

     The children worked in those days along side their parents. Jacob
was more or less overseer of all, his and Laban's, but his boys would
specifically take care of his animals. So the two groups of animals
would not get mixed up and interbred, we see in the next Scripture what
Jacob did.

     Genesis 30:36 "And he set three days' journey betwixt himself and
Jacob: and Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flocks."

     This had to be a huge area to be room for three days between
them. Probably, over twenty miles were between the two groups of
animals.

     Genesis 30:37  "And Jacob took him rods of green poplar, and of
the hazel and chestnut tree; and pilled white strakes in them, and
made the white appear which [was] in the rods."
     Genesis 30:38 "And he set the rods which he had pilled before the
flocks in the gutters in the watering troughs when the flocks came to
drink, that they should conceive when they came to drink."
     Genesis 30:39 "And the flocks conceived before the rods, and
brought forth cattle ringstraked, speckled, and spotted."

     Here it seems Jacob had a plan to get back at Laban for tricking
him about Leah and Rachel. He was causing all the new born to be
spotted, ringstraked, and speckled; adding to his stock and not
Laban's. Perhaps, he believed Laban already had enough.

     Genesis 30:40 "And Jacob did separate the lambs, and set the
faces of the flocks toward the ringstraked, and all the brown in the
flock of Laban; and he put his own flocks by themselves, and put them
not unto Laban's cattle."
     Genesis 30:41 "And it came to pass, whensoever the stronger
cattle did conceive, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the
cattle in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods."
     Genesis 30:42 "But when the cattle were feeble, he put [them] not
in: so the feebler were Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's."
     Genesis 30:43 "And the man increased exceedingly, and had much
cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses."

     In all of this, We must remember that Jacob, trickster, was still
his name. Even though God had already promised to bless him, He had
not changed all of his ways yet.









































                              Questions 44


1.  When did Jacob decide to leave Laban?
2.  Where did he want to go?
3.  Was there any documented evidence of Jacob hearing from his family
    while he was with Laban?
4.  What had Laban learned from experience about Jacob?
5.  What is a selfish reason to associate with the chosen of God?
6.  What offer did Laban make Jacob for wages?
7.  What happened to Laban's flock in the over 14 years that Jacob had
    worked for him?
8.  Why did Jacob want his own flock?
9.  What does Laban give Jacob?
10. What did Jacob offer Laban in work?
11. How would they separate the animals?
12. What remarks did Jacob make about his relation to God?
13. How far apart did they place the animals?
14. Who herded Jacob's flock?
15. Who fed Laban's flock?.
16. What did Jacob do to make Laban's new born animals belong to him?
17. Who got the feeble?
18. Why did Jacob do this to Laban?
19. The increase of Jacob covered five things. Name them.
20. What must we remember about Jacob that helps us to understand what
    he did?