Trusting the Outcomes to God (Genesis 28:10 - 30:42)
2:31 AM
When you are in love, even time has a special quality all its own. Jacob loved Rebecca and willingly served 7 years with the joyful expectation of making her his wife. “So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her.” (29:20)
But, Jacob’s happily ever after would prove a bit more complex than what he hoped for. Jacob would have to deal with disappointment and delayed gratification for Jacob would have to deal with a difficult in-law.
Meet Laban. Laban is manipulative and self-seeking. He tricks Jacob, substituting the less favored wife, Leah and then requiring another 7 years labor from Jacob to secure Rachel as his 2nd wife. All the years that Jacob remains there serving Laban he is blessed by God with many children and Laban too prospers because of God’s favor toward Jacob. It’s no wonder that when Jacob wants to take his family and return to his own people that Laban tries to manipulate circumstances to his favor with no concern for Jacob. Jacob agrees to stay longer but asks for the spotted and speckled sheep and goats. Jacob agrees but once again he tries to turn the odds in his favor.
“But that day Laban removed the male goats that were striped and spotted, and all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had white on it, and every lamb that was black, and put them in the charge of his sons. And he set a distance of three days’ journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob pastured the rest of Laban’s flock.” (30:35-36)
Sometimes God requires us to deal with difficult people who try to manipulate and use us for their own benefit. Sometimes it can seem like the odds are stacking up against us. We have 2 choices.
- We can get caught up in the frustrations and circumstances and allow bitterness, anger, and despair to overcome us.
- We can endure, trusting in the promises of God and his desire to bless us in spite of our circumstances.
Jacob chose to endure and trust God for favorable outcomes. He put an action plan in to place and let God provide what he needed. When studying about the sticks Jacob used to promote speckled and spotted sheep, I found conflicting opinions. I found a few articles that presented some scientific basis that might have been involved in influencing the genetics of the sheep to promote speckled and spotted offspring from solid colored animals. I also found many articles saying there was no genetic explanation and it was just simply God at work. Either way, the glory belongs to God and Jacob knew where his help came from.
God may have required Jacob to be patient and endure many challenges but he was faithful to his promises to bless him. God intervened to offset all that Laban had done to manipulate and control Jacob’s circumstances.
“...So the feebler would be Laban’s, and the stronger Jacob’s. Thus the man increased greatly and had large flocks, female servants and male servants, and camels and donkeys.”(30:42-43)
Do you have difficult people in your life? Parents, in-laws, siblings, employers, co-workers, etc? You have the same choices Jacob had. You can be a bitter, distraught, self-pitying victim and take matters into your own hands. Or, you can persevere, endure, take action as directed by God and trust the final outcomes to Him.
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