I hope that everyone had a good Christmas and that you were able to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I have heard a lot of talk, with the New Year upon us, about the start of a new Bible reading plan. My prayer is that whatever plan or way you choose to read God’s Word that it continues to change your life, and reveal the love, might, and power of our Lord to you. My personal study has led me back into the Book of Genesis, and that is where we will spend some time today.
Did you ever wonder when you read Genesis 30 about the speckled and spotted sheep? I always marvel at the story we see unfolding involving the sheep, Jacob, and Laban. Involved in this story are the treachery of Laban, the hard work of Jacob, the superstition of Jacob, but most importantly the sovereignty of God.
What we find in this section of Genesis is the wish of Jacob to return home and the realization on Laban’s part that he would lose a successful worker and tender of his flocks. But Laban agreed, and as payment Jacob requested all of the spotted and blemished sheep be given to him. Of course, Laban and his sons removed any of the spotted and blemished sheep from the herd so that in breeding the majority would be solid colored and not eligible for payment to Jacob. Now I am no expert on genetics, but it would seem likely that some of the solid colored sheep would have a recessive gene that would produce spotted sheep. Jacob also was somewhat superstitious and employed a method of placing peeled poplar branches near the sheep during breeding, as he believed that would lead to spotted and blemished offspring. I suppose we could discuss genetics further and think that we could find a conclusion, but really genetics and poplar branches were not the solution.
Genesis 30:43 states, “So the man became exceedingly prosperous, and had large flocks and female and male servants and camels and donkeys” (NASB). I will challenge you to read Genesis 12:16 and Genesis 26:14 which are about the prosperity of Abraham and Isaac respectively. God’s promise of blessing and His eternal faithfulness to His Word seem to be the reason for the prosperity of these three men and the families. Jacob recognizes God’s hand on his life in Genesis 31:9 and tells his wives that it is God who has prospered him.
What is the point of this, and more importantly, how can I apply it to my life, may be the question that you are asking right now? My thought is that we can use all of our skills, which are given to us by God in the areas of negotiating, decision-making, and even scientific understanding. But when it comes down to it let us know God’s Word and understand that He is faithful to His people and promises to always be with us until one day we are face-to-face with Him.