Genesis 30:25-36 – A Bargain to Keep Two Men Honest

Jacob has been gone from home for a long time. He now has two wives and a large family, and it might seem as though he is going to spend the rest of his life happily working for his father-in-law. But such is not the case. Jacob is ready to go back home. He considers Canaan to be his home and his country, and he still sees himself as just a stranger in this land of Laban. He also has a family of his own now, and it is high time he begins to store up wealth to take care of them. He knows that God who has provided him with a family will provide him with food for that family, but he also knows that it is his responsibility to take care of his own people. He has finished his 14 years of service to Laban, even though 7 of those years are forced on him through trickery. He has faithfully done his job, and now he wants to go home. For a Christian, this earth is not his home, and he should be eager to go to his heavenly country when he has faithfully finished his work here.

Laban is not stupid. He doesn’t want Jacob to go. He knows that he is benefiting because God is with Jacob, and Jacob is with him. He realises that if Jacob goes, he will no longer be as prosperous – not to mention he’d lose his free labour. Good men are often blessings to all around them, and God often shows mercy to people for the sake of their believing relatives.

Jacob and Laban strike up a bargain on Jacob’s terms. This is a wise agreement on Jacob’s part for it should prevent Laban from cheating him and Jacob from being accused of cheating Laban. But Laban immediately removes all the speckled animals from the main flock, so it seems very improbable that Jacob will benefit from this agreement at all.