Genesis 30

As we look back on Leah and Rachel, we see that they shared a common human trait: they each wanted what the other had. They were not content with the individual gifts God had given them: children on the one hand, Jacob’s love on the other. If they each had learned to be truly content, there would have been no strife in Jacob’s family. Never–the less, God used Jacob’s dysfunctional family to produce the twelve tribes of Israel, which ultimately would become a channel of blessing to the whole world.

Jacob’s Flocks Increase (30:25–43)

25–30 Jacob’s presence in Haran had resulted in great material blessing for Laban. Therefore, when Jacob asked Laban for leave to return to Canaan, Laban was reluctant to let him go. “What shall I give you as an incentive to make you stay?” Laban asked (verse 31).

31–33 Jacob had a scheme: as a reward for staying, he would ask for all the mixed-colored sheep and mixed-colored goats in Laban’s flock. (Most sheep were all white, and most goats were all dark; thus Jacob was asking for only a small portion of Laban’s flocks.) Laban, thinking it to be a good bargain, agreed.

34–36 But Laban, ever deceptive, secretly removed all the mixed-colored goats and lambs from his flocks, so as to greatly reduce Jacob’s share.

37–43 These verses are admittedly confusing. Jacob resorted to a superstitious belief that if animals mated in front of striped branches, their offspring would be striped or mixed in color. True enough, when Jacob mated Laban’s single-colored animals in this way, mixed-colored offspring resulted. (This is genetically possible, though unlikely.) Furthermore, he had the stronger animals mate near the striped branches, but not the weaker animals. The result of all this was that the stronger animals ended up being mixed in color and thus belonging to Jacob. Over a six-year period, Jacob’s flocks increased enormously, while Laban’s flocks decreased. Jacob had once again shown his cunning—though he had technically kept to his agreement.

Did Jacob’s striped branches have any effect? No; God produced the effect by using the recessive genes already present in the animals. God, using natural means, caused Jacob’s flocks to grow and Laban’s to decline. Jacob himself later admitted that the credit belonged to God (Genesis 31:9). This entire episode was a fulfillment of God’s promise to Jacob back at Bethel that He would be with him wherever he went (Genesis 28:15).