SPECKLES, STREAKS AND SPOTS - NCCG.ORG Ning Network Archive 2008-10

A Bible Story about Jacob
by Linda Sue Pochodzay Edwards

"But, Mom," Chara whined. "She always gets more than I do." And it was true.
When Jewel poured chocolate milk into the glasses, she always poured more
into her own glass and less into Chara's. When they had pizza for dinner,
Jewel always took the largest slice.

This time there was only one piece of cake and Jewel picked up a knife to
divide it. Their mother came into the room when she heard Chara complain.

"I have an idea," their mother said with a grin. "Jewel can divide the cake,
but Chara gets to choose first."

Jewel was very careful to cut the cake into two pieces that were exactly
even. When Chara tried to choose which piece she wanted, she laughed because
both pieces were the same. The two girls giggled, then happily ate their
cake.

After Joseph, the twelfth child, was born into Jacob's family, Jacob decided
it was much too crowded to stay with Uncle Laban. Now that he had such a
large family to support, Jacob felt he needed his own land and his own herds
of cattle and flocks of sheep and goats.

Jacob met with Laban to discuss the situation. "Uncle Laban, I have worked
for you fourteen years. I have twelve children and I need a place of my own.
I want to take my wives and my children back to my old home in Canaan where
I can live on my own land."

"OH NO, my boy," Laban heartily responded. "Don't be so quick to rush off!
The Lord has blessed me because of you. Stay a little longer. Tell me what I
can do to change your mind so that you will stay with me. What kind of deal
can I make with you?"

Jacob thought about it for a moment. It would be rather difficult to move
that large family of his, and if he could get Laban to agree to a good deal,
it just might be worth it to stay. "I don't want your money or anything that
belongs to you," Jacob explained. "I will stay with you on one condition."

"All right, my boy. Tell me what it is you have in mind," Laban urged.

"You know that you had very few cattle before I came, and now you have a
huge herd," Jacob reminded him. "I will stay and continue taking care of
your animals if you will allow me to separate them. I will give you all the
solid color cattle and goats, and I will take all the speckled and spotted
ones. I will also take all the brown sheep and give you the rest. The
animals I take will be my pay in exchange for staying here and helping you
become prosperous."

Uncle Laban was a shrewd businessman and couldn't let a deal of any kind
pass him by. But he wasn't such a good farmer. In those days, they thought
animals with spots, or speckles or stripes, were not as good as
solid-colored animals. Laban thought he was getting a good deal and quickly
agreed with Jacob's plan.

Jacob and Laban separated all the animals and took the two groups to
different pastures, three whole days journey apart. The streaked, spotted
and speckled animals now belonged to Jacob and the solid-colored animals
belonged to Laban. Jacob took very good care of all the animals, both his
and Laban's. Jacob cut branches from poplar trees and chestnut trees and put
them near the water that the animals drank. He believed it was a magic trick
that would cause baby animals to be born with streaks, speckles and spots.

Later, when the animals had babies, the babies were born with streaks,
speckles and spots! However, we believe that it was Yahweh that caused the
animals to be born with streaks, speckles and spots so that Jacob would
prosper. It was not the magic trick that caused it. Since more speckled,
streaked and spotted animals were being born than solid ones, Jacob's herds
and flocks became larger and larger. After several years, he had many more
animals than Laban had.

Laban's sons didn't like it that Jacob was having such good success in
raising and breeding the animals. They were getting angry at Jacob and
complained to their father. "He's taking all your animals! You'd better do
something to stop him before he steals everything we own!"

Jacob had heard the complaints and accusations against him, and it appeared
that he prayed about the situation. Yahweh told Jacob to leave Laban and
take his family to Canaan.

Jacob had a talk with Leah and Rachel. "Your brothers and your father are
angry with me. You know I have worked for your father all these years and
have done nothing wrong, even though your father keeps changing his deals
and has been deceitful with me. Yahweh told me to leave here and take all of
you back to Canaan. What do you think we should do?"

Rachel and Leah didn't have to think very hard to give Jacob an answer. "Our
father has dealt badly with us, too. Even though we are his daughters, he
treated us like slaves selling us to you as if we are no better than cattle.
He doesn't care about us, and since we have brothers, we won't even receive
an inheritance from him. He will give everything to his sons. If Yahweh told
you to leave, then we are willing to leave with you."

While Laban was out in the field shearing sheep, Jacob set his wives and
children on camels, and, rounding up all his herds and flocks, they formed a
large caravan heading toward Jacob's old home in Canaan.

Three days later, Laban hadn't even noticed that Jacob and all of his family
were gone. Someone told Laban that Jacob left taking his family and animals
with him. Laban was not a bit happy to hear that news. He gathered a group
of men to go with him to help find Jacob. They traveled seven days and
finally came within sight of Jacob's caravan.

Since it was growing dark, they decided to make camp and catch up with Jacob
in the morning, knowing he would also have to stop and make camp. During the
night, in his dream, Laban heard the voice of Yahweh speaking to him saying,
"Laban, don't speak to Jacob. Don't hurt him."

Now Laban was well known for tricking people and making deals, but he knew
better than to try to make a deal with Yahweh. When he finally caught up with
Jacob, he was as kind as he could be. "Why did you leave without telling
me?" he asked gently. "I would have liked to at least said goodbye and given
the children a hug." Then he added, "I could have caught up with you and
done you harm during the night, but Yahweh told me not to hurt you."

Laban continued speaking to Jacob: "I know you miss your old home and want
to go back there. I can understand that, but why did you steal my idols?"

Jacob answered Laban, "I left quickly because I was afraid you would try to
stop me by taking your daughters away from me, but I don't know anything
about your idols. I have no need for them and didn't take them. If you don't
believe me, go ahead and search all of our stuff. If you find your idols,
then you can severely punish the person that took them."

Laban and his men searched through all of Jacob's sacks and packs. After
that, they searched everything belonging to everyone else in the family.
Laban was sure the idols had been stolen, but Jacob, not knowing that Rachel
had taken them, continued to deny it.

Rachel knew she would be in big trouble if her father found the idols. While
the men were searching through the bags and sacks, she secretly removed the
idols from her belongings, put them on her little seat on the camel, and sat
on them. When Laban searched through her things, he didn't find the idols.

Jacob was becoming more and more angry with Laban. "What have I done to
you?" he asked. "Why did you come here? Why are you searching through all of
our stuff? Have you found anything that doesn't belong to me? I have worked
for you for twenty years and have always been honest, even though you kept
changing our agreements.

I only took the ugly animals that were speckled, streaked and spotted. I
left all the pretty solid-colored animals for you. If something bad happened
to one of your animals, I replaced it for you. It is Yahweh that has blessed
me. If Yahweh hadn't blessed me, you wouldn't have anything, and I would be
leaving you with nothing to call my own."

Laban wouldn't agree with what Jacob was saying, but he knew Jacob was
right. Even so, he was insistent that Jacob was trying to steal from him.
"Everything you have here belongs to me," Laban argued. "These are my
daughters, and these are my grandchildren. All the flocks and herds you have
came from my flocks and herds. But because Yahweh spoke to me, I will make a
promise to you that I won't follow you any further and I won't cause you any
harm."

Jacob took a large stone and set it up as a pillar. Jacob told Laban's men
to gather stones to add to the one he had set up. Each man added a rock.

"This heap of rocks will remind us of our agreement," Laban said. Jacob
named the rocks Galeed and Laban named them Mizpah, which means "Yahweh
watch over me and you when we are separate from each other." Then they made
another promise to each other that neither one would journey past the rocks,
into the other person's territory.

After all the promises had been made, Jacob offered a sacrifice to God, and
all the people from both groups ate together and spent the night together.

Early the next morning, Laban got up and hugged and kissed his daughters and
his grandchildren. Then both groups went their separate ways. Laban and his
men went back to their home in Padan-aram, and Jacob and his family
continued their journey to Canaan.

THINK!

* How many years had Jacob worked for Laban the first time he
wanted to leave?
* How many years had Jacob worked for Laban the second time he
decided to leave?
* Had Jacob been honest with Laban?
* Had Laban been honest with Jacob?
* Who took the idols?
* Why did Jacob and Laban pile up rocks?

REMEMBER:

Hard work and Yahweh's blessing caused Jacob to prosper;
not deceitfulness, dishonesty, or magic.

A VERSE TO LEARN

"Yahweh watch between me and thee,
when we are absent one from another" (Genesis 31:49).

LET'S PRAY

****************************************************

Dear Father Yahweh, thank You for all the good things
You have provided for us. Help us remember
that You love us, and You will take care
of us. In Yah'shua's Name I pray. Amen.

****************************************************

CAN YOU FIND THIS STORY IN THE BIBLE?

Genesis 30:25 - 31:55

You can view this Bible story in full color with pictures and
resources to go along with the story at
http://www.childrenschapel.org/biblestories/jacob6.html

Purchase the WHOLE Website by clicking here