“And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence be ye? And they said, Of Haran are we.” (Genesis 29:4)
Isaac had told Jacob to travel to the house of Laban. This is where he would find his wife. Along the trip Jacob slept under the stars with a rock for his pillow. It was in the middle of a desolate plain Jacob had a dream.
In his dream there was a ladder that ascended from Earth into Heaven. On the ladder he could see Angels climbing up and down the ladder. At the top of the ladder was God.
God said, “…I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;” (Gen 28:13)
This was the same covenant God had with Abraham and Isaac. God will protect you and make you strong.
Haran is a desolate place, located in southern Turkey along the Syrian border. There is a modern city of Haran and just east of the city is the plain of Haran. There were no beautiful gardens, fruit trees, or rivers. There was a well and grasses, think of it as the Great Plains of Kansas. It was not all you wanted, but all you would need.
Jacob had lived in Haran for 14 years working for his Uncle/Father-in-Law Laban. When Jacob arrived Laban had very little. That all changed when Jacob had grown into a multitude of people, crops, and livestock.
Jacob’s family has grown and it is time for him to go his own way. “Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served thee, and let me go: for thou knowest my service which I have done thee.” (Gen 30:26)
Laban was not willing to let Jacob’s family leave. A negotiation begins. Laban is willing to give Jacob a better wage, but he wants Jacob to tell him what the wage will be.
Jacob is not dumb. He knows Laban will attempt to keep him as labor to increase Laban’s treasure.
Jacob said, “Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how thy cattle was with me.
For it was little which thou hadst before I came, and it is now increased unto a multitude; and the LORD hath blessed thee since my coming: and now when shall I provide for mine own house also?” (Gen 30:29-30)
In short, Jacob said that God had multiplied me and by doing so, increased your wealth.
Laban had a short attention span. He asked Jacob directly, “What shall I give thee?” (Gen 30:31)
Jacob’s response is directly from God, “Thou shalt not give me anything. if thou wilt do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep thy flock:
I will pass through all thy flock to day, removing from thence all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats: and of such shall be my hire.
So shall my righteousness answer for me in time to come, when it shall come for my hire before thy face: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the sheep, that shall be counted stolen with me.” (Gen 30:31-33)
Jacob will only take the cattle, sheep, and goats that are not the best looking. Appearances can be deceiving. A speckled cow does not produce speckled milk. Jacob picked the cattle’s appearance as a way to determine which ones are his and which ones are Laban’s.
Laban agreed and moved himself 3 days away from Jacob.
Jacob separated the livestock based on their appearance. Not just in terms of outward appearance, but in terms of strength. The feeble were given to Laban’s flock.
Jacob’s livestock, servants, and family increased exceedingly according to God’s promise.
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