Explanation: In Genesis 31 Jacob faced a life-changing crisis. This developed when Jacob lost the favor of Laban. In response, the LORD told him to return to his kindred and he would be with him (1-3).
     Jacob then shared the problem with his wives, Rachel and Leah, and told them of the vision he had received from God in which God told him that he had seen how Laban had constantly tried to trick him. And the LORD revealed to Jacob that he had caused the marked animals to mate with the unmarked animals, thereby reversing Laban's schemes. Jacob's wives also encouraged Jacob to leave, as God told him to do, because Laban had stolen from them as well and had treated them like slave women (4-16).
     Acting upon these encouragements, Jacob left secretly for his own country. But, unknown to him, Rachel had stolen Laban's household idols (17-21). Three days later, Laban discovered that Jacob was gone, and he overtook Jacob after a seven day pursuit. But God warned Laban not to say either good or bad to Jacob (22-24).
     Laban then came to Jacob and asked him why he left secretly, saying that it was in his power to hurt Jacob, except that God forbade him to do so. Laban also asked Jacob why he had stolen his household gods. But Jacob challenged him to search his belongings and find his gods, and take his idols, and put the thief to death (25-32).
     Laban searched, but found nothing, because Rachel had hidden them beneath the place where she was lying, claiming she could not rise because she was menstruating. This may have seemed reasonable to Laban because he believed that she would not dishonor sacred objects by sitting on them and defiling them while menstruating (33-35).
     Jacob then became angry with Laban for pursuing him, making false accusations, making him bear the losses among the flocks for twenty years, changing his wages frequently, and being willing to send him away empty, if God had not intervened (36-42).
     In reply, Laban said that he could do nothing to anyone because these were his daughters and his grandchildren; so he asked for a covenant in which both Jacob and Laban pledged to do no harm to one another and to have the LORD watch between them (43-50). As a witness to the covenant, Laban erected a pillar, beyond which neither would pass to do harm to the other (51-54). So Laban arose the next morning, kissed his sons and daughters, blessed them, and returned home (55).
     [Interpretation of the Issues Regarding the Care of the Flocks]. The relevant material is contained in the previous chapter and in today's chapter. I will attempt to answer a series of questions and then draw a conclusion. The First Question: How, and by whom, were Laban's flocks separated from Jacob's Flocks? The separation must have been done by Jacob and Laban, with Laban taking the lead (Genesis 30:34-36). In the verses just cited, Laban speaks and acts, and Jacob is referred to in the second person. This does not mean that Jacob was not present. It is highly likely that Jacob was present and active. It was Jacob's intention to be present and to effect the separation on the very day that he and Laban reached their agreement (Genesis 30:32a - "let me pass through all your flock today"). Laban also acted that day (Genesis 30:35a - "But that day Laban removed ..." ). There would not have been sufficient time for Laban to pass through the flock and remove the marked animals without Jacob being present. Laban had agreed to allow Jacob to make the separation and to do it on the day they agreed to do it. Therefore, it is highly likely that Jacob was there, participation in the process. Neither man trusted the other. Both would have watched the other. And it is natural that Laban, being the owner of the undivided flock, would, for matters of distrust and of primacy of ownership, take the lead in the separation process. This, I believe is why Laban is mentioned as the actor, and not Jacob. Jacob was there, observing and participating in the background, I believe.
     The Second Question: Who took the marked animals three days away and kept them? Some believe that Laban's sons took them and kept them. The pronoun reference in 30:35b is unclear - "Laban ... put them in the charge of his sons." At first reading, this would seem to refer to Laban's sons. However, I believe it must refer to Jacob's sons. I have just argued that Jacob was most likely present, though silent. Jacob's sons also may have been watching Laban's flock while Jacob and Laban made their bargain. Or the sons of Laban could have readily been called to participate in the separation. And, even if Laban's sons separated the marked animals and took them three days away, initially, this arrangement would have been intolerable to Jacob in the long term. Also, Laban's sons would be needed at home with Laban's flock to help keep watch on Laban's flock and on Jacob as he tended to that flock. Laban's sons would have been needed all the more at home if Jacob's sons were elsewhere tending a new flock. If Jacob's sons were three days away, they would have unable to give much help to their father.
     Moreover, six years after the division, it seems likely that Laban's sons were (still) not present with Jacob's flock. If they had been present with Jacob's flock, they would have discovered Jacob's plot and revealed it to Laban immediately. The plot would probably have been undone, humanly speaking. When Jacob finally escaped, it was when Laban was shearing his sheep so that his eyes, and probably the eyes of his sons, and most of his servants, were off Jacob and on the business at hand.
     The Third Question: How did Jacob's flock increase? The LORD, of course, did it, but by what means? Since the marked and the unmarked flocks were separated by three days, no opportunity would be found for interbreeding. Presumably, food and water for the flocks were in their respective areas, so they would probably not have met and interbred on occasion at some common watering spot. And, even if the flocks had a common watering spot, Laban would probably have seen to it that his flock was never exposed to Jacob's. So, with no contact between the flocks, how were marked animals conceived and born in Laban's flock? Some of Laban's flock may have had marked babies in their wombs. Jacob would have been entitled to them when they were born. However, it seems likely that these newborns would have been transferred to Jacob's flock shortly after weaning, and before they were of breeding age. This would explain why Jacob was, apparently, trying by external physical means, or by magical means, to produce marked animals from unmarked animals. He tried to do this by placing marked sticks in or near their drinking troughs when strong animals were breeding. However, if he had seen marked animals breeding with unmarked animals, it would have been unnecessary to use such means. Marked progeny would naturally result in many instances. Yet, when God revealed to Jacob how the marked progeny were conceived, he told Jacob that marked animals bred with the unmarked animals. So why did Jacob not see the markings? I believe that the "marks" that God referred to were recessive genes in unmarked animals, and that it was these animals which God sent to breed and produce marked offspring. Had the "marks" been visible, Jacob would have been able to see them. No matter how many times Laban changed the terms of the contract, limiting it to one feature then another, God always saw the relevant genetic markers, and he guided the strong among those animals to breed and to produce appropriately marked offspring. So the stronger became Jacob's, and the weaker became Laban's. Thus, by this interpretation, God's providence is not only notable, it is astounding.
     Conclusion: I believe that the least problematic reading of chapters 30 and 31 is to conclude that Jacob's sons kept Jacob's flock in a place which was three days away from Laban's flock. And, even though Laban changed Jacob's wages "10 times" (literally or figuratively), he was unable to prevent Jacob's flock from increasing due to the Lord's notable blessing on Jacob. And, finally, Jacob and his family were able to escape Laban because Jacob's sons, not Laban's, were keeping Jacob's flocks at a safe distance three days removed from Laban.
     [ Sermons: Sinclair B Ferguson. Robert E Bell. William Still. Various. ]
     [ Illustration: Today's paintings depict the main events of today's chapter. ]





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     ⁵⁵ And early in the morning Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them: and Laban departed, and returned unto his place.

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