What are we to make of Jacob and Laban’s feud? This whole story sounds like something out of an Andy Griffith Show episode. I’m not sure if Mayberry’s wise sheriff could solve what ensues in this affair. Here are two cheaters trying to hustle one another. It’s a rather humorous event!
Jacob fled to his uncle Laban’s house in an attempt to avoid Esau’s revenge for stealing the patriarchal blessing. Immediately upon arriving to his uncle’s town, Jacob fell in love with Laban’s youngest daughter Rachel. Jacob agreed to work for Laban in order to marry her. After working seven years, on the wedding night, Laban replaced Rachel with his eldest, and less attractive daughter, Leah. Jacob didn’t realize he’d been duped until the next morning. Jacob was going to have to work an additional seven years to marry Rachel, because apparently the youngest daughter couldn’t get married before the eldest daughter. Jacob probably said, “That would have been nice information to have known seven years ago, Laban.” Jacob complied to work seven more years. In the meantime, Leah and Rachel began feuding over who was the better wife and mother. Plus Jacob had to work six more years to grow his own wealth from Laban’s flock. Jacob had trouble doing that because Laban changed his wages ten times! Miraculously, Jacob generated a special type of sheep breed to call his own, and decided to leave with his family in the middle of the night. But to make matters worse, Rachel stole some of her father’s idols as they flew the coop.
Thankfully the Scriptures don’t leave anything out in the stories of its heroes. If it weren’t for episodes found in Genesis 30 and 31 we might be led to believe that God can only use perfect people without any problems. Scripture reveals that God can use anybody, especially those with less than stellar backgrounds. Friends, the supposed heroes of the faith are more like us than we realize. They had family problems. They had children misbehave. They had financial struggles. They had jobs they hated. They had failures. The Bible is full of broken people that God chose, loved, and fulfilled His purpose. And for that we can be hopeful.