RTW January 11

Spotted, Speckled, Solids, and Selfishness

“Let me inspect your flocks today and remove all the sheep and goats that are speckled or spotted, along with all the black sheep. Give these to me as my wages.”
Genesis 30:32

 

 

My Takeaways

Something Old

This link gives great insight into the spotted, speckled, and solids.

https://www.gotquestions.org/Jacob-speckled-spotted.html

What are my motives in how I treat others?

  • Do I get what I want by controlling others?
  • Do I get what I want by manipulating the situation?
  • Am I willing to admit when I am wrong?
  • Am I willing to ask forgiveness from those I have offended?

Insecurity and jealously are often masked as selfishness.

Something New

Rachel and Leah worked the flock.
Genesis 31:4

Something to do

Study my motives in the way I treat people.

 

 

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18 Comments

  1. I don’t want to appear kind – I want to be kind. It’s so easy to look kind in front of others, than to actually be genuinely kind to all. My thoughts are on myself way too much.

  2. Amen Crabbitz. It’s a heart condition and Jesus sees our heart regardless of what’s plastered on the outside.

  3. Gen 31:42 stood out to me. God is on my side and that is the only reason I find blessing in my life. He sees my trials and my hard work and he is working to guide, protect, and bless. Lean into the fact that God is on my side in whatever I gave today!

    I also noted a question on 31:19…why did Rachel take the idols? Because she worshipped them or to spite her father? Regardless it almost got her killed. Worship only God…leave all idols behind.

  4. Good insights! I, too, wondered about the idols and if Jacob was involved in worshiping them too.

  5. There seems to be so much deception from all involved in today’s reading.

    My Something to Do: Ask God to open my eyes to my motives in how I treat people and why I treat them the way I do because I suspect that there are times when I am masking insecurity or jealousy with selfishness as Wendy suggested. God has already shown at least one thing I need to work on right away.

  6. Gotquestions.org is a great site. I’ve been using it for years! Yes I agree lots and lots of deception! Then again the word says does Jacob was a trickster. And it would seem that Laban and Rachel were also.

  7. Something Old
    Genesis 30:25
    Joseph’s birth seems to prompt Jacob’s desire to return home. No doubt he is remembering God’s promise to return him to “his” land. Though much time had passed, Jacob obviously believed God would be true to His word.

    Something New
    Genesis 31:44
    Laban could not, and did not, attempt to defend himself. Evidently all of Jacob’s accusations were accurate. So rather than argue with him he proposed a peace treaty. Even this, I think he did out of self-concern. He knew God was with Jacob and did not want to risk incurring His wrath or displeasure. He simply could not admit any wrong doing.

    Something To Do
    I think about the complicated nature of humans. Jacob was deceitful, but he was also tenacious. He worked hard. He persevered. These traits helped him to be blessed by God. His dedication enabled him to be used of God in ways that a less persistent man would miss. It makes me want to stay doggedly devoted to trusting God and to continue to allow Him to chisel away at the negative things in me that simply need to go.

    1. Your last sentence really touched my heart.
      Yes, to stay doggedly devoted to God. Thank you for sharing.

  8. My takeaway from this lesson:
    Through all of Laban’s deception and trickery, God was right there all the time working on Jacob’s behalf. Each time Laban moved to ‘adjust’ Jacob’s wages, God was there with a counter move to steer the profits toward Jacob. (31: 4-9.)

  9. “Now Jacob took fresh shoots from poplar, almond, and plane trees and peeled off strips of the bark to make white streaks on them.”  Where is his faith? Remember his dream? The Lord already promised him that he would protect him wherever he went. I think I am guilty of acting like Jacob at times and rely on my own power too, when I should be relying solely on God. How often do I think I’m running the show, at work at home, etc. Though I know God is in control I don’t always embrace that reality. Jacob is changing though- slowly but surely. He is beginning to realize that God is in control. Because he does admit that God did the work of increasing his wealth (Chapter 31:9). It’s exciting to see his faith grow. Remember this verse, “In fact, except for the grace of God–the God of my grandfather Abraham, the awe-inspiring God of my father, Isaac–you would have sent me off without a penny to my name.” Jacob is realizing that the grace of God has blessed him!  Over 80 some years and I think our boy Jacob is finally getting it. I may not be as deceitful as Jacob and his family but I definitely have issues in other areas. When I think about it, I’m no different then Jacob’s family. I’m just thankful for God’s grace. I can rest assured that my salvation is secure even when I make a mess of things.

    Something to do: Recognize the awe-inspiring of God’s grace more and more frequently in my life.  Give praise to God for this dependable gift of grace that he has given me! Remember that the Lord is always with me. Remember to always listen and obey the Lord each and every day of my life. After all he is in control and in charge of me, so whom shall I fear?

  10. Selfish behavior, here’s a thought:
    If everyone was putting another’s needs before their own, wouldn’t that mean someone else could then be putting my own needs first? My life is a lot more fulfilling when I’m not obsessed with doing only what I want.

  11. Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, [who] lived beyond the Euphrates River and worshiped other gods” (Joshua 24:2).

    Genesis 31:52 This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not pass beyond this heap to you, and you will not pass beyond this heap and this pillar to me, for harm. 53 The God of Abraham, the God of Nahor, and the God of their father judge between us.” And Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac.

    Tehran, Abram, and Nahor worshiped other gods, the moon god. Abraham made the change in worshipping the God of Heaven when God appeared before Abram (later changed to Abraham), not so with Tehran and Nahor, they continued to worship the moon god.

    Rachael stole Laban’s gods, the moon gods, she was not worshipping the God of Heaven.

    Nahor’s descendants (who worshiped the moon god) became Assyrian’s (the Ishmaelite’s) Ham’s descendants. Thus the Islam’s symbol, the crescent moon. The crescent moon adorns the tops of many mosques.

  12. Gen 35:1 God asked Jacob to build an altar at Bethel. It had been close to 21 years that Jacob has built an altar to God. It was where he had his encounter with God on his first night out from leaving home. He had dreams that God gave him but I don’t see any where that he built an altar and sacrificed to God.

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