Question: What did Jacob do with Laban’s flocks that caused them to multiply so much compared to his uncle’s?
When we study the Bible, we see that after serving his uncle Laban for 14 years, Jacob desired to become independent and provide for his own family. At that point, Laban asked what he could give Jacob in return for his years of service.
Since Jacob had been tending Laban’s flocks—and through him, God had blessed Laban with prosperity—Jacob requested a portion of the livestock. He proposed that any animals born with spots, speckles, or dark colors would be his wages. Laban, confident in the natural breeding patterns of his flocks, agreed, believing that the outcome would be either impossible or extremely unlikely.
Thus, they made an agreement: Jacob would take only the spotted, speckled, and dark-colored animals, while Laban would keep the rest. To ensure they would not mix, they even separated their flocks by a three-day distance.
However, Jacob then took a rather unusual approach. Let’s examine what he did:
Genesis 30:35-43 (NIV):
“That same day he removed all the male goats that were streaked or spotted, and all the speckled or spotted female goats (all that had white on them) and all the dark-colored lambs, and he placed them in the care of his sons. Then he put a three-day journey between himself and Jacob, while Jacob continued to tend the rest of Laban’s flocks.”
“Jacob, however, took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond, and plane trees and made white stripes on them by peeling the bark and exposing the white inner wood. He placed the peeled branches in all the watering troughs, so they would be directly in front of the flocks when they came to drink. When the flocks were in heat and came to drink, they mated in front of the branches. And they bore young that were streaked, speckled, or spotted.”
“Jacob set apart the young of the flock by themselves but made the rest face the streaked and dark-colored animals that belonged to Laban. Thus he made separate flocks for himself and did not put them with Laban’s animals. Whenever the stronger females were in heat, Jacob would place the branches in the troughs in front of the animals so they would mate near the branches, but if the animals were weak, he would not place the branches there. The weak ones remained with Laban, and the strong ones became Jacob’s.”
Jacob’s method involved using branches that were peeled to reveal their white inner bark, which he placed in the watering troughs where the flocks gathered. Jacob believed that if the animals saw these branches during mating, it would influence the color of the offspring. However, the Bible does not specify why Jacob thought this would work, nor does it suggest that this was a scientifically sound method. Theological understanding would suggest that Jacob’s actions, though appearing as clever strategy, were secondary to the sovereign will of God.
The Bible shows that it was not Jacob’s ingenuity that caused the animals to breed in this way, but the blessing and intervention of God. This is confirmed later in the text when Jacob reveals to Rachel that God was behind his success.
Genesis 31:7-12 (NIV):
“Your father has deceived me and changed my wages ten times, but God has not allowed him to harm me. If he said, ‘The speckled ones will be your wages,’ then all the flocks gave birth to speckled young; and if he said, ‘The streaked ones will be your wages,’ then all the flocks bore streaked young. So God has taken away your father’s livestock and has given them to me.”
“In breeding season, I lifted up my eyes and saw in a dream that the male goats mating with the flock were streaked, speckled, or spotted. The angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob.’ I answered, ‘Here I am.’”
In this passage, Jacob reveals that it was God who gave him the vision and strategy for his prosperity. The angel of God appeared to Jacob in a dream, confirming that God was actively involved in his success. The reality is that it was God’s blessing and intervention that caused Jacob’s flocks to multiply, not the physical methods Jacob used.
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God’s Sovereignty and Blessing: The story demonstrates that while human effort and creativity are part of life, it is ultimately God who grants success and blessings. Jacob’s cleverness in placing branches in front of the animals did not determine the outcome; it was God’s sovereign will that caused the animals to produce offspring according to the agreement Jacob had made with Laban.
Faith and Divine Intervention: Even though Jacob employed a method he thought might work, the Bible shows that it was God’s divine intervention that made it successful. This reminds us that our success or failure is not solely based on our own efforts, but on God’s grace and blessing.
In Psalm 127:1 (NIV) it says, “
Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.”
Our hard work is important, but without God’s blessing, it ultimately amounts to nothing.
God Provides According to His Will: Jacob’s prosperity was not just about his hard work; it was about God’s covenant faithfulness. In Deuteronomy 8:18 (NIV), God reminds the Israelites that it is He who gives the power to get wealth: “
But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.”
God had promised to bless Jacob, and this promise was being fulfilled, not through Jacob’s methods, but through divine intervention.
Application to Our Lives:
This story teaches us that when God desires to bless us, no amount of human effort can hinder His will. Jacob’s success came not from his own cleverness but from God’s gracious intervention. It is important to remember that while we should be diligent and work hard, ultimately, it is God who provides for us.
In Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV), we are reminded:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Our understanding may be limited, but trusting in God and acknowledging Him in all we do leads to His direction and blessing.
As it says in Deuteronomy 8:17-18 (NIV):
“You may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.’ But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.”
May we always acknowledge God as the source of our blessings and trust in His provision.
Shalom.
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