By Ife J. Ibitayo
For part 1, “Wrestling with Esau”, click here.
Jacob is by far the most treacherous, backstabbing person I encountered in the book of Genesis, until I read about his uncle Laban. Laban took the tools of the trade to a whole new level.
First, he agreed for Jacob to marry his younger daughter Rachel after serving him for seven years. But he swapped out Rachel for her older sister Leah on her wedding night. Then he forces Jacob to serve him for another seven years to marry Rachel (Genesis 29:15-30). After that, Laban agreed that Jacob would serve him for seven more years for the mottled members of his flocks. But the very day they make this deal, Laban set all the mottled members of his flock with his own sons and left the whole-colored ones with Jacob (Genesis 30:31-36). Seven years later, after Laban has changed the terms of their agreement ten times, Jacob finally confronts Laban about how he’s treated him for the past two decades.
Like Jacob, many of us may be facing unfair circumstances at the moment: a cruel boss, ungrateful children, or an irritable spouse. The way Jacob responded to Laban’s mistreatment taught me a number of valuable lessons about handling similar adversity.
Integrity
To begin his hot-blooded litany of indignation, Jacob said, “‘For twenty years I have been with you, caring for your flocks. In all that time your sheep and goats never miscarried. In all those years I never used a single ram of yours for food. If any were attacked and killed by wild animals, I never showed you the carcass and asked you to reduce the count of your flock. No, I took the loss myself'” (Genesis 31:38-39a NLT)!
Bitter circumstances can strongly tempt us to cut corners. It can be easy to claim a handful of hours we didn’t work or embellish the effort we put into a project, but Jacob didn’t allow his frustration to pervert his integrity. He was honest about the mistakes he made and fulfilled the work he was called to do.
Dedication
Jacob continued, “‘I worked for you through the scorching heat of the day and through cold and sleepless nights'” (Genesis 31:40 NLT). Jacob worked so hard that he spent many sleepless nights vigilantly watching Laban’s flock. Going the extra mile for a good person is always good. But the measure of every man and woman is not how they serve those who treat them well, but those who treat them like yesterday’s garbage (Matthew 5:44-46).
Grace
Jacob wrapped up his harangue by saying, “‘If the God of my father had not been on my side…you would have sent me away empty-handed'” (Genesis 31:42a NLT). Jacob knew the reason for his success was not his hard work itself but the God who blessed his hard work. He understood that God was the ultimate leveler. Only He can consistently bring joy out of our pain and transform injustice into good fortune.
Conclusion
After this speech, Jacob and Laban made a peace treaty (Genesis 31:51-52). It’s astounding that Laban let’s Jacob go after his frustrated diatribe. But what I find even more amazing is that once he becomes rich and powerful, Jacob never returned to exact revenge on Laban. Years later, Jacob said that God was the one who answered his prayers when he was distressed and had been with him wherever he went (Genesis 35:3). He learned over time to let God be God, guiding him, providing for him, and vindicating him in His own time.
“Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly.”
(1 Peter 2:18-19 ESV)