Links for today’s readings:

Read: Genesis 30 Listen: (6:10), Read: Mark 8 Listen: (4:29)

Scripture Focus: Genesis 30:16, 34-36

16 So when Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him. “You must sleep with me,” she said. “I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So he slept with her that night. …

34 “Agreed,” said Laban. “Let it be as you have said.” 35 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. 36 Then he put a three-day journey between himself and Jacob, while Jacob continued to tend the rest of Laban’s flocks.

Reflection: The Cost of Scheming

By Erin Newton

The story of Jacob’s family and wealth is filled with tricksters. It is Jacob’s trademark personality trait—despite any attempts we make to find good features in the narrative.

Genesis 30 describes the expansion of his family, first through Leah but then through Rachel and two of their servants. Only these two women, Bilhah and Zilpah, bear no signs of scheming in the story. Like many of the stories in Genesis, servant women are used for the benefit of the ruling family—shamefully so.

Rachel and Leah have learned much from their father Laban’s schemes and their husband Jacob’s cunning practices. The chapter ends with Laban attempting to trick Jacob out of what is promised to him. And Jacob performs what can only be described as some sort of magic trick to produce his speckled flock.

The astonishing part is that it works. But is the result of one’s actions the litmus test of its acceptability?

With so many stories of trickery and scheming, is such behavior okay? Can Christians utilize schemes? It seems like God blessed Jacob despite such behavior, but it runs contrary to the biblical call to honesty.

Despite the blessing of progeny for Jacob and his wives, the children are born into a family where mothers are angry with one another, and soon the sons will find themselves repeating the same story of jealousy and deception.

The scheming and deception achieved the result they wanted, but at what cost? Women meant to serve the needs of the family are given as mere sexual favors and convenient wombs. The closeness of the immediate family is now built on how one can trick another for his or her gain. Futures built on deception breed more deception.

John Walton states, “One of the ways in which we suffer the consequences of our behavior is by passing our bad habits on to our children” (NIV Application Commentary: Genesis). Such is true of Jacob’s children.

Even through the deception, scheming, jealousy, and continual return to such behaviors, God is faithful to his promises, not Jacob’s or Rachel’s or Leah’s or Laban’s poor decisions. Walton concludes, “God is capable of overcoming the obstacles of character. . . . Our task is to make sure that we are part of the solution rather than the problem.”

Are we scheming in the supposed name of our God? At what cost?

Divine Hours Prayer: The Refrain for the Morning Lessons

Protect my life and deliver me; let me not be put to shame, for I have trusted in you.

Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for my hope has been in you. — Psalm 25.19-20

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Autumn and Wintertime by Phyllis Tickle.

Read more: Resisting Culture’s Mold

We must never define our marriages, our sexuality, our politics, or anything else by culture’s mold.

Read more: It’s In The Bible

Polygamy was never in the Bible because God approved of it. It was there because the culture approved of it.