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Genesis 22:18: In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.

First, let’s quickly summarize the story… In Genesis 30, Laban had some greed issues and Jacob was a dissatisfied worker. The chapter transitions from Jacob’s home life to his work life, of which both had problems. However, God was still able to work, as He always does.

Jacob and Laban had been negotiating. Jacob comes up with a solution that Laban agrees with. He basically says that the best purebred goats and sheep could go to Laban. Although Laban’s flocks did well because Jacob had been around, Jacob still thought the best should be Laban’s. He decides to tell Laban he will just go ahead and take the leftovers. He just wants the chance to have and increase a flock of his own.

It doesn’t seem that Laban really trusts Jacob, so he sends away the animals that were his and separates them. That way, he can go check on them, when necessary, to make sure Jacob didn’t steal any of them. 

Jacob splits off slivers of bark from tree branches. From there, it sounds strange. He seems to attempt to use the branches to get his animals fertile. With the others, some think Jacob appears to engage in a selective breeding process. Others believe that he is superstitious while reproducing his flock. One thing is certain: God was watching and was in control of the outcome.

That gives us somewhat of a background. Now, let’s see if we can answer the question…

One reason why this story might be here: First, there is a play on words in the Hebrew text. The word Laban means “white.” The play on words is with the white on the rods of wood and Laban himself, almost as if to say Laban (white) got outsmarted and God strengthened Jacob’s flock over Laban’s.

Next, God made a promise to Jacob back in Genesis 28. God said He would bless Jacob and that he would be a blessing to others. Basically, God is fulfilling His promise to Jacob. It can serve as a reminder about how God will fulfill His promises to us. There was a mess, but God brought a blessing from it, even a future blessing… the Jewish nation that brought the Messiah, which fulfills the promise, “In you all the nations of the earth will be blessed (Genesis 22:18). The passage displays God's faithfulness, just as so many other passages in Scripture.

Why would God bless a dysfunctional family? He loves to bless the unlikely and He wants to take something unsightly and turn it into something incredible. So, there is a lot to get out of this, but at first glance, we can hopefully notice God’s provision, faithfulness, and unique ability to turn things around. There is more, but for now, I hope that begins to answer the question.

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