Genesis
31:36 ¶ And Jacob was wroth, and chode
with Laban: and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is
my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me? 37 Whereas thou hast searched all my stuff, what
hast thou found of all thy household stuff? set it here before my brethren and
thy brethren, that they may judge betwixt us both. 38 This twenty years have I been with thee; thy
ewes and thy she goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock
have I not eaten. 39 That which was torn
of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou
require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night. 40 Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed
me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes. 41 Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I
served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle:
and thou hast changed my wages ten times. 42
Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac,
had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine
affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.
Jacob is very
angry, or wroth, used previously in
reference to Cain in Genesis 4. He chode,
the past tense of chide, meaning to rebuke someone, to speak angrily at.
The Hebrew word is translated for plead, strive, contend, and debate. He defies
Laban to explain what sin he committed against Laban to justify this hot
pursuit and search of Jacob’s belongings. He served Laban for two decades and
served him well, looking after and multiplying Laban’s possessions, taking
responsibility himself for any losses. He suffered much physically. For
fourteen years he worked to earn Leah and Rachel and for six years the wealth
that was his, enduring many changes of payment. Laban is a crook and were it
not for God’s hand in this Jacob is certain he would have been forced to go
away empty handed. God saw his suffering and hard work and that is why Laban
was warned by the God of Jacob’s fathers not to harm him.
Be warned about
employers like this. This is a good lesson to learn also regarding God’s will
in blessing someone in a difficult situation where those with power are against
him. God can help you prosper even when you are being cheated, oppressed, or
held in contempt. This does not justify an employer saying that you should
trust in God so he can cheat you out of your pay. It just lets you know that
God can help even in a situation where everything seems to be against you if
you are doing right. Notice the extra mile that Jacob went to protect Laban’s
assets and take losses upon himself. Jacob was an independent contractor whose
hours worked in a day were not determined by his employer. He used his
knowledge and God’s will to accomplish his work making sure that his employer
received no hurt, when possible.
For you who
complain about how you are treated by your employer do you take responsibility
for losses ‘on your watch’ like Jacob did? Of course, this only applies to an
independent contractor situation you might think. But, at work, do you give
your employer all the work they are paying you for? Do you take office supplies
home or do you have little regard for wasting your employer’s equipment or
being efficient? This is a two-way street. The employee who expects God to
bless them in spite of a bad situation better not find that he or she is just
as much a villain as the boss, if they want that blessing.
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