Jacob’s Increase: Genesis 30:1-24

As we have studied the lives of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob I hope that you have been struck by the loving care and provision of God for these men. We have repeatedly talked about the providence of God and for good reason. It is one of the main threads that God has woven throughout these stories. You can’t escape it. God shows us how he is putting together all of these people (good and bad) and events (advantageous and destructive) together to bring about his promises. We often think of the promise of God in Romans chapter 8, as we should. “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” But how does that play out in real-time? What does that look like in the life of a normal God-fearing person? If God is working does it matter what you do then? In Genesis 30 we find the story of how God prospers Jacob. Jacob does his best to work alongside his uncle while at the same time his uncle is taking advantage of him. Jacob does what he thinks will help him. But behind this story and the actions of Laban and Jacob, God is working another story.