Bless You

Genesis 31:1-16

Jacob leaves out a bit of information about the cattle when talking to Leah and Rachel in the field. But I suppose he would say, “O yeah, look what Laban has done to me over the years,” and he does (more so in the next section). He knows he is touching on a legal issue here, in that everything is Laban’s. It would be nice to think that the women have a choice about going away with Jacob because of some freedom gained on their part. Not so. It’s because they were considered part of the property. They are not worried about going against custom in breaking that connection with their “father’s house” since it appears they are not going to inherit anything from their father. So they see their place, and their material well-being, as having transferred to Jacob. We know that at a deeper level this is because the blessing is with Jacob.

Prayer:
God, do you still do this? Do you give a blessing to some that makes everything go their way, even if not for their own sake? You made the Holy Spirit available to everyone, so maybe part of the answer to this today is that we are to be blessings to one another. So show me how I can make the way better for someone today. Through Christ. Amen.