Laban and the Danger of Loving God’s Gifts but Not God

Genesis 30:25-35

Jacob’s Prosperity

²⁵As soon as Rachel had borne Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away, that I may go to my own home and country. ²⁶Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, that I may go, for you know the service that I have given you.” ²⁷But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your sight, I have learned by divination that the LORD has blessed me because of you. ²⁸Name your wages, and I will give it.” ²⁹Jacob said to him, “You yourself know how I have served you, and how your livestock has fared with me. ³⁰For you had little before I came, and it has increased abundantly, and the LORD has blessed you wherever I turned. But now when shall I provide for my own household also?” ³¹He said, “What shall I give you?” Jacob said, “You shall not give me anything. If you will do this for me, I will again pasture your flock and keep it: ³²let me pass through all your flock today, removing from it every speckled and spotted sheep and every black lamb, and the spotted and speckled among the goats, and they shall be my wages. ³³So my honesty will answer for me later, when you come to look into my wages with you. Every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats and black among the lambs, if found with me, shall be counted stolen.” ³⁴Laban said, “Good! Let it be as you have said.” ³⁵But that day Laban removed the male goats that were striped and spotted, and all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had white on it, and every lamb that was black, and put them in the charge of his sons.

(ESV)

Thought:
Now there is a lot of things in this passage, but I want to focus here on Laban. Notice how he discovers that his prosperity has come through Jacob, he learned it by divination, or fortune-telling. Later we will see that Laban has household gods, idols, that he uses. Don’t know how he used the divination exactly, and it is interesting to see God work through something that he declares to be evil in Exodus.

But we see that God can speak his truth even through the mouths of those he considers to be evil. But yet even upon discovery of this truth, knowing that he is blessed because of Jacob’s God. Does he seek to do good to Jacob, does he really fear the God of Jacob? No he does not.

Many people will appear to accept the truth of Christianity, some will even praise the benefits of it for themselves and for society as a whole. But yet you will continue to see a refusal to submit themselves to our God. We think if people are at least accepting of Christianity that is a good thing, it is just as much a trap of the devil as it is to hate the gospel and God.

Saying Christianity is beneficial, but refusing to accept its core tenet, that all of us are sinners and that we need a saviour, is still hatred of God, because you deny the very reason for which Jesus came. He didn’t come to make good people to benefit society, he didn’t come to show the importance of caring for the sick and the poor, he came to save people, because all of us are going to hell.

Laban appears to understand that God is with Jacob, but yet his allegiance is not to God. He loves his wealth, the things God has given him through Jacob. People want the gifts but not the giver, and that is just as evil as cursing and hating God openly. So please do be encouraged by those who seem to show an openness to the message of Christianity, but until they realise the need to repent and submit themselves to God, they are in the same boat as the greatest enemies of God. It is no different.

Reflection:
Laban reminds us that merely recognising God’s work is not the same as repentance. He saw that his prosperity came from Jacob’s God, yet his heart never turned in true submission. In the same way, many today admire the benefits of Christianity—its morals, community, and comfort—while refusing to bow to Christ as Lord. People want the gifts but not the Giver, and that is just as evil as cursing God openly. So be encouraged when you see openness to the gospel, but don’t confuse openness with salvation. Until a person realises their sin, repents, and submits themselves to God, they remain in the same boat as the greatest enemies of God.

Prayer:
Father, guard my heart from loving Your gifts more than You. Keep me from the deception of admiring truth without submitting to it. Give me a spirit of repentance, faith, and full allegiance to Christ. And for those who seem open to the gospel, lead them beyond admiration into true surrender. Amen.