Genesis

For the third time among the Patriarchs, the bride of the covenant is found outside of the Promised Land. Abraham and Sarah migrated together to Harran, from Ur of the Chaldeans, after the death of his father Terah (Gen 12:1-2). Isaac's bride, Rebekah, was retrieved from Haran by Abraham's servant (Gen 24). And now Jacob himself travels to Haran for the purpose of finding a bride. When he discovers his people watering their sheep at a well, he assists and is overcome with joy at having been blessed to have discovered his mother's brother's people (v11). The kiss of affection greeting a cousin soon enough grew to be a devoted love. After meeting her family, Jacob agrees with her father, Laban, to serve him for seven years as a bride price (v18). The note of Rachel's sister Leah having weak eyes was considered a blemish. Her weak (soft, tender, "blue") eyes would not have been considered beautiful (v17). Jacob's love for Rachel, however, was so strong that the Bible indicates the seven years only felt like a few days to him (v20). Deception is carried out again in the life of Jacob, but this time it is against him (v25). But God's purpose is achieved in all things (reminding us of the outcome of Gen 26, Lk 8:17, Mk 4:22). Jacob worked seven years (v21), but to attain the bride of his heart's desire, he must commit to another seven years labor for his father-in-law (v27). Soon, however, the first four sons of his union with Leah are born (Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah. vv32-35). The fourth of which is the one from whose line the Messiah will come.

There are two separate narratives in Genesis chapter 30 where God's blessings can be misconstrued as a result of the machinations of man. Verses 1-24 complete the record of the first 11 sons of Jacob, plus Dinah (v12). Dinah isn't mentioned as the lone daughter of Jacob because he only had one daughter, but rather because she becomes a significant part of the history of Israel later in the book. Verses 25-43 detail Jacob's exchange and ensuing actions to separate from the servitude he has endured to his uncle Laban for the previous 14 years (7 years each for Leah and Rachel as a bride price). In verse 14, the firstborn of Jacob's sons, Rueben, finds plants that are superstitiously famed for their powers of fertility. Leah and Rachel barter for these plants in a deal that ultimately seems to result in both becoming pregnant. Leah gives credit to God for the three resulting pregnancies (vv18,20,21), as does Rachel for her son (vv23-24). Now that Jacob has 11 sons and his 14 years of service are fulfilled, he tells Laban he is ready to depart (v25). But Laban knows he has been blessed while Jacob has served him and he doesn't want Jacob to leave. Rather than feud, Jacob proposes terms by which he will remain in Laban's service. The terms are that Jacob will own all of the spotted and speckled livestock that are born to the flock after he removes any colored animals from the herd (v32). Laban greedily agrees to these terms, thinking that the remaining white livestock are unlikely to produce such offspring. But Jacob later sets the feeding troughs up in a way to facilitate healthy breeding - and God manifests His will to accomplish the rest. The colors of the rods (vv37-39) are not what brought about the genetic changes in the herd but rather the will of God is. It isn't until the following chapter that Jacob gives credit to God (31:5), but in both examples, the work of man appears to do things that are in the exclusive domain of God. And He alone deserves the credit.

Genesis 31 extends chapter 30's parallel message of Christ's mission on earth toward those He came to redeem (those He "will come to redeem" at the time of Moses' writing). Jacob – the son/Son, desires the flock for his reward, to bring back to the land of his father (30:32). Laban, the deceiver, seeks to set apart those promised to the son (30:35). Laban thinks the separation of his wage is enough to kill the means for the son to regrow the flock. Still, within three days, the son grows again from the flock Laban thinks to be his own, a new generation set apart to be taken with the son to the land of his father (30:36). Those set apart for the son’s flock are stronger (30:40,42). They have been set to look to fresh rods/staffs [1] of three different tree types (30:37, poplar, almond, and plane). According to the manner the son leads and feeds the flock, they grow to have the characteristics that the son desires (30:39) [2]. The angel of God delivers instructions to the son for how to lead the flock (31:11) [3]. Those of the flock that were not his, did not grow and conceive while they drank the water they were led to by the son (30:42). They were separated and eventually weaned from the stronger animals who were set apart for the flock of the son (30:40). The bride(s) acknowledge that they are foreigners in a foreign land (31:15). On the way to the father’s land, the bride takes idols from her former life before she knew the son (31:19).
This paragraph reads just as clearly when you capitalize the masculine personal pronouns. The parallels continue through the rest of the chapter. As you continue reading, you must ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in the revelation He will deliver from His Word.
[1] “The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until He comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is His” (Gen 49:10)
[2] “But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our peace fell upon Him, And by His wounds we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But Yahweh has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.” (Is 53:5–6)
[3] “No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.” (Jn 15:15)

The number 20 is seen many times in the Bible to signify expectancy. Twenty-one being the three-fold 7, signifys Divine (3) completion, regarding spiritual perfection (7). The number 20 then being one short of 21 would illustrate being just short of something anticipated. The "wait" that Jacob endured to gain possession of his wives and property (Gen 31:38,41) shows this. It is further illustrated in Scripture as Israel waits 20 years for a deliverer from Jabin's oppression (Jdg 4:3), Israel waits 20 years for deliverance through Samson (Jdg 15:20), The Ark of the Covenant waits at Kirjathjearim 20 years (1 Sam 7:2), King Solomon waits 20 years for the completion of his own house after building the house of Yahweh (2 Ch 8:1), Jerusalem waits 20 years between its capture and destruction, and Jeremiah prophesied concerning it for 20 years. (E.W. Bullinger, Numbers in Scripture). The number 200 is tenfold of 20. In Scripture, this number is often identified with insufficiency - "Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, for everyone to receive a little.” (Jn 6:7), Achan's 200 sheckels of silver were not sufficient to save him from the consequences of his sin (Joshua 7:21), Absolom's 200 shekels weight of hair were "not sufficient" to save him, but rather caused his destruction (2 Sam 14:26, reliance on beauty), Micah's graven image purchased for 200 shekels led to the tribes of Dan and Ephraim losing the blessings of Revelation 7 (Juges 17:4), Ezra's 200 singing men and women did not produce "peace with God" (Ezra 2:65) - and Jacob's multiplier of gifts to Esau, of 200 goats and ewes (v14) would never have bought back the favor of his brother for the theft of his birthright and blessing (Gen 27:41). Jacob's gifts would have been insufficient if they were the only factor determining his reconciliation with his brother. Just as Esau's grace (seen in the following chapter) was the only way for Jacob to be received back to his father's land, so too is the grace of Christ's sacrifice, the only sufficient price that can be paid for our transgressions, welcoming us back to our eternal home with the Father.