Genesis - 73 - Gen. 30:25-31:18 What Goes Around Comes Around

 

AUDIO SESSION

Jacob wants out and wants to go home.  It has been 14 years serving his crooked uncle Laban just for Rachel.  Well, Jacob has Rachel and Leah and 11 strong boys and 1 beautiful daughter, Dinah.  Time to go home.

To settle up Jacob seems to use a weird way of making sheep have spotted lambs.  If they are spotted Jacob gets those and Laban the rest.  The story shows that the sheep had more spotted lambs and Jacob's flocks grew immense.  The International Varsity Press Bible Commentary of the Old Testament suggests that the method Jacob uses is just folklore.  It was something that those in the ancient near east believed worked but modern genetics shows it does not.  Here's the commentary from the International Varsity Press Bible Commentary of the Old Testament.

Gen_30:32-33. sheep breeding. The coloring chosen by Jacob (dark lambs and variegated goats) generally made up a very small proportion of the herd. Jacob seems to be settling for a share that was far smaller than usual, in that contracts of the day designated sometimes as much as 20 percent of new births for the shepherd (Bedouin studies today suggest that 10 percent is common). Byproducts (wool, milk products) are not mentioned here, but a percentage of those were also often part of the shepherd's compensation.
Gen_30:37-43. use of rods. Jacob's solution to Laban's treachery contains elements of scientific breeding and folklore tradition. Clearly, shepherds would have been aware of the estrus cycle of their sheep (which runs from June to September), and observation would have demonstrated that breeding healthy animals would produce vigorous lambs. What is not scientific, however, is the principle that certain characteristics (coloration in this case) can be bred for through visual aids. The stripped rods which Jacob places before the troughs of the sheep cannot genetically affect the sheep. This type of sympathetic magic is found in many folk traditions (including modern tales of colors worn by a mother determining the sex of her child). It plays a part in the trickster theme of this narrative and is reflective of a culture which depended on a mixture of magical and commonsense methods to produce results.  (The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament
Copyright © 2000 by John H. Walton, Victor H. Matthews and Mark W. Chavalas)

But, Jacob says something in Gen. 30:33 that most of us would miss.  It is an awesome statement and it implies Jacob says from now on he will be honest and righteous so that this will come back to him in the future.  In essence Jacob is saying "what goes around comes around."  This concept among the people of the Middle East is called, "Measure for Measure" or in Hebrew

מדה קנגד מדה

Meedah K'negged Meedah

This one verse is an awesome teaching that the Lord is giving us.  It takes us to Jesus and even to Paul.  It is a characteristic of a true disciple of our rabbi Jesus.  

Lois Tverberg, an awesome Bible scholar and author of key books on being a disciple of Jesus our "rabbi" has an excellent article on the concept of measure for measure.  Here's the link -

https://ourrabbijesus.com/articles/jesus-jewish-logic-measure-for-measure/#:~:text=Jesus%E2%80%99%20Jewish%20Logic%3A%20Measure%20for%20Measure%20July%2028%2C,mee-dah%29%2C%20which%20means%2C%20literally%2C%20%E2%80%9Cmeasure%20corresponding%20to%20measure.%E2%80%9D

So come and study with us.  Come and consider מדה קנגד מדה MeedahK'neggedMeedah or measure for measure and again see how all scripture testifies of Jesus as He taught in John 5:39.

Who is this guy, Rev. Ferret?

Ferret - teaching at the temple of Augustus ar Omrit in the Galilee)

What's his background? Why should we take time to listen to him? Here's a link to check out his background ... - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0