“MAY THE LORD WATCH BETWEEN ME AND THEE..."

Genesis 31

Genesis 31 brings us an inspiring scripture snippet that fits seamlessly into any upbeat sermon. Sadly (like Springsteen’s "Born in the USA"), its actual contextual meaning is the opposite of what most people think (including, apparently, many members of God’s middle management).

Particularly in Genesis, we are treated to multiple installments of Jacob’s bitter disagreements with his father-in-law / uncle “Laban the Syrian,” all of which involve either livestock or his daughters (both valuable commodities). Indeed, a surprising portion of the Torah concerns itself with livestock management and disputes arising from that vocation.

It is notable that Laban is referenced as the “Syrian.” This means Jacob’s mother (Laban’s sister) is also a Syrian, and therefore Jacob – who literally will give the Israelites his name – is half Syrian and 100% Arabic. This is strange in that he is expected to acquire his wives from his own people rather than the Canaanites, but his "own people" are called out as specifically non-Hebrew. Further, his father Isaac is the son of two Iraqis: Abram and Sarai. It’s all just a game of nomenclature, but I do feel the need to point out that no one in the story at this point is “Jewish.”  More on this uncomfortable topic here.

Earlier in this saga, Laban tricked Jacob into marrying his ugly daughter Leah. Jacob then has to work another seven years to get to hot Rachel. Laban also tried to cheat Jacob by reducing his wages.

MAGICAL TREE BRANCHES: SHEEP BREEDING WITH THE HELP OF THE LORD

Next (Gen. 30) we are onlookers to a curious sheep breeding incident, in which Jacob deploys magic to thwart Laban with a regressive sheep breeding scheme. In order to persuade Laban to let him depart, Jacob offers to take the speckled, streaked or colored goats and lambs, leaving the white sheep for his father-in-law. The imperfect sheep are understood to be less robust for breeding – unless you have YHWH on your farm team. (The narrative scenario is slightly more complicated, but the takeaway is that Laban is greedy and Jacob is blessed by the god of his fathers).

Jacob uses three types of tree branches to tilt the breeding results his way. He finds "rods of green poplar and of the almond and chestnut trees, peeled white strips in them, and exposed the white which was in the rods" to entice the speckled flocks to increase their fertility. To expedite this process, he selectively positions the stripped branches near the stronger females when they are in heat. 

There is no indication that God is involved in this process, but the net result is that Jacob once again increases his own wealth by either tricking his father-in-law or simply knowing a neat bit of agricultural sorcery that makes speckled sheep breed efficiently. There is of course the ongoing element of Jacob's inherently deceptive nature here: Indeed, an objective analysis of Jacob’s character suggests that his ability as a husbandrist far exceds any other positive character attributes.

THE BAD BLOOD CONTINUES

Genesis 31 opens with Jacob sneaking off to Canaan with his family and flocks. He has finally had enough of his no good father-in-law and constant troubles with speckled sheep, fake brides and shorted wages. But soon, Laban and his thuggish home boys catch up with the escaping throng. The Syrian begins complaining about Jacob’s departure. He claims his feelings are hurt because he would have wanted to throw a nice going away party. He whines that Jacob has taken away the precious daughters that Laban sold him as well as all the livestock that is rightfully his.

After an incident involving stolen gods and Rachel’s period (see previous entry), Laban and Jacob air all of their grievances with each other going back two decades. Jacob points out that he had to work fourteen years to acquire the women and another six for the sheep.

Ultimately a pillar is set up and heaped with stones (although both men claim to have set it up and each gives it a different name) to act as a boundary between the two groups. The pillar is to serve as a marker for a new treaty.

“And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have cast betwixt me and thee: This heap be witness, and this pillar be witness, that I will not pass over this heap to thee, and that thou shalt not pass over this heap and this pillar unto me, for harm." [KJV]

The deal is basically, you stay on your side and I’ll stay on mine. 

The famous but misinterpreted quote occurs here: 

“May the Lord watch between me and thee, while we are absent one from another.”

But this is not intended as a rapprochement or feel good farewell. These guys simply don’t trust each other, so they call in El Shaddai as a divine referee. I don’t trust you, so I need God to keep an eye on you.

At this point we are glad to leave the utterly tiresome Laban behind us for good, wondering to some degree what was the point of that cycle?