ON THE VANGUARD

WHAT IS PURSUING YOU?
“Misfortune pursues the sinner, but prosperity is the reward of the righteous.”
Proverbs 13:21

Yesterday I was studying the life of Jacob and how he was treated by Laban, when I began to see a few things that I had not fully noticed before. As my eyes were being opened to this account, I then remembered Proverbs 13:21, which reads, “Misfortune pursues the sinner, but prosperity is the reward of the righteous.” Now unless we go back and look at the story of Jacob this verse may not make much sense. So then, travel back in time with me to the days when Jacob first comes on the scene at his uncle Laban’s home, in his escape from tricking his brother out of his birthright.
In looking at Genesis 29:14, we read that Jacob had been staying with his uncle for about a month. It was at this time that Laban approached Jacob concerning his wages. The two agreed that for seven years of work Jacob could have Rachel as his bride. However, in Genesis 29:23 we see the first instance of Laban changing the wages. Instead of giving Jacob his daughter Rachel, Laban gave his daughter Leah. It wasn’t until after this exchange that Laban advised Jacob of the customs of their village, which would have been good knowledge beforehand. With Jacob tricked and cheated of the original wage agreement, Jacob agreed to another seven years of work for the hand of Rachel.
But the story doesn’t end there. In Genesis 30:28 we read again of Laban being a wage changer. At the time when the speckled, spotted, streaked, and brown sheep were considered the faux pas, Jacob made an agreement to take these sheep and goats as his wage for more years of service. This served as a good agreement to Laban, and would be an evident violation of the agreement should Laban find pure sheep or goats in Jacob’s possession. However, right after the agreement was made, Laban ordered his sons to take the few speckled, spotted, streaked, and brown sheep they did have and proceed a three day journey from home (Gen 30:25). This left Jacob with no sheep of goats for his own, and therefore also proved once more that Laban was shroud and untrustworthy to his wage agreements.
As God worked to prosper Jacob and increase Jacob’s sheep and goats, the attitudes of Laban’s house grew vile and noticeable. So in secret, Jacob called his wives to him and explained that Laban had cheated on the set wage agreements ten times within twenty years of service (Gen 31:6-7). At this, Jacob took his family and departed, being gone three days before Laban ever knew (Gen 31:22). Yet when Laban pursued Jacob’s caravan, he accused Jacob of ill treatment, stating that his daughters were taken, his grandchildren were taken, and his flocks were taken. But did Jacob not work 14 years for the two wives? And did Jacob not father the grandchildren? And was not the faux pas flock part of the agreement? So what was Jacob stealing? Jacob stole nothing, and Laban had no footing to stand on.
I write this devotional today because I want to point out how God cares for His people, for those who are fair, just, and most importantly, in His will. Our opening Proverb passage reads, “Misfortune pursues the sinner, but prosperity is the reward of the righteous.” Laban’s deceit in the changing of the wages was his demise, but Jacob’s blessing came from being righteous before God. Perhaps you are the one who has been Laban, changing your vows so often that your word now means little. Be warned, your misfortune will be your reward.
But maybe you are the Jacob of the story, the one who has been cheated on, stolen from, and accused of stealing what is rightfully yours. Know this, prosperity will be your reward. Jacob’s prosperity did not come from Laban, but rather from God. In Genesis 31:42, as Laban is accusing Jacob, Jacob replies, “If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands, and last night he rebuked you.” It was God who defended and provided for Jacob. And for you, you Jacob, God will do the same.