The View from the Touchline
Eighteen verses certainly not lacking in imponderables. If the English versions confuse you with ‘speckled’, ‘striped’, ‘spotted’ and ‘mottled’ be thankful you don’t read Hebrew with five different words none of which can be clarified with any degree of certainty, not to mention ancient superstitions on rearing sheep and goats or the legal (and moral) status of Jacob within that family unit. Better to take a broad sweep on what we know of negotiations (marital, industrial or political) from personal experience.
First, the delicate opening (‘talks about talks’) with the usual courtesies, followed by a recognition of what has gone before and an acknowledgement of the strength and nature of the relationship. Who is calling for change, and why? Who has most to lose as a result? How much pressure can be applied and how strong is ‘the other’? They get off to a good start. Each respects the other, both are generous, everything is above board.
Then, the dirty work. A mixture of ‘creative accounting’ and ‘industrial espionage’. Laban quietly reduces the assets and puts some of Jacob’s share where he may not notice. Jacob (by a method unfamiliar to us) seeks to enhance his assets at the expense of Laban so that the stronger parts of the business finish up with him.
So consider. Two members of the same family, after making all the right noises and committing themselves to what seemed to be a fair and honourable agreement, going away to exercise their guile and presumably hoping it will never come to light. Neither is averse to exploiting the other and what we are left with is a battle of wits between two schemers.
If our initial response is one of relief that we are not involved in anything like that we ought perhaps first to pause to make sure we are not. Scheming can take many forms and we don’t always have the choice of staying outside. So how do we behave in similar circumstances? Neither party can claim credit or the high moral ground and there are no winners, but it is always easier to see that from the touchline then when we are part of the plot.
