Live Bible Reading Genesis 29-30

On this Episode we read Genesis 29 and 30, talking about Jacob and the Sheep.

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#genesis #faith #folklore #fiction

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:11

Welcome to faith fiction and folklore, or as we like to call it, the Tri F podcast, where we try not to mess the podcast up. How are you boys today? I'm well. How are you? I am fantastic.

SPEAKER_01 0:29

I'm good. I smell like copy.

SPEAKER_00 0:32

Yeah, and so does your computer.

SPEAKER_01 0:34

Yeah, I spilled copy on my computer right before we were gonna go live. It's working. So if I crash out, sorry.

SPEAKER_00 0:44

That's alright. We'll blame you entirely. So we're gonna be starting with Genesis 29. Last time we were on 28, and let's see, we had an interesting point last time with 28 about how the coven Cody, you weren't here for this, but the covenant had to be reaffirmed by God in Genesis 28. So it kind of called into question what exactly Isaac's role was in when he gave the blessing. So it's like Isaac gave the blessing in 28 and then in uh or in 27 and then in 28, God actually is the one who reaffirms it. And so God like gives him the call for the covenant and everything. So we just we talked about that last week. So now we're on 29, and uh this is when yeah. So uh this is when Jacob, I think, finally gets to Laban. So I think that's where we're at now. Uh Calix9398 says, What I miss, had to go water my plants, lol. Well, we're about to start Genesis 29, good sir.

SPEAKER_01 1:52

You didn't miss anything.

SPEAKER_00 1:53

Yeah, unless you want to hear about Trevor's I don't know, he said something random. I don't recall what it was.

SPEAKER_01 2:01

I watered my computer with coffee.

SPEAKER_00 2:03

Yeah, he watered his computer with coffee. So that was that was great.

SPEAKER_01 2:07

So right before we hit live.

SPEAKER_00 2:10

Yep, right before we hit live, because that's when it's gonna happen. So, all right, who wants to start? Would you like me to start, or would somebody else like to read?

SPEAKER_02 2:19

I will.

SPEAKER_00 2:19

Alright, go for it.

SPEAKER_02 2:22

Then Jacob went on his journey and came into the land of the people of the east. And he looked and behold, a well in the field, and lo, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it. For out of that well they watered the flocks, and the great stone was upon the well's mouth. And thither were all the flocks gathered, and they rolled the stone from the well's mouth and watered the sheep, and put the stone again upon the well's mouth in its place. Jacob said unto them, My brethren, when speak yeah. And they said, Oh, Heron, are weak? And he said unto them, Know ye Laban, the son of Nehor? And they said, We know him. And he said unto them, Is he well? And they said, He is well. And behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep. And he said, Lo, it is yet high day. Neither it is time, neither is it time. Sorry, it's kind of small.

SPEAKER_00 3:24

That's all right. Neither is it time that the cattle should be gathered together. Water ye the sheep and go and feed them. Here I can take it up if it's too small. Uh yeah, go for it. All right. And the Calix says, R. I P P C Trevor. So when it dies, it fought the good fight.

SPEAKER_01 3:42

Yeah. It fought the good fight.

SPEAKER_00 3:45

Yeah. Alright, let's see, and then we're on verse 8. And they said, We cannot until all the flocks be gathered together, until they roll the stone from the well's mouth, then we water the sheep. And while he yet spake with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she kept them. And it came to pass when Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban, his mother's brother, that Jacob went near and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother. So we're kind of getting a full circle thing here. In the same way that Rebecca watered the hired hand's flock, camels. Now Jacob is watering Rachel's flock or Laban's flock. So, you know, symmetry. So yeah. Alright.

SPEAKER_01 4:37

Why wouldn't it say just Laban's uncle instead of mother's brother?

SPEAKER_00 4:45

I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 4:46

Maybe they just word uncle when they wrote this.

SPEAKER_00 4:49

Yeah, maybe that's what it is. I mean, I don't know. It just It's the way it was the way it was back then, I guess.

SPEAKER_02 4:56

So we're yeah, what do you do when your older brother's tickling you? And you're you can't say uh uncle. Uncle. You gotta say mother's brother's nephew or whatever.

SPEAKER_00 5:12

Sounds like a weird setup science.

SPEAKER_01 5:18

Mother's brother, stop tickling me.

SPEAKER_00 5:21

It would just devolve into cussing about two words in, you know. So and Jacob kissed Rachel and lifted up his voice and wept. And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's brother, and that he was Rach Rebecca's son, and she ran and told her father. And it came to pass when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob, his sister's son, that he ran to meet him and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things. And Laban said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh, and he abode with him the space of a month. And Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for naught? Tell me, what shall thy wages be? And Laban had two daughters. The name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah was tender eyed, but Rachel was beautiful and well favored. And Jacob loved Rachel and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel, thy younger daughter. Oh. Trevor has bit the dust.

SPEAKER_02 6:33

His computer just died.

SPEAKER_00 6:36

R.I.P. Trevor's computer. What? What? What'd you say?

SPEAKER_02 6:44

I said Trevor's computer just murdered itself.

SPEAKER_00 6:46

Yeah, he's like, I'm done with this. This sucks.

SPEAKER_02 6:50

Um, that sucks.

SPEAKER_00 6:51

Yeah, well, we'll see if we can get him back here in a few minutes.

SPEAKER_02 6:54

Yeah, maybe we'll pop on with the cell phone or something.

SPEAKER_00 6:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:57

Show must go on.

SPEAKER_00 6:58

Show must go on. Yep. We'll uh we'll press on. Let's see. And I've lost my place. Hang on here.

SPEAKER_02 7:08

Uh 20. 20.

SPEAKER_00 7:10

20, okay. And Jacob, okay. And Laban said, it's better that I give you. Jacob loved Rachel, and I will serve thee seven years for the younger daughter. And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee than that I should give her to another man. Abide with me. And Jess says, Oh no. Yeah, I know. They're like, this is a problem. We're gonna have to figure something out, but here in a minute. So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed unto him but a few days for the love he had to her. And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled that I may go in unto her. And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast. And it came to pass in the evening that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him, and he went in unto her. And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah, Zipfa, his and Laban gave unto his daughter Leah, Zipha, his maid, for a handmaid. And it came to pass that in the morning, behold, it was Leah, and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? Did I did not I serve with thee for Rachel? Wherefore then hast thou beguiled me? And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country to give the younger before the firstborn, Hardy Harhar. Fulfill her fulfill her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve me yet seven other years. And Jacob did so. He and fulfilled her week, and he gave him Rachel's daughter and he and Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week, and he gave him Rachel, his daughter, to wife also. And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter, Biha, his handmaid, to be her maid. And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served of him yet seven other years. And when the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. And Leah conceived and bear are we good? Yeah, we're good. All right, all right. And Rachel was barren, and Leah conceived and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben, for he for she said, Surely the Lord hath looked upon my affliction. Now therefore my husband will love me. And she conceived again and bare a son, and said, Because the Lord hath heard I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also, and she called his name Simeon. And she conceived again and bare a son, and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have borne him three sons, therefore his name was called Levi. And she conceived again and bare a son, and she said, Now I will praise the Lord, therefore she called his name Judah, and left bearing. So that's twenty-nine. Laban is Laban is a scuzzball. And so Jacob kind of got his, I would say. But then you feel bad for Leia.

SPEAKER_02 10:36

So it's all a big mess.

SPEAKER_00 10:40

Yeah, yeah, it's like uh not the most functional setup of things.

SPEAKER_02 10:45

People taking advantage of other people and stuff.

SPEAKER_00 10:49

Yeah, Laban's pretty he's a pretty bad character. But Jacob had it coming, so what are you gonna do? Trying to think of anything else to say. I don't really think so.

SPEAKER_02 11:02

It's a pretty straightforward verse, man.

SPEAKER_00 11:05

Yeah. Alright, so Trevor would have something brilliant and profound to say.

SPEAKER_02 11:14

Brilliant and profound? Those are the words you're gonna use.

SPEAKER_00 11:16

Brilliant that or a dad joke. So Alright, moving on to thirty. Okay, here we go. Let's see. And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die. And Jacob and Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel, and he said, Am I in God's stead who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb? And she and she said, Behold, my maid, Billah, go in unto her, and she shall bear upon my and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her. And she never works. And Bilhah conceived and bare Jacob a son. And Rachel said, Goth, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice. He hath given me a son, therefore called she his name Dan. And Bilha, Rachel's maid, conceived again and bare Jacob a second son. And Rachel said, With great wrestling have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed. She called his name Naphtali. And Leah saw that she had left bearing. When Leah saw that she had left bearing, she took Zilpha, her maid, and gave her Jacob gave her Jacob to wife. And Zilphah, Leah's maid, bare Jacob a son. And Leah said, A troop cometh, and she called his name Gad. And Zilphal, Leah's maid, bare Jacob a second son. And Leah said, Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed. And she called his name Ashtur. And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest and found Mandrake. So this is the start of another story. So yeah. Family values, right? Yeah, something like that. Yeah, yeah. Alright, so now we're that's the verse where the handmaid's tale is based off of. Close.

SPEAKER_02 13:35

I didn't watch it.

SPEAKER_00 13:36

It's it's not worth anyone's time. It's awful. It's everything you would imagine from a scuzzy liberal thing. So anyway. So yeah, uh verse 14. And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest and found mandrakes in the field and brought them unto his mother, Leia. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son's mandrakes. And she said, Mandrake. I think it's a type of fruit, but we can Google it. Hang on just a minute. I will Google that really quick.

SPEAKER_02 14:12

I bet it's one of those little Harry Potter deals.

SPEAKER_00 14:15

Harry Potter deals?

SPEAKER_02 14:17

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Aren't they called mandrakes? They pull them out of the pot and they scream.

SPEAKER_00 14:23

I have no idea. That's a good question. Let me type this in really quick.

SPEAKER_02 14:27

Yeah, is that right? Mandrakes and Harry Potter is at the little dudes in the pots before. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:35

She's like, seriously.

SPEAKER_02 14:37

That's probably what was in the Bible. You don't tell her.

SPEAKER_00 14:40

Close. Alright, so this is uh what I get. Yeah, this looks to be some kind of root. Yeah, mandrake root.

SPEAKER_02 14:52

Tuber. Like a potato or something.

SPEAKER_00 14:55

Gotcha, gotcha.

SPEAKER_02 14:57

Man, they really uh they've been depicted as people a lot, a lot through history. It looks like.

SPEAKER_00 15:05

The mandrakes, they've been depicted as people.

SPEAKER_02 15:08

I mean, look at all these pictures. They're all like depicted as little bipedal creatures.

SPEAKER_00 15:13

Yeah, you're right. They have. Huh. Well, now I'm gonna have to go try one at some point, I guess.

SPEAKER_02 15:21

Why? Because you don't you like to eat living things? Mandrakes is people. Well, still a lot. What if it screams when you bite into it?

SPEAKER_00 15:30

I'll get over it, I guess, with a little bit of therapy. Okay. Let's see. So we were on 14. Uh, I pray thee give thee that give of thy sons mandrakes. Okay, so we've got uh Jess saying seriously, and then Turtle Chief going, Yes, Mandrake. Then Jess going, it was in Harry Potter, Mandrake Roots. Trevor, he's in the chat. Trevor, is your computer dead? What happened? Help us out here. Can you use your phone? Send a smoke signal. Send smoke signals, right? You got okay, type it in the chat. Fill us in, man. Chat's in chat. Yeah, I know he's in the chat. Trevor, quit being cute. Give us an answer. We're all dying to know. Oh my goodness. Alright, I while he's typing, I'm gonna keep reading. Alright, and she said unto her, It is a small matter that thou hast taken my husband. And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? Okay, and wouldest thou take away my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel's, boy, that is a bitter line. Good night. You took my husband. Now you want my roots too. I can give you no potatoes. That's bitter. Good night. Uh Calic says, What I miss again. I had to do something, lol. Well, Trevor's computer died. We were joking, but it really shut off. So the coffee, coffee is.

SPEAKER_02 17:15

We found out that that there's uh they were eating little tiny mandrake people in the Bible.

SPEAKER_00 17:21

It's a root that's shaped like a man. That's what we learned. So mandrakes is people. So Mandrakes is people. Uh Turtle Chief is saying, and won't stay on. And he says, I can join from my phone. Yes, do that. You should just be able to use the exact same link I already emailed. So, yes, we will wait. We will wait on what's the word? We're trembling with anticipation for your return, Mr. Trevor. So there we go. Alright, so let's let's just reread that line again because I want to appreciate the bitterness. So let's see. And she said unto her, It is is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? And wouldest thou take away my son's mandrakes also? I just can't get I can't get over. That's so petty. All right.

SPEAKER_02 18:10

Pretty fun of me.

SPEAKER_00 18:11

Yeah. And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee tonight for thy son's mandrakes. Wow. And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him and said, Thou must come in unto me, for surely I have hired thee for my son's mandrakes. And he lay with her that night. Got sold for some mandrakes.

SPEAKER_02 18:38

It's like a wild story. Every one of these that we go through, dude, I'm just like, what?

SPEAKER_00 18:46

Yeah, you didn't you never learn that in Sunday school. Did you ever hear these stories in Sunday school? I never did. Not like this, man.

SPEAKER_02 18:54

Yeah. Not like this. I just they painted it with such a it's a little disingenuous, isn't it?

SPEAKER_00 19:01

Yeah. Yeah, embellished brush, you know. Whitewashed it. They whitewashed the whole thing. Yeah. So yeah. No, I'm I'm right there with you. I'm like, this is a little more dark than they let on.

SPEAKER_02 19:14

I still haven't gotten over the Isaac story, dude. Which one? The sacrifice. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:21

Yeah. Yeah, that's the hardest one, I would say, of all of them is the sacrifice. Or the almost near the near sacrifice. Why is no one mad at the dad? And which story? Are you talking about Isaac or are you talking about Jacob? Are you talking about Laban? That's a good question. I'm sure they were mad at Laban. But I don't know. That's a good question. Why aren't they mad at Laban? It was his fault. Maybe Leia didn't know. You know, something like that. Maybe she didn't realize Jacob didn't like her or something. Maybe Laban told her, you know, Jacob's working all these hours for you. Or something.

SPEAKER_02 20:08

Yeah. I will say the he really exudes the um turn the other cheek kind of principle. It's like, you know, he made a deal. And then screwed him over, and he was like, okay, I guess I'll do it all again. Seven more years. I mean, that's that's pretty cool. But well the only positive side I can see.

SPEAKER_00 20:31

Yeah. Sad Sanz Azy says, um, 0807 says, I feel like he's just a pawn in the women's games, but since it's spicy time, he's not mad about it.

unknown 20:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 20:46

Yeah, a little bit. A little bit. It's probably the story again, though.

SPEAKER_00 20:51

Yeah. And then she says, Leo Ann. I don't know what that means. You mean Laban? I don't know what you're referring to. You have to elaborate, but yes, yes, Jacob. Anyway, it's it's all kinds of functional. Joining. So Trevor is joining. Trevor is joining. Okay, so we are, where are we at now? Still talking about okay. And God hearkened unto Leia and she conceived and bare Jacob the fifth son. Alright. We have got to figure out a better way to do this, but that's alright. Hello, Trevor!

SPEAKER_01 21:29

Can you hear me?

SPEAKER_00 21:30

Yeah, we can hear ya. You gotta lag, but we can hear you.

SPEAKER_01 21:36

There you go.

SPEAKER_00 21:38

Gotcha. Alright, so is your computer no more?

SPEAKER_01 21:46

I don't know if it's no more no more, but it won't hang on.

SPEAKER_00 21:56

Uh well I'm sorry to hear that, man. That sucks. Hopefully it'll work. Hopefully it'll work just a little bit. I mean, if it's starting, then it can't be irrevocably destroyed. Put it in some rice. There you go.

SPEAKER_01 22:13

Yeah, I'll try that.

SPEAKER_00 22:15

There you go. Do the rice thing. Alright.

SPEAKER_01 22:18

I got like five pounds per laptop, but can you hear me okay?

SPEAKER_00 22:23

Yeah, we can hear you. We can hear you. So we can get by with this for the night for the night. Uh sad sands. Jess says, I would be pissed if I got married and my husband woke up the next morning and said WTF. That yeah, I would imagine that would throw throw anybody for a loop, for sure. For sure. But you are right, Jess. Like they really there really should have been more ire thrown at Laban, I would think. He's kind of the dude who set it all up, but anyway. Alright. Let's see if I can figure out where we're at. It was the fifth sun. I have completely lost. Uh your camera is on, but it is looking at orange juice or something. Some kind of food packaging. There we go. There we go. There we go. Boy, I've completely lost my okay, here we go. So we're now on to verse 18. And Leah said, God hath given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband, and she called his name Issachar. Alright, and Leah conceived again, and bare Jacob the sixth son. And Leah said, God hath endued me with a good doubt dowry. Now will my husband dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons, and she called him Zebulun. And afterwards she bare a daughter, and called her name Dinah, and God remembered Rachel. And God hearkened to her and opened her womb. And she conceived and bare a son, and said, God hath taken away my reproach. And she called his name Joseph, and said, The Lord shall add to me another son. And it came to pass when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban, Send me away, that I may go unto mine own place and to my own country. Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served thee, and let me go, for thou knowest my service which I have done thee. And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favour in thine eyes, tarry, for I have learned by experience that the Lord hath blessed me for thy sake. And he said, Appoint me thy wages, and I will give it. And he said unto him, Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how thy cattle was with me, for it was little for it was little which thou hadest before I came, and it is now increased unto a multitude, and the Lord hath blessed thee since my coming. And now when shall I provide for mine my own house provide for mine own house also? And from now when shall I provide for mine own house also? And he said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob said, Thou shalt give me anything if thou wilt do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep thy flock. And I will pass through all thy flock to day, removing from thence all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats, and of such shall be my hire. And so shall my righteousness answer for me in time to come, when it shall come from my hire before thy face, every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the sheep, that thou shalt be counted stolen, that shall be counted stolen with me. And Laban said, Behold, I would it might be according to thy word. So this is really tricky because this is another one of those situations. I've I've heard sermons on this in the past, but it's been years. So, Trevor, if you've heard a pre sermon on this, you might have to help me out with it. But this is another attempt of Laban, from what I remember. This is another attempt of Laban to mess with Jacob, screw him over. But somehow Jacob is able to, by breeding the speckled and striped animals or something like that, he's able to like get really wealthy in spite of Laban's plan.

SPEAKER_01 26:40

Yeah, he was sounds like he was destined.

SPEAKER_00 26:44

Well, Laban's trying to, yeah, from what I understand, Laban's trying to mess with him again. So uh we might we might look up how this is supposed to go because this King James is getting hard to do.

SPEAKER_02 27:02

I mean, they've been together for 20 years, so it's like all their cattle are intermingled, and so they're having to figure out how to split them.

SPEAKER_00 27:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:10

Because some are Jacobs, some are Labs. I mean, that's it seems pretty simple.

SPEAKER_00 27:15

Yeah, let me Google it. I'm gonna see if I can figure out.

SPEAKER_02 27:23

But it would be it would probably there was probably more, because that's like so the spotted and speckled decals, those are like genetic uh deformities. So like you know, you have like the the what do you call that?

SPEAKER_00 27:46

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. Uh the red heifer. I don't think this has anything to do with the red heifer.

SPEAKER_02 27:50

Right, no, but but like so in their eyes, like a pure pure animal is all a solid color, right?

SPEAKER_00 27:58

Yeah, I think so.

SPEAKER_02 28:00

So like there was probably a lot more of the ones that weren't like that. I mean, there was probably a lot of of pure blood back then because you know it's way back then. But I don't know. They were like they were like they were higher quality stuff, so he probably got a lot more cattle, you know, by taking the genetic deformities. But you know, yeah, but Laban Laban was into it because they were better breed.

SPEAKER_00 28:30

I I yeah, I think I think I understand what you're saying. Let's look at their AI here really quick, because I do want to understand this, and then we'll look at this article by answers in Genesis and see if we can get a clearer. Maybe we'll look at Gott questions too, get a clearer understanding of it. Because the King James, I'm pretty I I consider myself pretty good at reading the King James, and even I was getting lost. So let's see if we can clear this up a little bit. Um in Genesis 30, Jacob agrees to work for his uncle Laban in exchange for only the speckled, spotted, and striped sheep sheep and goats. Laban immediately cheats by removing all such animals, leaving only solid colored livestock. Jacob uses a selective breeding technique, setting striped branches at watering troughs, which results in healthier spotted offspring, making them wealthy, despite Laban's deception. Okay, so Laban.

SPEAKER_02 29:27

That's deeper than what I thought. I don't understand.

SPEAKER_00 29:29

Yeah, well, apparently Laban like snuck all the animals that were like that out, so Jacob asks for the spotted. This is saying Jacob asks for the spotted and striped sheeps and goats, and then Laban removes them and only leaves like the solid animals. So Jacob, uh presumably, this is a miracle of some kind. Jacob uses a selective breeding technique uh by setting striped branches at watering troughs. So I think this is supposed to be a miracle then.

SPEAKER_02 30:05

I have no idea what that means.

SPEAKER_00 30:07

Yeah, I don't either. We're gonna have to read the story.

SPEAKER_02 30:09

A striped branch.

SPEAKER_00 30:11

Yeah, I don't know what a striped branch is. So alright, uh, Jess says it's another trick, like with Leia and Rachel. This time he got the better of Laban. Yeah. Well, let's look at what Antches in Answers in Genesis has to say.

SPEAKER_02 30:24

There's just there's so many layers of deception with these people.

SPEAKER_00 30:29

It's just I Yeah, Laban's one of the more interesting characters. Hang on, I gotta fix my box. My box is being stupid again because we're going to different websites. So hang on. You two talk amongst yourselves while I fix this box, then we'll read the article. Entertain the people!

SPEAKER_01 30:50

I wonder if Jacob knew like all the plans and how they work. All the plans and he knew how to how each one of them worked.

SPEAKER_02 31:18

Really? Like I mean, you think it was that like simple? Like that would be wild. Well I mean, like their their genetic makeup is so pure that like the things they eat literally appear on their body.

SPEAKER_01 31:35

That would be like if they if they only fed them a certain flower.

SPEAKER_02 31:43

I maybe I'm wrong, but I feel like it uh if we tried that today it wouldn't work.

SPEAKER_00 31:49

Yeah, because I think it's a miracle. Uh that's that's where I'm going with it.

SPEAKER_01 31:56

Well, it's like if you uh drink danger line, it's supposed to have a really good effect on you.

SPEAKER_02 32:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 32:11

Alright, well let's well, let's read this article here and see if we can get anything anything else figured out. So um, this is an article from uh Answers in Genesis. Jacob's odd breeding program of Genesis 30, the abstract chapters 30 and 31 of Genesis have often come under attack and touted as being an example of folklore, superstition, and primitive veterinary understanding. But when recognizing that divine providence was at work coupled with astute botan botanical knowledge, the picture rapidly changes. Research into botan botanant botanical botanical, thank you. And uh herbal ribbonies over the past few decades have exonerated the methodologies which Jacob used in lit with Laban's flocks. Indeed, some of the same botanical pro specimens Jacob utilized are now being used to supplement livestock feed and are used as veterinary treatments on several diseases and conditions.

SPEAKER_02 33:14

I would like to talk to an actual, like a uh a cattle breeding guy. Somebody who specializes in that, a farmer, if you would.

SPEAKER_00 33:25

Yeah, I'm gonna stick with miracle here, but we'll see. We'll see what the this guy, I think this guy's gonna claim it's not a miracle, but we'll see. Uh Jess says, I don't think it's a miracle. I think it's supposed to be that Jacob has now learned how to spot deception and how to play Laban's game.

SPEAKER_02 33:45

I see what you did there. Spot deception.

unknown 33:48

Bada pa.

SPEAKER_00 33:50

Yeah. So, okay. Alright, let's see. Introduction. Genesis 37 through 3116 is a section of scripture often held to ridicule any by hell held up to ridicule by skeptics, and even some of those committed to biblical inerrancy and authority struggle with understanding the ex and explaining to others. So many questions have been raised. Does Jacob's peeled bark practice have any bearing on how sheep and goats breed? Does it offer any health or reproductive value? Did God instruct Jacob in this practice? Was it his intention? And if so, was it deceitful for Jacob to seek to seek to appropriate the flocks of Laban, his father-in-law? Was this an entirely natural phenomena, or was there a large dose of providential direction involved? Jacob's flocks. Before we delve into this section, it is important to look at previous verses for context. Starting in Genesis 30, 25, we see that Jacob is wanting to leave the services of Laban and return to his homeland, but recognizing that God has blessed him because of Jacob's presence, Laban asks Jacob to stay and continue to manage his flocks, and Laban promises to let Jacob name his wage. Jacob proposes a solution in which he would stay and tend Laban's flocks for what seems like a paltry fee, the and one which is impossible to cheat on. So it reads what we just read. Um yeah, I'm going to just say that he we've already read that. A bad bargain. It is evident from the text that Laban's reaction that this proposal appeared to be lopsided in favor of Laban. Uh okay, it is evident from the text and Laban's reaction that this proposal appeared to be lopsided in favor of Laban. Most likely the majority of Laban's flocks were pure white uh sheep and pure white or black goats, with very few spotted, speckled, or striped animals. Since the majority of Laban's flocks had solid coat colors, he figured that his flocks would continue to breed true to their solid coat colors. Uh solid color coats. After removing Jacob's small flock, which he had okay, I think I see, which he had his sons keep from Jacob, he believed they could not therefore influence his own remaining flocks by breeding with them. To Laban, it looked like Jacob would leave with at best a few mottled, striped and streaked sheep and maybe goats, while he would continue to gri gain flocks and pay extremely cheap labor rates for their care. Okay, so I think you're right, Cody, if I remember correctly. He mostly must have mostly had solid colors, didn't think there were going to be very many, you know, abnormal, you know, traits. So basically what we're looking at is an instance where Jacob somehow gets the, let's say for sake of argument, even though this wouldn't technically be right, let's say for the sake of argument, he somehow, through diet or something, um gets them to manifest the recessive traits in the animals so he gets a larger flock. That seems to be what's going on. Okay. So, misplaced biblical criticism and sight-based hocus pocus. Now, we initially read this passage, we come across Jacob deciding on a rather peculiar methodology for what appears to be selective breeding of sheep and goats. This section, Genesis 30, 37 through 43, is what is the one which is most heavily criticized as being superstitious folklore and snake oil medicine, proving that the Bible is full of fairy tales and that the writer, Moses, was ignorant of any real medical knowledge. The charge is made that these goat herders in Canaan obviously knew nothing about genetics and so believed in an almost Lamarckian parent, prenatal influence or even fertility magic. However, when one closely follows the Genesis 30, 37 through 43 passage, it becomes apparent that a sight-based breeding trick is not what Jacob had in mind or attempted. Now let's read the passage in question. Okay, so I'm actually going to go ahead and read it really quick, but we're gonna read it from where we were at. Hang on here. So we this starts at 37, okay. Okay, so I'm gonna actually start at 35. And he removed that day the the he goats that were r uh ring staked and spotted. Ring ring straked and spotted, and all the she goats that were speckled and spotted, and every one that had some white in it, and all the brown among the sheep, and gave them into the hands of his sons. And he set three days' journey betwixt himself and Jacob, and Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flocks. And Jacob took him rods of green poplar, and of the hazed and chestnut trees, and piled white strakes in and pillied or piled white strakes in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods. And he set the rods which he had put pillied before the flocks in the gutters, in the watering troughs, when the flocks came to drink, that they should conceive when they came to drink. And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth cattle ring strached, speckled, and spotted. And Jacob did separate the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the ring straight, and all the brown in the flocks of Laban, in the flock of Laban, and he put his own flock by themselves, and he put them not into Laban's cattle. And it came to pass whosoever the stronger cattle did conceive, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the cattle in the in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods. But when the cattle were feeble, he put them not in. So the feeble were Laban's and the stronger Jacob's. And the man increased and seeks and the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle and maid servants and midservants and camels and asses. So he basically did something to trick Laban out of his flock.

SPEAKER_02 40:15

I think I get it.

SPEAKER_00 40:17

I think so.

SPEAKER_02 40:19

I would like to know what what tree he used.

SPEAKER_00 40:23

Yeah. Yeah, that's what I was wondering. One of them was chestnut, wasn't it? Did I get that? I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 40:30

Yeah, he did say that.

SPEAKER_00 40:33

Alright, let's see if Genesis or answers in Genesis can explain this, because I don't know how this is supposed to work. Okay. So most people tend to focus on verses 40 and 41, which use the phrases, which use the phrases which are translated as set the faces of the flock flocks toward and before the eyes of the flock. And conclude that Jacob's breathing program relied on getting the flocks to look at the peeled branches, sticks. But they miss the importance of verse 38, which states that Jacob put the peeled sticks in the watering trough, and that the flocks bred right near these troughs. In fact, what is probably being alluded to is the fact that as the females drank water from the troughs, the males would come up behind them to mate. The lambs were likely placed in front of the watering troughs to keep the female animals focused in front of them while the males came up from behind and bred with them. Now the issue which then arises is that since Laban took all the striped, speckled, and modded animals out of the flock, how could the pure color-coded flock start producing nothing but spotted and striped animals? This is where providential direction, medicinal herbs, and actual genetics comes into play. Jacob's knowledge and methodology. First of all, we must remember that the original spotted striped animals did not come about in a vacuum. There obviously was the genetic information for at least some of the animals to have spotted striped coats. Taking the text at face value, it appeared to be a recessive trait compared to the number of pure co pure color-coated flocks which dominated the flocks. If things were to work out the way they did, Jacob needed to have those animals with the genetic traits for stripes, spots, and mottling to outbreed the single-color coated flocks. This would require three things intricate knowledge of the animals' feeding and mating behaviors, medicine to keep such animals healthier, and an understanding of which animals had the genetic traits he needed to produce. We'll tackle the medicinal herbs later, but for now let's consider the genetics. Fortunately for Jacob, he did not need to know anything about genetics, all he had to do was obey God. We find out later in the extended narrative that Jacob benefited due to visions from God. The whole context can be found in Genesis 31, 7 through 18, but the basics can be found in Genesis 31, 10 through 12. When the flocks were breeding, I saw in a dream that the streaks, spotted, and speckled males were mounting or were mating with the females. In that dream the angel of God said to me, Jacob, and I said, Here I am, and he said, Look up and see all the males that were mating with the flocks are streaked, spotted, and speckled, for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you. So Jacob was given advanced knowledge of which animals would be born due to which animals were breeding. But wait, how could there be any spotted, striped animals to breed when they had already been removed by Laban? We need to keep in mind that this was a vision that the striped spotted animals were most likely God showing Jacob the underlying genetic makeup of some of the flock. All Jacob did to perhaps help God's providential breeding program was to ensure that either he gave certain Animals, herbal medicines to make them healthier, andor whatever animals seem physically stronger, were given the herbal remedies and extra feed. Yes, the sticks could be consumed by as feed by the animals at breeding season and apparently solid animals, but which still contained the genetic information for stripes and spots, providentially produced by more spotted ones. Okay, I think we get the idea. Yeah. Yeah. So if you want to read the rest of this, let's look up and see who wrote this. This is by Troy Lacey. This was written in April 26, 2019. Jacob's odd breeding program of Genesis 30 is the name of the article. The website is Answers in Genesis. Uh, I think that's interesting. So basically, God showed him which animals would manifest the recessive traits. And he put the sticks in there because I guess that would keep the animals focused or whatever while the males bred. That seems to be the idea. It sounds like a miracle either way, though, honestly.

unknown 44:58

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 44:59

So all right. Any final thoughts, gentlemen, before we move on? No, sir. No, sir. Alright. Trevor, what about you?

SPEAKER_01 45:08

I think we're good.

SPEAKER_00 45:09

Alright. Okay, well, that is all we've got for part one. If you are watching this after the fact, thank you so if well, if you're on the live stream, stay with us. We've got three or four segments left. I lost count. If you are watching this after the fact, thank you so much for watching, and we will see you next time.

unknown 45:29

Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 45:35

We hope you enjoyed this episode of Faith Fiction and Folklore. If you did, we would love it if you would subscribe to us on YouTube or follow us on Rumble. We can also be found on X, Instagram, and Facebook. And we are available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and iHeartRadio. Thank you again very much for listening, and we'll see you next time.