“In this way the man grew exceedingly prosperous and came to own large flocks, and maidservants and menservants, and camels and donkeys.”
~ Genesis 30:43
Hi James and Ellen,
Do you know of a guy, gal or kid who was or is living on planet Earth who was or is perfect? What to you would make a guy, gal or kid perfect? Who would you ask to tell you if a guy, gal or kid is perfect? What to you would make a guy, gal or kid imperfect? Who would you ask to tell you if a guy, gal or kid is imperfect? What to you is the difference between being perfect and being imperfect? To be perfect is to not have any moral and ethical shortcomings. To be imperfect is to have moral and ethical shortcomings. Sins are moral and ethical shortcomings. Planet Earth was created by God without any moral and ethical shortcomings. The first guy and the first gal who God created to live on planet Earth were created without moral and ethical shortcomings. Planet Earth was polluted with moral and ethical shortcomings after an angel – whose name was Lucifer, thought that he could be just like God and . . . your grandpaa does not know how God could have or why God would allow an angel who He created to let pride dictate the angel’s reasoning for existing. God’s perfect creation – which includes the entire universe including planet Earth, would become affected and infected by this fallen angel – Lucifer, who God allowed to bring moral and ethical shortcomings into His perfect creation. As the Supreme Being, God through His predestined will allows Lucifer to infect every guy, gal and kid who lives on planet Earth with moral and ethical shortcomings. Because Lucifer’s sin infections have brought about moral and ethical shortcomings in every guy, gal and kid who has lived on planet Earth, every guy, gal and kid who now lives on planet Earth and every guy, gal and kid who will live on planet Earth, God is using imperfect guys, gals and kids in the perfect plan that He has for planet Earth.
Part of an imperfect guy’s life story is found in Genesis 30. This imperfect guy – who did not hesitate to tell a lie to get what he wanted, became the dad of twelve boys who became the fathers of God’s specially chosen guys, gals and kids – the Israelite people group’s guys, gals and kids. Jacob was born a twin. Jacob’s twin bro – Esau, was born just seconds before Jacob was born. Esau – because he was the first kid born in Jacob’s family, was to get the family birthright when his dad died. When Jacob was born – which was over 4000 years ago, getting the family birthright was a really big deal. Jacob – for a bowl of hot porridge, got Esau to promise to give to him the family birthright when their dad died. When it dawned on Esau – when his dad passed on to Jacob the family birthright which he was supposed to get, what an idiotic thing that he had done, Esau was very ready to do in his twin bro. To not be killed by his bro, Jacob fled to his Uncle Laban’s place. Laban lived in Haran. When Jacob was alive, the town of Haran was situated in northern Mesopotamia. The site of Haran today is possibly located in Syria. When Jacob arrived at his Uncle Laban’s place, Jacob met a gal who he liked a lot. The gal’s name was Rachel. Rachel was one of his Uncle Laban’s kids. Jacob wanted to marry Rachel but . . . because Rachel had an older sis – Leah, who was not married, Jacob was tricked into marrying Leah first. Before Jacob could marry either of the two gals, Laban made his nephew work years for him. Once Jacob had married the two gals, Jacob and Leah began having kids. Because Rachel also wanted to have kids with Jacob but because she right after she and Jacob were married was not able to have kids, Rachel had Jacob have kids with her maidservant or gal helper – Bilhah. Jacob and Bilhah had two boys. When Leah saw that Rachel’s maidservant or gal helper – Bilhah, was having kids with Jacob, Leah had her maidservant or gal helper – Zilpah, have kids with Jacob. Jacob and Zilpah had two boys. Rachel finally was able to have a boy with Jacob. Rachel and Jacob would name their first kid Joseph.
God’s specially chosen guys, gals and kids – the Israelite people group’s guys, gals and kids, began with twelve boys who had one dad and four mas. After spending years taking care of his Uncle Laban’s sheep and goats, Jacob decided that it was time for him to head back to the place where he was born and where he grew up as a kid. When Jacob went to his Uncle Laban to tell him what he was planning to do and to ask him for his okay to take off with his daughters and grandkids to the place where he was born, Laban told his nephew that he could not let him go because he had been such a big help to him over the years in helping make him become very wealthy. Jacob was able to make an agreement with his Uncle Laban that he could have all the speckled and spotted sheep and goats and all the dark colored lambs for his own flock while his Uncle Laban would have all the rest of the sheep and goats. Jacob ultimately would have to peel strips of bark from freshly cut popular, almond and plane trees to reveal strips of white wood so that . . . God blessed Jacob in spite of Jacob having tricked Laban so that . . . verse 43 says, “In this way the man grew exceedingly prosperous and came to own large flocks, and maidservants and menservants, and camels and donkeys.” Your grandmaa and grandpaa always say that God found them at the bottom of the barrel when . . . because your grandmaa and grandpaa know how imperfect that they are. God’s perfect plan has some imperfect guys, gals and kids in it who have been, are being and will be very blessed. Your grandpa thinks that even though living on planet Earth today is much different than what it was like living on planet Earth 4000 years ago and that it is even messier living on planet Earth today than it was living on planet Earth 4000 years ago. Your grandpaa believes that God deliberately established planet Earth to be a messy place to live. Your grandpaa believes that if it were not for the messiness that is everywhere, no guy, gal or kid would ever have reason to go to God for His help.
Genesis 30 (430)