What Your Wages Should Be

After Jacob had stayed with [Laban] for a whole month, Laban said to him, “Just because you are a relative of mine, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be.” Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was lovely in form, and beautiful. Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, “I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.” (Genesis 29:14–18, NIV 1984).

My Musings – Once Jacob arrived in Paddan Aram, he did indeed find a woman he wished to take as his wife “among the daughters of Laban, [his] mother’s brother.” Apparently lacking the sufficient “bride’s price” he agreed to “work for [Laban] seven years in return for [his] younger daughter Rachel.” But such is the nature of love, the seven years “seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.” (Genesis 29:20, NIV 1984).

As if often the case, the sins of Jacob against his brother Esau came back to visit him. The deceiver was deceived. “So, Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast. But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob, and Jacob lay with her…When morning came, there was Leah! So, Jacob said to Laban, ‘What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn’t I? Why have you deceived me?'” (Genesis 29:22–25, NIV). So, he ended up working another seven years for the hand of Rachel.

My Advice – Be careful how you treat others, because your sins have a way of coming back to haunt you. Indeed, “you may be sure that your sin will find you out.” (Numbers 32:23, NIV 1983). Not might but will. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Matthew 7:2, NIV 1984). “Life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.” (Exodus 21:23–25, NIV 1984).

While it would be better never to sin against your “brother” at all, there is good news for those who do. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9, NIV 1984). You see, our God is both just and gracious. “For the wages of sin is death [justice], but the gift of God is eternal life [grace] in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23, NIV 1984).