Genesis 30:35

Genesis 30:35 says, And he removed that day the he goats that were ringstraked 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 hand of his sons.  Jacob began to separate the herds as Laban and he had agreed to do.  Until then, everything had belonged to Laban, even though Jacob had worked for him for years.  Like Jacob, we should expect at least some reward, or pay, for our work.  Of course, our work for God already has its reward, which is everlasting life.  We cannot work to earn everlasting life, but since we already have the reward, then we should work in appreciation of that reward.  Verse thirty-six states, And he set three days’ journey betwixt himself and Jacob: and Jacob fed the rest of Laban’s flocks.  The flocks, after being divided by color, were separated by three days journey.  This was to ensure that both got what they agreed on.  Jacob still continued to feed the rest of Laban's flocks, as he had agreed to do.  When we make a bargain with someone, we need fulfill our part of the bargain.  Verse thirty-seven says, And Jacob took him rods of green poplar, and of the hazel and chesnut tree; and pilled white strakes in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods. Then verse thirty-eight adds, And he set the rods which he had pilled 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.  Then verse thirty-nine concludes, And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth cattle ringstraked, speckled, and spotted.  Matthew Henry says that these sticks somehow influenced the color the offspring of the flocks would have.  I am not sure how the stakes influenced anything, but I am sure that God could bless Jacob with the best of the flock.  We need to simply rely on God today without attempting to bring about the outcome that we want in a situation by our own ability.  Verse forty declares, And Jacob did separate the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the ringstraked, and all the brown in the flock of Laban; and he put his own flocks by themselves, and put them not unto Laban’s cattle.  Jacob continued to separate the offspring of the flocks as Laban and he had agreed to do.  Verse forty-one adds, And it came to pass, whensoever the stronger cattle did conceive, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the cattle in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods.  Then verse forty-two continues, But when the cattle were feeble, he put them not in: so the feebler were Laban’s, and the stronger Jacob’s. Then verse forty-three concludes, And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses.  I will not profess to know exactly how all this worked, but however it was, Jacob somehow had the birth of the animals work in his favor.  He was getting the stronger animals.  Maybe Jacob felt that since Laban had cheated him in his bargain for Rachel that he would now take advantage of his knowledge of the herds to benefit himself.  We can say that Jacob was still relying on his own abilities instead of relying on God.  As followers of Christ, we do not need to deceive others to get what we want in life.  We simply need to put our faith in God.