Genesis 31:1-18 KJV
1 And he heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, Jacob hath taken away all that was our father's; and of that which was our father's hath he gotten all this glory.
2 And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as before.
3 And the LORD said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.
4 And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock,
5 And said unto them, I see your father's countenance, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father hath been with me.
6 And ye know that with all my power I have served your father.
7 And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me.
8 If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the cattle bare speckled: and if he said thus, The ringstraked shall be thy hire; then bare all the cattle ringstraked.
9 Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me.
10 And it came to pass at the time that the cattle conceived, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dream, and, behold, the rams which leaped upon the cattle were ringstraked, speckled, and grisled.
11 And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I.
12 And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ringstraked, speckled, and grisled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee.
13 I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred.
14 And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house?
15 Are we not counted of him strangers? for he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money.
16 For all the riches which God hath taken from our father, that is ours, and our children's: now then, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do.
17 Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon camels;
18 And he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gotten, the cattle of his getting, which he had gotten in Padanaram, for to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.

What is man's glory but those achievements in one's life time. We can study the royals of our land and of foreign world and see their rich achievements and power that was given to them by the people. Yet it not the achievements of this world that will last, it achievements of their past the minute they walk from the stage. It the legacy of achievement that must be carried on in our world until Christ return's. Our future and our children rest on the greatness and nobility of the legacy of faith, freedom and hope. Greatness is often based on our own ability to survive. Without God's power we will never achieve greatness of our own power in the world we live in. Jacob had ruined his father inlaws great achievement and power. And he gotten all the glory of his father inlaw's possession, because he had made a bargain with Laban his father inlaw concerning the goats and cattle he could have for wages which had to be spotted and speckled. I not sure who was more cunning Jacob or Laban through out his life, but this is one time Jacob is said to have gotten the best of Laban.

Laban's daughter seen his father's possessions and knew they had no inheritance if they stay so they were willing to go with their husband Jacob and all his possessions to the land of Israel. God spoke to Jacob and told him it was his power he had these possessions. He was upholding Jacob to keep his end of the bargain, that Jacob had made him in Bethel, by speaking to him in a dream. He had told God if he keep him prosperous and to allow him to return home in peace to his father's house, he would be his God. That is in Genesis 28 this vow he made to God. With God speaking to Jacob and telling him to return home he went with making preparation to go to his Father's house.

Jacob glory came with recognizing God's glory, and power in his life. Trusting that if God would take care of him, and restore him, God would be his God. Glory of Jacob much different then the glory of Laban. Laban worship stone gods. He also sold his daughters to Jacob to wed, for the labor he did for Laban. He had worked seven years for each daughter and got stuck with the first one only because of tradition that the older girl had to be married off first. Glad that tradition is not necessarily our tradition in our world today.

God takes away the power of another, to teach to learn from. Laban was a crooked man, but not this time, when it came to Jacob's wages. Jacob had learn to take his wage, but he also knew with wisdom what animals to mate with who to get the desire coloring of coats. It matter not if the goats, or cows were speckled or spotted, they still would make a good herd. It interesting because God of the Bible does not care what color our skin is, if we mixed, or unmixed, he just wants us to bow willingly to his will for our life. Which is his will is for our life to be prosperous.

Yet the sacrificial lamb was one with out spot or blemished. What is this saying the pure white lamb was only a symbol of God's perference on skin coloring of people. No, He used the pure white sacrifical Lamb only as symbol of what our purity in our hearts need to be. I ask the other day are you homosexual to the devil. Are you equal to the devil in regards you think your God that even your sin is okay, and you think you should have the authority to be in heaven no matter how you live. Do you think God should not have say in your life. Then you are homosexual to the devil. You are not in authority and have not the power to control God's will by enforcing your own will. Our submission to God for his glory is not about power as much as that relationship that God authority and power rules our life in such away that it pleases both God, man and ourselves. Jacob way of obeying God did not please Laban at all. He stole not one animal from Laban, but Laban had made a bad decision of payment to Jacob, never considering what Jacob could or would gain, because of knowledge.

Homosexuality is more then just being out of the will of God's original design for man and woman it about choosing your way despite God's will and way for your life. Meaning laying down your desires and becoming the bride that God wants you to be. Jacob had become the bride to God, he found Laban betrayal becoming a knife wound like that he did to his own father Isaac when he betrayed his Father and stolen the birthright of Esau only to learn he actually bought it, and betrayed Esau. It strange how we can take one event in our life and say what comes around goes around, meaning what we did will be done to us, despite our efforts to be better people. I do not doubt for a minute that Jacob in his running did not have sorrow for betraying his father.

God is looking for people that will submit to his will and his way. The path of Christ to carry our cross is not grievous. It staying under the judgment of man, and also obeying God despite what man decides is okay. We all fail God but it our thought that we equal makes us like the devil, our unwillingness to comform to God is out of the will of God. Meaning the pathway we chose is not right. One can be a spiritual homosexual without being a physical homosexual. What glorifies God when we choose to be a bride of Christ, because in reality God has chosen us to be his bride before we became his bride. He chose us to be godly people, people willing to obey his word called love. Loving others more then the hate we sometimes feel. To love even when the world dictates hate. Can you love those in opposition to God to demonstrate his love.

Jacob could of run off with Rachel his second wife, and could of divorced his first wife, but instead of bringing shame to Laban and his family, he talked privately to him and took his second daughter a week later to be his second wife. Jacob chose to be a good son inlaw but he was not going to allow Laban to cheat him his wages. He took payment the right way, but producing livestock by mixing them to create spotted and speckled animals. However leaving Laban with a weak group of animals.

The whole situation was Laban thinking he was a great man by his own ability and not that God gave him his wealth. The Lord gives and he takes away. Jacob had been rewarded for his faithfulness in a pagan land. God's protection was him sending him back to his family.

Dear Heavenly Father, when we obey you, we must trust that you will provide because of our faithfulness to you. It not always in wealth but at least our daily bread. I honor and praise you because you always provided for my needs. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: Isaiah 1:18-31 KJV
18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:
20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
21 How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.
22 Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water:
23 Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.
24 Therefore saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies:
25 And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin:
26 And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city.
27 Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.
28 And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed.
29 For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired, and ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen.
30 For ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water.
31 And the strong shall be as tow, and the maker of it as a spark, and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them.