Good evening, and welcome to EBible Fellowship’s Bible study in the book of Genesis. Tonight is study #10 of Genesis, chapter 29, and we are continuing to read Genesis 29:13-14:

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.

I will stop reading there. We are continuing to look at the word “laban,” which we have seen means “white.” It is Strong’s #3837, and it is related to #3836 and #3835. We have seen how that word “white” identifies with manna, and with white garments in Ecclesiastes 9:8, regarding the purity that comes with salvation and the washing away of sin.

So far, it has always been very good and very positive, but this word is also used in another way, if we go to Leviticus 13 and Leviticus 14, chapters that describe the plague of leprosy. In the Bible, leprosy is a figure of man’s sin that destroys him. That is why when the Lord Jesus would heal a leper, as He did on occasion in the New Testament, it was a picture of salvation, the cleansing or washing from sin. And that is the idea that the word “laban” or “white” has been involved with in several of the Scriptures we looked at, but we read in Leviticus 13:12-13:

And if a leprosy break out abroad in the skin, and the leprosy cover all the skin of him that hath the plague from his head even to his foot, wheresoever the priest looketh; Then the priest shall consider: and, behold, if the leprosy have covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague: it is all turned white: he is clean.

What God is saying is unusual. What God is saying is that if an individual had leprosy and the leprosy covered him completely from head to toe, then the priest would consider, and if the leprosy had covered all his flesh to the point where no more flesh could become leprous, then the priest would pronounce him “clean” that had the plague of leprosy: “it is all turned white: he is clean.” I do not fully understand that. If we look at the disease itself, it is a disease that devours the flesh. If you have it in one part, it also starts destroying the healthy parts of the skin, so if it ran its course and it destroyed all the skin on the body, then there is nothing left to destroy, and, in that sense, it is clean. Spiritually, I am not sure how we can understand that, given the fact that leprosy does picture sin. My guess is that it would have something to do with the Lord Jesus who became sin for us and bore the sins of His people, a tremendous number of people and each person had a tremendous number of sins. He was laden with sin from head to toe. This may relate to Job, who had sore boils from head to foot, as Job was a type of Christ bearing the sins of His people. But regarding where it says, “it is all turned white: he is clean,” he is “white” or “laban” in the sense that the leprosy had turned him all white and, therefore, he is pronounced clean. So that may relate to other verses we read like, “Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” It could relate to those kinds of Scripture.

But then it goes on to say in Leviticus 13:14-20:

But when raw flesh appeareth in him, he shall be unclean. And the priest shall see the raw flesh, and pronounce him to be unclean: for the raw flesh is unclean: it is a leprosy. Or if the raw flesh turn again, and be changed unto white, he shall come unto the priest; And the priest shall see him: and, behold, if the plague be turned into white; then the priest shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague: he is clean. The flesh also, in which, even in the skin thereof, was a boil, and is healed, And in the place of the boil there be a white rising, or a bright spot, white, and somewhat reddish, and it be shewed to the priest; And if, when the priest seeth it, behold, it be in sight lower than the skin, and the hair thereof be turned white; the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a plague of leprosy broken out of the boil.

In these verses, the reference to “white” as it relates to leprosy means that one is unclean. And, again, that would mean that someone was still in his sins, spiritually.

So that is one thing we have to consider when thinking about Laban because Laban did not always behave himself well. He got involved in deceitful dealings, and he changed Jacob’s wages ten times, I think Jacob said, and Jacob to work for Laban’s younger daughter Rachel to wife, but he (Laban) switched and gave him Leah instead. So we can see how Laban was a little underhanded in the things that he did, so that is one of the reasons it is difficult to figure this out when we see verses where “white” refers to purity, holiness, and righteousness. So here is something related to “laban” or “white” that is not pure and holy and righteous. It is the plague of leprosy. It is sin.

Also, we see this word in Joel 1:6:

For a nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without number, whose teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the cheek teeth of a great lion.

This is referring to the Babylonians and the king of Babylon and, therefore, it is a picture of Satan and his emissaries coming against the corporate church. Joel 1 is a chapter in which God describes the Great Tribulation when judgment began at the house of God. So, here, He is telling us about that nation that came against His land, and it goes on to say in Joel 1:7:

He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree: he hath made it clean bare, and cast it away; the branches thereof are made white.

Historically, the fig tree refers to national Israel, but since Israel is a type and figure of the corporate church, this can apply to the corporate church. So it likens this nation Babylon that came against Judah to Satan laying waste God’s vineyard. That would be the vineyard of the Lord of hosts, as Isaiah describes, which are the churches and congregations.

And, it says, “and barked my fig tree.” To “bark a tree,” you peel off the outer layer(s) and, oftentimes, when you peel that outer bark, you will see the “white” area of the tree. The outer layer, the bark, is the protection for the tree. When the bark is peeled away, it is made vulnerable. It means there is not as much protection for the tree against injury and disease. It is really a picture of taking away the “covering” of the tree, and when it is made “clean bare,” that is a picture of being spiritually naked, and that is what happened to the churches and congregations once the “daily” was removed – the Holy Spirit departed out of the midst of the congregations. Then the “abomination of desolation” was set up, and the churches lost their covering or righteousness, as Christ Himself is the essence of righteousness. As long as His Spirit lodged withing the churches over the course of the church age, the churches could be considered “righteous.” However, this does not mean that all the members of the people within those congregations were saved or had individually received the righteousness of Christ. But as an organization or institution, the corporate churches were seen overall as “righteous” in the eyes of God because the Person or Spirit of Christ was in the midst of the candlestick. In the very moment that Jesus departed out of the churches, the righteousness left it, and the sins of the churches were immediately exposed. In being exposed, it was as if the churches had become “naked.” 

Satan and his emissaries, as typified by King Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians, came against the churches and “barked the fig tree” and made it “clean bare.” And now its sins are open and naked to the eyes of Him with whom they have to do. There is no more granting of space to repent. God came immediately at that point (1988), looked upon the congregations, and demanded repentance because they were unrighteous. He saw all their unrighteous acts. He demanded they turn from them, but they did not, and God judged the churches and congregations and destroyed them over the course of the 23-year Great Tribulation period.

Now I mentioned the fact that Christ’s presence indicated “righteousness” in God’s eyes. The Bible actually tells us that in Isaiah 1 where God is speaking of Jerusalem, and He says in Isaiah 1:21:

How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.

The statement is made that “righteousness lodged in it,” but then God adds, “but now murderers,” and He is clearly indicating that righteousness no longer lodged in it. And He his not speaking of the people of Judah or the inhabitants of Jerusalem, but he is referring to that “man” who is righteousness Himself, according to 1Corinthians 1:30:

But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

Jesus is “righteousness.” When He departed, so, too, righteousness removed from the “faithful city,” and it is no longer faithful. It is no longer righteous. It is no longer good in God’s sight, but it is a wicked city, and God typically judges and destroys wicked cities, and that is how judgment began at the house of God.

Let us go back to Genesis 29, and we will read on in Genesis 29:15-20:

And Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? 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 favoured. And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy 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 Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.

Again, we find the historical setting interesting. It is always a curious and interesting thing to read of events that took place almost four thousand years ago. It can be very fascinating listening to people’s actual discussions and the historical situation they were in, but our interest in studying the Bible is to learn everything we can about it, including the historical setting. But our primary interest is to look for the deeper spiritual meaning. This is the Word of God, the Bible. Yes – it is a big book, but when we consider that this is the only book God gave to mankind, we also know that God carefully selected the material He put into this Holy Book. He could have put millions of other things in it, as far as conversations, happenings, circumstances, and events. There were millions upon millions of possibilities that God could have selected and, yet, He selected these things, very carefully and very purposefully. So that is why we wonder, “What is the spiritual meaning? What spiritual purpose did God have for describing to us the very things He did here in Genesis 29, or anywhere in the Bible?”

That is why we are asking these questions about Laban and who he represents. Who is he picturing, spiritually? One thing we have to think about is that Jacob is going to enter into a contract with Laban, and Laban really made an open offer: “…thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? Tell me, what shall thy wages be?” Jacob could have requested a certain amount of money. He could have done what he did later when he requested a certain kind of cattle. Later on, when they renewed their deal, Jacob did work for cattle. But, here, at this time, when answering Laban’s question, Jacob had spent 30 days in Laban’s house, and he knew Laban had two daughters, Leah the older, and Rachel the younger. God tells us a little bit about each one: “Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured.” Then we are told that Jacob loved Rachel, and he said, “I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter.” Seven years was Jacob’s determination – this was coming from him. Laban had not said, “You have to serve me seven years.” He just said, “Tell me what your wages will be.” Jacob determined the wage. The time would be seven years, and at the end of seven years, he would receive the younger daughter Rachel as his wife. Then it said in Genesis 29:19-20:

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 Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.

So it seems very clear that both sides had an understanding. Laban agreed to the terms that Jacob would serve seven years for Rachel, and he even said it was better that he give her to him than to somebody else. From that point began the seven-year period of labor in which Jacob would work specifically to obtain a wife. God tells us Hosea 12:12:

And Jacob fled into the country of Syria, and Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he kept sheep.

That was going to be his task. That was the service he would perform and the wage he would be paid in order to obtain Rachel as his wife. He would keep Laban’s sheep. So as we think about this and pray for wisdom, we wonder, “Is it possible that Laban is a figure of the God of the Bible, the true God?” After all, he was the father of both Leah, the older daughter, and Rachel. As we talked about before, Leah was loved, and Rachel was hated. And Jacob is a type and figure of the Lord Jesus Christ and He loved Rachel and, in doing so, he hated Leah. Do not think of it as a “feeling,” but more as a “choice,” as the elect of God are chosen of God, and the non-elect (the unsaved) are not chosen. In that sense, too, God loved Jacob and hated Esau before they were born, and we know that decision of God can be traced back to eternity past before the foundation of the world.

So, here, we see that Laban is the father of the one who would be loved and the father of the one who would be hated. As we mentioned before, Leah would be the mother of eight sons, six that she bore herself and two she claimed that were by her handmaid. Rachel would be the mother of four sons, two that she bore herself and two she claimed by her handmaid. There is the “one third” and “two thirds” relationship or ratio. The “one third” identifies with the elect and the “two thirds” (.666) identify with unsaved mankind. So we see that and, therefore, we can also see the relationship between Leah and Rachel with Jacob, in the sense that many are called, but few are chosen. Laban is providing his daughters. One is chosen, but the other one “comes along with it,” just as the Gospel call goes out to all the world, but the elect, the lost sheep of the house of Israel, are the objects of that call, as Christ said, “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But in seeking to obtain, specifically, that wife (the few that are the chosen), many others would come along. Many respond to the call, and that is why the churches are filled with hundreds of millions of people that profess to be Christians and to be the bride of Christ, but they are not the true bride. Also, with this, I think we can see a tie-in with what is happening here.

Lord willing, when we get together in our next study, we are going to look further at this contract or service that Jacob would do in order to obtain a wife, and the fact that he must keep the sheep.