In this episode we continue studying the Book of Genesis. In this episode Rachel gives birth to Joseph.

After she gives birth to Joseph, Jacob and Laban come into an agreement for wages.

Laban agreed to give Jacob all of the speckled, and spotted sheep and goats to be his wages but then he immediately went out and took the speckled, and spotted sheep and goats and gave them to his sons.

How was Jacob’s sheep supposed to breed speckled and spotted sheep if he did not have any to breed them with?

We learn in the next chapter that an angel appeared to Jacob in a dream and showed him speckled and spotted sheep. Perhaps it is in this dream that Jacob was given a divine breeding technique to breed speckled and spotted sheep.

Here's what he did:

Genesis 30:37  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.

Genesis 30:38  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.

Genesis 30:39  And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth cattle ringstraked, speckled, and spotted.

It’s possible the rod’s point to the covenant blessing that Christ, the lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world would bestow upon Jacob, causing him to prosper although the enemy tried to hinder him.

The pilled rods may resemble Christ’s flesh, how it was pilled from his bones by the cat of nine tails, when he gave himself into the hands of wicked men, in order to get for himself a remnant of people, he could call his own.

Before he was crucified, Christ revealed to David, that the crucifiers would beat him so badly, that people could see his bones. Here's the text:

Psalms 22:14  I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.

Psalms 22:15  My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.

Psalms 22:16  For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.

Psalms 22:17  I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.

Jacob would prosper because of the one who would be wounded and marred on his behalf, although Laban worked against him.

Satan offered Jesus the kingdoms of this world because they had been handed over to him and he could give them to whoever chose.

But through Christ, Jacob wouldn’t have to bow down and worship Satan to get his riches, he could get them through Christ, the strongman the one who overcame Satan and took his armor and divided the spoils.(Luke 11:21-23)

So through Jesus the rod of Jesse, Jacob would be blessed and overcome his enemies.

Isaiah 11:1  And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:

Isaiah 11:2  And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;

Isaiah 11:3  And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:

Isaiah 11:4  But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.