My Household

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

MY HOUSEHOLD

Gen 30:25-30

25 After Rachel gave birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, "Send me on my way so I can go back to my own homeland. 26 Give me my wives and children, for whom I have served you, and I will be on my way. You know how much work I've done for you." 27 But Laban said to him, "If I have found favor in your eyes, please stay. I have learned by divination that the LORD has blessed me because of you." 28 He added, "Name your wages, and I will pay them." 29 Jacob said to him, "You know how I have worked for you and how your livestock has fared under my care. 30 The little you had before I came has increased greatly, and the LORD has blessed you wherever I have been. But now, when may I do something for my own household?"

NIV

Jacob now has eleven sons, two wives, and two maidservants as sort of wives because they bore him sons as well, as Rachel and Leah giving him sons. His household had grown all the while he was still working and prospering Laban and his household. Jacob wanted to work for the welfare of his own family so that he would prosper. This is a Godly duty of all husbands and fathers, working for the benefit of their families. Once again, we look at the structure of this family of the past and of course, at that time it was patriarchal. The males were the hunter/gatherers, while the women kept the matters of the house, or tents as it were. We know from our experiences in this world, we have seen a shift in the family structure. This is not to say every family, but we have seen families where it seems the husband/father has abdicated his position as the head of the family so the wife/mother must pick up the position of being in charge of all family matters. What we know is that God has placed the man as the head of the family and made him accountable for his family. With this accountability to God for his family, comes the authority over his family. We see this shift with the equality movement in our culture. God does see men and women as equal in his sight, but with different roles in the family. There is the thought that the Hebrew word Ezer which means helper, one who helps, as God said about making Eve from the rib of Adam, also carries the meaning of God, for He is our help. The Hebrew word Ezer is used many times referring to God as our help, so this thought by a few outspoken women is more like God helping man, his wife being a suitable help mate doing whatever is needed to assist the man in his position as the head of the family. It is inescapable the accountability God holds on the husband/father. That is all Jacob wanted was to do what was best for his own family, and that is what we believing men should take to heart. Because we believe God we look to him for our guidance, accepting being accountable for all members of our household. In our modern culture, many children leave the father’s household, striking out on their own, no longer being a member of the household the father is accountable for. Nevertheless, we men should always step up and be the man of God we were intended to be. Of course, a Godly man always takes the counsel of his wife and works together, living in harmony, but the burden of men is looking after his household.