God's Favor and Social Status

“And Jacob saw that Laban did not regard him with favor as before.” (Genesis 31:2)

Jacob was losing human favor. His father-in-law’s envy had soured to the point of sabotage. After striking a deal with Jacob, Laban went at once to steal his share of the flock (Genesis 30:35-36).

Now all of Laban’s sons were spreading a lie. Though Jacob had blessed Laban, they were all saying he had stolen from their father (Genesis 31:1).

But Jacob’s heart didn’t sink with his social status. As Laban was turning a cold shoulder, God was turning toward Jacob with a better favor:

“Then the LORD said to Jacob, ‘Return to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.” (Genesis 31:3)

Jacob knew that if he had God’s favor, he could wait patiently under unjust treatment. Though Laban tried to stack the deck against him, God’s hand would always win out:

“If he said, ‘The spotted shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore spotted; and if he said, ‘The striped shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore striped. Thus God has taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me.” (Genesis 31:8)

In his youth, Jacob fought back because he hadn’t yet encountered God (Genesis 25:31). But once Jacob saw the Lord standing on the top of the ladder, he stopped climbing for position (Genesis 28:13). He started seeking the One who held all rule and authority and power.

Jacob trusted that if God was for him, all of Laban’s schemes would lose in the end.

What happens to your soul when human opinion moves up and down? How do you react when someone speaks wrongly of you?

Crumbling under the fallen stock of human opinion is evidence of atheism in action. When God is active and alive, his steadfast favor solidifies the tone of the soul.

If your heart falls when your social status sinks, there awaits a greater filling of the favor of God.

Jesus stayed silent when an entire crowd swapped him out for a criminal (Matthew 27:21). When the whole world lied about his identity, he stood firm, convinced that the Father knew who he was (John 19:11).

An anxious heart carries the internal struggle: How am I perceived?

A soul that has seen the Lord is set free, consumed by a single question: Is God’s presence with me?