Genesis 30:37-40 Set his own stock apart!

37Jacob, however, took fresh branches of poplar, almond, and plane trees, and peeled the bark, exposing the white inner wood of the branches. 38Then he set the peeled branches in the watering troughs in front of the flocks coming in to drink. So when the flocks were in heat and came to drink, 39they mated in front of the branches. And they bore young that were streaked or speckled or spotted. 40Jacob set apart the young, but made the rest face the streaked dark-colored sheep in Laban’s flocks. Then he set his own stock apart and did not put them with Laban’s animals.

We don’t know why this method of selective breeding worked for Jacob, maybe it was his knowledge of animal husbandry or maybe it was the Lord, or both. 

The females dropped their young twice a year and it is reported that the ones dropped in autumn were stronger possibly because they had to survive the winter. 

It is believed that the branches stripped of their bark gave off perfume and their colors possibly reflected autumn in the spring which may have helped produced stronger animals.

“Then he set his own stock apart and did not put them with Laban’s animals.”

Just as Jacob set his own stock apart from Laban’s the Lord will set his own stock apart from Satan’s. 

Whom do you belong to?

Blessings, David