What shall your wages be?

Because thou art my brother,
Shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought?
Tell me, what shall thy wages be?
Ge 29:15


Have you determined what your wages should be? Laban’s startling question to Jacob is worthy of close scrutiny. Do you comprehend the necessity of knowing your own value. Jacob was ready to give an answer. Are you?

Let’s take a closer look and identify some components of this request that will help identify the value of your work. Laban preferences his request with a nugget of vital information. Because you are my brother. In actuality Laban was an uncle on his mother’s side.[1] As one bound to family loyalty Laban considered the labourer worthy of his hire. Therefore, he posed the question to Jacob. “Tell me, what shall thy wages be?”

How will you respond when the question is asked of you? Do you have a healthy perspective of your own skills and talents? Have you taken the time to study how you will answer this critical question? Have you assessed your value in light of man’s opinion or God’s.

Proverbs 15:28 lets us in on a key. “The heart of the righteous studieth to answer:”

What shall your wages be? Could the answer be linked to the quality of life you now live? Why not spend some time meditating on the request. Ponder this thought as well. Jacob heard this question after running for his life.[2] Esau made a decision to kill Jacob. Learn this lesson from his experience. To stay in the company of those who hate[3] you is certain death. You must flee for refuge. God will visit you and reveal his plans for your life just like he did Jacob’s.[4] Only then will you be equipped to answer the question.

Laban stuns us again. “Should you work for nothing?
Should I?
Should you…
work for nothing?

While you muse over the thought consider this. It is Laban who is challenging Jacob with this line of questioning. Through it we see a glimpse of his mind set. The qeustion was obviously posed to him at some point. You can hear the firmly engrained conviction. We don’t work for nothing …. nor do we expect you to. With that in mind ask yourself this question. Are you working for anything?

Tell me, what shall your wages be?

[1] Gen 28:1
[2] Gen 27:41
[3] to hate, oppose oneself to, bear a grudge, retain animosity against, cherish animosity against.
[4] Gen 28:13