The sermon follows Jacob’s years working for his uncle Laban, who changed his wages again and again, yet watches Jacob’s flocks grow “exceedingly” in spite of it. Read alongside God’s earlier promise to Abraham – to bless his descendants and bring them back to their own land – Jacob’s story becomes a case study in God’s providence working through and even despite unjust circumstances.
Laban’s shifting accusations and broken promises stand in contrast to God’s faithfulness, who appears to Laban in a dream and warns him to deal carefully with Jacob. The sermon draws out that God’s people can trust His providence even under unfair treatment, because it is God, not the schemes of others, who ultimately determines their prosperity.