When deceit + trickery take center stage
In this blog, we’re diving into a Bible story where deceit and trickery took center stage—it’s the story of a deal between Jacob and Laban.
The deal that took place is arguably the most unethical business deal in the Bible.
And here’s why I’m talking about it…
Because what happened back then still happens today.
Don’t believe me?
I’ve got my own real-life embarrassing story to back up these claims.
My goal in sharing this story is that you think twice before:
1️⃣ Committing to a deal
2️⃣ And signing on the dotted line.
Ancient scandal from scripture
Let’s kick things off with Laban and Jacob’s shady deal.
Follow along and find out that this ancient scandal (found in the Bible) is anything but holy.
Jacob was in love with Rachel.
He worked seven long years to marry Rachel.
But love made the seven years feel like a few days for Jacob (Genesis 29:20).
*Cue the drumroll* A surprise came on Jacob’s wedding night.
🥁 Laban, the bride’s father, pulls a fast one and swaps Rachel with her sister Leah.
Jacob wakes up the following day to find out his honeymoon was not with his honeydew.
And he was now married to the wrong woman.😱
Imagine the shock…
The sickening feeling in your gut—knowing you just got duped.
And get this…
Not only did Laban’s trickery force Jacob into a deal he never agreed to—marrying Leah.
Laban’s trickery forces Jacob into another deal—where Jacob ends up agreeing to work another seven years—to get the woman he truly loves.
That is so awful.
This leads me to reveal the biggest takeaway:
Understand the deal before you commit.
Know what you’re getting into before you get into it
Jacob didn’t understand the deal because Laban was being sneaky. Laban didn’t disclose an important detail.
Curious about the details?
Well, in Laban’s culture, the eldest daughter gets married first.
But Laban tricked Jacob because Jacob wanted Rachel, not Leah.
Jacob trusted Laban and that came at a high cost…
No, seriously. Just imagine that for a moment.
You marry the person of your dreams, only to wake up the next morning lying beside a stranger. Eww.
Bad deals can happen to any of us—at work, school, or in business.
It happened to me. 😩
Let me share the embarrassing lesson I learned the hard way.
My lesson learned the hard way
I sensed God telling me to set money aside to pay an attorney to review a contract.
⬇️⬇️⬇️ Here’s a screenshot of my post from social media.
And guess what? Shortly after, a contract came my way.
I felt that nudge to get it checked by an attorney, but I didn’t because I was ‘cutting costs.’ 😵💫
Plus, I’d worked with this business before—on a few projects, so I thought everything would be okay.
But as soon as I signed, the project got weird.
Unreasonable requests started piling up.
Imagine being hired to design something, but your client keeps changing the scope of work—now they want you to edit and write, too.
Get this. All in a ridiculous timeframe, without providing the full materials you need to complete the job. 😓
Eventually, the project stalled because they didn’t give me what I needed to complete the work. Communication broke down. And as you can imagine, I took a financial loss.
This is why I believe before you commit to any deal, ask yourself:
🧐 Do I fully understand what I’m agreeing to?
🧐 Have I had the deal checked by someone who knows what to look for? Like a lawyer?
I’m 1000% PERCENT POSITIVE if an attorney assisted me, my loss wouldn’t have been so huge. Let’s count my losses…
🚫 I lost time I can’t get back.
🚫 I lost money doing work without compensation.
🚫 I missed other paid opportunities because this commitment turned into a headache.
🚫 I felt anxious knowing a deadline was coming that was impossible to meet because I didn’t even have the materials finish the work.🥺
🚫 I felt this insane pressure, like my reputation was on the line.
Yep. If I’d had a little more caution upfront, I could have saved myself a lot of trouble down the road.
But I learned a major lesson.
That said, here is my final thought:
If a contract’s involved, it’s worth it to have an attorney look it over.
Because an attorney can spot red flags you might miss.
And if there’s no contract involved, talk to an attorney and get one.
Do not rush into ANY deal.
Good things come to those who wait—and clarity is worth the wait, friend.
👋🏽 Hi, I’m LOLA ⸻ the creator of offbeat life advice brand, The Smoking Prophet, owner of a growing content agency, and cultivator of life (family first)!
Most days, you can find me at my desk, in my garden, or on the go. My super-social family keeps me on my toes!
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