10. After years of acrimony, what patriarch and his father-in-law erected a pile of stones to symbolize their newly established friendship? (Genesis 31:44-52)
From Quiz Rock On: A Bible Quiz About Stones -- #2
Answer:
Jacob and Laban
Jacob and Laban erected a pile of stones to symobilize their friendship, as per Genesis 31:44-52. Erection of the pile of stones would mark the end of extremely bitter times between the two men. Jacob and Laban had a feud, with Scripture telling of Jacob fleeing with his two wives, Leah and Rachel, his livestock and other material possessions with Laban in "hot pursuit".
According to the New King James Version Bible, Jacob made an arrangement with Laban that whenever a sheep was born, he could keep it if the animal was speckled, spotted or brown. (Rather than brown, the NIV uses the word 'colored' and the Easy to Read Version uses the word 'black'.) If it was white and without specks or spots, Laban would keep it.
However, when a large number of sheep were born speckled and spotted, Laban became infuriated.
According to Scripture, Jacob cut "rods of green poplar and of the almond and chestnut trees, peeled white strips in them, and exposed the white which was in the rods." Jacob then put the branches in front of the flocks at the watering places. When the animals came to drink, they would also mate.
Scripture states that when the animals mated in front of the rods, the young that were born were streaked, speckled, and spotted. As a result, the animals became property of Jacob.
Genesis 30:43 reports Jacob "became exceedingly prosperous, and had large flocks, female and male servants, and camels and donkeys."
At first blush, Jacob's tactics appear to be fraudulent. However, Scripture states his tactics were endorsed by the LORD because Laban had taken advantage of Jacob in a number of ways. Laban, of course, had deceived Jacob by getting him to work fourteen years to win the hand of Rachel. There were other issues as well. Genesis 31:7 quotes Jacob as saying Laban had changed his wages "ten times".
Verses 38 to 40 tell of Jacob informing Laban of even more abuses he suffered: "These twenty years I have been with you; your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried their young, and I have not eaten the rams of your flock. That which was torn by beasts I did not bring to you; I bore the loss of it. You required it from my hand, whether stolen by day or stolen by night. There I was! In the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night, and my sleep departed from my eyes."
The chapter, however, concludes with Jacob and Laban agreeing to a covenant and living in peace. To mark their new friendship, the two men erected a pile of stones.
=
added recently, 
= Editor's Pick
= Gold Member