Recap: (For Genesis chapters 1-18 see Genesis 18 recap).
So far in the second section of Genesis, we have looked at the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham’s move to the area between Gerar and Beersheba, the birth of Isaac and the driving out of Ishmael, the offering of Isaac, Esau’s attitude to his birthright and Isaac’s deceit in taking the blessing intended for Esau and Isaac’s swift departure to Paddan Aram. We have seen Isaac’s marriage to Leah and Rachel, the birth of his children and his growth in prosperity.
Read Genesis 31:1-55
1 Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were saying, ‘Jacob has taken everything our father owned and has gained all this wealth from what belonged to our father.’ 2 And Jacob noticed that Laban’s attitude towards him was not what it had been.
It was getting very obvious that the animals that Jacob had bred for his own herds were vastly superior to those in the herds of Laban – in number and quality. Laban’s sons agreed that something would have to be done about it.
Jacob, prompted by the Lord, decided he himself therefore needed to act immediately.
3 Then the Lord said to Jacob, ‘Go back to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you.’
4 So Jacob sent word to Rachel and Leah to come out to the fields where his flocks were. 5 He said to them, ‘I see that your father’s attitude towards me is not what it was before, but the God of my father has been with me. 6 You know that I’ve worked for your father with all my strength, 7 yet your father has cheated me by changing my wages ten times. However, God has not allowed him to harm me. 8 If he said, “The speckled ones will be your wages,” then all the flocks gave birth to speckled young; and if he said, “The streaked ones will be your wages,” then all the flocks bore streaked young. 9 So God has taken away your father’s livestock and has given them to me.
I still have the feeling that Jacob may have been ‘economical with the truth’. He did not mention the part he played in any selective breeding. Rather he concentrated on the apparent unkindness of Laban in changing his wages, and even suggested that his success came directly from God.
But in the last chapter, where we are told how Jacob contrived to improve his livestock at the expense of Laban (Genesis 30:31-43) there is no mention of God at all, and he even claimed honesty for his deceptive ways.
Although Jacob had had an encounter with the Lord, and made a personal (if conditional) commitment that ‘the Lord will be my God’ (28:21), what changes had this made to Jacob’s lifestyle? Is there any indication that he made good his vow at the end of Genesis 28:22 (of all that you give me I will give you a tenth)?
Is there a danger that we too might use the Lord how and when it suits us?
Now Jacob goes on to say that the whole idea for choosing the ‘streaked, speckled or spotted’ sheep came from the Angel of God:
10 ‘In the breeding season I once had a dream in which I looked up and saw that the male goats mating with the flock were streaked, speckled or spotted. 11 The angel of God said to me in the dream, “Jacob.” I answered, “Here I am.” 12 And he said, “Look up and see that all the male goats mating with the flock are streaked, speckled or spotted, for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you. 13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and where you made a vow to me. Now leave this land at once and go back to your native land.”’
Here Jacob rather exposes himself as a bit of a story-teller. ‘I once had a dream’ (v10) rather suggests that this was early on when the Lord suggested the sheep to select. But by the end of his story the dream must have been very recent as the Angel instructs him to ‘leave this land at once’ (v13).
However the words recorded in verse 13 were true (see v3) and Rachel and Leah are quick to agree that God was indeed directing things.
14 Then Rachel and Leah replied, ‘Do we still have any share in the inheritance of our father’s estate? 15 Does he not regard us as foreigners? Not only has he sold us, but he has used up what was paid for us. 16 Surely all the wealth that God took away from our father belongs to us and our children. So do whatever God has told you.’
Being female, Jacob’s wives would never have been able to share in the inheritance of Laban’s land or possessions. Now that they are married and have moved out, and Jacob is out of favour, they feel as if they are treated as foreigners. But they also recognised that the way the Lord had been working meant that the inheritance had actually been transferred to them!
Could someone explain what the rest of verse 15 means (Not only has he sold us, but he has used up what was paid for us.)?
Remember that Jacob’s mother Rebekah was Laban’s own sister, and he (with his father Bethuel) had happily allowed her to leave home and go to Abraham, freely, and with his blessing (Genesis 24:60). However, when it came to his own daughter, he only agreed that Jacob could have Rachel (and Leah) in exchange for 14 years work. Had he kept to even that agreement he would have also kept the whole herd that Jacob had developed.
By insisting that Jacob stayed on as his stockman, and even though he changed the terms and conditions of his contract, his own herd had become a poor reflection of what it had originally become.
Possibly the situation between the two men meant that the second agreement had now broken down and Jacob was by now no longer in charge of Laban’s sheep (v19 suggests Laban with his sons (v1) were having to shear the sheep themselves). That too may have been a reason for the quality of his herd to have suffered.
17 Then Jacob put his children and his wives on camels, 18 and he drove all his livestock ahead of him, along with all the goods he had accumulated in Paddan Aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan.
19 When Laban had gone to shear his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household gods. 20 Moreover, Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him he was running away. 21 So he fled with all he had, crossed the River Euphrates, and headed for the hill country of Gilead.
Packing up in order to leave would have been a major exercise and would have taken a few days to complete. He had eleven sons (and possibly as many daughters), and had ‘large flocks, and female and male servants, and camels and donkeys’ (Genesis 30:43). When Laban had to leave home to go to his flocks to organise the annual shearing it provided the perfect opportunity. Also as they were now living separate lives it would be a while before their departure was noticed.
Note that God’s word here points out that ‘The Deceiver’ (Jacob) now deceives Laban ‘by not telling him he was running away’. A reminder to us that it’s just as easy to deceive (or lie) by keeping silent when we should say something.
With Laban away it also provided the ideal opportunity for Rachel to steal from her father. What were ‘her father’s household Gods’ (v19) and why did she steal them?
(They may have been made of silver or gold, and thus were valuable. They may have been images of early ancestors and Rachel wanted a reminder of her family roots. If the family had a habit of using the Teraphim for divination, Rachel may have wanted this ability for herself, of maybe she wanted to deprive Laban of it.)
‘Household Gods’ or ‘Teraphim’ were idols: always spoken of in the plural, but often referring to only one. Small enough to hide in a saddlebag (v34) or large enough to imitate a person (1 Samuel 19:13).They were common in most households (in the same way that some people these days might have a St Christopher medallion in their car), and it seems that they were often used in divining God’s will (Judges 17:1-4, 18:14-20).
But true God-worshippers recognised them as evil, such as Samuel, where his use of ‘Teraphim’ is translated in the NIV as ‘idolatry’ (1 Samuel 15:23). They were also banned by King Josiah, when he introduced his reforms (2 Kings 23:24), although they were still in use when Zechariah prophesied (Zechariah 10:2)
22 On the third day Laban was told that Jacob had fled. 23 Taking his relatives with him, he pursued Jacob for seven days and caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead.
They had made a good start and had travelled a good distance. It took fast-moving angry men seven days to catch up with them. In fact they had nearly reached home.
The name Gilead referred generally to the area of Israel to the East of the River Jordan. In those days it may well not have had a name, only getting the name from Jacob’s great grandson (Numbers 32:39-40, 26:29) but now known to Moses (who wrote this). Of course alternatively, that son may have been given the name of the land that his family had been allocated.
24 Then God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and said to him, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’
25 Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead when Laban overtook him, and Laban and his relatives camped there too. 26 Then Laban said to Jacob, ‘What have you done? You’ve deceived me, and you’ve carried off my daughters like captives in war. 27 Why did you run off secretly and deceive me? Why didn’t you tell me, so that I could send you away with joy and singing to the music of tambourines and harps? 28 You didn’t even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye. You have done a foolish thing. 29 I have the power to harm you; but last night the God of your father said to me, “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.” 30 Now you have gone off because you longed to return to your father’s household. But why did you steal my gods?’
“Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.” Obviously this doesn’t mean say nothing at all, so what does it mean?
It is suggested that the Hebrew means ‘do not speak from good to evil’ – don’t start with ‘peace be with you’ and then lay into him. Others suggest that Laban may have used either blandishments or bribes to encourage Jacob to return, of if that failed, threats and violence. Either way, the Lord stepped in and told Laban to watch his tongue!
Laban still hinted that he had the power to take what he wanted from Jacob (v29), and he also admitted that he understood why Jacob wished to leave (v30). He was understandably upset that he hadn’t had the chance to say goodbye properly (though throwing a farewell party was probably unlikely!), but he was at least perfectly entitled to complain about the theft of his Teraphim.
31 Jacob answered Laban, ‘I was afraid, because I thought you would take your daughters away from me by force. 32 But if you find anyone who has your gods, that person shall not live. In the presence of our relatives, see for yourself whether there is anything of yours here with me; and if so, take it.’ Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the gods.
Jacob recognised the main complaint of Laban (taking his daughters) and he also realised that Laban was angry that Jacob had gained so much wealth (and had escaped with it), although no mention was made of that. However, he was surprised to be accused of stealing Laban’s Household Gods and he therefore protested his innocence.
33 So Laban went into Jacob’s tent and into Leah’s tent and into the tent of the two female servants, but he found nothing. After he came out of Leah’s tent, he entered Rachel’s tent. 34 Now Rachel had taken the household gods and put them inside her camel’s saddle and was sitting on them. Laban searched through everything in the tent but found nothing.
35 Rachel said to her father, ‘Don’t be angry, my lord, that I cannot stand up in your presence; I’m having my period.’ So he searched but could not find the household gods.
How easy it is to lie yourself out of trouble. This had been Jacob’s way and so it seems Rachel has learnt from him. Is it ever right to lie? (There is probably no answer to this, but it may provoke good discussion! One comment (John Piper, internet) says ‘There are worthy and godly saints who have in their struggle with evil felt constrained to lie in order to oppose life-threatening wickedness. And they were not condemned for it. That much I can say on the authority of Scripture.’) see also http://www.gotquestions.org/right-to-lie.html and other similar sites.
Jacob would eventually discover that Rachel had the idols all the time, but he did nothing about it until some time later (Genesis 35:2).
36 Jacob was angry and took Laban to task. ‘What is my crime?’ he asked Laban. ‘How have I wronged you that you hunt me down? 37 Now that you have searched through all my goods, what have you found that belongs to your household? Put it here in front of your relatives and mine, and let them judge between the two of us.
Now it is Jacob’s turn to be angry. He honestly believes that all he has taken he had worked for.
38 ‘I have been with you for twenty years now. Your sheep and goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten rams from your flocks. 39 I did not bring you animals torn by wild beasts; I bore the loss myself. And you demanded payment from me for whatever was stolen by day or night. 40 This was my situation: the heat consumed me in the daytime and the cold at night, and sleep fled from my eyes. 41 It was like this for the twenty years I was in your household. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks, and you changed my wages ten times. 42 If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands, and last night he rebuked you.’
Jacob explained that what he had taken was legitimately his. Fourteen years labour was the contract price for his two wives, and the last six years building his flocks had also been on terms agreed by Laban.
He also recognised that Laban was quite capable of driving him out with nothing (v42). But more importantly he now admits that God himself was watching over him. He reminded Laban that this was the same God that Abraham had worshipped, and the one who had appeared to Laban the previous night (v24, 29). He was not a God to be ignored.
Laban still disagrees, but actually he recognises that his position is difficult, and that his daughters and their children do not want to return home. Also, if he pressed the point, Jacob would be quite able to raise an army and recapture them by force.
43 Laban answered Jacob, ‘The women are my daughters, the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks. All you see is mine. Yet what can I do today about these daughters of mine, or about the children they have borne? 44 Come now, let’s make a covenant, you and I, and let it serve as a witness between us.’
45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar. 46 He said to his relatives, ‘Gather some stones.’ So they took stones and piled them in a heap, and they ate there by the heap. 47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed.
Jegar Sahadutha meant ‘witness heap’ in Aramaic, Galeed meant the same in Hebrew. This was to mark the boundary between the two tribes, and as customary to signify peace, a meal was eaten.
48 Laban said, ‘This heap is a witness between you and me today.’ That is why it was called Galeed. 49 It was also called Mizpah, because he said, ‘May the Lord keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other. 50 If you ill-treat my daughters or if you take any wives besides my daughters, even though no one is with us, remember that God is a witness between you and me.’
Mizpah meant watchtower. Here Laban invokes God as his witness and warns Jacob that if he ill-treats his daughters he will be doing so in the sight of God.
51 Laban also said to Jacob, ‘Here is this heap, and here is this pillar I have set up between you and me. 52 This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not go past this heap to your side to harm you and that you will not go past this heap and pillar to my side to harm me. 53 May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.’
We tend to assume that the worship of the one true God originated with the Jews. We tend to forget that starting with Noah on Ararat, it obviously was continued by his descendants as they began to spread out to inhabit the world.
The pillar is now established as a marker, with agreement that neither of the two protagonists would cross the boundary with intent to harm the other.
So Jacob took an oath in the name of the Fear of his father Isaac. 54 He offered a sacrifice there in the hill country and invited his relatives to a meal. After they had eaten, they spent the night there.
55 Early the next morning Laban kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them. Then he left and returned home.
