Genesis 30: 25-27: “And it came to pass, when Rachel had born Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban, Send me away, that I may go unto mine own place, and to my country. Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served thee, and let me go: for thou knowest my service which I have done thee. And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favour in thine eyes, tarry: for I have learned by experience that the LORD hath blessed me for thy sake.”
When Abraham sent his servant to find a wife for Isaac he told the servant that he was not to take Isaac back to Haran under any circumstances. We read about this in Genesis 24: 6, 8. The Lord called Abraham to leave that place and to go to a place that He would show him. In this case Jacob had to go back to escape from his brother’s anger but he didn’t forget that they were not to return to that land to live. God had called them away from Haran and promised to establish them in the Land of Canaan. Jacob had to work to pay for his wives and he got to the stage where he remembered that he had to go back to his own country. He also remember making an agreement with God as he ran away. After he had the dream of the ladder reaching up to heaven he made a vow to God saying, “And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God:” (Genesis 28: 20-21) Even though e had spent so many years seeking after the blessing he knew that the blessing would never belong to him in that place. He decided to go back to the place where he could take advantage of the blessings that God had given him. However, he had worked for fourteen years for his two wives but believed that he should be paid for the extra six years that he had worked. Laban was still interested in getting free labour so he asked Jacob to stay. After all, the Lord was blessing Jacob and he wanted to get his share of that blessing.
(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
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