He took her

Genesis 34: 1, 2: “And Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and defiled her.”

This section gives us an insight into the lawless times of the Old Testament patriarchs. There were times when Abraham told Sarah to pretend that she was his sister and this gives us the reason why. He was afraid that someone would bring violence on him and he would not be able to defend himself. Of course, at another time, when Lot was captured in Sodom Abraham was able to take his men and save Lot from a life of captivity. Before the Lord gave the Law to Israel the world was a lawless place. Kings did whatever they wanted and the only way they could be stopped was by force of arms. We can thank the Lord and the Law that He gave to Israel for the concept that we call “the rule of law” today. This gives us a sense of security in our lives and in the integrity of our countries. This however, is the smallest part of what God has done for us. Not only do we have the rule of law, we also have access to everlasting life, which the Lord purchased for us by giving up His only begotten Son. Surely God has done wonderful things for us.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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He erected an altar

Genesis 33: 18-20: “And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padanaram; and pitched his tent before the city. And he bought a parcel of a field, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for an hundred pieces of money. And he erected there an altar, and called it Elelohe-Israel.”

Jacob stayed in Succoth for a while but then he moved on. When Abraham sent his servant to find a wife for Isaac, he told the servant that he wasn’t to take his son back to his father’s homeland under any circumstances. The Lord had sent him away from that Land and had promised a new Land. The Land of Canaan, that is, the Promised Land. Jacob decided to move to the Promised Land because God had promised him that the future lay in the Promised Land. Not only did he pitch his there, he also bought some land so that he would have a stake in the Promised Land. When he had done all this he built and altar and called it “God, the God of Israel. When Jacob left the Land to get his wife (he ended up with more than he set out to get) he had a vision and promised the Lord that if the Lord brought him back to his father’s house in peace then the Lord would be his God (Gen 28: 19-21 “And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first. 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:”) Jacob was back and he kept the promise that he had made all those years before.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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And built him an house

Genesis 33: 13 -17: “And he said unto him, My lord knoweth that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds with young are with me: and if men should overdrive them one day, all the flock will die. Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and I will lead on softly, according as the cattle that goeth before me and the children be able to endure, until I come unto my lord unto Seir. And Esau said, Let me now leave with thee some of the folk that are with me. And he said, What needeth it? let me find grace in the sight of my lord. So Esau returned that day on his way unto Seir. And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him an house, and made booths for his cattle: therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.”

Now that Jacob felt confident that Esau didn’t want to kill him any more, he thought about his own family and the flocks and herds. He may be excused for wanting to make sure that he protected himself first so that he would then be in a position to protect his family for if he were dead what would happen to them. Of course, before he married Rachel she was looking after her father’s stock so she may have been able to manage his property. The other wives would also have some skills so maybe he should have shown more courage and fought to protect his family. Jacob was commended in Hebrews 11: 21 (“By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff.”) It is interesting to note that he wasn’t commended for what he achieved in life but for the fact that he understood that there was a future in God’s hands. He blessed his grandsons knowing that God would continue to keep His promise to bless Abraham’s descendants. Jacob went from this meeting to a place called Succoth where e built a house and made stalls for his stock. Jacob had spent at least twenty years wandering around but now he was ready to settle down. Jacob met with God and knew that he could rest in God’s promises. He chose to settle in a fertile place on the eastern side of the Jordan valley Joshua 13: 27 9 “And in the valley, Betharam, and Bethnimrah, and Succoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, Jordan and his border, even unto the edge of the sea of Chinnereth on the other side Jordan eastward.”)tells us that Succoth was in the area that two and half tribes chose for their inheritance (see the rest of Josh 13.). We learn that this land was good land for stock (see Numbers 32: 4, 5 “Even the country which the LORD smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and thy servants have cattle: Wherefore, said they, if we have found grace in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession, and bring us not over Jordan.”) Jacob was a wealthy man and the Lord gave him a good place for his herds and flocks and He gave him rest as well. Anyone who submits to the Lord and trusts in Him can find rest for their souls (compare Jer 6: 16, 17 “Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.”)

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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God hath graciously given

Genesis 33: 5-12: “And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, Who are those with thee? And he said, The children which God hath graciously given thy servant. Then the handmaidens came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves. And Leah also with her children came near, and bowed themselves: and after came Joseph near and Rachel, and they bowed themselves. And he said, What meanest thou by all this drove which I met? And he said, These are to find grace in the sight of my lord. And Esau said, I have enough, my brother; keep that thou hast unto thyself. And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found grace in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand: for therefore I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me. Take, I pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee; because God hath dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough. And he urged him, and he took it. And he said, Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go before thee.”

Life is always influenced by the way we perceive things. This is not always just a simple matter of choosing what perspective we have because we are conditioned by our circumstances as well. Some people tend to see things from the “glass half empty” perspective while others tend to see things from the “glass half full” perspective. There are voices inside our heads that repeat things that we were told during our childhood and it is very hard to turn these voices off. Our mother’s mental state at the time of our birth and the first few months of our lives can also affect the way we look at life; depression can run in families. This fact is illustrated here: Jacob looked at his life and his possessions and saw that he had been badly treated and was lucky to have the few things that he had even though he had to fight very hard to get anything at all. Esau saw Jacob’s entourage and possessions and thought that he had done very well for himself. However, Jacob did understand one very important fact of life, God had graciously given him everything that he had. The Lord God made each one of us and understands the way we work, as a creature made in His own image and individually. He knows that some people have a dark perspective on life while others don’t. However, He had made it possible for every person, who trusts in God, to rise about their mood and find peace and joy. In Isaiah 26: 3 (Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”) and Phil 4: 6, 7 (“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”) We have our Maker’s instructions to give us a clue. If we focus on God and all the things that He has done for us; from making us, to saving us from our sins, to promising to come back to take us to be with Him for ever. We can have the peace of God which passeth all understanding keeping our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus. This way the glass is always completely full.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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Esau ran to meet him

Genesis 33: 4: “And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept” 

Jacob did everything that he possibly could to make sure that he was in complete control of the situation. He thought of every possible outcome except for the final outcome. He didn’t dream that his twin brother would be happy to see him. How many times in our lives do we worry and scheme to make sure that we can control the outcome but when the events take place we find that we were not in control at all and were surprised. Psalm 118: 8 (“It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.”) is the middle verse in the English Bible and it gives us the core message of the Bible. This includes trusting ourselves and our ability to manipulate situations for our own advantage. If we trust in God, and this is harder than just about anything else, then He will always work for good in every situation. (See Rom 8: 28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”) It is a good time to note that the Lord chose Jacob over Esau, not because Jacob was better than Esau but to establish a pattern for the Bible. This is not the first or only case of the person less qualified being chosen. The fact that we are chosen, for everlasting life (say), places the emphasis on God and His goodness rather than on anything that we have to offer to God. No one has anything to boast about before God. (Compare Eph 2: 8-10 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”)

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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He passed over before them

Genesis 33: 1-3: “And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau came, and with him four hundred men. And he divided the children unto Leah, and unto Rachel, and unto the two handmaids. And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindermost. And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.”

We can see Jacob’s priorities in this section: he sent his handmaids first and then Lead and lastly Rachel with Joseph. He divided the other sons among the rest of his wives. Jacob before them and then was obsequious before his brother hoping to escape any fallout for himself. This is probably and appropriate time to compare Jacob with the Lord Jesus Christ and the history related in John 18: 3-5 (“Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons. Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them.”) Judas was accompanied by a group of 600 soldiers (that is the meaning of the word “band”, one tenth of a legion). We also know that his disciples had two swords with them (Luke 22: 38 “And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough.”) Peter also proclaimed that he was ready to die with the Lord (Luke 22: 33 “And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.”) The people who came to take the Lord Jesus Christ away were afraid of the people, that is why they took the soldiers (see Matt 26: 5 “But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people.”) The Lord Jesus Christ was proactive at that time, if He had let his disciples take charge there would have been a blood bath and all of them would have been killed. What else could you expect from thirteen men with two swords fighting against 600 soldiers? The Lord Jesus Christ did exactly the opposite to Jacob and He saved us all from our sins and offered the opportunity to have everlasting life.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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See God’s face

Genesis 32: 27-32: “And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh. Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day: because he touched the hollow of Jacob’s thigh in the sinew that shrank.”

Jacob finally had his name changed from “cheat” to “one who fought with God and men and prevailed”. This is an important issue in his life. The name Israel went on to be the name of the nation that descended from Jacob. Image a nation called “Jacob” rather than “Israel”? The name does signify the ability of this nation to survive despite opposition throughout the ages. They went down to Egypt and spent a few hundred years as slaves then they spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness but managed to survive as the nation Israel. Later, they were taken to Babylon for seventy years but managed to survive and return to their Land. Much later, the nation was destroyed by the Romans and all Jews were forced to leave the Land on pain of death but after many centuries, and a concerted attempt at genocide, Israel was again numbered among the nations of the world. This nation, more than any other, has struggled with men and prevailed. God knew what He was talking about all those years ago. This passage also reminds us of Luke 18: 1 (“And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;”). If we follow Jacob’s example and never give up then we will see God’s face.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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And took his two wives

Genesis 32: 22-26: “And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two womenservants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford Jabbok. And he took them, and sent them over the brook, and sent over that he had. And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.”

Jacob made sure that he kept himself safe. I suppose he would have justified himself by saying that Esau was only interested in hurting him so it would be okay to send his family ahead but he still sent his family ahead of him. He was afraid of Esau but he made sure that Esau would have to get through all his family to finally reach him. Today that would be called using human shields. Never the less, God wasn’t finished with Jacob yet and he met with an angel of the Lord during the night. We know that this was an angel of the Lord, or maybe even the Lord Himself come in the form of a man because Jacob understood that this man could bless him. This man was also able to touch Jacob in the hollow of his thigh and leave him with a permanent disability. Jacob had spent the majority of his life fighting against God to get the things that God promised him and wanted to give him and now he wrestled with this man all night. Jacob spent many years working outside with animals and was a strong man but he was unable to defeat this man who came to him in the night. Even though he couldn’t defeat the man, Jacob still wanted to have the blessing and asked this man to bless him as well. In this case the blessing came with a reminder; Jacob had to limp for the rest of his life. Christians have a blessing as well, one that comes straight from the Lord God but the only reminder that we have of this is the Lord’s Supper where we follow His command and remember that He paid the full price of our salvation.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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As thou saidst

Genesis 32: 12-21: “And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude. And he lodged there that same night; and took of that which came to his hand a present for Esau his brother; Two hundred she goats, and twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams, Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and ten bulls, twenty she asses, and ten foals. And he delivered them into the hand of his servants, every drove by themselves; and said unto his servants, Pass over before me, and put a space betwixt drove and drove. And he commanded the foremost, saying, When Esau my brother meeteth thee, and asketh thee, saying, Whose art thou? and whither goest thou? and whose are these before thee? Then thou shalt say, They be thy servant Jacob’s; it is a present sent unto my lord Esau: and, behold, also he is behind us. And so commanded he the second, and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying, On this manner shall ye speak unto Esau, when ye find him. And say ye moreover, Behold, thy servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I will appease him with the present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure he will accept of me. So went the present over before him: and himself lodged that night in the company.”

Even though the Lord intervened to save Jacob from Laban, Jacob still wanted to bargain with the Lord. Jacob reminded the Lord of the promises that the Lord had made. This isn’t bad, even though God doesn’t forget about important things like promises. It is good for every person who comes to God to remind themselves of the things that God had promised. If we remember what God has promised then we will be more likely to pray to Him at an early stage than leave things to the last moment when there is nothing left for us to do. After that Jacob took some of the things that God had given him and offered them to Esau in the hope that Esau would be distracted from his desire for revenge. After all, Jacob hadn’t seen Esau for more than twenty years and the last thing that he could remember about Esau was the fact that Esau wanted to kill him. He also sent everything in front of him in the hope that Esau’s anger would be satisfied before he saw Jacob. After making all his preparations he spent the night with all that he had left.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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Deliver me, I pray thee

Genesis 32: 6-11: “And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to thy brother Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him. Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed: and he divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and herds, and the camels, into two bands; And said, If Esau come to the one company, and smite it, then the other company which is left shall escape.And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the LORD which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee: I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands. Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children.”

Jacob knew that he had cheated his brother twice before and now he was afraid. He tried to do everything he could to make sure that the situation was good for him using his own resources but when he had done everything that he could he got on his knees and prayed to the Lord. It is sad to think that we often go the first place when we have tried everything else and finally, in desperation, go to the Lord. This is reminiscent of Deuteronomy 30: 1-3 (“And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath driven thee, And shalt return unto the LORD thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul; That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee.”) God’s entire plan for His people is to bring us to our knees in complete submission. So often we fight and struggle to get our own way but He knows what is best for us and is working in our lives to bring us to the place of complete submission. That is the best place to be!

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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Jacob sent messengers

Genesis 32: 3-5: “And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom. And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau; Thy servant Jacob saith thus, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now: And I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and womenservants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight.”

Even though Jacob had experienced a victory in his battle with Laban and this victory was entirely the result of the Lord’s merciful intervention, he still reverted to his natural ways when he was faced with prospect of meeting with Esau his brother. More than twenty years before Jacob had swindled his brother and father and had to leave his homeland in a great hurry because he thought that he would die. Now he had to face Esau again because the Lord told him to go back to his homeland. Jacob quickly forgot the lesson he had just learnt and decided to go back to his old ways. He tried to persuade Esau that he was in a much stronger position than he was before by letting him know how good he was. Every Christian has to face the same temptation. Even though the Lord continually shows us that He loves us and that He will care for us from day to day, as soon as we face a problem we go back to our old ways and try to save ourselves. But God is gracious and He cares for us anyway.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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When Jacob saw them

Genesis 32: 1, 2: “And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God’s host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim.”

After Jacob finally separated himself from his father in law and gave up trying to trick him he was met b the angels of God. For twenty years it was very easy for Jacob to try and fight Laban at his own game but Laban was much better at trickery than Jacob and Jacob did not really stand a chance of defeating him. Now that he chose to trust in the Lord’s protection and cut himself off from Laban and the wealth that he offered were only temporary while the promises that God offered were everlasting and secure. Laban’s household gods had to be carried and they could only offer death for the person who was carrying them. On the other hand, God offered everlasting security and those who trust in God can be confident in God’s faithfulness. Before this Jacob saw the wealth of the earth after this he saw the true security that God can offer. This reminds us of 2 Kings 6: 15-17 (“And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.”) Jacob was afraid of Laban but Laban had much more to fear from the Lord.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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Galeed

Genesis 31: 43-55: “And Laban answered and said unto Jacob, These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and these cattle are my cattle, and all that thou seest is mine: and what can I do this day unto these my daughters, or unto their children which they have born? Now therefore come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee. And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar. And Jacob said unto his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made an heap: and they did eat there upon the heap. And Laban called it Jegarsahadutha: but Jacob called it Galeed. And Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and thee this day. Therefore was the name of it called Galeed; And Mizpah; for he said, The LORD watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another. If thou shalt afflict my daughters, or if thou shalt take other wives beside my daughters, no man is with us; see, God is witness betwixt me and thee. And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have cast betwixt me and thee; This heap be witness, and this pillar be witness, that I will not pass over this heap to thee, and that thou shalt not pass over this heap and this pillar unto me, for harm. The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge betwixt us. And Jacob sware by the fear of his father Isaac. Then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread: and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mount. And early in the morning Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them: and Laban departed, and returned unto his place.”

Laban had really lost the chance to call the daughter’s, that is Jacob’s wives, his daughters because he had already sold them to Jacob. He had no right to claim all the cattle as his because he had already arranged to sell these cattle to Jacob in payment for the six years that he worked for Laban after he had worked for his two daughters. He may have had a claim to the grandchildren but that is questionable. In Exodus 26: 1-7 we read that a man who becomes a slave was to be set free after six years, that is, in the Sabbath year. However, if that man was unmarried when he became a slave and then was married afterwards the wife still belonged to the owner of the slave. If Laban had sold his daughters to Jacob then they belonged to Jacob and so did the children, according to the Law, however Jacob lived before the Law so we can only make an assumption about this. In the end, after the Lord intervened, Jacob and Laban decided to live in mutual exclusivity. They made a marker and agreed that each one would stay on their own side of the marker. It is probably a good thing for any Christian to set a mark and leave their old ways behind and live a new life for Christ. (Compare Phil 3: 13, 14 “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”)

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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This twenty years

Genesis 31: 38-42: “This twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten. That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night. Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes. Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times. Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.”

Jacob was, understandably, angry with Laban because he thought that Laban was trying to make a fight when he had no reason to fight. He still didn’t know about the household gods that Rachel had stolen so he was angry with Laban and gave him a piece of his mind. He told Laban about all the hard work that he had done to enrich Laban and how he had borne all the losses that Laban suffered during that entire period. He worked for Laban for twenty years even though he had only agreed to work for fourteen years for his two daughters. This meant that Laban owed Jacob for six years of hard work. Laban was a cheat and had tricked Jacob ten times by changing the wages that they had agreed about. However, God was watching over Jacob and Laban wasn’t able to defraud him entirely. At the same time God was working in Jacob’s life to bring him to his knees so that he would be willing to trust God and not his own ability to trick and deceive. God allowed Jacob to experience the fruit of his own weaknesses so that Jacob would finally come to place where he trusted God and not in his own ability to trick. He still had some lessons to learn but, at least, he realised that God was on his side and working for his good.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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Let him not live

Genesis 31: 32-37: “With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live: before our brethren discern thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee. For Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them. And Laban went into Jacob’s tent, and into Leah’s tent, and into the two maidservants’ tents; but he found them not. Then went he out of Leah’s tent, and entered into Rachel’s tent. Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel’s furniture, and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the tent, but found them not. And she said to her father, Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up before thee; for the custom of women is upon me. And he searched, but found not the images.And Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban: and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me? Whereas thou hast searched all my stuff, what hast thou found of all thy household stuff? set it here before my brethren and thy brethren, that they may judge betwixt us both.”

If only Jacob had known; his favourite wife had taken the gods and he was willing to let her die. However, the Lord preserved Jacob and Rachel from her father’s anger just as he had preserved Jacob many times during his sad tormented life. Laban went through the tents that belonged to Jacob’s family and found nothing. He came to Rachel’s tent and wanted to search there but she told him that she was menstruating. He was horrified because they believed that a person touching someone who was menstruating would become unclean so he left her alone. Even though Rachel had learnt from her husband, she still needed the Lord’s protection to be saved from an untimely death. This reminds us of Romans 8: 35-39 (“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”)

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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Because I was afraid

Genesis 31: 30, 31 “And now, though thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longedst after thy father’s house, yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods? And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid: for I said, Peradventure thou wouldest take by force thy daughters from me.”

We can compare this passage to John 19: 10, 11 (“Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.”) Many times people believe they have the power to do things but they delude themselves. God’s will happens whether we like it or not! Laban believed that he had the power to do to Jacob whatever he wanted but he was still under God’s authority. Jacob was afraid of Laban but Laban was afraid of God so Jacob was safe. In this case Laban had to speak carefully to Jacob. Instead of attacking him with his family group he told him that he understood that Jacob wanted to return to his own family. However, Laban was angry because his household gods had been taken. Poor Jacob, he didn’t even know that Rachel had stolen the household gods and blundered along trying to explain why he went. He knew that he had made a contact to marry Laban’s daughters but he also knew that Laban had tricked him out of other agreements to he told Laban that he expected him to do what he had always done, that is, to trick him and invalidate the contract. Though all these things, while Jacob was trying to scheme and plan for his own benefit, God was in control over ruling so that the story of redemption would continue unabated. Philippians 1: 6 “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” reminds us that God always finished what He started. He began the work of redemption on the day that Adam and Eve sinned and He was not going to let Laban interfere along the way to prevent the work of redemption from being finalised.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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Speak not to Jacob

Genesis 31: 22-29: “And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob was fled. And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days’ journey; and they overtook him in the mount Gilead. And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad. Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount: and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mount of Gilead. And Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters, as captives taken with the sword? Wherefore didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away from me; and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away with mirth, and with songs, with tabret, and with harp? And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? thou hast now done foolishly in so doing. It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.”

Laban finally heard about Jacob’s departure and was very angry. He took his family with him and chased Jacob. This can be compared to Abraham in Genesis 14: 14 (“And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.”) It is highly unlikely that Laban had as many men as Abraham had but he was a nomadic herder and would have had men from his family, including slaves, to defend his herds. Laban was very angry because someone had taken his household gods. This was more than just a tradition, it was a belief. On top of that, Laban wanted to distribute his wealth, demonstrated by the gift of the gods, to his own choice rather than have someone take them from him. He was angry enough to chase Jacob for seven days and, no doubt, was determined to inflict injury upon him. However, God came to Laban in a dream and warned him to be careful in his dealings with Jacob and not to say anything, good or bad,to his son in law. Laban, foolishly, believed that he could do anything he wanted to Jacob but God was in control and He would not allow Laban to cause Jacob any grief. If you entrust your life to God He will give you the same protection, for ever.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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Gilead

Genesis 31: 17-21: “Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon camels; And he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gotten, the cattle of his getting, which he had gotten in Padanaram, for to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan. And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father’s. And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled. So he fled with all that he had; and he rose up, and passed over the river, and set his face toward the mount Gilead” 

It is good to plan to set out and to communicate with others that we plan to set out but nothing really happens until we actually leave. Jacob finally took his family and all his possessions and left. This was the second time in his life that he had to run away from people he had dealt with. In the first case he ran away from his brother whom he had cheated but in this case he was running away from his father in law who had cheated him. God had sent Abraham to Canaan and promised him that the Land would eventually belong to his family and now Jacob knew that he had to return to the Land that God had chosen for his family or he would never really have rest from his labours. Jacob had made a contract with Laban so he was only taking what was his by right of contract, never the less, he was afraid of Laban because we can see that Laban was a frightening man. Laban would certainly have destroyed Jacob but the Lord stopped him from doing that. We can see that this is a very ancient episode because it refers to an ancient practice. Rachel took her father’s household gods because she knew that the person who possessed the household gods would inherit the estate. They set out for Gilead which was the border of the Land that the Lord had promised to Abraham.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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Whatever God hath said unto thee, do

Genesis 31: 14-16: “And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house? Are we not counted of him strangers? for he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money. For all the riches which God hath taken from our father, that is ours, and our children’s: now then, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do.”

Rachel and Leah were exploited and forgotten. They were the people that Laban exploited in his drive to enrich himself by using Jacob. Jacob loved Rachel but he exploited both Rachel and Leah and now they were all going to suffer. They should have had some access to their father’s wealth as their inheritance or, at least, their dowry but both Laban and Jacob were so greedy to get what they could for themselves that they forgot about the women who actually made everything else possible. However, both these women had great faith and they trusted their husband’s judgement and his ability to hear and obey God. This is a great lesson for anyone who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ, He called on us to deny ourselves, take up our crosses daily and follow him (see Luke 9: 23 “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”). These days people tell us that the Lord wants us to be happy but the Lord wants us to obey Him and benefit from the joy, peace and abundant life that He offers. This is not the time for the Christian to indulge in self but to deny self and see what God can do. After all, the Lord doesn’t want great men or women of God, the Lord wants us all to men and women of the great God. Christianity consists of small people doing small things in a small way in conjunction with Almighty God doing Almighty things in His Almighty way. When God works in His way no one can stop Him however, Matt 13: 58 (“And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.”) gives us the converse God always works in spite of us but He won’t force Himself to work through our unbelief.

but we can be sure that God is always on our side and He is always faithful.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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The angel of God spake unto me

Genesis 31: 11-13: “And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I. And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ringstraked, speckled, and grisled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee. I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred.”
At last the Lord intervened and gave Jacob final confirmation that he had to leave. He knew that it was time to go and he had been making plans while he played tricks to get as much as he could. All these things were fine but when the Lord speaks then it is time to move even though we may not think that we are ready just yet. The Lord promised Jacob that he would be well payed for all the years that he worked for his father in law and was cheated many times. Everything depended on the fact that the Lord had already appeared to Jacob before he left the land that He had called and promised Jacob’s grandfather Abraham. We can rely on the same Lord, Who called Jacob to return because we have the Lord’s promise to fall back onto. This is not a promise of wealth or fame. It is a promise of everlasting life, (John 3: 16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”) abundant life (John 10: 10 “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”) and the peace of God (Phil 4: 7 “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”) We can all return to the Lord’s promises whenever we want to know and rejoice in the fact that He does not change (see Heb 13: 8 “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”).
but we can be sure that God is always on our side and He is always faithful.
(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
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http://www.youtube.com/user/jamesmcnaught1

I have served your father

Genesis 31: 4-9: “And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock, And said unto them, I see your father’s countenance, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father hath been with me. And ye know that with all my power I have served your father. And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me. If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the cattle bare speckled: and if he said thus, The ringstraked shall be thy hire; then bare all the cattle ringstraked. Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me”

Jacob realised that he would not be able to do anything to stop his father in law’s desire to keep him enslaved forever unless he escaped. He was already committed to leaving but his father in law was committed to keeping him there. Even though there were many spiritual, long term reasons for him to leave he still was interested in getting as much as he could before he left. He called his two wives away from the town and spoke to them in private. Even though Rachel was his favourite, he didn’t want to leave Leah out as he wanted her to be on his side as well. If Leah had heard that Rachel was conspiring with Jacob he believed that she would have reported to her father. However, Jacob judged Leah by his own standards and assumed that she would have done what he would have done. Leah, on the other hand, was totally committed to Jacob and would have done anything to gain his respect. We know this from the childbirth experiences that both Leah and Rachel went through. It is very hard not to judge people by anything other than our own standards but usually people can tell more about us than about other people when we talk about other people. Jacob was distressed because Laban kept changing his word about the payments that he would give Jacob but God was faithful throughout Jacob’s life and didn’t change in any respect. We may feel that our circumstances are constantly changing and that no one is on our side but we can be sure that God is always on our side and He is always faithful.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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