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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