Genesis Chapter 31
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The Flight from Laban
The Flight from Laban
As James left us off in Genesis chapter 30, Jacob basically manipulated the flocks to increase his wages. So lets pick back here in Genesis 31 starting at verse 1 and it reads;
And he heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, Jacob hath taken away all that was our father’s; and of that which was our father’s hath he gotten all this glory.
Jacob is hearing Laban’s son trying to point fingers at him saying he stole all of their inheritance which was Laban’s.
As we read last week, Both of these men were documented to kind of twist things, but the difference is Jacob had divine interaction and the path of God. Laban already “stole” 14 plus years from Jacob by twisting things. So Jacob is just outsmarting Laban.
And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as before.
Jacob saw the plan Laban had and he could tell that it was not in Jacobs favor. Remember, Jacob was a smart man, his father and his fathers father were both very coherent and not only that, Jacob had a divine relationship with God just like his father and grandfather. Jacob can see what is going to take place and he can tell it is not in his favor. so lets see what God instructs him to do.
And the Lord said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.
God is instructing Jacob to go back to his hometown in the land of Canaan which was Hebron. Back to where Isaac and Rebekah were dwelt. Remember, Jacob originally was leaving because his brother Esau was upset with him, but through divine interaction Jacob was also to find a wife from Laban.
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.
Jacob is telling his two wives, I have given my all to serve your father not just for my sake, but for the sake of God’s will to be done, and God has helped me along this journey.
And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me.
He is not saying Laban has literally deceived him 10 times its just a rhetorical statement meaning over and over.
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.
Jacob is reiterating what we saw back in Genesis Chapter 30. The speckled and ringstraked cattle would be Jacobs wages.
Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me.
And it came to pass at the time that the cattle conceived, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dream, and, behold, the rams which leaped upon the cattle were ringstraked, speckled, and grisled.
So what are we seeing here? Divine intervention. God stepping in and helping Jacob in order for his plan and will to come to pass. And if you have any doubt over divine intervention lets keep reading here.
And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I.
Angel of God spoke to Jacob in a dream saying, I AM here
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 Beth-el, 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.
Divine intervention taking place, God helping Jacob in order for His plan to take effect. Jacob to return back to his homeland and his covenant coming to pass with having multitudes also in the livestock.
And when it says the Angel of God, this is God. It is a different role of the same God. like James has preached on before, you can be one person who is also a dad, a husband, an worker ETC. Same person just another role or form.
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 are hearing Jacobs words, but they are worried that their father Laban will withhold their inheritance from them and be left as kind of “outsiders” from their family. Also that God has stepped in and really “downsized” Labans riches. It was mention in chapter 30 that Laban was wealthy because of the Godly wealth and guidance from Jacob and Jacob working for him.
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 Padan-aram, 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.
That word “images” here is translated in the hebrew to “Teraphim” Teraphim were family idols which were used for household worship and would sometimes represented people of the spiritual world. This kind of showing that Laban was practicing idolocism or false idol worship and Rachel took those things away from her father.
And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled.
That word “unawares” translates in the hebrew to Leb. meaning the heart or feelings over someone. I read this word like his character. Jacob lost his image of good character by not telling him he was fleeing. So this is going to cause Laban to have a different outlook over Jacob.
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.
Gilead is a region East of Jordan.
And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob was fled.
What is 3 in biblical numerics? Signature of God. God’s plan coming to pass.
And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days’ journey; and they overtook him in the mount Gilead.
Laban, now having a bad outlook on Jacob, gathered up his men and overtook Jacob. and it was a 7 day journey. What is 7 in biblical numerics? God’s completeness or perfection. Once again written in the numbers as well God’s will coming to pass.
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.
Documenting Laban having divine interaction with God. God telling him, do not harm Jacob, don’t even talk bad about him.
Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount: and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mount of Gilead.
So God told Laban first hand to leave Jacob alone but yet he stilled pursued him. Laban giving in to the sin of pride and the ways of the flesh other than obeying God which he witnessed first hand.
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?
Laban is trying to make Jacob look like the bad guy here. No where did we read that Jacob “stole” his wives and made them go with him back to his home land.
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.
Laban is kind of gas lighting Jacob here. We read in the last 2 previous chapters, it happened time and time again Laban deceiving Jacob to get his way. And now he is trying to say “well if you would have told me I would have thrown you a going away party” Remember, Laban sorta tricked Jacob into serving him an additional 7 years on top of the original 7 years just to be with Rachel. Going off the past 14+ years I dont see for one second that Laban would have let him go that easy.
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 is admitting to Jacob that God came to him in a dream last night and he is acknowledging God’s orders and instructions to him.
And now, though thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longedst after thy father’s house, yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods?
The word gods in this verse 30 translates to elohiym in Hebrew. Elohiym is a plural word that can be used to represent God in some cases showing the father, the son, and the holy spirity. In this case however, Laban is still talking about those “family idols” like we saw in verse 19. Elohiym or “gods” lower case G is being used to represent a false god or idol.
And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid: for I said, Peradventure thou wouldest take by force thy daughters from me.
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.
Jacobs not acknowledging the teraphim here. Rachel took the idols, he did not know anything about that. but he is just answering Labans question over him fleeing without telling him.
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.
Labans trying to find these god’s lower case g, these idols
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.
im going to be completely blunt here. Rachel is telling her father she cant get up to show Laban her dad respect because she is menstruating. “the custom of women”
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.
Jacob saying, What is your issue with me? what have I done so wrong to you that you are still going after me this hard. Your searching for something that I Jacob do not have or did not do. You have all my household things. I have basically been raided so Jacob is telling him to put all of his things basically in front of a jury of piers and let THEM judge if he has stolen anything from him.
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.
Jacob reiterating what all he has been through and for how long serving Laban and how Laban has been the “decider” on all his wages. Jacob showing his commitment and respect to Laban.
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 has the fear of Yahweh that was passed through Abraham and Isaac. and Jacob knows that God is with him through that covenant passed down and he knows he rebuked Laban last night. He told him not to pursue Jacob.
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?
What are we seeing over and over in this verse from Laban? Me, my my mine. Where is God? God gave him his daughters, God and God through Jacob is the reason he is wealthy with cattle and riches. Laban is living by his pride and not surrendering himself unto God.
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.
We saw back 2 chapters ago that Jacob built a pillar of stone to show God was in that place. Now we are seeing here that Jacob and Laban are building yet another pillar or heap of stones to represent God in this place. God is the witness to their covenant.
And Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha: but Jacob called it Galeed.
Yagersahdutha= means heap of testimony
Galeed= means heap of witness
When I first read this verse I was trying to dig down and find why they named it two different names but Yagersagdutha is just the aramaic word for Galeed or heap of witness.
They both have the same meaning representing God as the witness to their covenant.
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.
Mizpah being used here is related to the Hebrew verb taspah, meaning “to watch” Jacob saying that here in a way of asking Yahweh or God what he is needing him to do. God to watch over and witness their covenant.
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.
So there is now a covenant of peace between Laban and Jacob with God as their witness.
Conclusion: so what can we take away from this passage, how can we apply this chapter to our lives personally.
Take a look at Jacobs and Laban's interaction and solution after all these years of work and deception. These 2 men came together as God (yahwey) as their witness and made a covenant of peace between each other. Jacob stayed faithful to God and Laban maybe not fully submitted his life to God, respected that and honored it.
No matter what kind of strife or confrontation we have between us and someone else, no matter how long it goes on for, we should try everyday to come together before God with one another and have peace between us through God. The same way Jacob and Laban come together under God for peace between one another.
