But, Jacob's riches took away from Laban's riches, and Laban and his sons didn't like that!
Genesis 31:1-2- 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. And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as before.
Jacob knew that he didn't want to be around someone who was angry at him. What was Laban capable of? What were his sons capable of? What do you think Jacob was going to do?
Genesis 31:3- And the LORD said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.
God has told Jacob that he needed to go back to Canaan. He was to go to Syria to find a wife and wait for Esau's anger to go away. He was never meant to live there.
Genesis 31:4-7- 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.
Here, we see what kind of man Laban was. Laban would change what he promised to pay Jacob just so it would make him rich! He didn't care about Jacob, and it seems he didn't care what his daughters had either. It only mattered to him what he had!
Genesis 31:8-9- 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.
So, Laban changed his mind 10 different times about what Jacob's paycheck should be. But, each time, God made sure that Jacob got the blessing! That made Laban mad!
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.
We don't know how much Rachel and Leah knew about the God of Heaven. But, I'm sure that this wasn't the first time that Jacob had mentioned Him to his wives. He was telling his wives that God wanted him to leave their father and go back to Canaan.
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.
You know what? These ladies saw how their father treated their husband, and they noticed that he treated them differently, too. They were ready to leave their land behind and travel to Canaan with their husband.
Genesis 31:17-18- 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.
So, Jacob packed everything up and left for Canaan.
But, something he didn't expect happened. You remember when he was tricked into marrying Leah instead of Rachel? God had a reason for giving Jacob Leah. It wasn't just because he had tricked his father.
Genesis 31:19- And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father's.
Laban didn't worship the God of Heaven that Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham worshipped. Laban worshipped false gods and idols. And Rachel also worshipped them. She stole them from her father as they were leaving.
Why? When she knew that Jacob talked to and was blessed by the God of heaven?
You see, in her heart, Rachel didn't love God. She was selfish and wanted her way. And God didn't want that in Jacob's life! That's why He had given him Leah to marry. But, Jacob was going to have to learn the hard way what God's will for his life was.
Genesis 31:20-23- 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. 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.
Uh oh! Laban was very mad! He gathered together an army and came after Jacob! What do you think he was planning to do?
Genesis 31:24- 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.
I don't what he was planning to do, but he forgot one thing- God was protecting Jacob! God came to Laban in a dream and told him not to harm Jacob.
Each time we step out in faith and obey God, we are protected by God. But, when we do things our way, we have to suffer the consequences of those actions- many times that means we lose the protection of God on our lives!
Genesis 31:25-30 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. And now, though thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longedst after thy father's house, yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods?
Laban tells Jacob that he would have given him a going away party. But, you know what? Laban is a liar! He changed Jacob's paycheck ten times! And he only wanted to keep what riches Jacob had. He is going to use the stolen idols as an excuse.
Genesis 31:31-32- 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.
Jacob knew that Laban was lying. He knew that Laban would have taken everything he had and sent him away with nothing! But, what Jacob didn't know was that Rachel was a thief and a liar as well!
Jacob told Laban he could kill whoever stole from him!
Genesis 31:33-35- 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.
So, Laban goes searching through everybody's tent to find his idols. But, Rachel is sneaky! Not only is she a good liar and thief, but she knows how to hide things so they won't be found.
She hides the idols in her furniture and then sits on them and makes an excuse why she can't get up! And Laban believes her because she's such a good liar!
Do you think that God wanted Jacob to marry a liar and a thief? Do you see now why God wanted Jacob to marry Leah, instead? This isn't the last time Jacob is going to have trouble because he married the woman he wanted to instead of obeying God!
Genesis 31:36-37- 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 has served Laban for 20 years now and he hasn't said anything back to Laban. But now! He's going to let Laban know that he knew all along that Laban was a no good cheat!
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 tired of keeping it all in! In front of all the men that Laban brought with him, Jacob told Laban off!
He had kept Laban's goods and made sure that he replaced anything that got messed up. He accepted the paycheck Laban gave him even when it wasn't what he was promised, and even when Laban changed it on him. He had been honorable when Laban hadn't!
And he knew that Laban would have kept everything for himself!
Genesis 31:43-44- 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.
So, Laban admits that he believes all Jacob's stuff belongs to him. If God hadn't of showed up, he would have taken all this stuff away!
But now, he wants to make a covenant with Jacob. He wants a promise made because he knows that Jacob will keep his word.
Genesis 31:45-46, 48-49- 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 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.
So, they made a pillar, ate dinner, and started naming stuff again! Wow! They sure do name everything!
What was the promise that Laban wanted?
Genesis 31:50-53- 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.
Jacob promised that he wouldn't marry any other women. And they both promised that they wouldn't go to war with each other.
Genesis 31:54-55- 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, they made a promise and Laban let Jacob go. But, there was one more thing that Jacob was going to have to deal with. Do you know what it is?
