We will begin this lesson in Genesis 31:1 “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.”
The sons of Laban were not thankful for the great wealth they had
acquired through Jacob, but had become jealous after the separating of
the animals, because God abundantly blessed Jacob. Now, these
ungrateful boys were saying that Jacob had no legal right to them, that
he had taken them from Laban.
Genesis 31:2 “And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and,
behold, it [was] not toward him as before.”
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.”
Here, we see Laban had turned against Jacob. God told Jacob to
pull up stakes and go home to his family. Again, God promised to bless
Jacob.
Genesis 31:4 “And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the
field unto his flock,”
Genesis 31:5 “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.”
Genesis 31:6 “And ye know that with all my power I have served
your father.”
God had quickened to Jacob that all was not well with him and
Laban. Jacob could not privately speak to his wives, when Laban was
there. He has called them away from the house to explain to them what
he had to do, and why it was necessary. Jacob had seen the look on
Laban’s face and realized they were about to have trouble. He realized
this was the father of his two wives. He did not want to lose their
love over this. He was explaining in detail that he had kept his side
of the bargain, even though Laban had tricked him over and over.
Genesis 31:7 “And your father hath deceived me, and changed my
wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me.”
Genesis 31:8 “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.”
Genesis 31:9 “Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father,
and given [them] to me.”
All of these statements were true to a certain extent. Jacob had
withheld a few of the details about the watering arrangements. Truly
if God had not put this plan into Jacob’s mind, he would not have been
able to do this. We do know that God promised Jacob that He would
bless him, and certainly He did. As we said before, even Laban was
blessed in the overflow. Truly, only God, could arrange for these
animals to be born with these markings. So in these areas, this
statement was true. Jacob was trying to justify his actions to his
wives as well.
Genesis 31:10 “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.”
Genesis 31:11 “And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream,
[saying], Jacob: And I said, Here [am] I.”
Genesis 31:12 “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.”
Genesis 31:13 “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.”
Finally it is out, Jacob had been instructed of God to leave this
land and return to the land of his family. God had shown Jacob in a
dream how to increase his flock. God was angry with Laban. God reminded
Jacob of the oath he had made at Bethel. Jacob was explaining to his
wives, so there would be no trouble about them leaving their homeland.
Genesis 31:14 “And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him,
[Is there] yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s
house?”
Genesis 31:15 “Are we not counted of him strangers? for he hath
sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money.”
Genesis 31:16 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.”
Here his wives were giving Jacob 100% support. They explained that
their father had sold them to Jacob. They belonged to Jacob. Their
father had taken for himself everything that he had acquired through
them. He had not shared at all with them. They even went so far as to
say, that the riches did not belong to their father Laban, but to them.
They believed that it was correct that God had taken their worth from
their father and gave it to their husband.
Genesis 31:17 “Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his
wives upon camels;”
Genesis 31:18 “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.”
He slipped away unknowingly to Laban. He,probably, thought Laban
would give him some trouble about leaving, or would try to talk him
out of leaving. There might have been a fight, and Jacob did not want
to fight the father of his wives. He just slipped away to keep down
trouble. Canaan always had a call on men of God. This would someday
be inhabited by their ancestors. It was the promised land.
Genesis 31:19 “And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had
stolen the images that [were] her father’s.”
It is a terrible sin to steal, but worse than that was the fact
that Rachel had brought a false God along. This was the first mention
that Laban was an idolater. It’s no wonder God allowed him to lose so
many animals to Jacob. Here again though, this would kindle God’s anger
at Rachel.
Genesis 31:20 “And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian,
in that he told him not that he fled.”
Genesis 31:21 “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.”
This mount was the way home to Canaan. Its near the sea of
Galilee on one side near Jordon.
Genesis 31:22 “And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob
was fled.”
You remember in our last study, how vast an area this was that
they lived in. Jacob wasn’t missed sooner, because his cattle was set a
great distance away from Laban’s. They had a good head start.
Genesis 31:23 “And he took his brethren with him, and pursued
after him seven days’ journey; and they overtook him in the mount
Gilead.”
Laban wasn’t accompanied by animals that he had to wait for, so
he caught them at the mountain.
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.”
This answered the question, does God ever speak to the unsaved?
Yes, he does. His speaking to Laban was to save Jacob.
Genesis 31:25 “Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched
his tent in the mount: and Laban with his brethren pitched in the
mount of Gilead.”
Genesis 31:26 “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?”
Genesis 31:27 “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?”
Laban had forgotten that he sold his daughters to Jacob. He had
no rights to them anymore. He said he would have thrown a big party
for their leaving, if they had only let him know. Would he really, or
would he have tried to stop them?
Genesis 31:28 “And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my
daughters? thou hast now done foolishly in [so] doing.”
Genesis 31:29 “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.”
Genesis 31:30 “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 was putting up a good argument. He was telling the truth that
he would have harmed Jacob, If God had never intervened. Notice, he
called God, Jacob’s God, not his. Laban worshipped idols made with hands.
Laban said, even if you have to go, why did you steal my gods?
A good question. Jacob had no need for this; his God was not made by
human hands.
Genesis 31:31 “And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I
was afraid: for I said, Peradventure thou wouldest take by force thy
daughters from me.”
Jacob realized the treachery of Laban. He knew even though Laban
had been fully paid for his daughters, Laban would try to take them
back and all the goods with them. Laban was not an honorable man.
We will find out what happens to Laban’s idols in the next lesson
starting with verse 32 in chapter 31 of Genesis.