In response to Laban’s questions regarding Jacob sneaking away, he answered and said that he was afraid that Laban would take his daughters from him by force. Then, not knowing that Rachel took the idols, Jacob told Laban that he could kill whomever he found with the idols. So Laban started his search. He went into Jacob’s tent, then Leah’s tent and the tents of the two maids and did not find them. Laban enters Rachel’s tent. Apparently everyone had their own tent. In the post where Rachel pimped Jacob to Leah for mandrakes (Genesis 30:15), I thought that Jacob and Rachel were in the same tent. Rachel had taken the household idols and put them in the camel’s saddle and sat on them. Of course, Laban’s search of Rachel’s tent did not result in finding the idols. Rachel said that the manner of women was with her and that’s why she couldn’t come down off the camel to greet him. Basically, she said that she was on her period. No matter where Laban searched, he didn’t find the idols. So, Laban did not know how to catch a thief. The thief (Rachel) outsmarted him. I wonder if he would have killed her if he had found the idols with her. After all, that was Jacob’s suggestion for the guilty party.

Still not knowing that Rachel stole the household idols, Jacob was angry and rebuked Laban asking “What is my trespass?” He also asked what was his sin that Laban so hotly pursued him. He scolded Laban saying that he searched his things and what did he find? If he found anything to bring it before their families and let them be the judge! Jacob recounts all that he did for Laban in the twenty years he worked for him. Do you feel appreciated on your job? Or, if you are retired did you always feel appreciated at work? Jacob tells Laban that since he has been working for him, the ewes and female goats did not have miscarriages nor did he eat the rams from the flock. When a wild beast killed any of the flock, Jacob bore the loss and didn’t take the dead animals to Laban. If any livestock was stolen Laban made Jacob pay for it whether it was his fault or not. Jacob worked extremely hard whether it was in the heat of the day or frost in the night. He was sleep deprived very often. In that twenty years, fourteen for Laban’s two daughters and six for the flock, Laban changed Jacob’s wages ten times. He told Laban that if it had not been for the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac (his father) being with him, Laban would have sent him away with nothing. So yes, I googled “Fear of Isaac”. Most of what I found indicated that Jacob didn’t say the God of Isaac because Isaac was still alive. He said “Fear of Isaac” to indicate that God was the Object of Isaac’s worship; that Isaac reverenced God. Jacob said that God saw his affliction and how hard he worked, so He rebuked Laban (referring to the dream in Verse 24). We must recognize, that if it wasn’t for God being on our side, we would be defeated by the enemy and completely lost. Song lyrics – “If it had not been for the Lord on my side, tell me, where would I be, where would I be?” The words in this song are so, so true!

Laban responded to Jacob by saying that Leah and Rachel are his daughters, their children are his children and the flocks are his flocks. In fact, all that Jacob had was his, according to Laban. When I read this, I thought “Wow, Laban just claimed everybody, every animal and every possession as if Jacob had nothing to do with any of it.” Have you ever been in a situation where someone took all of the credit for a collaborative effort and didn’t acknowledge your part in it at all? It could have been a project at work, a program at church, or even a situation within your family (home). Then, Laban asks what could he do to his daughters and their children on that day. Different commentaries I read (googled, of course) took the viewpoint that Laban’s response was one of affection; that he would not want to cause harm to them. I think it could be a combination of my thoughts and the commentaries. Since God told Laban not to harm Jacob, I feel his response was meant to be hurtful especially since he could not do him any physical harm. Although, sometimes words and the manner in which they are said can be vicious. Then, I also think that being a father, he truly would not have wanted to harm his daughters and grandchildren despite any tension between them.

Laban suggested that he and Jacob make a covenant and let it be a witness between them. So, Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar and told his family to gather stones in a heap. They ate there on the heap. Laban called the heap of stones “Jegar Sahadutha” meaning heap of testimony or witness (Aramaic or Syriac). However, Jacob called it “Galeed” which is the Hebrew equivalent to the name Laban called it. Laban said that the heap is a witness between him and Jacob, so it was called Galeed. It was also called Mizpah because Laban said, “May the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent one from another.” Mizpah means “watchtower” in Hebrew. Out of concern for his daughters, Laban told Jacob that if he mistreats his daughters or take other wives in addition to them when no one is around to see it – God will see it and stand as Witness between them. As a concerned father, Laban was looking out for the best interest of his daughters. Laban also referred to the heap as the heap and the pillar that he placed between him and Jacob. Here he goes again, not giving Jacob credit for anything, because Verses 45 and 46 state that Jacob set up the pillar and had his family gather the stones. Laban continues to say that the heap and pillar are a witness that he will not go past them to hurt Jacob nor shall Jacob go past them to cause harm to him. He said that the God of Abraham, the God of Nahor and the God of their father (Terah – Genesis 11:26) will judge between them. Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac.

Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and called his family members to the meal. They ate and stayed all night on the mountain.

Early the next morning, Laban arose and kissed his sons (grandsons) and daughters and blessed them. He then departed and returned home.

Our next stop on this Biblical journey is Genesis 32.

To God Be The Glory!

Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were saying that he took everything that belonged to their father and that was how he acquired his wealth. Jacob perceived that Laban’s countenance towards him was no longer favorable. The Lord told Jacob to return to the land of his fathers and to his family. God promised to be with him. Jacob called Rachel and Leah to his flock in the field and told them that he sees Laban’s countenance towards him has changed for the worse, but the God of his father has been with him. He reflected on how he served Laban with all of his might, yet Laban deceived him and changed his wages ten times.  Jacob told them that despite all that Laban did to him, God didn’t allow Laban to hurt him. Jacob said that if Laban said that the speckled would be his wages, then all the flocks bore speckled offspring. The same thing happened if Laban said that the streaked would be his wages. Jacob stated that God took the livestock from Laban and gave them to him. Have you ever been in a situation where once you were benefiting or winning from the established rules, the person or organization that set the rules wanted to change them? Jacob tells Rachel and Leah about a dream he had while the flocks were mating, in which he saw that the rams mounting their mates were streaked, speckled and gray-spotted. Then an Angel of the Lord called Jacob in the dream and he answered, “Here I am.” He told Jacob to notice that they all were streaked, speckled and gray-spotted. He stated that He saw all that Laban was doing to him.  Have you ever been mistreated and needed God to come to your rescue?  He said that He was the God of Bethel, where Jacob anointed a pillar and made a vow to Him (Genesis 28:18-20). He instructed Jacob to leave that land and return to the land of his family. Rachel and Leah responded to Jacob with the question, “Is there still any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house?” They felt like strangers to him. They even seem to resent that he had sold them to Jacob and said that he had completely consumed their money.  These two sisters are finally on one accord. They have a “common enemy”, their father. Sounds like there is no love lost here.  They figured that whatever God took from their father belonged to them and their children anyway. So, they agreed with each other and told Jacob that he should do what God has told him to do. Jacob rose and put his sons and wives on camels. Jacob carried away all of his livestock, his possessions and all that he acquired in Padan Aram to go back to his father’s (Isaac) land of Canaan.

Laban had gone to shear his sheep and Rachel stole her father’s household idols. Jacob departed, unknown to Laban because he didn’t tell him that he intended to flee. He took off across the river and headed towards the mountains of Gilead with all that he had. Laban didn’t find out until the third day that Jacob was gone. Laban, with his crew, pursued Jacob for seven days’ journey and finally overtook him in the mountains of Gilead.

God came to Laban in a dream and told him not to bring any harm upon Jacob. Has God ever warned anyone that you know about how they should treat you? Has He ever warned you about how you should treat someone in your life under any circumstances? Jacob and his family pitched tents in the mountains and so did Laban and the crew he had with him. Laban asked Jacob why did he sneak off and take his daughters away like they were captives taken by the sword. Not only that, Laban asked Jacob why did he steal from him and not tell him.  Well, most people sneaking off from someone will not tell the person they are leaving. Of course, they wouldn’t tell them that they stole from them either.  Laban claims that he might have sent Jacob away with joy and songs, with timbrel and harp.  Basically, he’s claiming that he might have thrown him a “good-bye” party if he had known. Yeah, right (typed in sarcasm).  Laban told Jacob that he didn’t allow him the opportunity to kiss his sons (really grandsons) and daughters good-bye. Like they would have wanted to do that after being sold to Jacob. He told Jacob that what he did was foolish and it was within his power to harm him. However, Laban did reveal to Jacob that the God of his father spoke to him in a dream and told him not to do Jacob any harm. Laban said that he knows Jacob left because he wanted to return back to his father’s house. He asked, “why did you steal my gods?” This goes to show that God will speak and reveal Himself even to those who worship other gods.  Also, pay close attention to your dreams; maybe God is trying to tell you something.

The saga continues next week in Genesis 31 (Part 2).

To God Be The Glory!

God remembered Rachel and answered her prayers for a child. I am glad the Bible says that God remembered Rachel because otherwise some may think she conceived because of the mandrakes mentioned earlier in the chapter. Rachel had a son and said, “God has taken away my reproach.” She named her son Joseph saying “The Lord shall add to me another son.” So, I googled and Joseph means “God will add”. So was this a prophetic moment for Rachel? Further along in our Biblical journey we will see that she does have another son.

After Joseph was born, Jacob was ready to leave Laban and go out on his own with his family. He was ready to go back to his own country. He told Laban to give him his wives and children for whom he had served Laban and let him go because Laban was aware of Jacob’s service for him. Laban pleaded with Jacob to stay because he realized that the Lord had blessed him for Jacob’s sake. Have you ever been blessed because of God’s favor in the life of someone you know? God blessed them and the blessing trickled down to you. Or, has someone ever been blessed because of God’s favor in your life? So in an attempt to keep him there, Laban told Jacob to name his wages and he will give it to him. Jacob responded that Laban knows how he has worked for him with his livestock. He also told Laban that Lord blessed him with a great amount of increase because of his being there. Jacob asked Laban when would he be able to provide for his own house. So Laban asked, “What shall I give you?” Jacob told him that he should not give him anything, but if he allowed him to remove the animals that were speckled and spotted (sheep and goats) and the brown among the lambs, he would again work for Laban and those animals would be his wages. Different translations refer to removing the dark colored lambs or the black sheep. Jacob told Laban that he could check on his honesty for the wages and if any livestock that was not speckled or spotted and lambs that were not brown were with him, they could be considered stolen. This was in reference to future livestock. So, Laban thought that was a good deal. That day, Laban removed all the spotted, speckled and brown livestock and put them in the care of his sons and sent them on a 3 day journey between himself and Jacob. This was an attempt to ensure that none of the remaining flock that Jacob shepherded would produce spotted, speckled or dark colored offspring. The distance would ensure that the livestock did not mix with each other. So, even though the livestock that Jacob continued to shepherd could have been mostly white in color on the outside, they still could be carrying genetic traits that would produce spotted, speckled and dark colored offspring. We all should know that it’s what’s on the inside that counts and not what we look like on the outside. Of course, Jacob must have realized what Laban was doing by trying to “pull the wool over his eyes.”

Jacob took rods of green poplar, almond and chestnut trees and peeled them until white strips were in the rods. Jacob would put the rods before the flocks in the gutters in the watering troughs when the flocks came to drink so that they would conceive. The flocks did conceive before the rods and they had offspring that were streaked, speckled and spotted. Jacob separated the flocks. Verse 40 states in the NKJV, “…and made the flocks face toward the streaked and all the brown in the flock of Laban.” I did a lot of googling and still have difficulty grasping the full understanding of this statement. The bottom line is that Jacob managed to keep the flocks separated. When the stronger livestock conceived, Jacob had placed the rods before the livestock in the gutters. More googling indicated that while the females were drinking water and looking at the rods, that the males would come up behind them and mate. When the more feeble flocks came to drink, Jacob did not put the rods in the gutters of the trough. So Jacob ended up with the stronger flocks and Laban’s were feeble. A shepherd knows his sheep and a herdsman knows his livestock. The Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, knows His flock as well. As far as offspring being speckled, spotted, streaked, etc. has to be God’s intervention on Jacob’s behalf despite Jacob’s deceitful practice with the flocks.

Jacob became exceedingly prosperous with large flocks, female and male servants, camels and donkeys.

The next stop is Genesis 31.

To God Be The Glory!

When Rachel saw that she wasn’t having any babies, she envied Leah. Rachel even told Jacob to give her children or else she would die. Jacob got angry with Rachel and said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?” This goes to show that even the “most in love” couples can experience some marital discord. Rachel gives her maid, Bilhah, to Jacob as a wife so that she can have children by her. This is similar to Sarai (Sarah) giving Hagar to Abram (Abraham) in Genesis 16. We know that situation didn’t end well. Bilhah conceived and had a son. Rachel said, “God has judged my case and He has also heard my voice and given me a son.” Rachel named him Dan (Jacob and Bilhah’s son). Bilhah conceived a second time and had another son. This time Rachel said, With great wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister and indeed I have prevailed.” She named him Naphtali (Jacob and Bilhah’s second son). Rachel’s jealousy of her sister seems to have truly “clouded” her judgment.

Leah saw that she stopped having children, so she gave her maid Zilpah to Jacob as a wife. So, now Leah has done the same thing as her sister by giving her maid servant to Jacob. These poor maid servants are now caught up in this rivalry between Leah and Rachel. Zilpah has a son and Leah said, “A troop comes!” Leah named him Gad (Jacob and Zilpah’s son). I mainly use quotes from the New King James Version of the Bible and when I saw what Leah said, I said to myself, “What does that even mean?” So, I did my usual and googled. Some other translations stated that she was basically saying how fortunate she was or that the birth of this son was good luck. How did Leah go from praising God when her fourth son, Judah, was born to attributing the birth of Gad to being lucky? This is evidence as to how envy can twist a person’s mindset. Have you ever accredited a blessing from God as luck? If so, not good! Zilpah had a second son with Jacob and Leah said, “I am happy, for the daughters will call me blessed.” She named him Asher (Jacob and Zilpah’s second son). Rather than thinking about praising God, Leah is now naming sons based on thinking about herself. Have you ever turned your thinking away from praising God to it being all about you and what you want? If so, again, not good!

Reuben, Jacob’s oldest son (with Leah), went out during the wheat harvest and found mandrakes in the field and gave them to his mother. From googling, of course, I found that a mandrake is a plant that is linked to fertility. Rachel told Leah to give her some of the mandrakes Reuben found. More googling suggests that Reuben was a small child (about 5 years old) when he found the mandrakes. If this is true, then all of these sons were very close in age. Leah said to Rachel, “Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son’s mandrakes also?” Rachel tells Leah that Jacob can be with her that night in exchange for the mandrakes. Rachel just pimped Jacob for mandrakes. Wow! When Jacob came out of the field that evening, Leah met him and told him that she hired him with her son’s (really their son) mandrakes. Jacob was with Leah that night. This is really a man’s world for Jacob. He doesn’t seem to have a problem going from wife to wife to wife to wife (there are four of them). God listened to Leah and she conceived and gave Jacob a fifth son. Leah must have prayed to conceive since God listened to her. Leah said, “God has given me my wages, because I have given my maid to my husband.” She named this son Issachar, which means “there is hire” – Google, of course. In reading various translations, Leah is also suggesting that God rewarded her for giving her maid to Jacob as a wife. The way these sisters are thinking is mind boggling. Leah got pregnant again and had a sixth son. This time she said, “God has endowed me with a good endowment, now my husband will dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons.” This son she named Zebulun. Based on this statement and the fact that Leah had to “hire” Jacob to spend the night with her, I’m guessing that Jacob mainly stayed with Rachel. After all, she is the one he really loved. Afterward, Leah had a daughter and named her, Dinah (finally, a girl is born).

We continue our journey in Genesis 30 (Part 2) next time.

To God Be The Glory!

Genesis 27:24-46

Isaac asked, “Are you really my son Esau?” Jacob said, “I am.” That’s a lie. Isaac is still having his doubts about whether this is really Esau. Isaac told the Esau impersonator, Jacob, to bring him the food so that he may bless him. Jacob gave Isaac the food and wine. He enjoyed his meal. Then Isaac told who he thought was Esau to come near him and kiss him. This was another test to see if he was really Esau. Jacob was obedient and Isaac smelled his clothing and blessed him. He said that the smell of his son is like the smell of a field which the Lord has blessed. The Blessing – “May God give you of the dew of heaven, of the fatness of the earth, and plenty of grain and wine. Let peoples serve you and nations bow down to you. Be master over your brethren and let your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you and blessed be those who bless you.” This blessing received by deception is what God told Rebekah in Genesis 25:23 about the older son serving the younger son.

It so happened that as soon as Isaac finished blessing Jacob and he had just left Isaac’s presence, in comes the real Esau from hunting and he has the delicious food for his father. He told his father to rise and eat of his game so that his soul may bless him. Sounds like this was a family of good cooks. First Esau sells his birthright for Jacob’s stew, then Rebekah cooks a delicious meal to deceive Isaac and now here comes Esau with some good food. Isaac is now full from Rebekah’s food that Jacob gave to him. Isaac asked Esau, “Who are you?” Esau said that he was his firstborn son. Isaac started trembling greatly and asked “Who?” He also asked, “Where is the one who hunted game and brought it to me?” Then he told Esau that he had eaten before he got there and blessed Jacob who brought it to him. Now Jacob is surely blessed. Esau cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry. He asked Isaac to bless him too. Isaac told him that Jacob came with deceit and took his blessing. Esau said that Jacob supplanted him two times. He said that Jacob took away his birthright and now he has taken away his blessing. Did Isaac know about the birthright situation already or is this a surprise to him? Actually Esau, you gave away your birthright for food. Has anyone ever blamed you for a bad decision they made? Even if you are the one who presented the bad choice to them and they voluntarily accepted it, it’s not your fault. For instance, in Joshua 24:14-15, the people are given the choice to choose whom they will serve – either the gods of their fathers or the One True God. If they chose the other gods over the One True God and their lives go haywire, is that God’s fault? NOT! In Matthew 6:24, we’re told that we cannot serve God and mammon (money). We will hate one and love the other. So, if we choose money over God and our money fails us, is that God’s fault? NO WAY! In Matthew 7:13-14, wide is the gate that leads to destruction and many travel it and narrow is the way that leads to life and few find it. So, if we decide to follow the crowd and go through the wide gate to destruction, is that God’s fault? OF COURSE NOT! The Book of Proverbs is full of good and bad choices. God is never at fault when we willingly make bad choices. Don’t let people lay a guilt trip on you because they made a bad decision.

So that I don’t paint a one-sided picture, sometimes when we choose God (good choice) over living our own way without God (bad choice), we can find ourselves in hot and dangerous places. For instance in Daniel, Chapter 3, the three Hebrew boys, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego would not bow down and worship the golden image set up by the king when the music played. They were thrown into the fiery furnace which was so hot it killed the men who threw them into it. However, God delivered them so that they didn’t even have the smell of fire on them nor was a hair on their heads singed. Also, Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den when he kept praying to God despite the decree from the king in Daniel, Chapter 6. Everybody was to pray only to the king. God delivered him because he chose to keep his prayer routine to God over praying to the king. God delivered them, however, it is my understanding that from literature that I’ve read, some disciples/apostles died some horrific deaths for the Gospel’s sake. God’s word tells us not to fear those who can kill the body, but not the soul in Matthew 10:28.

Esau asked his father if he did not reserve a blessing for him. Isaac told Esau that he made Jacob his master and all his relatives will be his servants. He said that he sustained Jacob with grain and wine. Then Isaac asked Esau what he could do for him now. Esau asked his father if he only had one blessing and crying he pleaded for Isaac to bless him too. Esau’s Blessing – His dwelling will be of the fatness of the earth and of the dew of heaven above. By the sword Esau shall live and serve his brother. His descendants will serve Jacob’s descendants and will eventually free themselves from the domination.

Esau hated Jacob because of this blessing issue. He decided in his heart that when the days for mourning for Isaac were close, he was going to kill Jacob. Someone told Rebekah what Esau said. So, Esau must have said this not only in his heart, but spoke the words out loud as well. Rebekah told Jacob that Esau was planning to kill him and she told Jacob to go to her brother, Laban, in Haran. Rebekah told him to stay there a few days until Esau’s anger had calmed down and he forgets what Jacob had done. Did she really think that was going to happen? Afterwards she would send for him. Her reasoning was why should she be bereaved of them both in one day? This is another case of helping God out in the manifestation of His word or promise when He didn’t ask for it. Rebekah is now dealing with some serious sibling rivalry between her sons. I wonder what Rebekah and Esau’s relationship was like. I’m sure he knew that Jacob was Mom’s favorite.

Rebekah told Isaac that she was sick to death of Esau’s wives. She said that if Jacob married a Hittite woman like these two, what’s the point in living. These women must have been some kind of horrible!

The next destination is Genesis 28.

To God Be The Glory!