Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Genesis 31:1

The Plan to Flee

v. 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. That was the voice of envy, which begrudged Jacob the obvious blessing of God, incidentally revealing a very ugly suspicion, as is customary in such cases.

v. 2. And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as before. Laban no longer concealed his selfishness and covetousness, with the resulting ill will against Jacob.

v. 3. And the Lord said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee. Canaan was the land of Jacob’s fathers, Gen 17:8; Gen 26:3; there lived his nearest relatives. The Lord therefore not only bade him return, but also assured him of His protection.

v. 4. And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock,

v. 5. and said unto them, I see your father’s countenance, that it is not toward me as before. Yesterday and the day before, in the first years of Jacob’s service, the gain which Jacob brought him had caused Laban to be kind enough, but now envy had taken possession of his heart also, together with covetousness. But the God of my father hath been with me; the God whom Isaac, his father, had worshiped, who had revealed Himself in mercy and with the promise of His blessing upon Jacob.

v. 6. And ye know that with all my power I have served your father. As Jacob had emphasized his faithfulness over against Laban, Gen 30:30-33, so he could truthfully point to it in the presence of Laban’s daughters, his wives.

v. 7. And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times. This puts another ugly blot upon Laban’s character, for as the contract was made, Gen 30:34, no changes were looked for. Yet Laban had frequently and in an arbitrary manner altered its provisions in favor of himself. But God suffered him not to hurt me, neither in body nor in goods.

v. 8. If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the cattle bare speckled; and if he said thus, The ring-straked (banded) shall be thy hire; then bare all the cattle ring-straked. When Laban noted that his cattle were bearing in favor of Jacob, according to the original contract, he changed the stipulation from time to time, making it ever more difficult for Jacob to gain, since the provisions were narrowed more with every new agreement.

v. 9. Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me. Jacob thus confesses and acknowledges with thankfulness that it was the Lord who had watched over his interests, turned the evil intention in his favor, and multiplied that part of the flock which was set apart for his wages.

v. 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 ring-straked, speckled, and grisled (dappled). It was, accordingly, the dispensation of God which had governed the increase of Jacob’s flocks, without which even the keenest business sagacity would have availed him nothing.

v. 11. And the Angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob; and I said, Here am I. This is again the Angel of the Lord in a special sense, Jehovah, the Son of God, as He often revealed Himself to His children in the Old Testament.

v. 12. And he said, Lift up now thine eyes and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ring-straked, speckled, and grisled; for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee. Apparently Jacob had had a number of visions in the course of the six years, the Lord indicating to him that He was looking out for his interests, but the climax had come in the recent dream.

v. 13. I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto Me. The Angel of the Lord was identical with the God of Bethel, with the God who revealed Himself at Bethel as exalted above the angels. Jacob had confessed his faith in the true God both by consecrating the place at Bethel and by making his earnest vow. Now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred. Jacob thus urged not only the envy and injustice of Laban, but the direct command of God as well, for their immediate flight.

v. 14. And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house? Laban’s treatment of his daughters made it appear that he was glad to get rid of them.

v. 15. Are we not counted of him strangers? For he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money. Laban’s conduct toward his daughters made it seem that he considered them sold to Jacob for the fourteen years’ service. And not only that, but the very price, the very money that their services were worth to him, he retained for himself; he devoured their very substance, wherein they received no share.

v. 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. Laban is an example of a covetous, hard-hearted, and tyrannical man, who has only his own advantage in mind and considers no one else’s rights. It is from people of this stamp that pious, faithful men are obliged to endure much suffering. But God watches over His children and will permit no harm to strike them without His permission.

Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann

EXPOSITION

Gen 31:1

And heJacob had now served twenty years with Laban, and must accordingly have been in his ninety-seventh or seventy-seventh year (vide Gen 27:1)heard the words of Laban’s sons,who were not at this time only small youths about fourteen years of ago (Delitzsch), since they were capable of being entrusted with their father’s flocks (Gen 30:35)saying (probably in a conversation which had been over. heard by Jacob), Jacob hath taken away (by fraud is what they meant, an opinion in which Kalisch agrees; but it is not quite certain that Jacob was guilty of dishonesty in acting as he did) all that was our father’s;this was a manifest exaggeration; sed hoe morbo laborant sordidi et nimium tenaces, ut sibi ereptum esse putent quicquid non ingurgitant (Calvin)and of that which was our father’s hath he gotten (literally, made, in the sense of acquiring, as in Gen 12:5; 1Sa 14:48) all this glory. (from , to be heavy, hence to be great in the sense of honored, and also to be abundant) signifies either glory, splendor, renown, (LXX.), as in Job 14:21; or, what seems the preferable meaning here, wealth, riches, facultates (Vulgate), as in Psa 49:13; Nah 2:10. The two ideas appear to be combined in 2Co 4:17; (cf. Wordsworth, in loco).

Gen 31:2

And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, Behold, it (i.e. either Laban or his countenance) was not toward him (literally, with him) as beforeliterally, as yesterday and the day before. The evident change in Laban’s disposition, which had previously been friendly, was obviously employed by God to direct Jacob’s mind to the propriety of returning to the land of his inheritance; and the inclination thus started in his soul was further strengthened and confirmed by a revelation which probably soon after, if not the night following, was sent for his direction.

Gen 31:3

And the LordJehovah; since the entire journey to Padan-aram had been conducted under his special care, vide Gen 28:15 (Hengstenberg), and not because the first three verses of this chapter have been inserted or modified by the Jehovist (Tuch, Block, et al.)said unto Jacob, probably in a dream (cf. Gen 28:5, Gen 28:10, Gen 28:11). Return unto the land of thy fathers (i.e. Canaan), and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee. So Jehovah had promised at Bethel twenty years before (Gen 28:15).

Gen 31:4

And Jacob wentbeing unwilling to approach the house lest Laban should discover his design (Rosenmller)and called Rachel and LeahRachel may be placed first as the beloved wife of Jacob (Wordsworth, Lange), scarcely as the principal wife in comparison with Leah, who was adventitia (Rosenmller; cf. Gen 31:14)to the field unto his flock. The expression “his flock” indicates that Jacob had abandoned Laban’s sheep and taken possession of those which belonged to himselfprobably in preparation for his departure.

Gen 31:5

And said unto them, I see your father’s countenance, that it is not toward me as before (vide supra); but the God of my fatherliterally, and the Elohim of my father, the term Elohim employed by Jacob not being due to “the vagueness of the religious knowledge” possessed by his wives (Hengstenberg), but to a desire on his own part either to distinguish the God of his father from the gods of the nations, or the idols which Laban worshipped (‘Speaker’s Commentary’), or perhaps, while using an expression exactly equivalent to Jehovah, to bring out a contrast between the Divine favor and that of Laban (Quarry)hath been with meliterally, was with me; not the night before simply, but during the past six years, as he explains in Gen 31:7.

Gen 31:6

And ye know that with all my power I have served your father. The term Jacob here uses for power is derived from an unused onomatopoetic root, signifying to pant, and hence to exert one’s strength. If, therefore, the assertion now made to his wives was not an unblushing falsehood, Jacob could not have been the monster of craft and deception depicted by some (Kalisch); while, if it was, it must have required considerable effrontery to appeal to his wives’ knowledge for a confirmation of what they knew to be a deliberate untruth. The hypothesis that Jacob first acquired his great wealth by “consummate cunning,” and then piously “abused the authority of God in covering or justifying them” (Kalisch), presupposes on the part of Jacob a degree of wickedness inconceivable in one who had enjoyed the sublime theophany of Bethel.

Gen 31:7

And your father hath deceived me,, the hiph. of , means to rob or plunder (Furst), or to cause to fall, as in the cognate languages, whence to deceive (Gesenius)and changed my wages ten times;i.e. many times, as in Num 14:22; Job 19:3 (Rosenmller, Bush, Kalisch, Lange); as often as possible, the number ten expressing the idea of completeness (Keil, Murphy)but God (Elohim, Jacob purposing to say that he had been protected, not by human stratagem, but by Divine interposition) suffered him not to hurt meliterally, to do evil to me. The verb here construed with = is sometimes followed by (1Ki 17:20), and sometimes by (1Ch 16:22).

Gen 31:8

If he (i.e. Laban) said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages;by the original contract Jacob had been promised all the parti-colored animals (Gen 30:32);” here it seems as if Laban, struck with the remarkable increase of these, took the earliest opportunity of so modifying the original stipulation as to limit Jacob’s portion to one sort only, viz. the speckled. Yet this dishonorable breach of faith on the part of Laban was of no avail; for, when the next lambing season camethen (it was discovered that) all the cattle bare speckled: and if he said thus (changing the sort of animals assigned to his son-in-law), The ringstraked shall be thy hire (the result was as before); then bare all the cattle ringstraked.

Gen 31:9

Thusliterally, and (as the result of this)God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me. In ascribing to God what he had himself effected by (so-called) fraud, this language of Jacob appears to some inexcusable (Kalisch); in passing over his own stratagem in silence Jacob has been charged with not telling the whole truth to his wives (Keil). A more charitable consideration of Jacob’s statement, however, discerns-in it an evidence of his piety, which recognized and gratefully acknowledged that not his own “consummate cunning, ‘but Jehovah’s watchful care had enabled him to outwit the dishonest craft of Laban (Rosenmller, Ainsworth, Bush, Candlish, Murphy).

Gen 31:10

And it came to pus at the time that the cattle conceived (this obviously goes back to the commencement of the six years’ service), that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dream, and, behold, the rams, he-goats, from an unused root, to be ready, perhaps because ready and prompt for fighting (Gesenius, sub voce)which leaped (literally, going up) upon the cattle were ringstraked, speckled, and grisled. The grisled (beruddim, from barad, to scatter hail) were spotted animals, as if they had been sprinkled with hail, not a fifth sort in addition to the four already mentioned (Rosenmller), but the same as the teluim of Gen 30:35 (Kalisch). Wordsworth observes that the English term grisled, from the French word grele, hail, is a literal translation of the Hebrew. Gesenius connects with the Hebrew root the words , pardus, leopard (so called from its spots), and the French broder, to embroider. The LXX. understand the to include both sheep and goats, and translate .

Gen 31:11

And the angel of Godliterally, the angel (or Maleach) of Elohim, i.e. of the God who was with me and protecting me, though himself continuing unseenspake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I (vide Gen 20:1, Gen 20:11).

Gen 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. Since all the parti-colored animals had already been removed (Gen 30:35), this vision must have been intended to assure him that the flocks would produce speckled and spotted progeny all the same as if the ringstraked and grisled rams and he-goats had not been removed from their midst (cf. Kurtz, 78). To insist upon a contradiction between this account of the increase of Jacob’s flocks and that mentioned in Gen 30:37 is to forget that both may be true. Equally arbitrary does it seem to be to accuse Jacob of fraud in adopting the artifice of the pilled rods (Kalisch). Without resorting to the supposition that he acted under God’s guidance (Wordsworth), we may believe that the dream suggested the expedient referred to, in which some see Jacob’s unbelief and impatience (Kurtz, Gosman in Lange), and others a praiseworthy instance of self-help (Keil). For I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee. If the preceding clause appears to imply that the vision was sent to Jacob at the beginning of the six years’ service, the present clause scents to point to the end of that period as the date of its occurrence; in which case it would require to be understood as a Divine intimation to Jacob that his immense wealth was not to be ascribed to the success of his own stratagem, but to the blessing of God (Delitzsch). The difficulty of harmonizing the two views has led to the suggestion that Jacob here mixes the accounts of two different visions accorded to him, at the commencement and at the close of the period of servitude (Nachmanides, Rosenmller, Kurtz, (‘Speaker’s Commentary,’ Murphy, Candlish).

Gen 31:13

I am the God of Bethel,the angel here identifies himself with Jehovah (vide Gen 28:13). Contrary to usual custom, , though in the construct, state, has the art.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 kindredi.e. to the land of Canaan, which was Jacob’s true inheritance.

Gen 31:14-16

And Rachel and Leah (vide on Gen 31:4) answered and said unto him (Kalisch overdoes his attempt to blacken Jacob’s character and whitewash Laban’s when he says that Rachel and Leah were so entirely under their husband’s influence that they spoke about their father “with severity and boldness bordering on disrespect.” It rather seems to speak badly for Laban that his daughters eventually rose in protest against his heartless cruelty and insatiable greed), Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house? The interrogative particle indicates a spirited inquiry, to which a negative response is anticipated. Kalisch obviously regards it as preposterous that Rachel and Leah should have expected anything, since “married daughters in the East never had any such claim where there were sons.” But Laban had not treated Jacob’s wives even as daughters. Are we not counted of him strangers? for he hath sold us (however much they loved Jacob they could not but resent the mercenary meanness of Laban, by which they, the free-born daughters of a chieftain, had been sold as common serfs), and hath quits devoured also our moneyliterally, and hath eaten up, yes, even eating up, our money, the inf. abs; , after the finite verb, expressing the continuance (Keil) and intensity (Kalisch) of the action. For is by some interpreters rendered but (Jarchi), so that (Keil), indeed (Kalisch), though there is no sufficient reason for departing from the usual meaning “for” (Rosenmller)all the riches which God hath taken from our father,thus Rachel and Leah also recognize the hand of God (Elohim) in Jacob’s unusual prosperitythat is ours, and our children’s (Rachel and Leah mean to say that what Jacob had acquired by his six years of service with their father was no more than would have naturally belonged to him had they obtained their portions at the first): now then, Whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do. It is clear that, equally with himself, they were prepared for breaking off connection with their father Laban.

Gen 31:17, Gen 31:18

Then (literally, and) Jacob rose up (expressive of the vigor and alacrity with which, having obtained the concurrence of his wives, Jacob set about fulfilling the Divine instructions), and set his sonshis children, as in Gen 31:1; Gen 32:12, including Dinah, if by this time she had been born (vide Gen 30:21)and his wives upon camels. Since neither were able to undertake a journey to Canaan on foot, his oldest son being not more than thirteen years of age and his youngest not more than six. One camel, vide Gen 12:16. And he carried awaythe verb , to pant, which is specially used of those who are exhausted by running (Gesenins, sub voce), may perhaps indicate the haste with which Jacob actedall his cattle,Mikneh, literally, possession, from kanah, to procure, always used of cattle, the chief wealth of a nomad (cf. Gen 13:2; Gen 26:14)and all his goods which he had gotten,Recush, literally, acquisition, hence substance, wealth in general, from racash, to acquire (vide Gen 14:11, Gen 14:16, Gen 14:21; Gen 15:14), which, however, is more specifically described asthe cattle of his getting, which he had gotten (both of the above verbs, kanah and racash, being now employed) in (i.e. during his stay in) Padan-aram, for to go to Issac his father in the land of Canaan.

Gen 31:19

And Laban wentor, Now Laban had gone, probably ,to the other station, which was three days journey from Jacob’s flocks (vide Gen 30:36; and cf. Gen 31:22)to shear his sheep. In this work he would probably be detained several days, the time of shearing being commonly regarded as a festal season (cf. Gen 38:12; 1Sa 25:4; 2Sa 13:23), at which friendly entertainments were given. Whether Jacob’s absence from the festivities is to be explained by the dissension existing between him and Laban, which either caused him to be uninvited or led him to decline the invitation (Kurtz), or by the supposition that he had first gone and subsequently left the banquet (Lange), the fact that Laban was so engaged afforded Jacob the opportunity he desired for making his escape. And Rachel had stolen (or, “and Rachel stole,” availing herself likewise of the opportunity presented by he? father’s absence) the images that were her father’s. The teraphim, from an unused root, taraph, signifying to live comfortably, like the Sanscrit trip, Greek , Arabic tarafa (Gesenius, Furst, sub voces), appear to have been small human figures (cf. Gen 31:34), though the image in 1Sa 19:13 must have been nearly life-size, or at least a full-sized bust, sometimes made of silver (Jdg 17:4), though commonly constructed of wood (1Sa 19:13-16); they were worshipped as gods (, LXX.; vide, Vulgate, cf. Gen 31:30), consulted for oracles (Eze 21:26; Zec 10:2), and believed to be the custodians and promoters of human happiness (Jdg 18:24). Probably derived from the Aramaeans (Furst, Kurtz), or the Chaldeans (Eze 21:21, Kalisch, Wordsworth), the worship of teraphim was subsequently denounced as idolatrous (1Sa 15:23; 2Ki 13:24). Cf. with Rachel’s act that ascribed to AEneas:

“Effigies sacrae divum, Phrygiique Penates,

Quos mecum a Troja, mediisque ex ignibus urbis,”

Extuleram”.

Rachel’s motive for abstracting her father’s teraphim has been variously ascribed to a desire to prevent her father from discovering, by inquiring at his gods, the direction of their flight (Aben Ezra, Rosenmller), to protect herself, in case, of being overtaken, by an appeal to her father’s gods (Josephus), to draw her father from the practice of idolatry (Bazil, Gregory, Nazisnzen, Theodoret), to obtain children for herself through their assistance (Lengerke, Gerlach), to preserve a memorial of her ancestors, whose pictures these teraphim were (Lightfoot); but was probably due to avarice, if the images were made of precious metals (Pererius), or to a taint of superstition which still adhered to her otherwise religious nature (Chrysostom, Calvin, ‘Speaker’s Commentary ), causing her to look to these idols for protection (Kalisch, Murphy) or consultation (Wordsworth) on her journey.

Gen 31:20

And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian,literally, stole the heart of Laban the Syrian, he deceived his mind and intelligence, like , Horn; ‘ II.,’ 14. 227 (el. Gen 31:26, Gen 31:27); hence (LXX.); so Calvin, Rosenmller, Keil, Gesenius, and others. Lange fancifully understands by the heart of Laban which Jacob stole either Laban’s daughters or his favorite Rachel Gerlach contrasts Jacob’s stealing with that of Rachel, in which Jacob, had no part. The exact import of Jacob’s stealing is declared by the words that followin that he told him not (Lunge and Bush interpret impersonally, as signifying in that or because it was not told; but in this among expositors they stand alone) that he fled.

Gen 31:21

So (literally, and) he fled with (literally, and) all that he had; and he rose up, and passed over the river,i.e. the Euphrates, which was called by preeminence the river (cf. 1Ki 4:21; Ezr 4:10, Ezr 4:16)and set his face toward the mount Gilead. , according to Gesenius, “the hard, stony region,” from an unused quadrilateral root, signifying to be hard, though, according to the historian (by a slight change in the punctuation), “The hill, or heap of witness,” from the transaction recorded in Gen 31:45-47, which name it here proleptically receives, was not the mountain-range to the south of the Jahbok, now styled Jebel Jilad (Gesenius), Jebel-as-Salt (Robinson), Jebel-osha (Tristram), since Jacob had not yet crossed the river, but that upon its northern hank, called Jebel Ajlun, and situated near Mahanaim (Delitzsch, Keil, Kalisch, Porter).

HOMILETICS

Gen 31:1-21

Jacob’s flight from Laban.

I. THE HOMEWARD DESIRE. The longing to revisit Canaan, which six years previously Laban’s exactions and Joseph’s birth (Gen 30:25) had combined to inspire within the heart of Jacob, returned upon him with an intensity that could no longer be resisted. Accelerated in its vehemence partly by the interposed delay to which it had been subjected, partly by his further acquaintance with the meanness and craft of his uncle, and partly by his own rapidly- accumulating wealth, it was now brought to a head by

1. The calumnious remarks of Laban‘s sons. Inheriting the sordid and avaricious nature of their parent, they were filled with envy at the remarkable prosperity which had attended Jacob during the past six years. If good men are sometimes “envious at the foolish,” it is not surprising that wicked men should occasionally begrudge the success of saints. Then from sinful desires they passed to wicked thoughts, accusing Jacob of having by superior craft out-maneuvered their designing father, and appropriated the flocks and herds that ought to have been his; which, however, was a manifest exaggeration, since Jacob bad not taken away all their father’s “glory,” and an unjustifiable calumny, since it was not Jacob’s stratagem, but God’s blessing, that had multiplied the parti-colored flocks. And lastly, from wicked thoughts they advanced to evil words, not only accusing Jacob in their minds, but openly vilifying him with their tongues, adding to the sin of private slander that of public defamationconduct which the word of God severely reprehends (Pro 30:10; 1Co 6:10; Tit 3:2; Jas 4:11).

2. The manifest displeasure of Laban. During the fourteen years that Jacob kept the flocks for Rachel and Leah, Laban regarded him with evident satisfaction; not perhaps for his own sake, but for the unprecedented increase in his (Laban’s) pastoral wealth which had taken place under Jacob’s fostering care. He was even disposed to be somewhat pious so long as the flocks and herds continued multiplying (Gen 30:27). But now, when at the end of six years the relative positions of himself and Jacob are reversed,when Jacob is the rich man and he, comparatively speaking at least, the poor one,not only does his piety towards God disappear, but his civility towards man does not remain. There are many Labans in the Church, whose religion is but the shadow that waits upon the sun of their prosperity, and many Labans in the world, whose amiability towards others is only the reflection of their complacent feeling towards themselves.

3. The explicit command of God. Twenty years before, at Bethel, God had promised to bring Jacob back again to Canaan, and now he issues formal instructions to his servant to return. As really, though not as visibly and directly, God orders the footsteps of all his children (Psa 32:8; Psa 37:23). If it is well not to run before God’s providence, as Jacob would have done had he returned to Canaan at the end of the fourteenth year, it is also well not to lag behind when that providence has been clearly made known. The assurance given to Jacob of guidance on his homeward journey is extended to all who, in their daily goings forth, obey the Divine instructions and follow the Divine leadings.

II. THE CONFERENCE IN THE FIELD.

1. The explanation of Jacob. Three con- trusts complete the sum of Jacob’s announcements to his wives. First, between the growing displeasure of Laban their father and the manifest favor of the Elohim of his father (Gen 31:5); second, between the unwearied duplicity of their father, notwithstanding Jacob’s arduous service, and the ever-watchful protection of God against his injurious designs (Gen 31:6, Gen 31:7); and third, between the diminishing herds of Laban and the multiplying flocks of himself, Jacob, both of which were traceable to Divine interposition (Gen 31:8, Gen 31:10, Gen 31:12). After enlarging on these contrasts, he informs them of the Divinely-given order to return (Gen 31:13).

2. The answer of Rachel and Leah. Acknowledging the mean and avaricious spirit of their father, who had not only sold them as slaves, but unjustly deprived them of the portions to which, as the daughters of a chieftain, they were entitled (Gen 31:14, Gen 31:15), they first confess that Jacob’s wealth was nothing more than it would have been had they been honorably dowered at the first; second, recognize the hand of God in thus punishing their father and restoring to their husband what was practically his; and, third, encourage him to yield complete and prompt obedience to the Divine commandment (Gen 31:16).

III. THE HASTY DEPARTURE. In this there were four things discernible.

1. Faith. In setting his face towards Canaan he was acting in obedience to Divine instructions; and respect unto God’s commandments is an essential characteristic of living faith.

2. Love. In determining “to go to Isaac his father” he was actuated by a true spirit of filial piety.

3. Wisdom. In stealing away unawares to Laban, while Laban was providentially detained at the sheep-shearing, there was commendable prudence, which, if possible, a good man should never lack.

4. Sin. Not indeed on Jacob’s part, but on that of Rachel, who, taking advantage of her father’s absence, carried off his Penates or household images.

Learn

1. That the love of country and friends is deeply implanted in the human breast.

2. That it is a great trial for worldly men to see good fortune go past their doors.

3. That the love of money, or the greed of gain, is the root of every kind of evil.

4. That the promises of God, however long delayed, are certain of fulfillment.

5. That loving husbands should consult their wives in all important steps in life.

6. That daughters should avoid speaking ill of parents, even should those parents deserve it.

7. That wives should always study to encourage their husbands in doing God’s will.

8. That those who flee from oppression should seek for safety in paths of God’s appointing.

9. That thriving and prosperous sons should not forget their parents in old age.

10. That daughters should not steal from their fathers, even to the extent of pilfering worthless images.

Fuente: The Complete Pulpit Commentary

Gen 31:1. And he heard, &c. i.e.. Jacob heard: another proof of the bad divisions of the chapters. Three things concurred to determine him in his departure from Laban: the first, the envy and jealousy of Laban’s sons; the second, the chagrin and ill behaviour of Laban, Gen 31:2.; and the third, the direction of God himself, Gen 31:3. By all this glory all these riches are meant; for the Scripture often calls riches by the name of glory, as they are the great means of procuring worldly honour and glory.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

THIRD SECTION

Jacobs thought of returning home. New treaty with Laban. His closely calculated proposition (Prelude to the method of acquiring possession of the Egyptian vessels). Labans displeasure. Gods command to return

Gen 30:25 to Gen 31:3

25And it came to pass, when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban, Send me away [let me go], that I may go unto mine own place, and to my country. 26Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served thee, and let me go: for thou knowest my service which I have done thee. 27And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favour in thine eyes, tarry; for I have learned by experience3 that the Lord hath blessed me for thy sake. 28And he said, [farther], Appoint me thy 29wages, and I will give it. And [But] he said unto him, Thou knowest how I have 30served thee, and how thy cattle was with me [what thy herds have become under me]. For it was little which thou hadst before I came, and it is now increased unto a multitude; and the Lord hath blessed thee, since my coming4 [after me]: and now when shall I provide for mine own house also? 31And he said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob said, Thou shalt not give me anything [anything peculiar], If thou wilt do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep thy flock [small cattle]: 32I will pass through all thy flock to-day, removing from thence all the speckled and spotted [dappled] cattle [lambs], and all the brown [dark-colored] cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats: and of such shall be my hire. 33So shall my righteousness [rectitude] answer for me in time to come,5 when it shall come for my hire; before thy face: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the sheep, that shall be counted stolen with me. 34And Laban said, Behold, I would it might be according to thy word. 35And he removed that day the he-goats that were ringstreaked [striped] and spotted, and all the she-goats that were speckled and spotted, and every one that had some white in it, and all the brown among the sheep, and gave them into the hands of his sons. 36And he set three days journey betwixt himself [the shepherds and flocks of Laban] and Jacob [the flocks of Jacob under his sons]: and Jacob fed the rest [the sifted] of Labans flocks.

37And Jacob took him rods of green poplar, [gum] and of the hazel [almond] and chestnut-tree [maple]6; and pilled white streaks in them, and made the white appear which 38 was in the rods. And he laid the rods which he had [striped] pilled before the flocks in the gutters in the watering-troughs7 when the flocks came [to which the flocks must come] to drink, that they should conceive when they came to drink. 39And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth [threw, cast] ringstreaked, speckled and spotted. 40And Jacob did separate the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the ringstraked, and all the brown in the flock of Laban; and he put his own flocks by themselves, and put them not unto Labans cattle. 41And it came to pass, whensoever the stronger cattle did conceive, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the cattle in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods. 42But when the cattle were feeble, 43he put them not in: so the feebler were Labans, and the stronger Jacobs. And the man increased exceedingly, and had much [small] cattle, and maid-servants, and menservants, and camels and asses.

Gen 31:1 And he heard the words of Labans sons, saying, Jacob hath taken away all that was our fathers; and of that which was our fathers hath he gotten all this glory [riches]8. 2And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was 3not toward him as before9 [formerly]. And [Then] the Lord said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred [thy home]; and I will be with thee.

GENERAL PRELIMINARY REMARKS

1. The term , Gen 30:27 (comp. Gen 12:13), shows that this section, according to Knobel, is Jehovistic.

2. In consequence of Labans deception, Jacob must serve fourteen years for his Rachel. According to Gen 31:41 he served him six years longer, agreeably to the terms of the contract that he had just now concluded with him.

3. The doubtful way in which he now secured his reward leads us to conjecture that he was conscious that he had been defrauded by Laban, and that he was dealing with a selfish man, whose selfishness and power, he thought, could only be countervailed by cunning. Nor is it to be denied that wisdoms weapon is given to the feeble to protect himself against the harsh and cruel power of the strong. Our narrative comes under the same category with the surreptitious obtaining of the blessing of the first-born by Jacob, and the acquisition of the gold and silver vessels of the Egyptians by the Israelites. The prudence manifested in these cases is the same; but still there was a real deception in the first case (one deception, however, against another); in the present case it was simply an overreaching, while in the third they were only availing themselves of the situation of the Egyptians, i. e., their disposition. In all three cases, however, the artful, or at least wisely-calculated, project, was provoked by a great and gross wrong. Esau proposes to take back the birthright which he had sold to Jacob. Laban caused him to perform a service of fourteen years, and intends to make him still further a prey to his avarice. The Egyptians have indeed consumed the very strength of Israel by their bondage. And if the scale here turns against Jacob because he thus cunningly overreached his father-in-law, it is balanced by Labans pressing him again into his service, that he might misuse him anew; nor is the marvellous charm to be left out of view, which lay in his ancient nomadic science and art. Superior minds were never inclined to let their arts and sciences lie dormant.

EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL

1. Gen 30:25-34. The new contract.When Rachel.At Josephs birth [which therefore could not have occurred until the fifteenth year of his residence with Laban.A. G.] a strong feeling comes over Jacob, which leads him to believe that he is to return home without having received a call from thence or a divine command here. It is apparent from what follows that he first of all wished to become independent of Laban, in order to provide for his own. He is, therefore, soon hampered again, since a fair prospect opened to him now and here. Labans character now comes into view in every utterance.May I still grace, etc., lit., If I have found favor, etc. If this expression may be called an aposiopesis, we must still bear in mind that this was a standing form of expression even in the oath. Keil supplies stay yet. The optative form already expresses all that is possible. If is, according to Delitzsch, a heathen expression, then the phraseology in Labans mouth appears more striking still, through the connection of this expression with Jehovahs name.Appoint me.He not only recognizes, almost fawningly, Jacobs worth to his house, but is even willing to yield unconditionally to his determinationa proof that he did not expect of Jacob too great a demand. But Jacob is not inclined to trust himself to his generosity, and hence his cunningly calculated though seemingly trifling demand. Labans consent to his demand, however, breathes in the very expression the joy of selfishness; and it is scarcely sufficient to translate: Behold, I would it might be according to thy word. But Jacobs proposition seems to point to a very trifling reward, since the sheep in the East are nearly all white, while the goats are generally of a dark color or speckled. For he only demands of Labans herds those sheep that have dark spots or specks, or that are entirely black, and those only of the goats that were white-spotted or striped. But he does not only demand the speckled lambs brought forth hereafter, after the present number of such are set aside for Laban (Tuch, Baumg., Kurtz), but the present inspection is to form the first stock of his herds (Knobel, Delitzsch). [The words, thou shalt not give me anything, seem to indicate that Jacob had no stock from Laban to begin with, and did not intend to be dependent upon him for any part of his possessions. Those of this description which should appear among the flocks should be his hire. He would depend upon the divine providence and his own skill. He would be no more indebted to Laban than Abraham to the king of Sodom.A. G.] Afterwards, also, the speckled ones brought forth among Labans herds are to be added to his, as is evident from his following arts. Michaelis and Bohlen miss the purport, but it lies in verse 33. For when he invites Laban to muster his herds in time to come, it surely does not mean literally the next day, as Delitzsch supposes, but in time to come (see Gesenius, ). As often as Laban came to Jacobs herds in the future he must regard all the increase in speckled and ringstreaked lambs as Jacobs property, but if he found a purely white sheep or an entirely black goat, then, and only then, he might regard it as stolen. (As to the sheep and goats of the East, see Bible Dictionaries, the Natural History of the Bible, and Knobel, p. 246.) Moreover, this transaction is not conducted wholly in the conventional forms of oriental politeness, as in Genesis 23, between Abraham and the Hittites (Del.). Labans language is submissive, while that of Jacob is very frank and bold, as became his invigorated courage and the sense of the injustice which he had suffered.

2. Gen 30:35-36. The separation of the herds.And he removed.It surely is not correct, as Rosenmller, Maurer, Del. and Keil suppose, that Laban is here referred to; that Laban, to be more certain, had removed the speckled ones himself and put them under the care of his own sons. In this view everything becomes confused, and Bohlen justly remarks: The reference here is to Jacob, because he intended to separate the animals (Gen 30:32), as certainly it was proper for the head servant to do, and because there is no mention of Labans sons until Gen 31:1, while Jacobs older children were certainly able to take care of the sheep. Reuben, at the close of this new term of six years, had probably reached his thirteenth year, Simeon his eleventh. But even if they had not reached these years, the expression he gave them, , could mean: he formed a new family state, or herds, as a possession of his sons, although they were assisted in the management by the mothers, maids, and servants, since he himself had anew become Labans servant. Hence it is also possible (Gen 30:36) for him to make a distinction between himself as Labans servant, and Jacob as an independent owner, now represented by his sons. It is altogether improbable that Jacob would entrust his herds to Labans sons. But it is entirely incomprehensible that Jacob, with his herds, could have taken flight without Labans knowledge, and gained three days the start, unless his herds were under the care of his own sons. [This is of course well put and unanswerable on the supposition that the sheep and goats which were removed from the flocks ere Jacobs stock to begin with, but it has no force if we regard these as Labans, and put therefore under the care of his own sons, while Jacob was left to manage the flocks from which the separated were taken.A. G.]Three days journey betwixt.Lit., a space of three days between. Certainly days journeys here are those of the herds and are not to be estimated according to the journeys of men. Again, Jacob is ahead of Laban three days, and yet Laban can overtake him. We may conceive, therefore, of a distance of about twelve hours, or perhaps eighteen miles. By means of this separation Jacob not only gained Labans confidence but also his property.

3. Gen 30:37-43. Jacobs management of Labans herds.Took him rods.De Wette: Storax, almond-tree, maple. Bunsen: Gum-tree. The Alexandrians here translate, styrax-tree, but Hos 4:13 poplars. If we look at the Arabic, in which our Hebrew word has been preserved, the explanation of styrax-tree is to be preferred. It is similar to the quince, grows in Syria, Arabia, and Asia Minor, reaches the height of about twelve feet, and furnishes, if incisions are made in the bark, a sweet, fragrant-smelling, and transparent gum, of a light-red color, called styrax. Almond-tree. This signification is uncertain, since the hazelnut-tree may also be referred to. Plane-tree. A splendid tree, frequent even in South Europe, having large boughs, extending to a great distance (hence the Greek name, Platane), and bearing some resemblance to the maple tree. Jacob of course must select rods from such trees, whose dark external bark produced the greatest contrast with the white one below it. In this respect gum-tree might be better adapted than white poplars, almond-tree or chestnut better than hazelnut, and maple better than plane-tree. Keil: Storax, chestnut, and maple trees, which all have below their, bark a white, dazzling wood. Thus he procured rods of different kinds and pilled white streaks in them.And he set the rods.Knobel thinks, he placed the staffs on the watering-troughs, but did not put them in the gutters. But this does not agree with the choice of the verb, nor the fact itself: the animals, by looking into the water for some time, were to receive, as it were, into themselves, the appearance of the rods lying near. They, in a technical sense, were frightened at them. The wells were surrounded with watering-troughs, used for the watering of the cattle.And they conceived.For the change of the forms here, see Keil, p. 210.And brought forth cattle.This crafty trick was based upon the common experience of the so-called fright of animals, especially of sheep, namely, that the representations of the senses during coition are stamped upon the form of the ftus (see Boch., Hieroz., i. 618, and Friedreich upon the Bible, i. 37, etc.). Keil. For details see Knobel, p. 247, and Delitzsch, p. 472And set the faces of the flock.Jacobs second artifice. The speckled animals, it is true, were removed, from time to time, from Labans herds, and added to Jacobs flock, but in the meantime Jacob put the speckled animals in front of the others, so that Labans herds had always these spotted or variegated animals before them, and in this manner another impression was produced upon the she-goats and sheep. Bohlen opposes this second artifice, against Rosenmller, Maurer, and others. The clause in question should be: he sent them to the speckled ones that already belonged to him ( in the sense of versus). But the general term is against this. The separation of the new-born lambs and goats from the old herds could only be gradual.The stronger cattle.The third artifice. He so arranged the thing that the stronger cattle fell to him, the feebler to Laban. His first artifice, therefore, produced fully the desired effect. It was owing partly, perhaps, to his sense of equity toward Laban, and partly to his prudence, that he set these limits to his gain; but he still, however, takes the advantage, since he seeks to gain the stronger cattle for himself. Bohlen: Literally, the bound ones, firmly set, i. e., the strong, just as the covered ones, i. e., the feeble, languid, faint; for the transition is easy from the idea of binding, firmness, to that of strength, and from that of covering, to languishing, or faintness. Some of the old translators refer them to vernal and autumnal lambs (comp. Plin. 8, 47, Columella, De re rust., 8, 3), because the sheep in Palestine and similar climates bear twice in a year (Aristot., Hist. Anim., 6, 18, 19; Problems, 10, 46; Bochart, Hieroz., i. p. 512), and because those conceived in the Spring or Summer and born in the Autumn are stronger than those conceived in Autumn and born in Spring. But the text does not draw this precise distinction. The Septuagint only distinguishes between and . Luther renders late and early born.And the man increased.With the rich increase in cattle, care was taken at the same time to secure an increase in men-servants and maid-servants, as well as camels and asses. Knobel finds a contradiction in the fact that this rich increase is here ascribed to Jacobs artifice, whilst it is attributed to the divine blessing in Gen 31:9. But so much only is evident, that Jacob did not act against his conscience, but thought that he might anticipate and assist by human means the fulfilment of those visions in which the rewards of this kind were promised to him.And he heard. The complete success that Jacob met with excited the envy and jealousy of Labans sons, whose existence is indicated first in the plural (Gen 29:27), but whose definite appearance here shows that the selfish disposition peculiar to this family was more fully developed in them than in Laban himself.The words of Labans sons.According to Delitzsch, they were quite small, not yet fourteen years of agean assertion, however, which has no sufficient ground.

4. Gen 31:1-3. Jacobs resolution to return home.All that was our fathers.They evidently exaggerate in their hatred, and even accus him of dishonesty by the use of the expression: of that which was our fathers. But Laban shares in the threatening disposition; his countenance had changed remarkably toward Jacob, a fact all the more striking, since he had formerly been extraordinarily friendly. Trouble and dangers similar to those at home now develop themselves here; then comes, at the critical juncture, Jehovahs command: Return.

DOCTRINAL AND ETHICAL

1. Jacobs resolution to return home at his own risk, is to be explained from his excessive joy at Josephs birth, and from his longing for home and for deliverance from the oppression of Laban. Moreover, he seems to have considered Rachels son as the principal Messianic heir, and therefore must hasten to conduct him to the promised land, even at the peril of his life. Besides, he now feels that he must provide for his own house, and with Labans selfishness there is very little prospect of his attaining this in Labans house. These two circumstances show clearly why he allows himself to be retained by Laban (for he has no assurance of faith that he is now to return), and in the second place, the manner and means by which he turns the contract to his own advantage.
2. We here learn that Labans prosperity was not very great before Jacobs arrival. The blessing first returns to the house with Jacobs entrance. But this blessing seemed to become to Laban no blessing of faith. His conduct toward the son of his sister and his son-in-law, becomes more and more base. He seizes eagerly, therefore, the terms offered to him by Jacob, because they appear to him most favorable, since the sheep in the East are generally white, while the goats are black. His intention, therefore, is to defraud Jacob, while he is actually overreached by him. Besides, this avails only of the mere form; as to the thing itself, Jacob really had claims to a fair compensation.
3. Just as Jacobs conduct at the surreptitious obtaining the birthright was preceded by Isaacs intended cunning, and the injustice of Esau, so also, in many respects, here Labans injustice and artifice precedes Jacobs project (Genesis 31). In this light Jacobs conduct is to be judged. Hence he afterwards views his real gain as a divine blessing, although he had to atone again for his selfishness and cunning, in the form of the gain, at least, by fears and danger. Moreover, we must still bring into view, as to Jacobs and Labans bargain, the following points: 1. Jacob asks for his wages very modestly and frankly; he asks for his wives and children, as the fruit of his wives, and for his discharge. While Laban wishes to keep him for his own advantage. 2. Jacob speaks frankly, Laban flatters and fawns. 3. Jacob might now expect a paternal treatment and dowry on the part of Laban. Laban, on the contrary, prolongs his servile relation, and asks him to determine his reward, because he expected from Jacobs modesty the announcement of very small wages. 4. In the proposition made by Jacob, he thought he had caught him.

4. The establishment of his own household, after being married fourteen years, shows that Jacob, in this respect, as well as in the conclusion of his marriage, awaited his time.
5. The so-called impressions of she goats and sheep, a very old observation, which the coperation of subtle impressions, images, and even imaginations at the formation of the ftus, and, indeed, the ftus itself among animals confirms.The attainment of varieties and new species among animals and plants is very ancient, and stands closely connected with civilization and the kingdom of God.
6. Jacobs sagacity, his weapon against the strong. But as he stands over against God, he employed different means, especially prayer.
7. The want of candor in Labans household, corresponds with the selfishness of the household.

8. In the following chapter we find still further details respecting Jacobs bargain. In the first place, the selfish Laban broke, in different ways, the firm bargain made with Jacob, in order to change it to his advantage (Gen 31:7). Secondly, Jacobs morbid sense of justice had been so excited that he received explanation of the state of things in his herds even in his night-visions.

HOMILETICAL AND PRACTICAL

See the Doctrinal and Ethical paragraphs. The present section is, for the most part, fitted for religious, biographical, and psychological contemplations. It is to be treated carefully both with respect to Jacobs censure as well as his praise.Jacobs resolutions to return home: 1. The first: why so vividly formed, but not accomplished; 2. the second: the cause of his assurance (the divine command). Moreover, perils equal to those threatening at home, were now surrounding him.His longing for home during his service abroad.The hardships of a severe servitude in Jacobs life, as well as in the history of his descendants: when blessed?Labans selfishness and Jacobs sense of right at war with each other.Prudence as a weapon in lifes batttle: 1. The authority to use this weapon when opposed to a harsh superiority or subtlety; 2. the mighty efficacy of this weapon; 3. the danger of this weapon.Jacobs prudence in its right and wrong aspects in our history: 1. The right lies in his just claims; 2. the wrong, in his want of candor, his dissimulation and his self-help.His natural science, or knowledge of nature, combined with prudence, a great power in life.The difficulties in the establishment of an household: 1. Their general causes; 2. how they are to be overcome.Jacobs prosperity abroad.Jacob struggling with difficulties all his life long.

Section First, Gen 30:25-34. Starke: (As to the different meanings of , Gen 30:27. Some commentators hold that Laban had superstitiously consulted his teraphim, or idols.)Bibl. Wirt.: It is customary with covetous people to deal selfishly with their neighbors.

Gen 30:30. By means of my foot. Luther: i. e., I had to hunt and run through thick and thin in order that you might be rich.

Gen 30:34. If Laban had been honest, he could have represented to Jacob, that he would be a great loser by this bargain. God even blesses impious masters on account of their pious servants (1Ti 5:8).Calwer Handbuch: Jacob 91 years old.Thus Labans covetousness and avarice is punished by the very bargain which he purposed to make for his own advantage.We are not to apply the criterion of Christianity to Jacobs conduct.Schrder: Acts and course of life among strangers. As to Laban. Courtesy together with religion are made serviceable to the attainment of his ends.Thus, also, in the future, there is only a more definite agreement of master and servant between Jacob and his father-in-law.(The period of pregnancy with sheep lasts five months; they may therefore lamb twice during the year. Herds were the liveliest and strongest in autumn, after having enjoyed the good pasture during the summer, etc. On the contrary, herds are feeble after having just passed the winter.)

Section Second, Gen 30:35-36. Starke: A Christian is to look for pious men-servants and maid-servants.

Section Third, Gen 30:37-43. Starke: Christian, be warned not to misuse this example to encourage the practice of cunning and deceit with your neighbor.Cramer: Wages that are earned, but kept back, cry to heaven; hence nature here serves Jacob (Jam 5:4).Hall: Gods children, even in external things, have evident proofs that his grace over them is greater than over the godless.Schrder: Luther and Calvin are inclined to excuse Jacob (Gen 31:12).

Section Fourth. Gen 31:1-3. Starke: It is a very great reproach if acquaintances and relatives slander each other.Hall: As the godless enjoy no peace with God, so also the pious enjoy no peace with godless men.Cramer: Sin in man is so poisonous that it glitters in the eye, and is sweet to the taste, and pleasant to all the members.Schrder: Thus the Lord often serves his people more through the jealousy of the godless, than if he suffered them to grow feeble in prosperity.

Gen 30:3. Luther: It probably was an answer to Jacobs prayer.The divine command and promise compensates Jacob for the promised message of the mother. Thus his return receives the character of an act of faith (Baumgarten).

Footnotes:

[3]Gen 30:27.Lit., I have augured, ; Sept., ; not that Laban was a serpent-worshipper, but that he used divination as the heathen; and thus drew his inferences and auguries.A. G.

[4]Gen 30:30.Lit., at my footA. G.

[5]Gen 30:33.Lit., in day to-morrowthe futureat all times, when, etc. Lange renders when thou shalt come upon or to my wages; i.e., to examine.A. G.

[6]Gen 30:37.Heb.,, plane-tree; so Sept., Vulg. and SyriacA.G.

[7] , an unusual archaic form for . Keil.A G.

[8] Ch. 31. Ver Gen 31:2.Lit., weight.A G.

[9]Gen 30:2.Lit., as yesterday, the day before.A. G.

Fuente: A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical by Lange

Pro 13:22 .

CONTENTS

After a servitude of many years, in the family of Laban, Jacob resolves to return to his own home. And to this measure he is prompted, not only by the unkind treatment of Laban and his sons, but still more by a divine direction. The circumstances of Jacob’s departure, with his wives and all that belonged to him: the pursuit of Laban after him: the gracious interposition of God for Jacob’s protection, by the ministry of a dream on the mind of Laban: their interview: their reconciliation; their covenant of amity; and their final separation; these form the principal contents of this Chapter.

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

Sweet thought! When we can trace all our mercies into God’s gifts, and all events which concern us, into God’s ordination. See Gen 45:7-8 .

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

In the Service of Laban

Genesis 29-31

The story occupied by Genesis 29-31 represents one of the oft-recurring mysteries of human life. That is to say, in view of what has just taken place, that story seems to be an anti-climax, and is felt to be, in some serious sense, even a disappointment. It is almost impossible to bring the mind from the contemplations upon which it has just been fixed to read such an incident as that which spreads itself over these three chapters. When a man has seen angels, heaven, God: whatever he sees next must be poor and small, wanting in light and pale in colour. It is hardly just to some scenes to come to them from greater visions. By force of contrast they do not get the credit which is fairly due to their smaller dimensions and their simpler beauty. After all, in every sense, it is a long way from heaven to earth. We have first seen Jacob made solemn by a great fear, and ennobled by a surprising revelation; now he has become as he was yesterday and the day before one of ourselves. Yet this is the way through which we are divinely conducted all life through sometimes on the mountain; then swiftly driven down into lonely places; today in great rapture almost in heaven everything there but the body, and tomorrow we shall be writing our names in the dust, eating the bread which stands for a moment between us and death, and be quite common men again. We tell of a great dream, saying what we have seen in the visions of the night, and presently we are sold off into Egyptian slavery; our faces burn when we commune with God upon the mountain-top, and presently we descend to be mocked by Aaron and Miriam; now we are upon Tabor, the mount of transfiguration, where we would gladly build; and behold presently we are sent down to heal the sorrow which is moaning at its base. It is so with Jacob now. After the fulness of light, the quiver of mysterious joy which is half fear, half hope, he must pick up the threads of life and work patiently like a drudge who has never been off the common way. This is so with us. The poetical balance of things would be disturbed when we read this history but for the confirmation of it which is supplied by our own daily experience; we should say the contrast is too sudden, too violent; only one hour has passed, and behold the great transformation has been wrought. As literary readers we would criticise the swiftness of the transition, and ask for more space, and a finer gradation of events; but life is always contradicting criticism, for life will have its own strange way. God will not accept the pathways which we cut for his Providence; he reigns, he is the One Sovereign; there is no measure to be laid upon his scheme of things; we must take its unfoldment as he sends it always holding ourselves ready for gracious surprises, for new changes, for unexpected wonders and heavens. How wondrous the change here! We, who have just been with Jacob in his dream, and have overheard his solemn words, now see him with staff in hand going on his journey, and coming into the land of the people of the east.

Jacob has left home as a deceiver how will he be made to feel that? In a very direct manner: Jacob himself will be deceived, as he had deceived his own father. There is no escape from that rule. Judgment cannot be avoided or evaded, eluded, bribed, or deprived of its terrific but righteous force and claim. Jacob goes out and is himself deceived: the only intelligible way by which he can be taught the wickedness of deceit. Yet how surprised we are when we are made the victims of our own policy. Jacob was amazed when he found that he had been deceived by his kinsfolk. His countenance was a picture; his face was marked all over with signs of amazement that he, of all living creatures, should have been deceived. We do not like to be paid in our own coin; it does not enter into our minds that we have to reap the produce which we have sown. Is it to be supposed that we can do just what we like, and hasten away from the consequences, or escape the penalty due to evil? “Be sure your sin will find you out.” What eyes it has! what keenness of scent! what little need of rest or sleep! The sinner has but twelve hours in the day judgment has twenty-four; it overtakes us in the dark. If we have been vainly thinking that we would sleep and the sin would sleep at the same time, we have miscalculated the operation of forces. Is not Jacob most human when he lifts up his pale, innocent face, and says, “What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?” How soon we forget our own selves. The mark of the supplanter was upon every feature of his face; he was a vagabond on the face of the earth; he had himself run away from the deception of his own father, and behold he says, “What is this thou hast done unto me?” Jacob turned into Daniel! The supplanter on the judicial seat! The beautiful innocence that never put on skins that his hands might be hairy asks Laban however it has come to pass that he, Jacob, of all guileless persons, should be deceived. We understand the mystery: it is part of our own daily life; but how utterly surprising that any of us should be misled, that we should be robbed, that we should be unkindly treated. Is there not a cause? Can you rob others without in turn being robbed? Can you sow bad seed and reap good crops? Can you escape the solemn consequence of events which is now known amongst us and magnified under the holy name of Providence? Is there not a God that judgeth in the earth a mysterious, unmeasurable, sometimes unnameable, Power that seizes us and says, “There is something due to you now”? Then comes the great stroke that almost severs us in twain; then the great blow that stuns us and lays us prostrate on the earth, or then the subtle craftiness that makes fools of us in the twilight, mocks us in the darkness, and leaves us helpless in the morning. We ask, What is this? Poor innocence, sweet guilelessness; how can it be that any Laban should have sunk to such a depth of wickedness as to practise an imposture upon us? How odd that we should have to suffer. How mysterious the ways of Providence. No: how mysterious the ways of man first. There is a mystery in us: that we, who were made to sing God’s praise, and to hold converse with heaven in holy prayer, should have deceived the old, and the blind, and the helpless. That is the ineffable and eternal mystery. “Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished.” “Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.” “With what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged.” “The Lord hath done unto me as I have done unto others.” It is well; the balance of things is exquisitely kept. “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine: I will repay, saith the Lord” not today, or tomorrow, or here, or there according to your fixing and appointing: but God’s word cannot be broken. Is this a shaft shot into the core of some hearts? Is this an awful blow aimed at some self-righteousness? The Lord be blessed! There is a smiting that is followed by healing; there is a cry of contrition which may be followed by a hymn of praise.

Further pursuing the story, you will find that Jacob must be made to feel the strength and agony of natural instincts, and so enter into sympathy with his distressed father. The Lord will complete his educational work in Jacob; the Lord will make him cry bitterly. We do not deceive our fathers for nothing. The Lord will not allow the old man’s heart to be sawn asunder, as it were, by our cruelty, without making us feel some day what sorrow we have wrought. In the far-away land, Jacob speaks about “mine own place, and my country,” saying, “Let me go back to them; nor let me go alone: let me take with me my wives and my children.” Thus God gets hold of us at a thousand points. God creates a great heart-hunger for the old country, the old homestead, the old folks we have left behind, the old associations; and that hunger bites us, gives us mortal pain, and, through that hunger, we are sometimes led to pray. Jacob says, Let me take my wives and my children with me. He is beginning himself now to feel the mystery of the home-feeling. When he perpetrated the deed of supplanting, and accomplished the transfer of the blessing to himself, there was in the view of his selfishness but one man; he seemed to have no one to consider but himself; he could perform an evil deed and flee away without needing family counsel, or without rending family or paternal sensibility on his own part. Now the case is different: now Jacob has struck his social roots deep into the earth: now it is like taking up some well-planted tree to move him. Yet he says, “Let me go.” God thus gets hold of us: he gets hold of us through our little children, through our family interests, through our household circle. We are nailed and bound down by uncontrollable instincts and forces. Again and again these forces renew themselves. Why does not Jacob go away alone? He cannot: there are some murders which even Jacob cannot commit. How is it that even men who can lie, deceive, cheat, rob, and do many wicked things, always fall back from one particular crime which seems to shock them and produce in their minds a feeling of unutterable revulsion? This is the mystery of God. It is imaginatively hard to break all the ten commandments at a stroke: who does not leave just one that he cannot violate? and having left that one which he himself cannot break, how the man wonders that any other human creature can break that particular statute. He prides himself that one is untouched, and has yet upon it the bloom of its honour. In what various ways our hearts are wrung. Could we see a map of all the ways by which men are brought back again to God, we should be amazed at the intricacy, and relations, and crossings of the innumerable lines; here they coincide, there they sharply separate, again they seem to touch; across them run other lines in great surprises of movement, and yet, by some mysterious action, all the lines converge upon the abandoned house of the Father, the discarded altar of the Cross, and all the various voices of life are one in the solemn pathos of the confession and petition for pardon. This is the Lord’s way.

As to the transactions between Jacob and Laban, they must stand without explanation or defence. They amaze us. It would seem impossible for some men to live other than a life of trickery, scheming, and selfish policy. Did we not know it in ourselves, we should resent it on the page of the biographer, or in the verses of the poet. It is a mystery in the moral kingdom beyond all other mysteries of a human kind that men can be perpetrating deeds of evil, can be following policies of self-aggrandisement, can be telling or acting lies, and yet all the time have a certain broad line of religious feeling and aspiration drawing itself through their divided and chaotic life. This is mystery. We need not go into heaven to ask for wonders: we ourselves are living problems; enigmas to which there is no present and satisfactory reply. Jacob was still a swindler; Jacob still divided his week into opportunities for promoting himself and deceiving his mother’s brother. Do not let us become special pleaders on Jacob’s behalf. All I can say can be said under two divisions of thought. First, God spared Jacob: therefore I must not strike; God forbore him, had patience with him, saw something in him that no one else could see. Blessed be God! he is the same with us, or who could live one whole day upon the earth? Were he to mark one iniquity in a thousand, who could ever pray again? or lift up his head in hope? or feel upon his blanched face the warmth of the sun’s bright smile? God sees in every Jacob more than Jacob sees in himself. Second: We may not really know the whole story. Who can tell all a man’s life every word, syllable, and tittle of it? We are all seen in phases, aspects, and partial manifestations, and the reports which are made of us partake very largely of the imperfection of the manifestations which we ourselves make to our fellow-creatures. We do not know all that Jacob did, or all that Laban did. We know in part; the part we do know we do not admire; but we must always fall back upon the circumstance that God spares, and therefore has a reason for the sparing. If the case were so narrow, and little, and puny, as we often make it a criminal and a judge, a felony and destruction why then the whole tragedy of life could be settled in a moment; but in the worst of us there is some faint sparkle of better things which God sees, in the meanest of us there is a soul meant for heaven. Even the man who is basest, who has broken all the commandments, and has been almost sorry there were not more commandments to break, has in him, in God’s sight, some point on which, if not the Divine complacency, the Divine compassion may be fixed. His mercy endureth for ever; his patience is greater than our transgression. Where sin aboundeth, grace doth much more abound like a great billow of the sea rising, heightening, swelling into infiniteness of pathos. On these grounds, then, I rest, viz., the forbearance of God, therefore the possibility of features of a redeeming kind I do not see; and, second, the incompleteness of my knowledge which, when completed, may enable me to judge otherwise. This will be the explanation of the rest of heaven; this will be the mitigation of the judgment day namely, that we shall then see things from God’s own standpoint We shall then see hell as God sees it; we shall then know perfectly according to the measure of our capacity; and whether the issue be darkness outer and unspeakable, or light complete and ineffable, we shall say, “He hath done all things well.”

How bold a book is the Bible. The Bible hides nothing of shame; the Bible is not afraid of words which make the cheek burn; the Bible conceals nothing of moral crippleness, infirmity, or weakness, or evil. The Bible holds everything up in the light. Recognise, at least, the fearless honesty of the book. This is not a gallery of artistic figures; this is no gathering together of dramatic characters painted, arrayed, taught to perform their part aesthetically, without fault and beyond criticism; these are living men and women when they pray, when they sin, when they shout like a host of worshippers, and when they fall down like a host of rebels, or flee like a host of cowards. The Bible paints real characters. God says what is true about every one of us. If there is shame in it, we must feel it: the wrong is ours, not his. No other book could be so dauntless, could paint what we call the defective side of human nature with so bold a hand and yet claim to be the revelation of God. Things, however, must always be looked at in their proper relation and in their right perspective. You may bring some chapters of the Bible so closely to your eyes as to be shocked by their revelations. You say they are not to be read, they are not to be spoken of: they are to be quickly hastened over. Or you yourself can rise by the grace of God to such heroic righteousness as to be able to look upon putrefaction, and blasphemy, and all wickedness, and great hell itself, and name them all without a blush, or without a shudder. Things are what they are in their right relation and proper atmosphere.

So we return to our starting-point Life is varied sometimes a dream all light, sometimes a vision of blue heavens; a great cloudless day, or a night burning with innumerable stars lamps of an unseen sanctuary; sometimes a transfiguration, sometimes a holy ecstasy, sometimes a vale of tears a place of weeping, a desert of sand, a sea all storm; sometimes extraordinary all but supernatural, without one trace of commonness or familiarity upon it; and then servitude, sheep-tending, field-culture, monotony: rising in the morning, going the daily round, retiring at night weary, eating the bread of industry, and sleeping the sleep of honesty a commonplace, dull, pendulum-life. So be it It is not mine to choose my life: let me resign the disposal of the lot into the hand of God, saying, “Lord, if it be mine to dream on the way to Padan-aram, and to build a Bethel in unexpected places, blessed be thy name! Or if it be mine to be a common herdsman, a gatherer of sycamore fruit; if it be mine to be a hewer of wood or a drawer of water, thy will be done; if thou dost mean me to be a flying angel, thy will be done; if thou dost lay me upon a bed of suffering and say, ‘By patience learn the mystery of my purpose,’ thy will, my God, not mine be done.” To say all this under such circumstances is to touch the very acme and sublimity of grace.

Fuente: The People’s Bible by Joseph Parker

XXVII

JACOB’S CONVERSION AND LIFE IN HARAN

Gen 28:10-31:55

Now we come to an important event in Jacob’s life, his leaving home to be absent many years, and his conversion. How different his leaving from old Eliezer’s! Eliezer went openly, with a large train and many handsome presents. Jacob had to slip off, without money, an exile and afoot. From this time on the man’s individuality will come out. This chapter gives an account of his conversion, the great event of his life, Gen 28:10-18 . That dream was God’s method of communicating with this lonely man. The ladder in that dream, according to John’s Gospel, represents Jesus Christ, the connecting stairway between earth and heaven, upon which angels descend to earth and ascend to heaven. In that dream Jacob saw a grand sight for any man. Earth and heaven had been separated by sin with earth’s inhabitants under a curse. By grace that chasm was spanned by the coming of the Redeemer. Upon that stairway angels come to earth and carry back their reports. Jesus said (Joh 1 ), “Hereafter you shall see the angels of heaven ascending and descending upon the Son of man,” showing that he fulfilled the type of Jacob’s ladder. Dr. Richard Fuller has a marvelous sermon on Jacob’s ladder. He was the great orator of the Southern Baptist pulpit, tall, finely formed, handsome, his voice as a silver bell, and as sweet in its melody as the whisper of an Aeolian harp. It is said that no man could interest a crowd following Dr. Fuller in a speech. He is the only man, other than Dr. J. L. Burrows who has preached the Convention Sermon more than once in the Southern Baptist Convention. People were carried away by the man and his personality. He was one of the few rich men who are called a man of great intellectuality. Read his sermon on Jacob’s ladder, and also the one on “The Cross of Christ.”

Jacob awakened from his sleep and said, “Surely Jehovah is in this place,” and he called the name of that place Bethel. “And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, and Jehovah shall be my God, then this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.” There is the evidence of his conversion, his keen sense of divine presence and realization of the import of divine communication, his recognition, as if for the first time in his hitherto unworthy life, of his relations to God and the fixed purpose that came into his heart from that time on to serve God, and to honor God with the firstfruits. Here we come to the second mention of tithing before the giving of the law on Sinai. We have seen before that Abraham gave tithes to Melchizedek. This man is changed from this time on. He does not lose his shrewd business sense, but he is godly and prayerful and believes that wherever he goes God is with him. That is the secret of a religious life. The conviction that there is a direct connection between earth and heaven, and that every angel in heaven, to the extent of his power, is pledged to the companionship and protection of every child of God, and that Jesus Christ is the connecting link between earth and heaven, and that through sickness and health, good and evil report, God will be with his people, is a sure basis of a good life. That consciousness brings out the purpose, “I will serve and honour God with everything that I have.” I remember, while sitting in the back end of a wagon, I read this passage to my wife. The circumstances were these: At the close of the War Between the States, though crippled with wounds, and bankrupt, I voluntarily assumed an antebellum debt of $4,000, not legally my own, and had finally paid all by selling everything I bad but wife and baby, and was moving to a church on the promise of $500 a year. I said, “Now, wife, here is a time to settle our financial relation to God. We haven’t got a thing, and we are sure to fail if he is not honored by us, and if he is honored we will succeed. Let us enter into a covenant right here that whatever happens we will give God one-tenth of every cent that we ever make.” We did from that time on. I have long since passed that limit. For many years I have been giving one-fifth, and some years two-fifths. So here was the event that changed this man’s life. What matters it that he was banished from home and alone, without friends and without money? If God’ was his portion he was rich no matter how poor. If God was with him he had company, no matter how lonely. If God was for him, who could be against him?

The rest of this chapter we devote to Jacob’s life in Haran (Genesis 29-31:55), a period of twenty years. He enters tliat country afoot, with nothing but the clothes he had on and the staff in his hand. He comes out an exceedingly rich man, very much married, with twelve children. Another son was born later. The lesson commences with telling how he arrived at Haran and stopped at the well, perhaps the same at which old Eliezer stopped when he went after a bride for Isaac. Here he meets Rachel, the one woman throughout his life he was to love. She was a little girl about ten or twelve years old, or she would not have bad charge of the flock by herself. But in Oriental countries a girl of twelve is equal in maturity to a girl of seventeen here. It was a case of love at first sight. He never loved another woman while he lived. After they were made known to each other (v. II), “And Jacob kissed Rachel and lifted up his voice and wept.” My first question is, Why did he weep after kissing that girl? I leave that for you to find out. When Brother Truett and his wife were here, looking toward each other just about like Jacob and Rachel, and we were passing over this, I gave that same question. Some of the class answered, “He wept because he had not commenced that work sooner.” And one ill-natured young preacher said, “He wept because Rachel had been eating onions.” But Brother Truett’s wife gave the true answer. See who of you will give it.

The next remark is on the Gen 29:14 : “And Laban, the father of Rachel, said unto him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him a month of days,” i.e. he stayed as a guest for a full month. A guest must not stay too long. So naturally Laban raised the question of something to do, and said to Jacob, “Because thou art my brother,” which means kinsman, “shouldst thou, therefore, serve me for nothing? Tell me what shall be thy wages.” Laban proposes a business transaction. Look at it. Jacob says, referring to the two girls Leah, the elder, was not beautiful and her eyes were weak, but Rachael was beautiful of form and countenance “I will serve thee seven years for thy younger daughter. It was the custom for the bridegroom to give presents, and in the Orient today a man in a measure purchases his wife. But Jacob had nothing to give, but he was to serve seven years without other wages. Young men of the present day think if they serve for a girl thirty days that it is a great tax on them, and they begin to think how much they have paid for ice cream, streetcar fare, buggy rides, theater tickets, etc., and begin to bring matters to a focus. They have not the love that Jacob had. And his proposition was accepted. Next, Gen 29:20 , “And Jacob served for Rachel seven years, and they were in his eyes but a few days for the love he had for her.” There is a remarkable proof of the genuineness of his love. This is one of the most illustrious cases of deep, personal, lifelong attachment that we have any historical account of, and has become proverbial: “Serve seven years for Rachel.” At the end of the seven years he claimed the fulfillment of the contract. Now this young man who had practiced the deception upon his old, blind father, has a deception practiced upon him. Laban is very tricky and unscrupulous. All that crowd up there are shrewd traders and sharp bargainers. Whoever deals with them has to keep both eyes open, and not sleep in the day, and not sleep very sound at any time in the night. They are that way till this day. The manner of consummating the marriage, the betrothal of which had lasted seven years, is very simple: In a formal way the father veils the girl and at night turns her over to the bridegroom. That ends the ceremony. I have seen a letter today from a judge who occupies his seat for the first time, and he says one of the first acts of his administration was to marry a couple and he tells of the ceremony, too simple to repeat, but it does not make much difference about the form, the fact that the transfer has been made and accepted establishes the validity.

Here comes a general question, What ill-natured English poet, in order to illustrate what he calls the disillusions that follow marriage said, “With Rachel we lie down at night; in the morning, behold it is Leah”? I don’t agree with him at all. There have been thousands and thousands of marriages where there was not only no disillusion after the marriage was consummated, but an ever-deepening, lifelong attachment. I expect if some woman had written a couplet she would have put it: “With George Washington we lie down at night, and in the morning, lo I it is Benedict Arnold.” It sounds smart, but you ought not to have any respect for any man who reflects upon the sanctity of the marriage relation. I knew a couple who married early, the man about twenty-three, and the girl about eighteen. After twenty-five years had passed the man said, “I have not been anywhere in the world that she has not been with me. Even when I go hunting, fishing, traveling, she is with me. And there has never been an hour since I married her that I had not rather be with her than with anybody else in the world.” And the woman said the same thing. I think that kind of testimony is much better than the English poet’s testimony.

Jacob was very indignant at the cheat perpetrated upon him. He did not love Leah, and he did not want her at all. The explanation that Laban made is so thin that it won’t hold water. It is not true that in the East you cannot marry the younger until the older is disposed of. Laban then said, “As soon as the week of wedding festivities is over, I will let you have Rachel, provided you will serve seven more years. You can take her at the end of the week, but you take her on a credit until you have served the seven years.” Jacob made that trade. Fourteen years of hard work! I want you to think of that whenever you think of the bad things Jacob did; think also of the good points in the man.

Now we come to the evils of polygamy forced upon Jacob. He never wanted but one woman, but this trickery of his uncle gave him two, and the jealousy of these two wives fastened upon him two more; so that there were two wives and two concubines. For quite a while the strife between the two wives goes on. What kind of a home do you suppose that was? Among the Mormons they do sometimes give a separate house to each wife, but others put a dozen in the same house. Jealousy is certain to develop and cause conflict among the children. A struggle between these two wives is manifested in the names given to the children. Leah, in these seven years, bore Jacob seven children, six sons and one daughter. Rachel bore one son, Joseph, and afterward another. The two maidservants bore two each. That makes twelve sons. I will call the names out in the order in which they were born. Reuben, Leah’s firstborn, means “See, a son.” It expresses her pride, that Jacob’s firstborn was a son, and not a daughter. Simeon, her second, means “a hearing”: that she asked God, as the love of her husband had not come when Reuben was born as she supposed, to send her another child, but Jacob still did not love her. Levi, her third, means “a Joiner”; “Now I will be joined to my husband.” But he did not join them. Judah, her fourth, means “praise”; “Praise Jehovah for the blessing that has come upon me, now that I have borne four sons to my husband.” When Bilhah, Rachel’s handmaid, bore a son, Rachel named him Dan, meaning “a judge”; “God has judged my side of the case.” When Naphtali, the second son, was born to her handmaid, Rachel names him “wrestling.” She had wrestled in prayer to God for still additional hold on the husband. Then Zilpah, Leah’s handmaid, bore a son and he is named Gad. The literal Hebrew means “good fortune,” but when we come to interpret it in chapter 49, it means “7 troop,” i.e., four sons have already been born on the Leah side and here is another. That means there is going to be a troop of them. Her next son is named Asher, which means “happy” happy in getting the advantage of Rachel. Then Leah herself bears another son, Issachar, which means “reward.” Her next son, Zebulun, means “dwelling.” “I have borne six sons to my husband. Surely he will dwell with me.” When her daughter was born she named her Dinah, which means “vindication”: “God is vindicating my side of the marriage relation.” At that time Rachel bore her first child and she named him Joseph, “May he add, as I now have a start.” Later on, Rachel’s last son is born, and dying she names him Benoni, “the child of my anguish.” But the husband steps in and for the first time gets to name one of the children. He names him Benjamin, “the child of my right hand.” These are the twelve names bestowed on the sons. When we come to the dying blessing that Jacob pronounces in chapter 49 upon all of the children, we will see some additions to the names and the characteristics there brought out. These titles come from what the mothers thought of the twelve children at the time they were born, but the names from chapter 49 come from the developments of character in the boys themselves. In Deu 33 , where Moses pronounces the blessing on the twelve tribes, calling them by their names, he leaves out one of the twelve altogether, and brings in new titles not based upon what was in the mother’s mind, nor upon the characteristics of the twelve sons, but upon the characteristics of the tribes descended from the sons. In Rev 12 , we will come upon another list of them, where the reference is not at all to the reasons heretofore expressed in their names but to the later tribal characteristics. As we pass along I, will ask you to compare these four lists of the children of Jacob. You know we have four lists of the twelve apostles, and sometimes different names for the same person. Yet more particularly will I call your attention to the birthright man. Reuben, the firstborn, is entitled to the right of primogeniture. You will find out later how he loses it, and how the several elements of the right of primogeniture are distributed among three other sons of Jacob. At the end of the fourteen years Jacob claimed the fulfillment of his contract. Up to this time he had not made anything, except the wife that he wanted. He has a large family, no money or property, but rich in this family. A young man of the present time, encumbered with twelve children in fourteen years of married life, would think himself pretty much hampered, particularly if he had no bank account, cotton field, or big salary. Now the question comes up about a new contract. God had marvelously blessed Laban on account of Jacob. Jacob had attended to his business so well, being competent from habits of earlier life to which I called your attention in a previous chapter, that Laban did not want to lose Jacob. Jacob makes another proposition: “You shall not pay me any salary, but I propose that we leave it for divine providence to designate how much I ought to get. Most of the sheep are white, brown, or black, an unmixed colour. I propose that my part shall be the speckled, striped or ringstreaked.” Laban looked over his flocks and found only a little sprinkle in all the multitudes not having a solid color. So he accepted the proposition. He was a very shrewd old man. Before the contract goes into effect he moves every one that is already ring-streaked, striped, or speckled, three days’ journey from Jacob, and puts them in the hands of his sons and says to Jacob, “We will start even.” Jacob said nothing, but God was with him, and we have here presented in the history how Jacob got rich, and the expedients that he resorted to in order that the flocks might bear striped, speckled, and ring-streaked. And we learn how God intervened that Jacob, who had been working fourteen years and had been cheated, might have compensation. Through Jacob’s expedient, and particularly through divine providence, Jacob’s flocks increased. Old Laban looked on and it puzzled him. Laban’s children looked on and it puzzled them. The pure white and solid colors began to get fewer and fewer. Jacob’s flock began to multiply beyond all human calculation. What follows? Laban’s sons begin to talk about it: “This stranger has come up here. He did not have a thing when he came to our house. He is managing this business and getting all of our father’s property. After a while there won’t be anything to divide between us.” Laban heard the boys talking and he agreed with them. When he would pass Jacob he would look at him sideways and would not speak to him. Jacob saw a storm was brewing. God came to him in a vision and said, “Return to thy native land. It is time to go, twenty years have passed.” Jacob did not know how his wives would stand on the matter. So he sent for them to come out to the field. He would not talk to them about it at the house. He stated the case fairly: how badly he had been treated, and wanted to know if the wives would stand by him and would go with him. They told him they would, and he might have known it. A man need never be afraid, if he is a good husband, of her not standing by him. Everybody else in the world may go back on him, but a good wife will be true. Laban was away on a three days’ journey, so they decided to strike out without letting him know. And to add to it, Rachel went into Laban’s house and stole his teraphim, little images of idolatry and divination. Just as Demetrius, the silversmith at Ephesus, made little models of the temple of Diana at Ephesus, so they could tie them around their necks or put them in their pockets and carry them around with them. Wherever they felt like worshiping, they could bow down before this little trinket, or as they now tie crosses around their necks, or when they get up they bow down before that cross or little image of the virgin Mary. Now, the question comes up, Why did Rachel steal the teraphim? That is what I want you to answer. I have my own opinion, but I don’t want to force it on you now. One may answer that she was herself at heart an idolater, at least in part. Now, you may adopt that, if you want to, for your answer. It is not mine. They started at a good time. Laban was gone to that other flock, and they knew he would not be back for three days and that they would have three days the start. So they crossed the Euphrates and set out with many servants, cattle, sheep, goats, and quite a sprinkling of children and only four wives. It was a pretty big caravan. I don’t know just which way Jacob went. He may have gone down to Damascus, and from Damascus to Gilead.

Three days passed before Laban heard of it. He cornea home after shearing his sheep and wanted to find his little gods, but he could not find them. Then he went out to look for his interests in that other herd, and lo, Jacob was gone. So he rallied a party, a flying column, without women or children, flocks, or other hindrances, on swift dromedaries, or horses suppose dromedaries and at the end of seven days he caught them near the mountains of Gilead. But the night before he caught up with them old Laban had an experience that he had never had before in his life. In that night Almighty God in a vision comes to him and says, “Laban, don’t you speak either good or evil to Jacob. Keep your hands of.” Unquestionably that is the only thing that prevented the killing of Jacob and taking the wives and children and that property God’s divine intervention. It sobered Laban very much. They had a meeting, and it was one of the most touching incidents in human history. Why some novelist has not brought it out I don’t know. Old Laban said, “You have stolen my goods, my cattle, my teraphim.” Jacob knew nothing about these little gods and denied it, and said he had carried off only what was his own. Now comes Jacob’s speech which I would like for you to be able to memorize. “And Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast hotly pursued after me? Whereas thou hast felt about 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 two. These twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she-goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flocks have I not eaten. That which was torn of the beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day or by night. Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep fled from mine eyes. These twenty years have I been in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy flock; 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 now hadst thou sent me away empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.” Old Laban could not say a word to that. The promise that God had made to Jacob that he would be with him had been literally fulfilled. Laban then proposes that a covenant be made between them. They erected and consecrated a pillar, that Laban’s crowd should never pass that pillar toward the Holy Land to do evil to Jacob, and Jacob’s crowd could never pass that pillar going to Laban’s country to do evil to him.

Now open wide your eyes and ears: “And Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha; but Jacob called it Galeed.” The first is Aramaic, and the second word is Hebrew, and they mean exactly the same thing. Dr. Joseph Parker of England has preached a great sermon on the text entitled “Logomachy,” i.e., strife about words. “And Laban said, This heap is witness between me and thee this day,” and he called it Mizpah. Here I am going to tell you a fragment of a very touching story. In the first year of the war, just before a young man had started to the army, he paid very pointed attention to a lady, and they became engaged. During the war, the man, in passing the time in absence and with new faces, changed his feelings. His first letters were very loving and glowing. Then they began to lose the glow and diminish in length, and at last he quit writing. One evening just before a terrible battle in which many were killed, I was standing by the side of this man when one of the men who had been on a furlough brought a letter and handed it to him. He looked at the letter and said, “Pshaw! that is from that bothersome woman.” He opened it and there wasn’t a thing in it except a piece of colored paper, and on it was written in capital letters: “Mizpah, THE LORD WITNESSETH BETWEEN ME AND THEE.”

He turned white as he looked at it. This woman knew the Bible story and knew that, where a covenant had been made in the name of God and God’s name brought in, whoever violated that covenant not only wronged a human being but was guilty of sin toward God. His hand shook as he looked at it. He told me about it, and I said, “If you are a man, you go right to your tent and send her a humble, penitent letter.” He said, “I won’t do it.” And I said, “Then watch out. That woman has quit appealing to you. She has appealed to God. Mizpah, the Lord witness between me and thee.” He says, “I reckon I can take care of myself.” The next day we went into battle. He was shot through the heart and fell on me. That saved my life. When the battle was over I went back and found him thoroughly dead, and in going through his pockets to send home to his family, I found that piece of paper and through the center of the word “Mizpah” the Yankee bullet had gone right into his heart.

My reason for calling your attention to this is that he is a profane person who is irreverent toward God in anything. He is profane in the East who breaks an oath, and it is counted an everlasting degradation. Whenever you agree to anything in the name of God, you bring God in as a witness. Then you do what is said in another Old Testament book, “When I swear to my hurt, I will keep my word.” Stick to your word. Notice when Jacob meets Laban it is diamond cut diamond, but when Jacob meets Esau, it is rapier meeting hammer.

QUESTIONS 1. What was the great event of Jacob’s life?

2. State the time, place, and circumstances of his conversion.

3. What New Testament passage explains Jacob’s ladder and who preached a great sermon on it?

4. What melting hymn was suggested by this incident?

5. What name did Jacob give to the place of his conversion, and why?

6. What vow did he make?

7. What was the evidence of his conversion?

8. What is the secret of a successful, religious life?

9. What do we find here which was mentioned in the Bible only once before this, and what is the author’s belief respecting that teaching?

10. How long was Jacob in Haran?

11. Contrast his condition when he went in with his condition when he came out.

12. Describe the meeting of Jacob and Rachel.

13. Why did Jacob weep after he kissed Rachel?

14, How did Jacob get Rachel and what evidence that he loved her?

15. What proverb based on this incident?

16. How was the law of lex talionis exemplified in Jacob’s case?

17. What do you think of the English poet’s testimony referred to?

18. Was Laban’s explanation to Jacob plausible and what good points of Jacob here comes out?

19. State some of the evils of polygamy.

20. Who were Jacob’s children by Leah? Rachel? Bilhah? Zilpah?

21. What the meaning of their names?

22. From what were these names derived?

23. What four lists of these names do we have in the Bible?

24. What was Jacob’s condition, at the end of fourteen years?

25. What business contract did he now make with Laban and what do you think of the way he executed his part?

26. How did Jacob get away from Laban and why did Rachel steal Laban’s teraphim?

27. How did Jacob get the start of Laban and where did Laban over-take him?

28. What kept Laban from killing Jacob?

29. What charge did Laban bring against Jacob?

30. What was Jacob’s reply?

31. Cite the passage that shows the hardness of Jacob’s life in Haran.

32. How was it finally settled?

33. What is the meaning of Mizpah and what illustration of this is given by the author?

Fuente: B.H. Carroll’s An Interpretation of the English Bible

Gen 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.

Ver. l. And he heard the words of Laban’s sons.] These were chips off the old block, as they say; as like the father, as if spit out of his mouth. Avarice made them think, as Sejanus did, Quicquid non acquiritur, damnum; a all lost, that fell beside their own lips. As a ship may be overladen with gold and silver, even unto sinking, and yet have compass and sides enough to hold ten times more: so, covetous men, though they have enough to sink them, yet have they never enough to satisfy them.

Hath he gotten all this glory. ] That is, All this wealth, which easily gets glory; and goes therefore joined with it. Pro 3:16 ; Pro 8:18 This regina pecunia doth all, and hath all here below, saith Solomon. Ecc 10:19 Money beareth the mastery, and is the monarch of this world. None so admired, or so soon admitted, as he that is well heeled. The Chaldee word for money, b signifies to do some great work. It was commonly said in Greece, that not Philip but his money took their cities. c And a certain Grecian coming to Rome, where the honour of a lord was offered unto him, answered –

O , .

Allin had a cardinal’s hat there bestowed upon him by the Pope: but because his hat had so thin lining – he wanted wealth, I mean, to support his state – he was commonly called, The starveling cardinal; and nobody cared for him. d

a Tacitus.

b , from strong, and to prepare.

c O F, F . – Plut. in Emyl. .

d Manl., loc. com., p. 441.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Gen 31:1-16

1Now Jacob heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, “Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s, and from what belonged to our father he has made all this wealth.” 2Jacob saw the attitude of Laban, and behold, it was not friendly toward him as formerly. 3Then the LORD said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you.” 4So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to his flock in the field, 5and said to them, “I see your father’s attitude, that it is not friendly toward me as formerly, but the God of my father has been with me. 6You know that I have served your father with all my strength. 7Yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times; however, God did not allow him to hurt me. 8If he spoke thus, ‘The speckled shall be your wages,’ then all the flock brought forth speckled; and if he spoke thus, ‘The striped shall be your wages,’ then all the flock brought forth striped. 9Thus God has taken away your father’s livestock and given them to me. 10And it came about at the time when the flock were mating that I lifted up my eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the male goats which were mating were striped, speckled, and mottled. 11Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Here I am.’ 12He said, ‘Lift up now your eyes and see that all the male goats which are mating are striped, speckled, and mottled; for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you. 13I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you made a vow to Me; now arise, leave this land, and return to the land of your birth.'” 14Rachel and Leah said to him, “Do we still have any portion or inheritance in our father’s house? 15Are we not reckoned by him as foreigners? For he has sold us, and has also entirely consumed our purchase price. 16Surely all the wealth which God has taken away from our father belongs to us and our children; now then, do whatever God has said to you.”

Gen 31:1 “Now Jacob heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying” Exactly how old these sons were is uncertain, but they were old enough to tend the flocks by themselves (cf. Gen 30:35). Several years must have passed since chapter 30. Apparently they were repeating what they had heard at home. They were also repeating it in public, which shows that they were not afraid of Jacob’s finding out. Their accusations, though understandable, were not factual (cf. Gen 30:30). Before Jacob came, Laban was not a wealthy man. YHWH was with Jacob; Laban had been blessed by the association.

“wealth” This is literally “glory” (BDB 459, cf. KJV, see Special Topic: Glory (doxa) . The Hebrew term “glory” means “heaviness” or “weight.” It can be used of “honor,” but here it seems to mean “physical abundance” (NKJV).

Gen 31:2 “Jacob saw the attitude of Laban” Laban was a manipulator. Although he had treated Jacob harshly, he had always smiled at him, but now his countenance had changed.

Gen 31:3 “Then the LORD said to Jacob” YHWH took this opportunity of Jacob’s recognition of a negative situation to reveal to him that it was time for him to go home (“return,” BDB 996, KB 1427, Qal IMPERATIVE). He reminded him of the Bethel experience with the phrase “I will be with you,” which had occurred 20 years earlier (cf. Gen 28:10-22, esp. Gen 31:15).

Gen 31:4 “Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to his flock in the field” Rachel is mentioned first because she was the favored wife. They are called out into the field for a private, secret meeting. Apparently Jacob had not discussed this with his wives before.

Gen 31:5 “the God of my father” This is one of several phrases in chapter 31 which shows the historical continuity of God’s covenant with several generations of Abraham’s family.

Gen 31:6 “you know that I have served your father with all my strength” The wives had been cognizant of Jacob’s long hours and difficult working schedule in connection with their father. He worked 14 years for them and 6 more years for his own flocks and herds.

Gen 31:7 “Yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times” The term “cheated” (BDB 1068, KB 1739, Hiphil PERFECT) comes from the Hebrew root which means “to mock,” “to deceive,” or “to trifle with.”

The term “changed” (BDB 322, KB 321) is also alluded to in Gen 31:41. Although we are not told exactly how Laban changed his wages, it is obvious from the context that Jacob was supposed to get all of the off-colored animals, but when the off-colored animals produced more offspring, Laban began to take certain groups of them for his own. Every time he made a change, God blessed the remaining flock of Jacob, whether they were speckled or mottled or striped (cf. Gen 31:8).

“ten times” This seems to be a round number used as hyperbole, not exactly ten times (be careful of western literalism, see Special Topic: Symbolic Numbers in Scripture ).

“God did not allow him to hurt me” Jacob, realizing his position before God, based not only on the prophecy of Gen 25:23, but of God’s specific vision to him in Gen 28:10-22, has the theological understanding of what he is experiencing. Laban knew it too (cf. Gen 31:29).

Gen 31:8 This verse describes in detail how Laban tried to change their agreement. However, every time he changed it, God changed the breeding habits of the goats and sheep to benefit Jacob (cf. Gen 31:9).

Gen 31:9 “God has taken away” This is a strong VERB (BDB 664, KB 717, Hiphil IMPERFECT), which in the Hiphil stem denotes “snatching away,” cf. Gen 31:9; Gen 31:16. It is used of delivering prey from wild animal attacks (cf. 1Sa 17:34-35; Eze 34:10; Amo 3:12). As Laban took away Jacob’s rightful wages, now God snatches away his flock and gives it to Jacob. The mechanism of the transfer is described in Gen 31:12.

Gen 31:10 “And it came about at the time that the flocks were mating” This describes a subsequent vision that Jacob had concerning the animals which would belong to him. It was not Jacob’s manipulation of certain techniques (i.e., Gen 30:37-43), but God’s grace, that caused Jacob’s portion of the flock to prosper (cf. Gen 31:9, and esp. Gen 31:12).

Gen 31:11 “the angel of God” Again, the angel of the Lord is a personification of Deity (i.e., Gen 16:7-13; Gen 18:1; Gen 19:1; Gen 21:17; Gen 21:19; Gen 22:11-15; Gen 31:11; Gen 31:13; Gen 32:24; Gen 32:30; Gen 48:15-16; Exo 3:2; Exo 3:4; Exo 13:21; Exo 14:19; Jdg 6:12; Jdg 6:14; Zec 3:1-2). He speaks for YHWH. See Special Topic: The Angel of the Lord .

Gen 31:13 “I am the God of Bethel” This refers to God’s vision to Jacob which is recorded in Gen 28:10-22. The God of Jacob’s father and grandfather (cf. Gen 31:5) issues new orders.

1. “arise,” BDB 877, KB 1086, Qal IMPERATIVE

2. “leave” (lit. “go”), BDB 422, KB 425, Qal IMPERATIVE

3. “return,” BDB 996, KB 1427, Qal IMPERATIVE

Gen 31:14 Jacob’s wives are fully with him!

Gen 31:15 “Are we not reckoned by him as foreigners? For he has sold us, and has also entirely consumed our purchase price” Here the two daughters of Laban accuse their father of not acting faithfully with them in light of the cultural expectations of that day (Hurrian culture). In the Hurrian documents the “Mohar”or “wife’s dowry” was saved, at least in part, for the daughter. However, Laban had taken Jacob’s wages and totally consumed them. Gen 31:15 shows us the daughters recognized this greediness and neglect by Laban their brother.

The phrase “entirely consumed” is an INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE and IMPERFECT VERB of the same root (BDB 37, KB 46), which denotes intensity.

Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley

glory. Hebrew weight. Figure of speech Metonymy (of Effect), App-6 = wealth, the effect (i.e. the burden or weight) being put for that which caused it.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

Chapter 31

And he heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, Jacob hath taken away all that was our father’s; and all that which was our father’s hath he gotten all this glory ( Gen 31:1 ).

In other words, they are now saying, “Hey, that really belongs to our dad. Jacob’s stolen it from us”. Not so. Jacob made the deal. His dad made the deal, but now the brothers are jealous because Jacob has such a large flock. They’re so strong and healthy and there’s a great jealousy.

And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as before ( Gen 31:2 ).

It wasn’t, “Oh, hi there”, you know, and “son”, and wasn’t the old good buddy anymore but his father-in-law was really changing in his attitude.

And the LORD said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to your family; and I will be with thee ( Gen 31:3 ).

And so Jacob now hears from the Lord. He sees that the attitude is changing and God speaks to his heart and tells him to go back.

And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field to his flock ( Gen 31:4 ),

Now he, rather than talking about it in the tent where he might be overheard, he calls them out in the field so that he can talk to them privately.

And he said unto them, I see that your father’s countenance, that it is not toward me as it was before; but the God of my father hath been with me. And you know that with all my power I have served your father. And your father has deceived me, and he’s changed my wages ten times; but God would not allow him not to hurt me. If he said thus, The speckled shall be your wages; then all the cattle bore speckled: and if he said thus, The ringstreaked shall be your hire; then the cattle all ringstreaked. And 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 my eyes, and I saw in a dream, and, behold, the rams which leaped upon the cattle were ringstreaked, speckled, and grisled ( Gen 31:5-10 ).

In other words, God showed him really in a dream how and when and so forth to cause them to conceive.

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 your eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ringstreaked, speckled, and grisled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee. And I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar, and where you vowed a vow unto me: now arise, and get thee out from this land, and return to the land of thy family ( Gen 31:11-13 ).

So it is interesting that God announces to him, “I am the God of Bethel. Come back to the place of your family. I am the God that met you there in Bethel”.

And so Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house ( Gen 31:14 )?

In other words, our father has gone ahead and used up our dowry. He’s not given us anything. We’ve got nothing there.

We are counted to him as strangers for he has sold us, and has devoured our money ( Gen 31:15 ).

He spent the dowry. He sold them. He spent the dowry. We’re just like a stranger to him.

For all the riches which God hath taken from our father, it’s really ours, and our children’s: now then, whatsoever God hath said unto you, go ahead and do it. Then Jacob rose up, and he set his sons and his wives upon camels; And he carried away all of his cattle, and his goods which he had gotten, and the cattle of his getting, which he had gotten in Padanaram, to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan. And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen [the teraphims], the images that were her father’s ( Gen 31:16-19 ).

The little idols that they used.

And Jacob stole away unaware to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he was fleeing. So he fled with all that he had; and he rose up, and he passed over the river, and he set his face toward mount Gilead ( Gen 31:20-21 ).

Now Mount Gilead is about three hundred miles away and Mount Gilead is the mountain range that goes on the West Bank of the sea of Galilee and into that area there, about three hundred miles away. He fled with all of he had towards Mount Gilead. But of course, traveling with that many animals and the family and everything was slow travel. The best you could do would be about fifteen to twenty miles a day. And he had a good start.

Actually his father-in-law was out shearing the sheep and it was three days before Laban even found out that he was gone. He probably had worked his flocks down to the southern extremities anyhow. And probably put about ninety miles distance between at the start of the time before he started driving them away. And then he put three days more journey between him and Laban and Laban couldn’t just leave the shearing of the sheep immediately. Probably finished up as fast as he could before he took off to catch Jacob. But because he was forced in a fast march to catch Jacob, he caught him down around the area of Mount Gilead. Just about three hundred miles distance.

So it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled. And so he gathered his brothers with him, and he pursued after him for seven days; until he overtook him at mount Gilead. And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said to him, Take heed that you speak not to Jacob either good or bad. Then Laban overtook Jacob. And now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount: and Laban with his brothers pitched in the mount of Gilead. And Laban said to Jacob, What have you done, you stolen away unaware to me, and carried away my daughters, as captives taken with the sword? Why did you flee away secretly, and steal away from me; and did not tell me, that I might have sent thee away with parties, and songs, and the tabret, and the harp? And you’ve not allowed me to even kiss my grandchildren, my daughters? You’ve done foolishly in doing this ( Gen 31:22-28 ).

Laban really had other ideas. He had really ideas of taking by force all that Jacob had. He had ideas of perhaps even killing Jacob. But God came to him in the night before and said, “Hey, don’t you even talk to him good or bad”. Well, that was a hard order and so Laban comes in and he puts on this whole hypocritical thing, you know. “Why did you steal off? I wanted to kiss my grandchildren. We could have had a big party”, you know. In reality he would have never let Jacob go. He would have just ripped him off and sent him away without anything. But because God has now put the squeeze on him and won’t let him do anything, he’s just, you know, acting like he’s been hurt and offended and all.

And he said,

It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spake unto me last night, saying, Take heed that you don’t speak to Jacob either good or bad. And now, though you would needs be gone, because you long after your father’s house, why have you stolen my gods? And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid: for I said, Peradventure you would take by force your daughters from me ( Gen 31:29-31 ).

And Jacob had a right to be afraid. The guy probably would have taken the daughters and all of the animals.

With whomsoever you find your gods, let him not live: before our brothers discern thou what is thine with me, take it to thee ( Gen 31:32 ).

Whatever I have, search through everything. Whatever I have that belongs to you, take it. Let these guys be a witness. I don’t want anything of yours. And so he’s accusing him of stealing his gods.

But he did not know that Rachel had ripped off these two little teraphims, these two little idols. And Laban went into Jacob’s tent, and into Leah’s tent, and into the two maidservants’ tents; but he did not find them. And so he went out of Leah’s tent, and he entered into Rachel’s tent. Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel’s furniture, and she was sitting on them. And Laban searched all the tent, but he did not find them. And she said to her father, Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up; for the custom of woman is upon me. [I’m weak; I’m in my menstrual period.] And so he searched, but he did not find the images. And Jacob ( Gen 31:32-36 ).

At this time had his little chance to spout off.

He was angry and he chided with Laban: and Jacob answered and said unto Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, that you have so hotly pursued after me? Whereas you’ve searched all my stuff, what have you found of all of your household stuff? set it here before the brothers, let them judge between us both. For twenty years I’ve been with you; the ewes and the she goats have not cast their young, and the rams of the flock have I not eaten ( Gen 31:36-38 ).

In other words, there were-he was careful there were many times when the animals were pregnant. They would have miscarriages because they weren’t taken care of properly. But he had so carefully watched over them, had been so diligent. There were no miscarriages of the animals while he was serving. Not only that, it was the right of the shepherd to eat, you know, to kill a lamb and to eat it occasionally. But he never once killed any of the animals for his own eating. And so he’s just telling, you know, how honestly and how diligently he was serving the old man for twenty years.

That which was torn by the beasts I brought it not unto thee ( Gen 31:39 );

Now if a shepherd was watching over a flock and a beast would tear it, he would bring the carcass to the owner and give him the carcass, and thus he proved that he had driven off the wild beast and captured the animal. But he didn’t have to pay for it. Actually the owner suffered the loss. But he said, I didn’t bring any carcasses to you.

I bore the loss of it; of my hand did you require it, whether it was stolen by day, or stolen by night ( Gen 31:39 ).

Laban, you know, charged him for everything.

And thus I was; and in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night ( Gen 31:40 );

He was out there in the hot sun. And he was out there in the cold nights. And for twenty years he had really gone through all of the miseries of the outdoors and all.

and my sleep departed from my eyes. Thus have I been for twenty years in your house; and I have served you for fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your cattle: and you have changed my wages ten times. And except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely you would have sent me away empty. But God has seen my affliction and the labour of my hands, and he rebuked you last night. 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 you see is mine: and what can I do this day unto these my daughters, and unto their children which they have born? Now therefore come, let’s make a covenant, you and I; and it’ll be a witness between me and thee ( Gen 31:40-44 ).

I can’t do anything; I feel it’s all mine. I don’t know by what right but yet,

So they took a stone, and they set it for a pillar. And Jacob said to his brothers, Gather stones; and they took the stones, and they made a heap of them. And Laban called it Jegarsahadutha: but Jacob called it Galeed ( Gen 31:45-47 ).

He called it by the Hebrew name whereas Laban called it by the Aramaic name. And it’s a heap of the heap of witness.

And Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and you this day. So we’ll call it Galeed; and Mizpah; for he said, The LORD watch over you, when we are absent one from the other. And if you will afflict my daughters, or if you will take other wives beside my daughters, no man is with us; let God watch over you and witness between me and thee. And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, this is the pillar that I have cast between me and you; This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not pass over this heap to you, and you shalt not pass over this heap and pillar unto me ( Gen 31:48-52 ).

In other words, you don’t come my way, I don’t go yours. This is it. This is the separation.

The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of thy father, judge between us. And Jacob sware by the fear of his father Isaac. And 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, kissed his sons and daughters, and blessed them: and Laban departed, and returned to his place ( Gen 31:53-55 ).

Now this Mizpah, verse forty-nine, has been used sometimes as sort of a Christian greeting. That’s tragic. It isn’t a very pleasant thing. It sounds beautiful to read that the Lord watch between me and thee while we are absent one from the other. Like God watch over you, you know, my beloved friend, while we’re absent. But that isn’t the idea of the context at all. The idea is “I think you’re a crook, I don’t know what to do about it. You’re leaving me; I can’t watch you anymore. May God watch over you and if you do anything wrong, may God smite you”.

So next time one of your Christian friends says Mizpah, you might not be so willing to just smile. It isn’t a pleasant departure but it has one intention, the Lord watch you, I can’t.

So we’ll start in chapter thirty-two next Sunday and we did pretty well tonight. Moving along. “

Fuente: Through the Bible Commentary

In the midst of Jacob’s success the second divine communication came to him, commanding him to return to the land of his fathers and giving him the promise, “I will be with thee.” Thus, after at least twenty years’ absence, he set his face again toward home. The same cunning which had been manifested throughout is seen in the stealth with which he broke away from Laban.

Much may happen in twenty years. However, one thing can never happen. The wrongdoing of the past cannot be undone and Jacob started for home with fear, for Esau his brother was yet alive. Nevertheless, the call of God was supreme to him and he went obediently.

Rachel practiced deceit in that she stole the teraphim of her father. This led to one more meeting between Laban and Jacob. After heated controversy, they separated, having erected a stone or a heap and named it Mizpah. It was the symbol of suspicion and called on God to watch between them. It is really a sad spectacle of two men calling on God, not to ratify their comradeship, but to watch over them on behalf of each other in order that neither may wrong the other. The account of the connection between these two men has been full of interest, but its final message is that selfish partnership invariably issues in suspicion and separation.

Fuente: An Exposition on the Whole Bible

Jacob Leaves Laban

Gen 31:1-21

Jacob was a remarkable mixture. He had an eminently religious nature, and had intimate dealings with God. Note Gen 31:3; Gen 31:5; Gen 31:7; Gen 31:18. But he grossly misrepresented Gods dealings with him when he gave his wives the reasons on which he proposed flight. Note Gen 31:9; Gen 31:13. So the flesh and spirit struggle for mastery within us all, and only as the grace of God enters our hearts can we come into the absolute supremacy of the spiritual and divine, Gal 5:17. The secret departure was very undignified and unworthy of the heir of the promises. The command to return was of God, and what He commands He becomes responsible for. Besides, had not the Almighty promised to keep him in all places? See Gen 28:15. When we are on Gods plan, we may reckon on Him absolutely.

Fuente: F.B. Meyer’s Through the Bible Commentary

CHAPTER 31 Jacobs Servitude Ended and Flight from Laban

1. Labans behavior and Gods commandment (Gen 31:1-10)

2. The dream vision to return to the land (Gen 31:11-16)

3. Jacobs flight (Gen 31:17-21)

4. Laban warned (Gen 31:22-24)

5. Labans accusation (Gen 31:25-30)

6. Jacobs answer (Gen 31:31-42)

7. The covenant between Jacob and Laban (Gen 31:43-55)

The twenty years had expired. Labans hatred and the hatred of his sons had increased. When the crisis had been reached the voice of Jehovah was heard. Return unto the land of thy fathers and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee. This is the first time Jehovah spoke since the vision at Bethel. Jacob then laid the matter before his wives and relates a dream in which the angel of the Lord had spoken to him. What comfort it must have been for him to hear I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee. The Lord watched over Jacob and though Laban hated him Jacob prospered. So Israel in the dispersion, hated by the Gentiles, increases and prospers.

Rachel and Leah consented to flee and Jacob departs with his great wealth, his cattle and his goods. Soon Laban pursued and overtook Jacob. God warned the Syrian to beware how he treated Jacob. It seems that the main reason of the pursuit was the teraphim (household gods) which Rachel had stolen and which Laban wanted to recover. Idolatry was practiced in the household of Laban, though he used the name of Jehovah (Gen 31:49). The dialogue between Jacob and Laban is intensely interesting.

Fuente: Gaebelein’s Annotated Bible (Commentary)

Jacob: Gen 31:8, Gen 31:9, Job 31:31, Psa 57:4, Psa 64:3, Psa 64:4, Psa 120:3-5, Pro 14:30, Pro 27:4, Ecc 4:4, Eze 16:44, Tit 3:3

glory: “Glory” is here used for “wealth,” riches, or property; since those who possess riches, generally make them the subject of glory. The original word cavod, signifies both “glory” and “weight.” Gen 45:13, Est 5:11, Job 31:24, Job 31:25, Psa 17:14, Psa 49:16, Psa 49:17, Ecc 4:4, Isa 5:14, Jer 9:23, Mat 4:8, 1Ti 6:4, 1Pe 1:24

Reciprocal: Gen 31:16 – which God Gen 32:5 – have oxen Isa 10:3 – where Isa 16:14 – the glory

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Jacob Decides to Leave Laban

Laban and his sons eventually began to see Jacob as a drain on their flocks. Laban ceased to believe God was blessing him because of Jacob ( Gen 30:27 ). So, God told him to return home. Jacob told his wives of the decision, noting Laban’s change of attitude along with frequent changes in what he agreed to pay his son-in-law during the six years of further service rendered to his father-in-law. God had protected Jacob in the midst of such deceit by causing the flocks to bring forth the type of animals designated as his pay.

Rachel and Leah agreed they should follow the Lord’s direction and leave their father’s house. They said he had sold them, apparently referring to Jacob’s service for fourteen years to receive their hands in marriage. Though it was customary for at least a portion of such money to be given to the daughter as a personal dowry, Laban had used up all the money. They saw God had provided for them even when their father had not. While Laban was shearing his sheep, Jacob and his family packed up and headed back to Isaac. Rachel stole her fathers household idols as they were leaving ( Gen 31:1-21 ).

Fuente: Gary Hampton Commentary on Selected Books

Gen 31:1. He heard the words of Labans sons For it seems they spoke them in Jacobs hearing. The last chapter began with Rachels envying Leah; this begins with Labans sons envying Jacob. Hath taken away all that was our fathers Not all, sure: what was become of those cattle which were committed to the custody of Labans sons, and sent three days journey off? He has gotten all this glory And what was this glory? It was a parcel of brown sheep, and speckled goats, and some camels and asses. But they meant wealth, which the possessors usually glory in, and whereby they gain much esteem from others.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Gen 31:1. He heard the words of Labans sons. Three causes are assigned for Jacobs abrupt removal: first, the bitter reproaches of Labans sons: secondly, the consequent change in the countenance of Laban; and thirdly, the special command of God, who, ever faithful to his covenant, guarded Jacob with a watchful eye, and enriched him with a munificent hand.

Gen 31:15. He hath sold us; that is, he hath given us in marriage for fourteen years service, and not returned the wealth gained in that time, which is justly due as a portion to us and to our children.

Gen 31:19. Rachel had stolen the images. Hebrews teraphim. Those images were made at first to represent the angels which had appeared to the fathers at sacrifice. They were next made in memory of dead men: some have thought Labans gods of that kind. Be the origin what it might, it ultimately led to gross idolatry. The gods of India are constructed in characters so terrific as evidently to have had their origin in a guilty conscience. The devotion paid to those household gods was more than that paid to the Creator. The army would not march, nor would a family emigrate, without its gods. The Danites stole Micahs image. Judges 17. And when Troy was in flames, Eneas said to Anchises,

Tu, genitor, cape sacra manu patriosque penates:

Me, bello tanto digressum et cde recenti,

Attrectare nefas; donec me flumine vivo abluero. N. 2:717.

Do you, oh father, take charge of those hallowed teraphim, and the deities of our country: for me, just come from the field of battle, to touch them would be profanation, until I shall wash myself in the flowing river. See Deu 21:6. 1Ki 18:40.

Gen 31:21. The river Euphrates, which according to Boistes chart of the holy land, runs not more than sixty miles from Haran.

Gen 31:23. Pursued after him. No doubt with an intent either to kill him, or to deprive him of his wives and property, as is apparent from Jacobs fears, and from the divine dream which deterred Laban from the execution of his wicked purpose.

Gen 31:24. In a dream. God would not honour Laban with a visit of his angelic presence. It was merely in dreams that most of the heathen were favoured at all in this way.

Gen 31:27. Sent thee away with mirth. Hypocrisy is a mark of consummate wickedness. Laban would have sent him away empty and sorrowful.

Gen 31:32. Let him not live. It appears from the sentence pronounced by Josephs brethren concerning the cup, as well as from this passage, that the ancients punished the grosser acts of theft with death.

Gen 31:46. Jacob gathered stonesand made a heap. This was also the custom of our Gothic fathers. In all places we find burrows raised for the dead, and for memorials of battles and events.

Gen 31:47. Jegar-sahadutha, is the Syrian, and Gilead, the Hebrew name of this monument. It was a round heap of stones with a flat top. Gil is any thing round, and Ed or Eed is a witness or testimony.

Gen 31:53. Jacob sware by the fear of his father. The fear of God being often put for the whole of religion, we are here to understand that Jacob sware by the religion of his father Isaac.

REFLECTIONS.

When the time was come for Jacob to return, the Lord permitted the envy of Labans sons to operate on the fathers countenance, and to hasten the purposes of providence. Why should we then be so much afraid of evil; for the Spirit and providence of God harmonizing together, shall make the envy of the wicked productive of our present and eternal good.

We learn that counsel and devotion are requisite before any step is taken in which the safety and happiness of a whole family is involved. After prayer to God, Jacob communicated his design to Rachel and Leah. They both at once entered into his views, and being of the same mind and judgment with their husband, they would fully second him in the design; and God set his seal to their counsel by commanding them to depart.

Did God, in addressing the patriarch on this occasion, say, I am the God of Beth-el; the place where Jacob had seen the ladder, and received the promises twenty years before. Then he is mindful to perform the promises to us in old age, which he made us in our youth. Let us keep our eye constantly on these promises, for they are more to be relied on than the favour of princes, and the strongest of human compacts.

Did Jacob steal away from Laban without leave, well knowing the deceit of his character; then cases may occur, in our intercourse with unreasonable men, in which it is proper to use the wisdom of the serpent, combined with the innocence of the dove; for when these cases come to be investigated, no guile must be found in our words, nor iniquity in our hands.

Did the pursuit of Laban and all his family, finally, through the restraining hand of providence, terminate in a covenant of peace, and in a paternal benediction? Let not any family called christian be less disposed to reconciliation and mutual love than Laban. On all such occasions, let us explain, and resume our wonted concord; let us hear a voice ever saying, Live in peace and love, and the God of peace and love shall be with you. But at the same time, how grateful should all men be, that God by his providence has restrained them from doing the evil, which had been purposed during an angry moment!

Fuente: Sutcliffe’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Genesis 27 – 35

These chapters present to us the history of Jacob-at least, the principal scenes in that history. The Spirit of God here sets before us the deepest instruction, first, as to God’s purpose of infinite grace; and, secondly, as to the utter worthlessness and depravity of human nature.

There is a passage in Gen. 25 which I purposely passed over, in order to take if up here, so that we might have the truth in reference to Jacob fully before us “And Isaac entreated the Lord for his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord was entreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. And the children struggled together within her: and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the Lord. And the Lord said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.” This is referred to in Malachi, where we read, “I have loved you, saith the Lord: yet ye say, wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the Lord: yet I have loved Jacob, and hated Esau.” This is again referred to in Rom. 9: “For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God, according to election, might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth; it was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger, as it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.”

Thus we have very distinctly before us, God’s eternal purpose, according to the election of grace. There is much involved in this expression. It banishes all human pretension from the scene, and asserts God’s right to act as He will. This is of the very last importance. The creature can enjoy no real blessedness until he is brought to bow his head to sovereign grace. It becomes him so to do, inasmuch as he is a sinner, and, as such, utterly without claim to act or dictate. The great value of finding oneself on this ground is, that it is then no longer a question of what we deserve to get, but simply of what God is pleased to give. The prodigal might talk of being a servant, but he really did not deserve the place of a servant, if it were to be made a question of desert; and, therefore, he had only to take what the father was pleased to give – and that was the very highest place, even the place of fellowship with himself. Thus it must ever be. “Grace all the work shall crown, through everlasting days.” Happy for us that it is so. As we go on, day by day, making fresh discoveries of ourselves, we need to have beneath our feet the solid foundation of God’s grace: nothing else could possibly sustain us in our growing self-knowledge. The ruin is hopeless, and therefore the grace must be infinite: and infinite it is, having its source in God Himself, its channel in Christ, and the power of application and enjoyment in the Holy Ghost. The Trinity is brought out in connection with the grace that saves a poor sinner. “Grace reigns through righteousness, unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord.” It is only in redemption that this reign of grace could be seen. we may see in creation the reign of wisdom and power; we may see in providence the reign of goodness and long-suffering; but only in redemption do we see the reign of grace, and that, too, on the principle of righteousness.

Now, we have, in the person of Jacob, a most striking exhibition of the power of divine grace; and for this reason, that we have in him a striking exhibition of the power of human nature. In him we see nature in all its obliquity, and therefore we see grace in all its moral beauty and power. From the facts of his remarkable history, it would seem that, before his birth, at his birth, and after his birth, the extraordinary energy of nature was seen. Before his birth, we read, “the children struggled together within her.” At his birth, we read, “his hand took hold on Esau’s heel.” And, after his birth – yea to the turning point of his history, in Gen. 32, without any exception – his course exhibits nothing but the most unamiable traits of nature; but all this only serves, like a drab background, to throw into relief the grace of Him who condescends to call Himself by the peculiarly touching name, “the God of Jacob” – a name most sweetly expressive of free grace.

Let us now examine the chapters consecutively. Gen. 27 exhibits a most humbling picture of sensuality, deceit, and cunning; and when one thinks of such things in connection with the people of God, it is sad and painful to the very last degree. Yet how true and faithful is the Holy Ghost! He must tell all out. He cannot give us a partial picture. If he gives us a history of man, he must describe man as he is, and not as he is not. So, if He unfolds to us the character and ways of God, He gives us God as He is. And this, we need hardly remark, is exactly what we need. We need the revelation of one perfect in holiness, yet perfect in grace and mercy, who could come down into all the depth of man’s need, his misery and his degradation, and deal with Him there, and raise him up out of it into full, unhindered fellowship with Himself in all the reality of what He is. This is what scripture gives us. God knew what we needed, and He has given it to us, blessed be His name!

And, be it remembered, that in setting before us, in faithful love, all the traits of man’s character, it is simply with a view to magnify the riches of divine grace, and to admonish our souls. It is not, by any means, in order to perpetuate the memory of sins, for ever blotted out from His sight. The blots, the failures, and the errors of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, have been perfectly washed away, and they have taken their place amid “the spirits of just men made perfect;” but their history remains, on the page of inspiration, for the display of God’s grace, and for the warning of God’s people in all ages; And, moreover, that we my distinctly see that the blessed God has not been dealing With perfect men and women, but with those of “like passions as we are” that He has been walking and bearing with the same failures, the same infirmities, the same errors, as those over which we mourn every day. This is peculiarly comforting to the heart; and it may well stand in striking contrast with the way in which the great majority of human biographies are written, in “which, for the most part, we find, not the history of men, but of beings devoid of error and infirmity. histories have rather the effect of discouraging than of edifying those who read them. They are rather histories of what men ought to be, than of what they really are, and they are, therefore, useless to us, yea, not only useless, but mischievous.

Nothing can edify save the presentation of God dealing with man as he really is; and this is what the word gives us. The chapter before us illustrates this very fully. Here we find the aged patriarch Isaac, standing, as it were, at the very portal of eternity, the earth and nature fast fading away from his view, yet occupied about “savoury meat,” and about to act in direct opposition to the divine counsel, by blessing the elder instead of the younger. Truly this was nature, and nature with its “eyes dim.” If Esau had sold his birthright for a mess of pottage, Isaac was about to give away the blessing for a mess of venison, How very humiliating!

But God’s purpose must stand, and He will do all His pleasure. Faith knows this; and, in the power of that knowledge, can wait for God’s time. This nature never can do, but must set about gaining its own ends, by its own inventions. These are the two grand points brought out in Jacob’s history – God’s purpose of grace, on the one hand; and on the other, nature plotting and scheming to reach what that purpose would have infallibly brought about, without any plot or scheme at all. This simplifies Jacob’s history amazingly, and not only simplifies it, but heightens the soul’s interest in it also. There is nothing, perhaps, in which we are so lamentably deficient, as in the grace of patient, self-renouncing dependence upon God. Nature will be working in some shape or form, and thus, so far as in it lies, hindering the outshining of divine grace and power. God did not need the aid of such elements as Rebekah’s cunning and Jacob’s gross deceit, in order to accomplish His purpose. He had said, “the elder shall serve the younger.” This was enough – enough for faith, but not enough for nature, which must ever adopt its own ways, and know nothing of what it is to wait on God.

Now, nothing can be more truly blessed than the position of hanging in child-like dependence upon God, and being entirely content to wait for His time. True, it will involve trial; but the renewed mind learns some of its deepest lessons, and enjoys some of its sweetest experiences, while waiting on the Lord; and the more pressing the temptation to take ourselves out of His hands, the richer will be the blessing of leaving ourselves there. It is so exceedingly sweet to find ourselves wholly dependent upon one who finds infinite joy in blessing us. It is only those who have tasted, in any little measure, the reality of this wondrous position that can at all appreciate it. The only one who ever occupied it perfectly and uninterruptedly was the Lord Jesus Himself. He was ever dependent upon God, and utterly rejected every proposal of the enemy to be anything else. His language was, “In thee do I put my trust;” and again, “I was cast upon thee from the womb.” Hence, when tempted by the devil to make an effort to Satisfy His hunger, His reply was, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” When tempted to cast Himself from the pinnacle of the temple, His reply was, “It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” When tempted to take the kingdoms of the world from the hand of another than God, and by doing homage to another than Him, His reply was, “It is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” In a word, nothing could allure the perfect man from the place of absolute dependence upon God. True, it was God’s purpose to sustain His Son; it was His purpose that He should suddenly come to His temple; it was His purpose to give Him the kingdoms of this world; but this was the very reason why the Lord Jesus would simply and uninterruptedly wait on God for the accomplishment of His purpose, in His own time, and in His own way. He did not set about accomplishing His own ends. He left Himself thoroughly at God’s disposal. He would only eat when God gave Him bread; He would only enter the temple when sent of God; He will ascend the throne when God appoints the time. “Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thy foes thy footstool.” (Ps. 110)

This profound subjection of the Son to the Father is admirable beyond expression. Though entirely equal with God, He took, as man, the place of dependence, rejoicing always in the will of the Father; giving thanks even when things seemed to be against Him; doing always the things which pleased the Father; making: it His grand and uvarying object to glorify the Father; and finally, when all was accomplished, when He had perfectly finished the work which the Father had given, He breathed His spirit into the Father’s hand, and His flesh rested in hope of the promised glory and exaltation. Well, therefore, may the inspired apostle say, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus; who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God; but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father”

How little Jacob knew, in the opening of his history, of this blessed mind! How little was he prepared to wait for God’s time and God’s way! He much preferred Jacob’s time and Jacob’s way. He thought it much better to arrive at the blessing and the inheritance by all sorts of cunning and deception, than by simple dependence upon and subjection to God, whose electing grace had promised, and whose almighty power and wisdom would assuredly accomplish all for him.

But, oh! how well one knows the opposition of the human heart to all this! Any attitude for it save that of patient waiting upon God. It is almost enough to drive nature to distraction to find itself bereft of all resource but God. This tells us, in language not to be misunderstood, the true character of human nature. In order to know what nature is, I need not travel into those scenes of vice and crime which justly shock all refined moral sense. No; all that is needful is just to try it for a moment in the place of dependence, and see how it will carry itself there. It really knows nothing of God, and therefore cannot trust Him; and herein was the secret of all its misery and moral degradation. It is totally ignorant of the true God, and can therefore be nought else but a ruined and worthless thing. The knowledge of God is the source of life – yea, is itself life; and until a man has life, what is he? or, what can he be?

Now, in Rebekah and Jacob, we see nature taking advantage of nature in Isaac and Esau. It was really this. There was no waiting upon God whatever. Isaac’s eyes were dim, he could therefore be imposed upon, and they set about doing so, instead of looking off to God, who would have entirely frustrated Isaac’s purpose to bless the one whom God would not bless – a purpose? founded in nature, and most unlovely nature, for “Isaac loved Esau,” not because he was the first-born, but “because he did eat of his venison.” How humiliating!

But we are sure to bring unmixed sorrow upon ourselves, when we take ourselves, our circumstances, or our destinies, out of the hands of God.* Thus it was with Jacob, as we shall see in the sequel. It has been observed by another, that whoever observes Jacob’s life, after he had surreptitiously obtained his father’s blessing, will perceive that he enjoyed very little worldly felicity. His brother purposed to murder him, to avoid which he was forced to flee from his father’s house; his uncle Laban deceived him, as he had deceived his father, and treated him with great rigor; after a servitude of twenty-one years, he was obliged to leave him in a clandestine manner, and not without danger of being brought back or murdered by his enraged brother; no sooner were these fears over, than he experienced the baseness of his son Reuben, in defiling his bed; he had next to bewail the treachery and cruelty of Simeon and Levi towards the Shechemites; then he had to feel the loss of his beloved wife; he was next imposed upon by his own sons, and had to lament the supposed untimely end of Joseph; and, to complete all, he was forced by famine to go into Egypt, and there died in a strange land. So just, wonderful, and instructive are all the ways of providence.”

{*We should ever remember, in a place of trial, that what we want is not a change of circumstances, but victory over self.}

This is a true picture, so far as Jacob was concerned; but it only gives us one side, and that the gloomy side. Blessed be God, there is a bright side, likewise, for God had to do with Jacob; and, in every scene of his life, when Jacob was called to reap the fruits of his own plotting and crookedness, the God of Jacob brought good out of evil, and caused His grace to abound over all the sin and folly of His poor servant. This we shall see as we proceed with his history.

I shall just offer a remark here upon Isaac, Rebekah, and Esau. It is very interesting to observe how, notwithstanding the exhibition of nature’s excessive weakness, in the opening of Genesis 27, Isaac maintains, by faith, the dignity which God had conferred upon him. He blesses with all the consciousness of being endowed with power to bless! He says, “I have blessed him; yea, and he shall be blessed.. Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him; and what shall I do now unto thee, my son?” He speaks as one who, by faith, had at his disposal all the treasures of earth. There is no false humility, no taking a low ground by reason of the manifestation of nature. True, he was on the eve of making a grievous mistake – even of moving right athwart the counsel of God; still, he knew God, and took his place accordingly, dispensing blessings in all the dignity and power of faith. “I have blessed him; yea, and he shall be blessed.” “With corn and wine have I sustained him.” It is the proper province of faith to rise above all one’s own failure and the consequences thereof, into the place where God’s grace has set us.

As to Rebekah, she was called to feel all the sad results of her cunning actings. She, no doubt, imagined she was managing matters most skillfully; but, alas! she never saw Jacob again: so much for management! How different it would have been had she left the matter entirely in the hands of God. This is the way in which faith manages, and it is ever a gainer. “Which of you by taking thought, can add to his stature one cubit?” We gain nothing by our anxiety and planning; we only shut out God, and that is no gain. It is a just judgement from the hand of God to be left to reap the fruits, of our own devices; and I know of few things more sad than to see a child of God so entirely forgetting his proper place and privilege, as to take the management of his affairs into his own hands. The birds of the air, and the lilies of the field, may well be our teachers when we so far forget our position of unqualified dependence upon God.

Then, again, as to Esau, the apostle calls him “a profane person, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright,” and “afterwards, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected; for he found no place of change of mind, though he sought it carefully with tears.” Thus we learn what a profane person is, viz. one who would like to hold both worlds; one who would like to enjoy the present, without forfeiting his title to the future. This is, by no means, an uncommon case. It expresses to us the mere worldly professor, whose conscience has never felt the action of divine truth, and whose heart has never felt the influence of divine grace.

We are now called to trace Jacob in his movement from under his fathers roof, to view him as a homeless and lonely wanderer on the earth. It is here that God’s special dealings with him commence. Jacob now begins to realise, in some measure, the bitter fruit of his conduct, in reference to Esau; while, at the same time, God is seen rising above all the weakness and folly of His servant, and displaying His own sovereign grace and profound wisdom in His dealings with him. God will accomplish His own purpose, no matter by what instrumentality; But if His child, in impenitence of spirit, and unbelief of heart, will take himself out of His hands, he must expect much sorrowful exercise and painful discipline. Thus it was with Jacob: he might not have had to flee to Haran, had he allowed God to act for him. God would, assuredly, have dealt with Esau, and caused him to find his destined place and portion; and Jacob might have enjoyed that sweet peace which nothing can yield save entire subjection in all things to the hand and counsel of God.

But here is where the excessive feebleness of our hearts is constantly disclosed. We do not lie passive in God’s hand; we will be acting; and, by our acting, we hinder the display of God’s grace and power on our behalf. “Be still and know that I am God,” is a precept which nought, save the power of divine grace, can enable one to obey. “Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. (eggus) Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.” What will be the result of this activity? “The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall garrison (phrouresei) your hearts and minds by Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4: 5-7)

However, God graciously overrules our folly and weakness, and while we are called upon to reap the fruits of our unbelieving and impatient ways, He takes occasion from them to teach our hearts still deeper lessons of His own tender grace and perfect wisdom. This, while it, assuredly, affords no warrant whatever for unbelief and impatience, does most wonderfully exhibit the goodness of our God, and comfort the heart even while we may be passing through the painful circumstances consequent upon our failure. God is above all; and, moreover, it is His special prerogative to bring good out of evil; to make the eater yield meat, and the strong yield sweetness; and hence, while it is quite true that Jacob was compelled to be an exile from his father’s roof in consequence of his own restless and deceitful acting, it is equally true that he never could have learnt the meaning of “Bethel” had he been quietly at home. Thus the two sides of the picture are strongly marked in every scene of Jacob’s history. It was when he was driven, by his own folly, from Isaac’s house, that he was led to taste, in some measure, the blessedness and solemnity of “God’s house.”

“And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. and he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.” Here we find the homeless wanderer just in the very position in which God could meet him, and in which He could unfold His purposes of grace and glory. Nothing could possibly be more expressive of helplessness and nothingness than Jacob’s condition as here set before us. Beneath the open canopy of heaven, with a pillow of stone, in the helpless condition of sleep. Thus it was that the God of Bethel unfolded to Jacob His purposes respecting him and his seed. “And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And behold the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed. And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.”

Here we have, indeed, “grace and glory.” The ladder “set on the earth” naturally leads the heart to meditate on the display of God’s grace, in the Person and work of His Son. On the earth it was that the wondrous work was accomplished which forms the basis, the strong and everlasting basis, of all the divine counsels in reference to Israel, the Church, and the world at large. On the earth it was that Jesus lived laboured. and died; that, through His death, He might remove out of the way every obstacle to the accomplishment of the divine purpose of blessing to man.

But “the top of the ladder reached to heaven.” It formed the medium of communication between heaven and earth; and “behold the angels of God ascending and descending upon it” – striking and beautiful picture of Him by whom God has come down into all the depth of man’s need, and by whom also He has brought man up and set him in His own presence for ever, in the power of divine righteousness! God has made provision for the accomplishment of all His plans, despite of man’s folly and sin; and it is for the everlasting joy of any soul to find itself, by the teaching of the Holy Ghost, within the limits of God’s gracious purpose.

The prophet Hosea leads us on to the time when that which was foreshadowed by Jacob’s ladder shall have its full accomplishment. “And in that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow, and the sword, and the battle, out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely. And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgement, and in loving-kindness, and in mercies; I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness; and thou shalt know the Lord. And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the Lord, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth; and the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil; and they shall hear Jezreel. And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.” (Hosea 2: 18-23) There is also an expression in the first chapter of John, bearing upon Jacob’s remarkable vision; it is Christ’s word to Nathanael, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.” (Ver. 51)

Now this vision of Jacob’s is a very blessed disclosure of divine grace to Israel. We have been led to see something of Jacob’s real character, something, too, of his real condition; both were evidently such as to show that it should either be divine grace for him, or nothing. By birth he had no claim; nor yet by character. Esau might put forward some claim on both these grounds; i.e., provided God’s prerogative were set aside; but Jacob had no claim whatsoever; and hence, while Esau could only stand upon the exclusion of God’s prerogative, Jacob could only stand upon the introduction and establishment thereof. Jacob was such a sinner, and so utterly divested of all claim, both by birth and by practice, that he had nothing whatever to rest upon save God’s purpose of pure, free, and sovereign grace. Hence, in the revelation which the Lord makes to His chosen servant, in the passage just quoted, it is a simple record or prediction of what He Himself would yet do. “I am…. I will give…. I will keep …. I will bring….. I will not leave thee until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of” It was all Himself. There is no condition whatever. No if or but; for when grace acts there can be no such thing. Where there is an if, it cannot possibly be grace. Not that God cannot put man into a position of responsibility, in which He must needs address him with an ‘if.’ We know He can; but Jacob asleep on a pillow of stone was not in a position of responsibility, but of the deepest helplessness and need; and therefore he was in a position to receive a revelation of the fullest, richest, and most unconditional grace.

Now, we cannot but own the blessedness of being in such a condition, that we have nothing to rest upon save God Himself; and, moreover, that it is in the most perfect establishment of God’s own character and prerogative that we obtain all our true joy and blessing. According to this principle, it would be an irreparable loss to us to have any ground of our own to stand upon, for in that case, God should address us on the ground of responsibility, and failure would then be inevitable. Jacob was so bad, that none but God Himself could do for him.

And, be it remarked, that it was his failure in the habitual recognition of this that led him into so much sorrow and pressure. God’s revelation of Himself is one thing, and our resting in that revelation is quite another. God shows Himself to Jacob, in infinite grace; but no sooner does Jacob awake out of sleep, than we find him developing his true character, and proving how little he knew, practically, of the blessed One who had just been revealing Himself so marvellously to him. “He was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” His heart was not at home in the presence of God; nor can any heart be so until it has been thoroughly emptied and broken. God is at home, blessed be His name, with a broken heart, and a broken heart at home with Him. But Jacob’s heart was not yet in this condition; nor had he yet learnt to repose, like a little child, in the perfect love of one who could say, “Jacob have I loved.” “Perfect love casteth out fear;” but where such love is not known and fully realised, there will always be a measure of uneasiness and perturbation. God’s house and God’s presence are not dreadful to a soul who knows the love of God as expressed in the perfect sacrifice of Christ. such a soul is rather led to say,” Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth.” (Ps. 26: 8) And, again, “One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.” (Ps. 27: 4) and again, “How amiable are Thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth, for the courts of the Lord.” (Ps. 84) When the heart is established in the knowledge of God, it will assuredly love His house, whatever the Character of that house may be, whether it be Bethel, or the temple at Jerusalem, or the Church now composed of all true believers, “builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” However, Jacob’s knowledge, both of God and His house, was very shallow, at that point in his history on which we are now dwelling.

We shall have occasion, again, to refer to some principles connected with Bethel; and shall, now, close our meditations upon this chapter, with a brief notice of Jacob’s bargain with God, so truly characteristic of him, and so demonstrative of the truth of the statement with respect to the shallowness of his knowledge of the divine character. “And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this may that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my Father’s house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God; and this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me, I will surely give the tenth unto thee.” Observe, “if God will be with me.” Now, the Lord had just said, emphatically, “I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land,” &c. And yet poor Jacob’s heart cannot get beyond an “if” nor, in its thoughts of God’s goodness, can it rise higher than “bread to eat, and raiment put on.” Such were the thoughts of one who had just seen the magnificent vision of the ladder reaching from earth to heaven, with the Lord standing above, and promising an innumerable seed, and an everlasting possession. Jacob was evidently unable to enter into the reality and fullness of God’s thoughts. He measured God by Himself, and thus utterly failed to apprehend Him. In short, Jacob had not yet verily got to the end of himself; and hence he had not really begun with God.

“Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east.” As we have just seen, in Gen. 28 Jacob utterly fails in the apprehension of God’s real character, and meets all the rich grace of Bethel with an “if” and a miserable bargain about food and raiment. We now follow him into a scene of thorough bargain-making. “Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” There is no possibility of escaping from this. Jacob had not yet found his true level in the presence of God; and, therefore, God uses circumstances to chasten and break him down.

This is the real secret of much, very much, of our sorrow and trial in the world. Our hearts have never been really broken before the Lord; we have never been self-judged and self-emptied; and hence, again and again, we, as it were, knock our heads against the wall. No one can really enjoy God until he has got to the bottom of self, and for this plain reason, that God has begun the display of Himself at the very point at which the end of flesh is seen. If, therefore, I have not reached the end of my flesh, in the deep and positive experience of my soul, it is morally impossible that I can have anything like a just apprehension of God’s character. But I must, in some way or other, be conducted to the true measure of nature. To accomplish this end, the Lord makes use of various agencies which, no matter what they are, are only effectual when used by Him for the purpose of disclosing, in our view, the true character of all that is in our hearts. How often do we find as in Jacob’s case, that even although the Lord may come near to us, and speak in our ears, yet we do not understand His voice, or take our true place in His presence. “The Lord is in this place, and I knew it not ….. How dreadful is this place!” Jacob learnt nothing by all this, and it, therefore, needed twenty years of terrible schooling, and that, too, in a school marvellously adapted to his flesh; and even that, as we shall see, was not sufficient to break him down.

However, it is remarkable to see how he gets back into an atmosphere so entirely suited to his moral constitution. The bargain-making Jacob, meets with the bargain-making Laban, and they are both seen, as it were, straining every nerve to outwit each other. Nor can we wonder at Laban, for he had never been at Bethel: he had seen no open heaven, with a ladder reaching from thence to earth; he had heard no magnificent promises from the lips of Jehovah, securing to him all the land of Canaan, with a countless seed: no marvel, therefore, that he should exhibit a grasping grovelling spirit; he had no other resource. It is useless to expect from worldly men ought but a worldly spirit, and worldly principles and ways; they have gotten nought superior; and you cannot bring a clean thing out of an unclean. But to find Jacob, after all he had seen and heard at Bethel, struggling with a man of the world, and endeavouring, by such means, to accumulate property, is peculiarly humbling.

And yet, alas! it is no uncommon thing to find the children of God thus forgetting their high destinies and heavenly inheritance, and descending into the arena with the children of this world, to struggle there for the riches and honours of a perishing, sin-stricken earth. Indeed, to such an extent is this true, in many instances, that it is often hard to trace a single evidence of that principle which St. John tells us “overcometh the world.” Looking at Jacob and Laban, and judging of them upon natural principles, it would be hard to trace any difference. One should get behind the scenes, and enter into God’s thoughts about both, in order to see how widely they differed. But it was God that had made them to differ, not Jacob; and so it is now. Difficult as it may be to trace any difference between the children of light and the children of darkness, there is, nevertheless, a very wide difference indeed – a difference founded on the solemn fact that the former are “the vessels of mercy, which God has before prepared unto glory,” while the latter are “the vessels of wrath, fitted (not by God, but by sin) to destruction.” Rom 9: 22, 23)* This makes a very serious difference. The Jacobs and the Labans differ materially, and have differed, and will differ for ever, though the former may so sadly fail in the realization and practical exhibition of their true character and dignity.

{*It is deeply interesting to the spiritual mind to mark how sedulously the Spirit of God, in Rom. 9 and indeed throughout all scripture, guards against the horrid inference which the human mind draws from the doctrine of God’s election – when He speaks of “vessels of wrath,” He simply says, “fitted to destruction.” He does not say that God “fitted” them.

Whereas, on the other hand, when He refers to “the vessels of mercy” he says, “whom he had afore prepared unto glory.” This is most marked.

If my reader will turn for a moment to Matt 25: 34-41, he will find another striking and beautiful instance of the same thing.

When the king addresses those on His right hand, he says, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” (Verse 34) But when He addresses those on His left, He says, “Depart from me ye cursed.” He does not say, “cursed of My Father.” And, further, He says, “into everlasting fire, prepared,” not for you, but “for the devil and his angels.” (Verse 41)

In a word, then, it is plain that God has “prepared’ a kingdom of glory, and “vessels of mercy’ to inherit that kingdom; but He has not prepared” everlasting fire” for men, but for the “devil and his angels” nor has He fitted the “vessels of wrath,” but they have fitted themselves.

The word of God as clearly establishes “election” as it sedulously guards against “reprobation.” Everyone who finds himself in heaven will have to thank God for it; and everyone that finds himself in hell will have to thank himself.}

Now, in Jacob’s case, as set forth in the three chapters now before us, all his toiling and working, like his wretched bargain before, is the result of his ignorance of God’s grace, and his inability to put implicit confidence in God’s promise. The man that could say, after a most unqualified promise from God to give him the whole land of Canaan, “IF God will give me food to eat and raiment to put on,” could have had but a very faint apprehension of who God was, or what His promise was either; and because of this, we see him seeking to do the best he can for himself. This is always the way when grace is not understood: the principles of grace may be professed, but the real measure of our experience of the power of grace is quite another thing. One would have imagined that Jacob’s vision had told him a tale of grace; but God’s revelation at Bethel, and Jacob’s actings at Haran, are two very different things; yet the latter tell out what was Jacob’s sense of the former. Character and conduct prove the real measure of the soul’s experience and conviction, whatever the profession may be. But Jacob had never yet been brought to measure himself in God’s presence, and therefore he was ignorant of grace, and he proved his ignorance by measuring himself with Laban, and adopting his maxims and ways.

One cannot help remarking the fact that inasmuch as Jacob failed to learn and judge the inherent character of his flesh before God, therefore he was, in the providence of God, led into the very sphere in which that character was fully exhibited in its broadest lines. He was conducted to Haran, the country of Laban and Rebekah, the very school from whence those principles, in which he was such a remarkable adept, had emanated, and where they were taught, exhibited, and maintained. If one wanted to learn what God was, he should go to Bethel; if to learn what man was, he should go to Haran. But Jacob had failed to take in God’s revelation of Himself at Bethel, and he therefore went to Haran, and there showed what he was – and oh, what scrambling and scraping! what shuffling and shifting! There is no holy and elevated confidence in God, no simply looking to and waiting on Him. True, God was with Jacob – for nothing can hinder the outshining of divine grace. Moreover, Jacob in a measure owns God’s presence and faithfulness. Still nothing can be done without a scheme and a plan. Jacob cannot allow God to settle the question as to his wives and his wages, but seeks to settle all by his own cunning and management. In short, it is “the supplanter” throughout. Let the reader turn, for example, to Gen. 30: 37-42, and say where he can find a more masterly piece of cunning. It is verily a perfect picture of Jacob. In place of allowing God to multiply “the ringstraked, speckled, and spotted cattle,” as be most assuredly could have done, had He been trusted, he sets about securing their multiplication by a piece of policy which could only have found its origin in the mind of a Jacob. So in all his actings, during his twenty years’ sojourn with Laban; and finally, he, most characteristically, “steals away,” thus maintaining, in everything, his consistency with himself.

Now, it is in tracing out Jacob’s real character, from stage to stage of his extraordinary history, that one gets a wondrous view of divine grace. None but God could have borne with such an one, as none but God would have taken such an one up. Grace begins at the very lowest point. It takes up man as he is, and deals with him in the full intelligence of what he is. It is of the very last importance to understand this feature of grace at one’s first starting; it enables us to bear, with steadiness of heart, the after discoveries of personal vileness, which so frequently shake the confidence and disturb, the peace of the children of God.

Many there are who, at first, fail in the full apprehension of the utter ruin of nature, as looked at in God’s presence, though their hearts have been attracted by the grace of God, and their consciences tranquillised, in some degree, by the application of the blood of Christ. Hence, as they get on in their course, they begin to make deeper discoveries of the evil within, and, being deficient in their apprehensions of God’s grace, and the extent and efficiency of the sacrifice of Christ, they immediately raise a question as to their being children of God at all. Thus they are taken off Christ, and thrown on themselves, and then they either betake themselves to ordinances, in order to keep up their tone of devotion, or else fall back into thorough worldliness and carnality. These are disastrous consequences, and all the result of not having “the heart established in grace.”

It is this that renders the study of Jacob’s history so profoundly interesting and eminently useful. No one can read the three chapters now before us, and not be struck at the amazing grace that could take up such an one as Jacob, and not only take him up, but say, after the full discovery of all that was in him, “He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel.” (Num. 23: 21) He does not say that iniquity and perverseness were not in him. This would never give the heart confidence – the very thing, above all others, which God desires to give. It could never assure a poor sinner’s heart, to be told that there was no sin in him; for, alas! he knows too well there is; but to be told there is no sin on him, and that, moreover, in God’s sight, on the simple ground of Christ’s perfect sacrifice, must infallibly set his heart and conscience at rest. Had God taken up Esau, we should not have had, by any means, such a blessed display of grace; for this reason, that he does not appear before us in the unamiable light in which we see Jacob. The more man sinks, the more God’s grace rises. As my debt rises, in my estimation, from the fifty pence up to the five hundred, so my sense of grace rises also, my experience of that love which, when we “had nothing to pay, could “frankly forgive” us all. (Luke 7: 42) Well might the apostle say, “it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace: not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.” (Heb. 13: 9)

Fuente: Mackintosh’s Notes on the Pentateuch

Gen 31:1-21. Jacobs Flight.This section is, for the most part, from E, Gen 31:1; Gen 31:3 are from J, Gen 31:18 (after cattle) from P.

Jacob realises from the words of Labans sons (J) and the altered demeanour of Laban himself (E) that his enrichment at Labans expense is deeply resented. Yahweh also bade him return (J). To his wives he complains of the treatment he has received from their father, which God has nevertheless overruled for his advantage, the God of Bethel who is now summoning him home. They side with Jacob, embittered by Labans meanness in giving them no part of the bride-price (mg.). So, with their warm encouragement, he sets out with family, flocks, and property, outwitting Laban, who was sheep-shearing. Rachel, without Jacobs connivance (Gen 31:32), also stole Labans teraphim (p. 101), thus securing the family luck. They crossed the Euphrates (mg.) and headed towards the hill-country of Gilead.

Gen 31:7-12. The difference between this and the representation in Gen 30:31-42 darkens the obscurity which already invests that passage. Here the representation is that Laban kept changing the conditions, finding, to his mortification, that every arrangement turned to Jacobs profit.

Gen 31:20. the heart (mg.): the understanding.

Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible

JACOB’S SECRET DEPARTURE

The prosperity of Jacob could not but awaken the envy of Laban’s sons. Jacob had gained all of this through his caring for their father’s sheep: now the majority of the sheep and the stronger sheep belonged to Jacob. But Laban had agreed to the arrangement, and they could do nothing about it. Before this Laban had recognized that it was Jacob’s presence with him that caused Laban to prosper greatly; so he appreciated Jacob. Now Jacob prospers and Laban’s attitude toward him changes to that of resentment (v 2).

We must not excuse Jacob’s manipulating as he did. But on the other hand, Laban had been taking unfair advantage of Jacob all the way through. Jacob did the hard work of caring for Laban’s flocks for twenty years. Laban had sons who could have helped with this work, but they evidently left the work to one who could do it well. Were Laban and his sons all partaking of the benefits of Jacob’s work without having to work themselves? It seemed this was the case. Management commonly considers it has the right to reap all the benefits that labor produces, because management has provided the original capital. But God takes account of the guilt of management in the oppression of its employees (Jam 5:4).

The time has come when the Lord tells Jacob to return to the land of his fathers (v.3). There is no reason for him to continue with Laban when there is serious friction in their relationship While scripture has plainly exposed what Jacob was doing, yet the Lord does not reprove him for this: Jacob knew that his actions were wrong, being not the fruit of faith. The Lord therefore left him to fight that matter out with his own conscience. But God repeats His promise to Jacob, that He will be with him. Such is the sovereign goodness of God toward His servants in spite of their failing ways.

Jacob therefore sent for Rachel and Leah to come to him where he was with the flock, and set before them the facts as to Laban’s changed attitude (v.5). He does defend himself in the whole matter: it would have been better if he had not done so. However, it was true that he had served Laban with great diligence. Here we learn that Laban had changed Jacob’s wages ten times. When we saw that Jacob was gaining greatly by one bargain, he would change the terms of his wages. Then the sheep would bear in another way to Jacob’s advantage (vs.7-8). Thus he says that God had taken Laban’s flocks and given them to Jacob. He does not tell them of his own trickery in the matter: evidently he had been able to hide this from everyone except the Lord.

He speaks of a dream in which he saw the goats mating in the way that would benefit him, and of the angel of God speaking to indicate that it was God who had caused the animals to bear in such a way as to be to Jacob’s advantage. This is no doubt true, but it shows us that there was no need for Jacob to resort to his deceitful actions. God would bless him apart from this. He tells him that He has seen all that Laban was doing to him. It may be true that Jacob’s descendants, like Jacob, have often been guilty of deceit, and Gentiles make a great deal of this, but Gentiles, like Laban, have been guilty of treating Israel shamefully, and God takes full account of this also. Gentiles can be just as deceitful as Jews: there is no difference (Rom 3:22-23).

Jacob reports further to Leah and Rachel that God told him, “I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and where you made a vow to Me” (v.13). This designation, the God of Bethel is of very real importance, for it means “God of the house of God.” Jacob had been concerned about his own house (ch.30:30), allowing the claims of God’s house to wait. But the increase of Jacob’s house had not produced peace and happiness in all his relationships. It was time that he learned that true contentment is only found in connection with God’s house, where God’s interests are paramount. God also remembered Jacob’s vow (ch.28:20-22), though He only mentions it without comment. But he tells Jacob to return to the land of his family.

Rachel and Leah were fully prepared to move immediately. They realized that there was nothing to tie them to their father. One thing they remembered, that their father had sold his daughters, enriching himself through their sale, so that they became virtually strangers to their own father. We may say that, spiritually speaking, Laban had chosen to sell all spiritual exercise as to (1) what he is (Leah) and (2) what he ought to be (Rachel) in favor of base gain. Far too many professing Christians do the same thing today, rather than go through the exercise of soul that would lead them to find in Christ the one real answer to their need. But Rachel and Leah have good advice for Jacob: “Do whatever God has said to you” (v.16).

Jacob did not delay his departure. This time he does not consult with Laban, as he had before (ch.30:25-26). In fact, he does not even inform him that he is leaving. His sons and his wives ride on camels (v.17). Of course he had servants also who would be caring for the sheep. He was able to organize all his possessions to put everything in motion three days before Laban even heard of his leaving. Since Jacob had such large possessions now, there was of course some distance between him and Laban. Also the time was opportune for Jacob since Laban was occupied with the shearing of his sheep.

Only four times in scripture do we read of sheep shearing. First, on this occasion (v.19); second in Gen 38:13 (Judah); third in 1Sa 25:4 (Nabal); and fourth in 2Sa 13:23 (Absalom). In each case, something unpleasantly selfish is involved. Peter was not told by the Lord to “shear My sheep,” but “shepherd My sheep” and “feed My sheep” (Joh 21:16-17).

Another sad complication takes place also. Rachel had stolen the teraphim (household images) that belonged to her father (v.19). She had not learned to walk by faith in the living God, but like her father, she needed to depend on what she could see. Though she was a beautiful woman, yet her desire for a religious atmosphere allowed her to indulge in stealing, idolatry and deceit (vs.34-35). This is common with all human religion: it is only the true knowledge of the Lord Jesus that will preserve us from such things.

The journey was long, but Jacob ought to have realized that Laban would pursue him. Though he had three days start before Laban learned of his leaving (v.22), Laban did not then delay in taking others with him and pursuing Jacob. After seven days he caught up with him.

Before their confrontation, however, God spoke to Laban in a dream, charging him that he must not speak to Jacob “either good or bad” (v.24). Of course, he was most likely to speak bad to Jacob, for he was angry with him, and God made it clear that Laban was not Jacob’s judge. It is interesting, however, that Laban must not speak good to Jacob. Why is this? It is because God was dealing with Jacob, and Laban must not interfere. This is a needed lesson for all Gentile nations. They must not either defend the Jewish nation, nor oppose them. At the time of the end, some nations will take sides with Israel while others fight against them. But Israel must not be supported in their wrong doing (idolatry), nor does anyone have the right to condemn Israel, for they are God’s people and He will deal with them. In fact, He will in sovereign wisdom send the Assyrians against Israel because of their idolatry (Isa 10:5-6), and when the Roman beast and his armies try to interfere to defend Israel, God will judge them first (Rev 11:1-19; Rev 12:1-17; Rev 13:1-18; Rev 14:1-20; Rev 15:1-8; Rev 16:1-21; Rev 17:1-18; Rev 18:1-24; Rev 19:1-21; Rev 20:1-15; Rev 21:1-27). Afterward He will judge Assyria also because their intentions against Israel exceed the reasons for God’s sending them (Isa 10:12).

But Jacob must face Laban, unpleasant as the experience must be. Though Laban was angry, God’s words to him kept him from going too far in what he said. He asks why Jacob had sneaked away in an underhand manner, as though he was carrying Laban’s daughters away as captives (v.26). Why did he act in such secrecy without even a word to Laban, thus giving Laban no opportunity for giving them a pleasant send-off, including being able to kiss his daughters and their children? He does not hesitate to tell Jacob that he had done foolishly in this manner.

Having spoken of Jacob’s foolishness in secretly leaving Haran, Laban tells him that he had the power to do harm to Jacob, yet admits that his desire for revenge was arrested by God’s warning him to speak neither good or bad to Jacob. Still, he says, though Jacob was anxious to get back to his father’s house, why had he stolen Laban’s gods?

Jacob answers his first question first, excusing himself for his secret departure on the ground of his being afraid that Laban might take Leah and Rachel from him by force. This was not sensible, for it is not likely that Laban would want two daughters back under his roof to care for, with their children, without any prospect of their having husbands. Besides, Laban had sold his daughters at a high monetary price.

Jacob however did not at all suspect any of his company of having stolen Laban’s idols, probably least of all Rachel. He invites Laban to search through the goods of everyone with him, and to put the thief to death (v.32). What a shock it would have been to him if Rachel had been discovered! but Rachel was like most of us. We know too well how to hide our idols and to deceive even our own loved ones! In fact, Rachel was the last in Laban’s search, evidently the least suspected. She was sitting on the images and had a good excuse for not standing (vs.34-35).

Then Jacob’s self-righteous anger begins to boil (v.36). If only Laban had discovered the idols, how different this would have been! “What is my trespass? what is my sin,” Jacob asks, “that you have so hotly pursued me”? Of course, if there had not been the sin of stealing, there was still the fact of Jacob’s having kept his departure a secret from possessions, to set before everybody anything he has found that belonged to him (Laban). Of course he knew that Laban had found nothing.

Then he strongly speaks of the way Laban had treated him. For twenty years, he says, he has served Laban. He had so cared for the females of Laban’s flock that they had not miscarried, nor had he taken any of Laban’s sheep, even to eat. Any animal that was lost, whether killed by wild animals or whether stolen, Laban held Jacob accountable for: He had to pay for the loss (v.54). He found himself suffering often by the heat of the day and shivering at night because of the cold, being unable to sleep. He stresses that he had served Laban fourteen years for his two daughters. Of course he had willingly offered to work seven years for Rachel, but had been deceived. Then he had worked six years in order to gain the large number of sheep he now had. But more: he affirms that Laban had changed his wages ten times (v.41). This must have been true, or Laban would have denied it. It does show the manipulating character of Laban. He was not at all behind Jacob in this artifice.

What Jacob says in verse 42 is also very likely true. It was only the intervention of God that enabled Jacob to accumulate the wealth he had. Laban was so greedy of gain that he would have been content to leave Jacob without any accumulation whatever for his twenty years of labor. He says that God had observed how he had labored and suffered, and therefore had rebuked Laban the previous night.

Laban had little that he could say in defence of himself in answer to Jacob’s tirade, but he does use the one argument that he considered valid, “These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and this flock is my flock” (v.43). Leah and Rachel had been his daughters, but Laban had sold them. The children were actually Jacob’s children, though grandchildren of Laban (at least those from Leah and Rachel). As to the flocks, while they had been bred from Laban’s flocks, yet they were the wages Laban had agreed to give Jacob for his labor.

Since Leah and Rachel were his daughters, he thought (wrongly) that they were his possession and he had the right to sell them. They were not his own to begin with, let alone after he had sold them. But this verse loudly proclaims the fact that a merely possessive character loses what he tenaciously seeks to hold. Laban found that he was left poorer in various respects when Jacob left him. But he asks, “What can I do this day to these my daughters or to their children whom they have borne?” He feels himself virtually bereaved of his family. May we well learn the lesson that this history teaches: what we own is not ours, but the Lord’s, and what we selfishly hold we will lose. On the other hand, what we unselfishly give up for the Lord’s sake we shall find that we gain in the end. Consider Abraham’s willingly offering Isaac (Gen 22:10-13).

However, Laban was subdued enough that, instead of continuing the argument, he suggested that he and Jacob make a covenant between them (v.44). It is sad to think that he considered this necessary between relatives, for it is again a legal arrangement rather than a trusting relationship characterized by grace, as every family relationship should be. There is still here the evidence of mere confidence in the flesh, rather than the faith that trusts in the living God.

A COVENANT BETWEEN JACOB AND LABAN

Jacob sets up his second pillar. His first was in chapter 28:18, where he made his fleshly vow, therefore the pillar of confidence in the flesh. This time his pillar is a memorial to the fact of broken confidence between relatives, a contrast to the first pillar, for it tells us that the flesh has proven it cannot be trusted. A heap of stones further emphasizes this, both Laban and Jacob calling it a “heap of witness,” Laban using the Chaldee language and Jacob the Hebrew (v.46). They eat upon the heap, not the most comfortable dining room!

It is Laban who pronounces the terms of their covenant, saying that the heap was a witness to it. He introduces the Lord’s name here, expecting Him to watch between himself and Jacob when they are absent from one another (v.49). He is really telling Jacob, “I cannot trust you out of my sight, so I want the Lord to watch.” Of course it was true the other way also. Jacob had learned not to trust Laban. So that this pillar is the milestone in Jacob’s life that proclaims clearly the untrustworthiness of the flesh. Very often it takes two parties to expose it to one another!

We may wonder if Laban suspected that Jacob might try to take some revenge against Laban by mistreating Leah and Rachel (v.50). There is no indication that Jacob had done this before. But as we have seen, Laban was still possessive of his daughters, and felt that he was caring for them better than he expected Jacob would care for them. He was even fearful that Jacob might take other wives as well as Leah and Rachel. After all, he himself had initiated the project of Jacob’s having two wives: why did he have a right to complain if Jacob took another also? But his fears were groundless. Jacob never did show any inclination to have another wife, or more.

Then Laban speaks of the heap and the pillar as a separating point between him and Jacob, a witness of the agreement of each not to pass that point in order to do harm to the other (v.52). The whole covenant might seem rather superfluous to us, for it is not likely that either of them had any intention of passing that point for any purpose: they would be happier living well apart from each other.

While Laban has emphasized the covenant, Jacob offered a sacrifice (v.54), which was far better. Then he invited the whole company to eat a meal with him. At least the sacrifice was reminder that God had rights far more important than those of either Jacob or Laban. Eating together served as an easing of the tension between them. So that they could part on comparatively friendly terms. The next morning, before their parting, Laban kissed his daughters and their children, but there is no mention of his kissing Jacob, as he had done at the time of their first meeting (ch.29:13).

Fuente: Grant’s Commentary on the Bible

31:1 And he heard the {a} 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.

(a) The children put in words what the father disguised in his heart for the covetous think that whatever they cannot take, is taken from them.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes

Jacob’s departure for Canaan 31:1-21

God had been faithful in blessing Jacob, as He had promised Abraham and Isaac. Moses recorded the testimony to that fact in this section. Jacob acknowledged that God was responsible for his prosperity. God’s goodness and His command to return to the Promised Land (Gen 31:3), as well as Laban’s growing hostility (Gen 31:5), motivated Jacob to leave Paddan-aram.

It is unclear from what Jacob reported to his wives when the Angel of God appeared to him in the dream (Gen 31:10-13). This may have occurred before or at the same time as the revelation referred to earlier in this passage. It seems likely, however, that this was the same revelation, God’s second to Jacob.

In this revelation Jacob learned that God had been responsible for his becoming richer (Gen 31:12). Jacob credited God with this and with his own survival (Gen 31:5; Gen 31:7). This is the first time in the narrative that Jacob emerges as a man of public faith. He finally takes the leadership in his home, and his wives, for the first time, follow his lead.

"This is another case of the ’Ruth effect,’ where the foreign wife commits herself and future to the God of her adopted family." [Note: Ibid., p. 510.]

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)

The increasing antagonism of Laban’s household encouraged Jacob to obey God’s command to return to the Promised Land (Gen 31:1-2).

"The true character of Laban is clearly seen from the fact that his daughters entirely sided with Jacob against their own father . . . . They too had experienced their father’s selfishness and greed, and were ready to approve of their husband’s project and to go with him." [Note: Thomas, p. 285.]

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)