November 1997
Genesis Chapter 31
In the 31st Chapter of Genesis, we learn that Jacob has lived with his father-in-law about 20 years near Haran. He had fled the Canaan homeland of his father Isaac and grandfather Abraham in fear of his life after deceiving his brother Esau and obtaining the father’s blessing.
In Haran, Jacob had met Rachel, daughter of Laban and desired to marry her in exchange for years of servitude. Instead, Laban tricked Jacob into marrying his older daughter Leah, and then promised Rachel to Jacob in exchange for additional years of servitude.
But the Lord blessed Jacob in the service to Laban. When Laban would promised all "speckled and spotted" born calves to Jacob, only speckled and spotted calves " were born. When Laban changed the promise to "striped" calves, only striped calves were born. Jacob came to own numerous servants and maids, flocks and droves of animals.
In addition, Jacob was blessed with the birth of 11 sons and a daughter (a 12th son was born later — eventually resulting in the 12 tribes of Israel). All Jacob’s worldly possession dramatically increased and he became wealthy over the 20-year period.
In Chapter 31, Jacob learns from his wives, Laban’s sons, and Laban himself, that Jacob had become despised by Laban. Ten times Laban had changed the wages for Jacob. Laban’s daughters, now Jacob’s wives Leah and Rachel, were concerned their father had spent all the money he had made off Jacob’s servitude.
Jacob told of a dream in which God told Jacob to return to Canaan: "the land of thy kindred." Rachel and Leah encouraged Jacob to take them and all his possessions and flee back to Canaan. Gen. 31:13-16.
One day when Laban when to shear hissheep, Jacob loaded his wives, maids, gathered his servants, stock and all his possessions and fled toward Canaan. Unknown to Jacob, Rachel stole her father’s idol god images and hid them among her things.
Jacob headed west toward the mountains of Gilead, just east of the Jordan River Valley midway between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. He camped on the edge of the mountains.
Meanwhile, Laban learned of Jacob’s leaving, gathered his men and chased after him. Seven days later Laban encountered Jacob at his mountain camp, and confronted him. The night before Laban reached Jacob, Laban dreamed God instructed him not to speak either good or evil to Jacob. But Laban was unhappy that Jacob had left without warning, taking Laban’s idols, and taking Laban daughters and grandchildren without allowing him to see them away or give them a party. Gen. 31:26-27.
Jacob told Labvan he left secretly because he was afraid Laban would forcefully take back Jacob’s wives and children. Jacob was still unaware Rachel had stolen her father’s idols, and encouraged Laban to search the camp. Laban searched all the tents, but Rachel hid the idols in the camel’s riggings and sat on top while her father searched her tent.
Laban was unable to find his idols, and he and Jacob exchanged their displeasures with each other’s treatment over the past 20 years. They then made a covenant.
The two men gathered up a pile of rocks as a pillar and made an oath over it with all their servants as witnesses. Laban said God would be his witness to insure that Jacob never harmed his daughters or grandchildren. In exchange, the two men agreed never to cross the line (where the pillar of rocks had been made by them) into the other’s land for the purposes of harm. Gen. 31:52.
The next morning Laban rose, kissed his daughters and grandchildren and departed.
There is no more mention of Laban in Genesis. This apparently marks the last contact the patriarchs had with their original homeland and relatives. Canaan becomes the homeland under God’s covenant with Abraham, now passed to Isaac and Jacob.