Bible Study Online ArticleLocated at the Bottom of Page In the last couple of articles we learned that the "new deal" that Jacob and Laban had made some six years before, had turned out well for Jacob. For we find that Laban would place most of his flocks under the control of his sons, while forcing Jacob to basically start over from scratch.
Laban did this because Jacob's counter-offer dealt with him receiving all the newly "spotted and speckled" that were born from out of the flock that he'd tended, when it came to his salary. Laban thought that if he could greatly reduce and limit the size of the flocks that Jacob tended, that it would also limited the chances that the newly born amongst the flock would be "spotted or speckled." And since Jacob was getting paid for his services, by being able to keep the "spotted and speckled" - in Laban's mind, the less that were born "spotted and speckled" the better. Be that as it may, we've now come to the souring point that had developed between Jacob and Laban. For we find that Laban's sons were beginning to feel like Jacob had deceived their father. And it would be for this reason, that they'd became envious and ill-natured towards Jacob. They felt like Jacob had taken all the wealth that had belonged to their father: "Jacob has taken everything our father owned and has gained all this wealth from what belonged to our father." They would say amongst themselves. But Laban's sons would be wrong in their allegations against Jacob - for we find that Jacob did not take all the wealth that had belonged to their father, being that Laban still had his flocks that Jacob had built up for him over the past fourteen years before they had struck a new deal. But Jacob had eclipse Laban in wealth during the past six years, and this is what Laban's sons were upset about. For they saw how Jacob's flocks had grew tremendously during those past six years, and they weren't too happy that their father's flocks had stayed stagnate. So it was these increases over the past six years that Laban son's were upset over, and they felt like those increases belonged to their father. But Laban knew that he was taking some kind of risk, by agreeing to this "new deal" with Jacob - but he felt like the risk that he was taking was small. And of course, he thought that things would go in his favor (like they always had), and although the risk was small - Laban would pay a heavy price for taking it. And even though Laban knew the mistake that he had made by agreeing to the "new deal" with Jacob, this still wouldn't stop him from following the negative attitudes of his sons. And although he wouldn't say much, he too, would begin to treat Jacob differently - so much so, Jacob would take notice: "I see that your father's attitude towards me is not what it was before, but the God of my father has been with me. You know that I've worked for your father with all of my strength, yet your father has cheated me by changing my wages often. However, God has not allowed him to harm me. If he said, 'The speckled ones will be your wages,' then all the flocks gave birth to speckled young; and if he said, 'The streaked ones will be your wages,' then all the flocks bore streaked young. So God has taken away your father's livestock and has given them to me." -- Genesis 31:5-9 Jacob would then continue to tell them about the dream that he had during the breeding season: "In breeding season I once had a dream in which I looked up and saw that the male goats mating wit the flock were streaked, speckled or spotted. The angel of God said to me in the dream, 'Jacob.' I answered, "Here I am." And He said, 'Look up and see that all the male goats mating with the flock are streaked, speckled or spotted, for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you. I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and where you made a vow to me. Now leave this land at once and go back to your native land.'" -- Genesis 31:10-13 Keep in mind that Jacob wanted them to know that his prosperity was not necessarily by his own doing, but it was by the hand of the Lord that he is now a wealthy man. And after Rachel and Leah had heard all that Jacob had to say, they responded by saying: "Do we still have any share in the inheritance of our father's estate? Does he not regard us as foreigners? Not only has he sold us, but he has used up what was paid for us. Surely all the wealth that God took away from our father belongs to us and our children. So do whatever God has told you." -- Genesis 31:14-16 And after Jacob had received the go ahead from his wives, the Sacred Record reveals that Jacob had loaded his family unto camels. Next we find that he would then drive his livestock ahead of him, along with all that he had accumulated in "Paddan Aram" and it's at this point he would begin to make the journey back to the household of his father Isaac - who lived back in the land of Canaan. But the Sacred Record had revealed something else as well, for we find that before Jacob and his family had departed from Laban's household, we're told that Rachel had stolen her father's household gods while he was away shearing the sheep (more on this in the next article). However, we also find that Jacob would make a mistake as well: "Moreover Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him he was running away." -- (Genesis 31:20) And although Jacob had the right to leave and make his own way, the way that he'd left Laban's household, would lead to him making a crucial mistake. Up to this point Jacob had done and made all the right moves during this twenty year ordeal with Laban. But by him not telling Laban that he was leaving, the Scriptures tell us he was deceitful in that regard (more on this in the next article). Be that as it may, Jacob fled with all that he had, and after he'd crossed the river, he headed for the hill country of Gilead. So how will Laban react to Jacob fleeing from his household? What about his daughter Rachel stealing his household gods in the process, how will that factor in? Will God step in? **YOUR CURRENT BIBLE STUDY ONLINE SERIES WOULD BE HERE** 55) <-CURRENT BIBLE STUDY ONLINE PAGE-> 56) Rachel the Thief 57) Jacob's Mistake of Deception 62) Jacob & Esau - The Reconciliation 63) Dinah the Daughter of Israel  |
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