Bible Study Online Article

Before we move forward, I wanted to take this time to write about the mistake Jacob had made during his twenty year ordeal with Laban.

This mistake of deception happens at a time when Jacob was ending his business relationship with his father-in-law.

Whenever I read and study the scriptures I try to put myself in the person's shoes that I'm reading about.

This helps me to better understand how that person's experience could help me to make a wise decision if I'm ever faced with a situation that's hardwired with the same principals.

This is one thing that I hope that the Lord will get you to understand and identify with one day.

For example: If a person loses a love one to death in the scriptures, this doesn't mean that I have to lose a love one at the hands of death in order for me to learn and apply what I've learnt from that person's experience.

I can still use the teaching to help me to make better decisions if anything that was at the center of my heart and mind was ever taken away from me. These things can range from any number of things, and are not limited to losing a love one at the hands of death.

This is why I wanted to write a little bit about the mistake that Jacob had made while he was ending his business relationship with Laban. For I know that if I was in Jacob's shoes I would have probably had done the same thing.

For the mere fact that I've worked for this man for seven years in hopes to earning the rights to marry his daughter Rachel. A seven year agreement that Laban had agreed to and within that seven years, because of my managing expertise when it came to tending cattle... he prospers.

When those seven years are up, he tricks me and hands his older daughter Leah over to me instead. I'm highly upset because we had an agreement, so Laban makes another proposal to me in order for me to win the hand of Rachel.

He will hand her over to me within one week, if I decide to work for him another seven years; I love Rachel with all my heart so I agree. Same as always, I give my all and Laban prospers once again within the next seven years.

Now I'm ready to leave and make a life of my own with my new family after spending the last fourteen years working for my father-in-law. But here comes Laban again with another proposal. I should had left, but with the dream that I had from the one true God I'm all ears.

After listening to Laban proposal, I obey the vision that I had saw in the dream and quickly make Laban a counter proposal, in which he quickly agrees to it.

Now here's the first step that led to my mistake if I was Jacob.

And that step would be, that I didn't set a specific time that this arrangement would last. Because of the favor that I have with God, I begin to prosper and do so for the next six years.

And because of Laban's greed and dishonesty he doesn't prosper and his business stays stagnate. Now Laban and his sons are mad at me, and now I fear that they will try to do some type of harm to me, so I decide to leave while I'm able to do so. So my family and I leave. Now can I ask you a question? Why is that wrong?

It's wrong because I didn't trust God all the way, I only trusted God most of the way. The reason why I point this out is because it was out of fear that Jacob left from Laban's household without telling him.

If Jacob would have trusted God all the way, he would have known that the Lord would have protected him from Laban and his sons.

It's these little things that causes a person with a good heart to question why things keep going wrong in their lives. When we turn to the word of the Lord, we are able to identify these things that we seem to overlook most of the time.

Now because of Jacob's actions, he gives Laban a way to debate on why he feels that Jacob did him wrong.

Now that's something, but this is how the world operates. So here are some talking points that Laban could try to use, all because Jacob didn't trust God all the way.

1) He knew he was guilty for stealing my cattle that's why he left without notice.

2) He took my precious daughters away from me along with my cattle.

3) He took my household gods away from me along with everything else. Remember at this time Jacob knows nothing about Rachel stealing Laban's idols

Interesting to say the least, for we must assume that Jacob left for a totally different set of other reasons.

1) He feared for his life, because of Laban and his son's jealousy towards him.

2) He knew that Laban was cruel, selfish and unrighteous and he had to get away from him immediately.

3) He wanted to avoid having to deal with Laban using his deception or even force to keep him and his family from leaving.

But Jacob's departure should not be up for debate. If we take anything from his experience with Laban, it's that we should trust God all the way, for He will never turn His back on us.

Start at:

The Introduction of Abraham

The Birth of Isaac

The Birth of Esau & Jacob

Jacob - The Path of Uncertainty

54) Jacob the Prosperous

55) Jacob departs from Laban

56) Rachel the Thief

57) <-CURRENT PAGE->

58) Laban the Pursuer

59) The Friendship Covenant

60) The Host of Angels

61) Jacob Wrestles with God

62) Jacob & Esau - The Reconciliation

63) Dinah the Daughter of Israel

64) The Plot of Vengeance

65) The Forgotten Vow

66) The Season of Passing

67) The Descendants of Esau

68) Joseph the Favorite Son

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