Bible Study Online Article
Now two days have passed since Jacob has taken his family and fled Laban's household. It would be the third day before Laban is told of Jacob's departure. It's safe to write that Laban was not happy about hearing that Jacob had left, so he immediately rounded up his clan of relatives to go after him. He pursues the promise bearer, for it would take seven days before Laban and his clan catches up with Jacob and his group. Laban would spot them around the hill country of Gilead, but he would not make immediate contact. He would rest for that night before approaching Jacob and his group. During that night, God would come to Laban in a dream. In this dream God would warn Laban: "Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad." Jacob had pitched his tent and set up camp in the hill country of Gilead when Laban had came and approached him. They too, would settle within the same camp area that Jacob and his family were in. Now we find that Laban begins to place false charges against Jacob. Laban is able to do this simply because Jacob did not trust God all the way, which resulted in giving his father-in-law a way to spin the argument and try to place blame on him. "What have you done? You've deceived me and have carried off my daughters like captives in war. Why did you run off secretly and deceive me? Why didn't you tell me so I could send you away with joy and singing to the music of tambourines and harps? You didn't even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughter's goodbye. You have done a foolish thing. I have the power to harm you, but last night the God of your father said to me, 'Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.' Now you have gone off because you longed to return to your father's house. But why did you steal my gods? So here we have Laban trying his best to spin Jacob's departure into some kind of self pity party, in which he tries to portray himself as a victim. Jacob had every right at this point in the argument to point out Laban's fourteen year deception over him and his overall twenty year commitment, but the promise bearer does no such thing at this time. "I was afraid, because I thought you would take your daughters away from me by force. But if you find anybody who has your gods, he shall not live." (Remember Jacob did not know that his wife Rachel had taken her father's idols.) Jacob continues... "In the presence of our relatives, see for yourself whether there's anything of yours here with me; and if so, take it." So Laban begins his search for his household gods, in which he starts in Leah's tent. He did not find them there, so he went into the tents of the two maidservants. He comes up empty in their tent as well, so he goes into Rachel's tent, in which he finds her sitting. He searched her tent and when he came to where she was sitting, Rachel told her father: "Please don't be angry, my lord, that I cannot stand up in your presence; I'm having my period." So he continued to search her tent but to no avail, he did not find the idols, for Rachel had hidden them in the camel's saddle in which she was sitting. Jacob becomes angry and takes Laban to task. "What is my crime? What sin have I committed that you hunt me down? Now that you have searched through all my goods, what have you found that belongs to your household? Put it here in front of your relatives and mine, and let them judge between the two of us. I have been with you for twenty years now. Your sheep and goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten rams from your flocks. I did not bring you animals torn by wild beast; I bore the loss myself. And you demanded payment from whatever was stolen day or night. This was my situation: The heat consumed me in the daytime and the cold at night, and sheep fled from my eyes. It was like this for the twenty years I was in your household. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks, and you changed my wags ten times. If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands, and last night he rebuked you." Basically up to this point in the exchange, we find that Jacob had to remind Laban that he was a very hard master and unfair boss towards him. And yet Jacob would endure this treatment and continue on to be a good servant and employee when it came to tending Laban's flocks over the span of twenty years. Jacob also informs Laban that it was because of his hard and unfair treatment that he had endured from him, that God kept watch over him all those years and allowed him to be blessed divinely, with the gifts of provision and protection. God would confirm Jacob's account to Laban before he even heard it, through a dream the night before.
Start at: Jacob - The Path of Uncertainty 56) Rachel the Thief 57) Jacob's Mistake 58) <-CURRENT PAGE-> 62) Jacob & Esau - The Reconciliation 63) Dinah the Daughter of Israel  CrossDaily.com Web Search where you can VOTE FOR THIS SITE & other great ones. Christian search engine, directory & voting index. You'll find Bible, chat, churches, jobs, music, reviews, software, theology, & more. See the best sites!
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