Bible Study Online ArticleLocated at the Bottom of Page In the last article we took a look at the one mistake that Jacob was charged with by the Sacred Record, when it came to his twenty year ordeal with Laban. We learned that although by world standards Jacob had every right to leave Laban's household (especially since he feared for his safety) he would still be accused of wrong doing.
Jacob mistake was made because of the way he left from out of the situation with Laban. For if Jacob would have trusted God more, he wouldn't have given in to his fears when it came to Laban. Because of this, Jacob has now given Laban an opportunity to turn the tables on him and play the victim. This would be very interesting being that it was Jacob would had been victimized by Laban for the past twenty years. Be that as it may, you would think that Laban would have no chance of successfully spinning this situation in his favor. And you're probably right - but this doesn't stop Laban from trying. We'll see how he fares, as we move forward with this account. But in the meantime we find that the Sacred Record has revealed that two days had passed since Jacob had decided to unexpectedly to take his family and flee from Laban's household. It wouldn't be until the third day after Jacob and his family had departed that Laban is told of the disappointing news. Needless-to-say Laban wasn't happy when he heard about Jacob leaving unexpectedly. And because of this, Laban would immediately round up his clan of relatives and go after him. Laban is now in pursuit of Jacob and it wouldn't be until seven days had passed before Laban and his clan are able to catch up with Jacob and his group. Laban spotted had them around the hill country of Gilead, but he wouldn't make immediate contact with Jacob at that time. He would instead, rest for that night before approaching his son-in-law. But during that night God had visited Laban in a dream and it would be at this time that God had warned Laban: "Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad." But Laban wouldn't be obedient to what the Lord had warn him against, for we now find that Laban would approach Jacob and his family after they had pitched their tents and setup camp in the hill country of Gilead. It's also worth noting that Laban and his group had also settled within the same camp area that Jacob and his family were in as well. Now after Laban had approached Jacob - he begins to place false charges against him. Now keep in mind that Laban is able to do this simply because Jacob departed from his household without telling him. And remember that I'd pointed out that Jacob could have avoided all of this if he had trusted God all the way through the ordeal he was having with his father-in-law. However, we now have Laban trying to spin this situation into his favor. Laban does this by trying to place the blame directly on Jacob instead of him being accountable for his own actions: "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?" - Genesis 31:26-30 Now keep in mind that Laban is trying his best to spin Jacob's departure into some kind of self-pity party, by trying to portray himself as a victim. Also understand that Jacob had every right at this point from within the argument, to point out Laban's fourteen year deception over him, and how he had stayed committed to his father-in-law throughout the twenty year commitment in spite of. But Jacob being the man that he was, 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. In the presence of our relatives, see for yourself whether there's anything of yours here with me; and if so, take it." Jacob explained to Laban. Now remember that Jacob didn't know that his wife Rachel had taken her father's "household gods." Now after hearing what Jacob had to say, Laban begins his search and he starts by searching Leah's tent first. The Sacred Record reveals that he wouldn't find anything there, so he went into the tents of the two maidservants Bilhah and Zilpah. And once again he comes up empty after he searches their tents. Next he goes into Rachel's tent and it would be at this time that he finds her sitting on a saddle that she was using for her camel. So Laban begins to search his daughter's 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." He believed his daughter and so therefore he didn't make her get up. But he he continues to search the rest of her tent, but to no avail he didn't find the idols. Know that Rachel had hidden the "idols" in the camel's saddle, the one that she was sitting on. After seeing that Laban hadn't found what he was looking for, and begins to realize that Laban's false accusations were perhaps untrue, Jacob becomes angry and finally 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." -- Genesis 31:36-42 So basically up to this point from within the heated exchange, we find that Jacob had reminded Laban that he had been a very hard master and unfair boss towards him. And yet, Jacob would endure this mistreatment and continued on to be a good servant and employee when it came to tending Laban's flocks over the span of that twenty years. Jacob also informs Laban that it was because of his hard and unfair treatment that he had endured from him that God had kept watch over him during those years. And Jacob also informed Laban that God had blessed him with favor, provision and protection throughout that enduring span of time. And keep in mind that God would in part, confirm Jacob's account to Laban before he'd even heard it, through a dream the night before. Will Laban back off and take responsibility for his past actions? Or, will he continue to hold himself unaccountable by continuing to play the blame game against Jacob? Or, perhaps Jacob and Laban will put their differences behind them and they both will move forward with their lives? **YOUR CURRENT BIBLE STUDY ONLINE SERIES WOULD BE HERE** 56) Rachel the Thief 57) Jacob's Mistake 58) <-CURRENT BIBLE STUDY ONLINE PAGE-> 62) Jacob & Esau - The Reconciliation 63) Dinah the Daughter of Israel  |
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