Bible Study Online ArticleLocated at the Bottom of Page In the last article we learned that Laban set out to quickly pursued Jacob - after his son-in-law, after twenty years, had left unexpectedly with his family. Laban would pursue Jacob for seven days before he was able to catch up with him.
The Lord would visit Laban in a dream warning him not to approach Jacob. But Laban wouldn't listen to the warning, and decided to speak with Jacob in spite of. It would be at this time that Laban would try to spin what Jacob had done into his favor. Laban was trying to place all the blame on Jacob, and to make matters worse, Rachel had stolen (without Jacob's knowledge) her father's "household gods." Laban would search for these "pagan idols," but he was unsuccessful when it came to him locating them. Needless-to-say Jacob was angry that Laban had blamed him and his family for the all the trouble that the two camps were experiencing between each other. Personally I find it refreshing that Jacob had finally showed some outward emotion, when it came to how Laban's past treatment of him. And it was at this time that Jacob would set the record straight by reminding Laban about his successful track record when it came to him managing his father-in-laws flocks for the past twenty years. This would consist of Jacob informing Laban about the endurable hardships that came with the job of successfully tending to his flocks. Know that the Sacred Scriptures reveals that Laban did not argue, or debate against Jacob's talking points. But it's presumed that Laban might have had a brief moment of conviction. Actually if one were to be honest, there was no way that Laban could argue against Jacob - without looking foolish in process. The mere fact that Jacob had left from his Laban's household unannounced, was the only slimmer of hope that Laban had when it came to turning and falsely blaming this whole ordeal on Jacob. But as we will soon learn, Laban's attempts at shifting the blame away from him would fail. So instead we find Laban doing what he does best - he offered Jacob another proposal: "The women are my daughters, the children are my children and the flocks are my flocks. All you see is mine. Yet what can I do today about these daughters of mine, or about the children they have borne? Come now, let's make a covenant, you and I, and let it serve as a witness between us." - Genesis 31:43,44 Now keep in mind that Laban did the right thing by finally laying claim to what was rightfully his - which were his daughters Rachel and Leah, and their kids, which are his grandchildren. Remember that before, he had treated them all as if they were strangers and this is why Rachel and Leah were so upset with their father to begin with. But of course, leave it to Laban to speak something that was not true: "...the flocks are my flocks. All you see is mine." And of course this is simply not true. Being that the flocks that Jacob had and everything else that had accompanied him, all belonged to him. Understand that Jacob sacrifice greatly and worked hard for all that he had acquired in his life. With Jacob being the mild and calm tempered person that he was, had decided not to put up a fuss, or murmur and complain. As a matter of fact, Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar, and it would be at this time that he'd also asked his family to gather some more stones. His family would do as he asked and they would gather up the stones and pile them up in a heap. and soon after Jacob and his brethren would unite in agreement by breaking bread together. Know that the pillar and the heap of rocks, were Jacob and Laban's way of recording, and documenting their proposed "friendship covenant" with each other. And it would be at this time that Laban would call this place "Jegar-sahadutha" (which was a word in the Syrian Language) and Jacob called the place "Galeed" (which was a word in the Hebrew Language). Know that both names (although two different languages) means the same. Being that both words signifies - (a heap of witness) Laban's oath to this covenant: "This heap is a witness between you and me today. May the Lord keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other, if you mistreat my daughters or if you take any wives besides my daughters, even tough no one is with us, remember that God is a witness between you and me. Here is this heap, and here is this pillar I have set up between you and me. This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not go past this heap to your side to harm you and that you will not go past this heap and pillar to my side to harm me. May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us." - Genesis 31:48-53 And soon afterwards, Laban was finished with his oath and Jacob would confirm it by agreeing to the terms of this "friendship covenant" and this was done in the fear of his father Isaac. Next we find that Jacob would then offer up a sacrifice which was, basically, a peace-offering. And they stayed there within the hill country and Jacob invited all his relatives to a feast. The feast was a way of paying tribute and confirming the reconciliation of their friendship through this particular covenant. Everyone would spend the night after they had eaten. And early in the morning Laban would awaken and right before he left to return home, he would kiss his grandchildren, along with his daughters while blessing them. Now that Jacob has placed his ordeal with Laban behind him, he still must continue forward on the path of uncertainty, for he will soon realize that he will need to lean even more so, on his faith and trust in the One True God. **YOUR CURRENT BIBLE STUDY ONLINE SERIES WOULD BE HERE** 56) Rachel the Thief 57) Jacob's Mistake 58) Laban's Pursuit 59) <-CURRENT BIBLE STUDY ONLINE PAGE-> 62) Jacob & Esau - The Reconciliation 63) Dinah the Daughter of Israel  |
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