Courage To Leave, Forgive And Love Series

Courage to Leave, Forgive and Love

Genesis 31:1-55

A. The Separation

B. The Reunion and Reconcilliation

Have you ever had to leave a place of comfort and immense joy for you?

A place where maybe you have had your children, lost loved ones, met your spouse?

A place that you have worked, sweated, and pained over?

I know that a lot of our native people from “bush” Alaska feel that the only places they are able to put their educational skills to use are in the Urban areas.

I have such a hard time going into Anchorage, driving with all of those people around me, dealing with the amount of people even in the stores is shocking after being in Dillingham for 5 years. It is a lot like the community in south Louisiana that I was raised in, and I like the small town feeling. However, Gloria was born in Pasig, Manila, Phillipines and had only lived in cities her whole life. It took a deal of courage and faith in the calling of Christ on our lives to come out to Dillingham. Not that she had anything at all against Dillingham—but up to that point in her life she had never really lived in a rural setting. We will see Jacob decide to leave a place that has held some comforts and victories over the past approximately 20 years. The same place held angers over being deceived, maltreatment by family, love of family, and the promise of God. Jacob just decided to continue his walk with God and God clearly leads him in the direction of his home. Are you willing today to be led to whatever “home” God may have in store for you and your family?

The Separation

Genesis 311-16

1And he heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, Jacob hath taken away all that was our father’s; and of that which was our father’s hath he gotten all this glory. 2And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as before. 3And the LORD said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee. 4And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock, 5And said unto them, I see your father’s countenance, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father hath been with me. 6And ye know that with all my power I have served your father. 7And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me. 8If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the cattle bare speckled: and if he said thus, The ringstreaked shall be thy hire; then bare all the cattle ringstreaked. 9Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me. 10And it came to pass at the time that the cattle conceived, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dream, and, behold, the rams which leaped upon the cattle were ringstreaked, speckled, and grisled. 11And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I. 12And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ringstreaked, speckled, and grisled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee. 13I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred. 14And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house? 15Are we not counted of him strangers? for he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money. 16For all the riches which God hath taken from our father, that is ours, and our children’s: now then, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do.

Jacob had many reasons to separate and leave Laban.

Laban and his son’s resentment (v 1,2)

God’s revelation (v 3,13)

Reassurance (peace with decision) of the family (v14-16)

Laban changing his wages over 10 times (v 7,41)

Jacob flees from wicked Laban responding to the leading of God’s orders.

There comes a time when righteous people must leave the presence of bad company or become embroiled in their darkness. This law of self-preservation calls people to do things which may not make sense to bosses like Laban regardless of the explanation.

Jacob knew that if he did not depart secretly Laban would have done everything to hinder his progress. However, Rachel was not honest like her husband because she stole Laban’s false idols, greatly angering her Father.