You know, life would be so much better if things didn’t get in our way. Like slow cars on the highway, kid’s toys stacked up on the table, government bureaucracy, etc. But that’s just life. There’s a good chance that occasionally there’s going to be things in our way. Even when we’re trying to do something meaningful and good with our life.
Did you know that a teacher once told Thomas Edison that he was stupid? (But it didn’t stop him.) Did you know that Lucile Ball was once kicked out of acting school? (But it didn’t stop her.) Did you know that Michael Jordan was cut from his varsity high school basketball team? (But it didn’t stop him.)
There are times when we’re going to endeavor to do something meaningful and good and we will be met with opposition. Will it stop us?
Jacob is about to meet some opposition when he tries to do something meaningful and good with his life. He’s been working for his uncle for 14 years, he’s got the wife he came there for, (along with 3 other wives), and he’s ready to go back home. He’s ready to take God up on that offer of helping him make it back to his homeland.
[Read Genesis 28:15.]
Jacob was ready and his heart was set on returning to his family. But his uncle wasn’t quite ready for him to leave. Jacob had kind of become his meal-ticket. But we will see that:
I. God blesses Jacob in spite of the opposition
[Read Genesis 30:25-34.]
Jacob’s heart is to go home. He’s been away for 14 years and feels like it’s time to go. Laban isn’t in agreement to just let him go so Jacob strikes up a deal with him. Jacob says that he’ll continue to shepherd his flocks as long as long as Laban lets him have all the speckled and spotted livestock for his own. These types of animals with these kinds of coats of fur were less desirable so Laban readily agreed.
Obviously Jacob had a plan to raise up his own flocks so that one day he could afford to leave on his own. (It seems that if Jacob would have left right then he would have done so with nothing and a large family to take care of.) So Jacob stayed and raised up his flocks.
[Read Genesis 30:35-43.]
While Jacob is being met with strict opposition from Laban, the Lord is blessing him in spite of it. He’s using Jacob’s knowledge of shepherding and the genetic make up of the livestock to increase Jacobs flocks over Laban’s.
Laban thought he was getting a good deal thinking that giving Jacob the few, weak animals would keep his flocks small. But God turned it around and the opposite happened. Laban’s flocks grew weaker while Jacob’s flocks grew larger and stronger.
For 6 years this went on. For 6 years Jacob continued to work the opposition’s flocks while the Lord worked his flocks.
During this time tension started to grow between Jacob and Laban. Laban and his sons were obviously jealous of Jacob’s success. And Jacob probably never quit thinking about going home. So one night the Lord told Jacob the time had come for him to go home.
II. God directs Jacob away from the opposition
[Read Genesis 31:1-21.]
Enough was enough! Jacob had been there 20 years at this point, Laban is cheating him at every turn, Leah and Rachel believe their own father won’t give them their inheritance, and tension was mounting in the air.
But the decision to leave wasn’t made until the Lord appeared to Jacob and gave him the freedom to go. It’s like He’d been proving to Jacob over the years that He would be with him by blessing him in spite of the opposition. Now it was time to trust God and go back home.
Now even though Jacob really wanted to go, he knew this would be a tough thing to do. Laban had already proved to Jacob that he probably wouldn’t let him leave without a fight. And even though he had amassed much, it would take a lot to move all of those people, possessions and animals 600 miles without Laban and his men catching up to him.
Jacob even felt it necessary to get his wives on board with his decision to leave the household of Uncle Laban. Sometimes decisions that would seem to be easy are the most difficult to make simply because of the unknown.
Jacob had prospered in the land there. He knew what things were like there and they were good. But better days lay back at home. And God had promised him that He would never leave him. So armed with his faith and determination, Jacob packs up and leaves!
Of course when Laban finds out he sets out in hot pursuit.
[U-haul thief story.]
III. God protects Jacob when the opposition returns
[Read Genesis 31:22-31.]
Laban catches up to Jacob and has his list of complaints against him. (Mind you, he’s been warned of God not to judge Jacob so we’re probably seeing the milder version of what Laban had originally had in stored for Jacob when he found him.) Laban was mad because:
- He thought Jacob had taken his daughters away from his household by force
- He didn’t get a chance to throw him a good-bye party for him
- He didn’t get a chance to say good-bye to his daughters and grandkids
- He thought Jacob had stolen his gods, (teraphim)
Laban’s obviously got a lot of paganism left in him and can’t believe Jacob would take off
with his gods. But unknowingly to Jacob, his beloved wife Rachel had stolen her dad’s gods.
Now we really don’t know what possessed Rachel to steal these idols. Maybe she thought that one day it would help them claim her inheritance when Laban died, or maybe she just wanted to cause her dad some pain. We don’t really know. But what we do know is that it almost gets her killed!
[Read Genesis 31:32-35.]
Not that was some quick, yet deeply devious thinking on the part of Rachel. Claiming she was menstruating gave her an excuse to not stand up in her father’s presence so she could continue to hide the idols she had stolen.
When Laban can’t produce any evidence to back up the claim that Jacob was a thief, Jacob has a few choice words for old uncle Laban.
[Read Genesis 31:36-37.]
Jacob is frustrated. So he sets up a public forum by which the disagreements between himself and Laban would be judged and decided upon.
[Read Genesis 31:38-42.]
Jacob not only realized that it was God who sustained and blessed him through those hard 20 years, Jacob wanted everyone to know that it was God all along. He wanted everyone to know that it was God who blessed him in spite of Laban’s opposition, it was God who led him away from Laban’s opposition, and it was God who was protecting him from Laban’s current opposition. That’s why he said “He rendered judgment last night”. He was referring to the previous night when God warned Laban to back off of Jacob showing His protection of him.
God was keeping His promise to never leave Jacob and Jacob knew it.
Laban on the other hand knew he had failed to continue his control over Jacob. So he makes a pride-filled agreement with him to separate peacefully. He makes this covenant with Jacob for two reasons: to save face, and to protect himself. But as we read this, we know that it’s really that:
IV. God gives Jacob victory over the opposition
[Read Genesis 31:43-55.]
Even though Laban is talking a good game here, he’s really not the one in control. He’s just trying to save face before his men and his family and he’s trying to set up some boundaries of protection from his nephew that has not only become more powerful than him, but whose God warned him to back off. (Laban’s gods were no where to be found.) Notice a few things:
- Laban acted like everything Jacob had was his, but it wasn’t
- Laban acted like Jacob was going to mistreat his daughters
- Laban acted like Jacob needed all these reminders to keep him off Laban’s land
- Laban acted like he and Jacob served the same god
[Read Genesis 31:53.]
But Jacob made sure that there was a distinction between His God, (the One who speaks and protects), and Laban’s gods, (the ones who are lost and who don’t protect).
The next day Laban leaves like a whipped dog with his tail between his legs. God was so faithful to Jacob and had given him victory over the oppression. It had been a long coming, but in God’s time and in God’s way Jacob had the victory.
I think we can all relate to Jacob’s journey in one way or another. You know once you’ve lived a while on this earth you get opportunities to face opposition when you’re trying to do something meaningful and good.
- raising godly kids
- marriage
- business
- ministry
Have you ever felt like you were stuck in the middle of a journey that the Lord had put
you on?
[Leaving BBV story, read “The Tide” lyrics.]
think I’ll wait for the tide
seems it’s all I can do right now
there must be a reason I’ve run aground
I’ll wait for the waves to come
by the moon and the tide
like a man and his bride
I will wait on you, Lord
and we will run so far from here to your safety
think I’ll lie in the sun for awhile
maybe inside out
I’ve been leaving messages for you
I’m sure it will all work out
and I know the waves will come
by the moon and the tide
like a man and his bride
I will wait on you Lord
and we will run so far from here
to your safety in the storm
there is courage for the simple man
to the holders of secrets and scars
learning to stand with reaching arms
we’ll wait till the very last
no matter what will be
you’re always good, always good to me
Jesus has given us believers the same promise He gave to Jacob. He will never leave us or forsake us. Whatever the journey of life He’s set us on, He is with us every step of the way! In His time and in His way we will get victory over the opposition in our lives.
