Note: When doing a study on a book in the Bible you use a lot of resources. The major influence for me on this study of Genesis is The Genesis Record by Henry Morris.
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ŠJ L ÖJ ÖJ ÖJ ÖJ à=Ð/ Ð 8 ÖJ 25 And it came to pass, when Rachel had born Joseph, that Jacob
said unto Laban, Send me away, that I may go unto mine own place,
and to my country.
26 Give [me] my wives and my children, for whom I have served
thee, and let me go: for thou knowest my service which I have
done thee.
Jacob feels it is time to break away from the family and leave Laban. It is time to get out on his own and work for his own labor. But Laban has a different idea.
27 And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favour
in thine eyes, [tarry: for] I have learned by experience that the
LORD hath blessed me for thy sake.
Now listen Jacob. You have worked very well before me. God has really blessed me while you was here so why not stay longer.
28 And he said, Appoint me thy wages, and I will give [it].
So Laban tries to make a deal with Jacob. Name your price what will it cost.
29 And he said unto him, Thou knowest how I have served thee,
and how thy cattle was with me.
30 For [it was] little which thou hadst before I [came], and it
is [now] increased unto a multitude; and the LORD hath blessed
thee since my coming: and now when shall I provide for mine own
house also?
Jacob says it is time to step out. Listen you have got over and abundantly you monies worth. You have increased your riches now it is time for me to provide for my family. Oh, yeah and I really don't want to make a deal with you. Why?
31 And he said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob said, Thou
shalt not give me any thing: if thou wilt do this thing for me, I
will again feed [and] keep thy flock:
32 I will pass through all thy flock to day, removing from
thence all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown
cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the
goats: and [of such] shall be my hire.
33 So shall my righteousness answer for me in time to come,
when it shall come for my hire before thy face: every one that
[is] not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among
the sheep, that shall be counted stolen with me.
So he does make a deal. Maybe Laban will have to honor this one since it was open to all. The deal is all the pure breeds will be yours and all the speckled and spotted( the unwanted) will be mine. This would allow for also only the pure breeds to mate.
34 And Laban said, Behold, I would it might be according to thy
word.
35 And he removed that day the he goats that were ringstraked
and spotted, and all the she goats that were speckled and
spotted, [and] every one that had [some] white in it, and all the
brown among the sheep, and gave [them] into the hand of his sons.
So he separates the flock.
36 And he set three days' journey (about 12 miles) betwixt himself and Jacob:
and Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flocks.
37. And Jacob took him rods of green poplar, and of the hazel (almond tree)
and chesnut tree(tree of the plane); and pilled white strakes in them, and made the
white appear which [was] in the rods.
38 And he set the rods which he had pilled before the flocks in
the gutters in the watering troughs when the flocks came to
drink, that they should conceive when they came to drink.
39 And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth
cattle ringstraked, speckled, and spotted.
40 And Jacob did separate the lambs, and set the faces of the
flocks toward the ringstraked, and all the brown in the flock of
Laban; and he put his own flocks by themselves, and put them not
unto Laban's cattle.
41 And it came to pass, whensoever the stronger cattle did
conceive, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the cattle
in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods.
42 But when the cattle were feeble, he put [them] not in: so
the feebler were Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's.
43 And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and
maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses.
What do you think about this?
From what I can read here Jacob would take these trees and cut them and make stripes on them. Probably red and white. Then he would place them in from of the female cows and when they ate they would see this. Supposedly this would cause them to have babies that were different. It seems to have worked for Jacob. The question is what worked. I believe as we will see this was caused by God. We will learn that this was also a product of selective breeding. It kind of reminds me of when God told Elijah to put the salt in the water to cure the water or when Naman had to dip in the Jordan 7 times. It was not the process or the product but the hand of God involved in it.
Genesis 31:1. And 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.
2 And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it
[was] not toward him as before.
3 And the LORD said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy
fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.
Some of my most favorite words in Scripture. "I will be with thee" Found all through out scripture. I will be with thee, I am with thee. This is Gods words of encouragement. This is God's promise to all who will obey and serve him I will be with thee. Do you believe it tonight?
4 And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto
his flock,
I think this is great that Jacob is discussing this with his wives. Sometimes husbands think that God only tells them and relays messages to them but he also speaks to our wives. If my wife was not willing to be a part of me and my ministry then I would have a mess.
5 And 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.
6 And ye know that with all my power I have served your father.
7 And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten
times; but God suffered him not to hurt me.
Jacob explains to his wives how he became so wealthy.
8 If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages; then all
the cattle bare speckled: and if he said thus, The ringstraked
shall be thy hire; then bare all the cattle ringstraked.
9 Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given
[them] to me.
10 And 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] ringstraked, speckled,
and grisled.
11 And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, [saying],
Jacob: And I said, Here [am] I.
12 And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the rams
which leap upon the cattle [are] ringstraked, speckled, and
grisled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee.
So some people wonder if it is superstition that happened here but I say it is God who used this method for his glory. It was not in the method but in the Holy Spirit of God. God is who blessed Jacob because of his obedience.4
13 I [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.
Why do you think God said this to Jacob, "I am the God of Bethel" what happened at Bethel? Genesis 28:10-15
14 And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, [Is there]
yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house?
15 Are we not counted of him strangers? for he hath sold us,
and hath quite devoured also our money.
16 For 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.
Now I like this reaction. They felt deceived and betrayed by their own father and they told Jacob "whatsoever God hath said unto thee do." I wish all of our households were this cooperative we would not have so many breakups in the home.
17. Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon
camels;
18 And he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which
he had gotten, the cattle of his getting, which he had gotten in
Padanaram,(nothing more than this) for to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.
19 And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the
images that [were] her father's.
So Jacob with out telling Laban is leaving. He is going to sneak out while Laban is shearing his sheep. Probably all things would have been good except for what Rachel did. She stole her fathers images. Why? Some say because of idol worship, she held on to her belief. Some say because is represented a part of her fathers inheritance that she would receive if the had the images. I believe it could be both. She wanted to leave with Jacob but she wanted a part of her heritage. The only problem was that her heritage included idol worship. Maybe she believed in the God of Jacob but just in case she wanted these images. This is the main reason God wanted Jacob and his family out of this area. It was a bad influence.
20 And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that
he told him not that he fled.
21 So he fled with all that he had; and he rose up, and passed
over the river, and set his face [toward] the mount Gilead.
22 And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob was fled.
23 And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him
seven days' journey; and they overtook him in the mount Gilead.
So Laban must have really been in a hurry. He traveled fast. He was furious with Jacob so furious that God had to speak to Laban.
24 And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and
said unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good
or bad.
I wonder what would have happened if Laban had caught Jacob before God came to Laban in a dream? He would probably have killed him. He was furious. Why? maybe because of the images. Maybe because Jacob had out foxed him and left.
25. Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in
the mount: and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mount of
Gilead.
26 And Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast
stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters, as
captives [taken] with the sword?
Why run sneaking? With my daughters probably forced from me.
27 Wherefore didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away from
me; and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away with
mirth, and with songs, with tabret(tamberine), and with harp?
28 And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters?
thou hast now done foolishly in [so] doing.
1st charge: Why did you not allow me of the opportunity to see my family off?
29 It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of
your father spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed
that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.
30 And now, [though] thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou
sore longedst after thy father's house, [yet] wherefore hast thou
stolen my gods?
Did you steal my Gods?
31 And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid:
for I said, Peradventure thou wouldest take by force thy
daughters from me.
32 With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live:
before our brethren discern thou what [is] thine with me, and
take [it] to thee. For Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen
them.
Jacob speaks before he knows who actually has stolen Laban's idols.
33 And Laban went into Jacob's tent, and into Leah's tent, and
into the two maidservants' tents; but he found [them] not. Then
went he out of Leah's tent, and entered into Rachel's tent.
34 Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel's
furniture, and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the tent,
but found [them] not.
35 And she said to her father, Let it not displease my lord
that I cannot rise up before thee; for the custom of women [is]
upon me. And he searched, but found not the images.
What a deceiver this Rachel was. Now we understand more of why the linage of Judah came out of Leah.
Jacob discusses the accusations and stands up to Laban.
36. And Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban: and Jacob
answered and said to Laban, What [is] my trespass? what [is] my
sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me?
37 Whereas thou hast searched all my stuff, what hast thou
found of all thy household stuff? set [it] here before my
brethren and thy brethren, that they may judge betwixt us both.
38 This twenty years [have] I [been] with thee; thy ewes and
thy she goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy
flock have I not eaten.
39 That which was torn [of beasts] I brought not unto thee; I
bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, [whether]
stolen by day, or stolen by night.
40 [Thus] I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the
frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.
41 Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee
fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy
cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times.
42 Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the
fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away
now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my
hands, and rebuked [thee] yesternight.
43. And Laban answered and said unto Jacob, [These] daughters
[are] my daughters, and [these] children [are] my children, and
[these] cattle [are] my cattle, and all that thou seest [is]
mine: and what can I do this day unto these my daughters, or unto
their children which they have born?
Jacob's covenant with Laban
44 Now therefore come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou;
and let it be for a witness between me and thee.
45 And Jacob took a stone, and set it up [for] a pillar.
46 And Jacob said unto his brethren, Gather stones; and they
took stones, and made an heap: and they did eat there upon the
heap.
47 And Laban called it Jegarsahadutha: but Jacob called it
Galeed.
48 And Laban said, This heap [is] a witness between me and thee
this day. Therefore was the name of it called Galeed;
The meaning of these names are a witness.
49 And Mizpah; for he said, The LORD watch between me and thee,
when we are absent one from another.
May God watch your back so you may not steal from me.
50 If thou shalt afflict my daughters, or if thou shalt take
[other] wives beside my daughters, no man [is] with us; see, God
[is] witness betwixt me and thee.
51 And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold [this]
pillar, which I have cast betwixt me and thee;
52 This heap [be] witness, and [this] pillar [be] witness, that
I will not pass over this heap to thee, and that thou shalt not
pass over this heap and this pillar unto me, for harm.
53 The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their
father, judge betwixt us. And Jacob sware by the fear of his
father Isaac.
See here God is still not the God of Jacob he does not come this until the next chapter.
54 Then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his
brethren to eat bread: and they did eat bread, and tarried all
night in the mount.
55 And early in the morning Laban rose up, and kissed his sons
and his daughters, and blessed them: and Laban departed, and
returned unto his place.
This is the last record that we see of Laban meeting with his daughters and grandchildren. Let us take time to describe Laban. Was he righteous? Did he act righteous? Was he honest? Who was he looking out for the most?
