Genesis 31: 1 - 55
You’re in a heap of trouble
31 Now Jacob heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, “Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s, and from what was our father’s he has acquired all this wealth.” 2 And Jacob saw the countenance of Laban, and indeed it was not favorable toward him as before. 3 Then the LORD said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your family, and I will be with you.” 4 So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field, to his flock, 5 and said to them, “I see your father’s countenance that it is not favorable toward me as before; but the God of my father has been with me. 6 And you know that with all my might I have served your father. 7 Yet your father has deceived me and changed my wages ten times, but God did not allow him to hurt me. 8 If he said thus: ‘The speckled shall be your wages,’ then all the flocks bore speckled. And if he said thus: ‘The streaked shall be your wages,’ then all the flocks bore streaked. 9 So God has taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me. 10 “And it happened, at the time when the flocks conceived, that I lifted my eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the rams which leaped upon the flocks were streaked, speckled, and gray-spotted. 11 Then the Angel of God spoke to me in a dream, saying, ‘Jacob.’ And I said, ‘Here I am.’ 12 And He said, ‘Lift your eyes now and see, all the rams which leap on the flocks are streaked, speckled, and gray-spotted; for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you. 13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and where you made a vow to Me. Now arise, get out of this land, and return to the land of your family.’” 14 Then Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, “Is there still any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house? 15 Are we not considered strangers by him? For he has sold us, and also completely consumed our money. 16 For all these riches which God has taken from our father are really ours and our children’s; now then, whatever God has said to you, do it.” 17 Then Jacob rose and set his sons and his wives on camels. 18 And he carried away all his livestock and all his possessions which he had gained, his acquired livestock which he had gained in Padan Aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan. 19 Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel had stolen the household idols that were her father’s. 20 And Jacob stole away, unknown to Laban the Syrian, in that he did not tell him that he intended to flee. 21 So he fled with all that he had. He arose and crossed the river, and headed toward the mountains of Gilead. 22 And Laban was told on the third day that Jacob had fled. 23 Then he took his brethren with him and pursued him for seven days’ journey, and he overtook him in the mountains of Gilead. 24 But God had come to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said to him, “Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.” 25 So Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountains, and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mountains of Gilead. 26 And Laban said to Jacob: “What have you done, that you have stolen away unknown to me, and carried away my daughters like captives taken with the sword? 27 Why did you flee away secretly, and steal away from me, and not tell me; for I might have sent you away with joy and songs, with timbrel and harp? 28 And you did not allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters. Now you have done foolishly in so doing. 29 It is in my power to do you harm, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.’ 30 And now you have surely gone because you greatly long for your father’s house, but why did you steal my gods?” 31 Then Jacob answered and said to Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I said, ‘Perhaps you would take your daughters from me by force.’ 32 With whomever you find your gods, do not let him live. In the presence of our brethren, identify what I have of yours and take it with you.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them. 33 And Laban went into Jacob’s tent, into Leah’s tent, and into the two maids’ tents, but he did not find them. Then he went out of Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s tent. 34 Now Rachel had taken the household idols, put them in the camel’s saddle, and sat on them. And Laban searched all about the tent but did not find them. 35 And she said to her father, “Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise before you, for the manner of women is with me.” And he searched but did not find the household idols. 36 Then Jacob was angry and rebuked Laban, and Jacob answered and said to Laban: “What is my trespass? What is my sin, that you have so hotly pursued me? 37 Although you have searched all my things, what part of your household things have you found? Set it here before my brethren and your brethren, that they may judge between us both! 38 These twenty years I have been with you; your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried their young, and I have not eaten the rams of your flock. 39 That which was torn by beasts I did not bring to you; I bore the loss of it. You required it from my hand, whether stolen by day or stolen by night. 40 There I was! In the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night, and my sleep departed from my eyes. 41 Thus I have been in your house twenty years; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times. 42 Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you last night.” 43 And Laban answered and said to Jacob, “These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and this flock is my flock; all that you see is mine. But what can I do this day to these my daughters or to their children whom they have borne? 44 Now therefore, come, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it be a witness between you and me.” 45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar. 46 Then Jacob said to his brethren, “Gather stones.” And they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there on the heap. 47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed. 48 And Laban said, “This heap is a witness between you and me this day.” Therefore its name was called Galeed, 49 also Mizpah, because he said, “May the LORD watch between you and me when we are absent one from another. 50 If you afflict my daughters, or if you take other wives besides my daughters, although no man is with us—see, God is witness between you and me!” 51 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Here is this heap and here is this pillar, which I have placed between you and me. 52 This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not pass beyond this heap to you, and you will not pass beyond this heap and this pillar to me, for harm. 53 The God of Abraham, the God of Nahor, and the God of their father judge between us.” And Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac. 54 Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain, and called his brethren to eat bread. And they ate bread and stayed all night on the mountain. 55 And early in the morning Laban arose, and kissed his sons and daughters and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned to his place.
I am happy to announce that I am launching a new board game. I believe it will match ‘Monopoly’ in popularity. I call it ‘You’re in a heap of trouble.’ It involves fighting, loving, and threatening. Are you game for this adventure?
In our new game all of the participants and their possessions have been thrown into a giant pile and you argue over who gets what. The great part of this game is that there is no limit to how many can play. So, if you are entertaining a lot of guests everyone can join in the game. You may want to pick the toughest or largest person in the room to serve as the ‘Peace Keeper’. This way if the game gets out of hand, the ‘Peace Keeper’ can step in and correct the fury of the aggressive player.
The game is fun to play for each participant feels that he or she owns the items in the pile from the start. You have to bicker back and forth as to why they belong to you.
Fred might declare that the winning race horse belongs to him because no one else in the game knows anything about this sport. Tim might be eyeing up the red corvette than Michelle wants because she doesn’t need a fast sports car. Nancy might want a ‘protection from abuse court order’ to have her past live in boyfriend leave her alone. Gary might claim that Deborah has stolen his silver Rolex watch. You can add all the worthless earthly pursuits you can think of to the items that come included with the game.
It’s up to you to sort it out.
About the Game
‘A heap of trouble’ is a two hour or longer arguing game in which you’re extracting items from the heap and using them to challenge others to take from you. With the game you can even bribe others into helping you out.
Each participant in the game has a unique power based on the characteristics of that person. Victory will fall to the player who makes the best use of the powers to manage to win over the others by intimidation. The game ends when you are the last one who still wants to play.
Number of Players: as many as you want
Time required: 2 hours or until you do not want to play anymore
Recommended users: Un-mature adults
Game made available by; –I, Fleesome, and Howe
So, how many of you are anxious to go out and buy the game?
Well today we are going to observe some people play a version of this game. The main competitors are Jacob, Laban, Leah, and Rachael. Let’s take a look at how they made out.
31 Now Jacob heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, “Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s, and from what was our father’s he has acquired all this wealth.” 2 And Jacob saw the countenance of Laban, and indeed it was not favorable toward him as before.
We learned in our last study that some participants in a prior game called, ‘Let’s deceive a person’s out of things rightfully his’ do not like the present outcome on their winnings. You see they joined their dad in pulling a swiftie and stealing from Jacob agreed upon speckled and spotted livestock. They separated these sheep and goats from Laban’s flock and took them away. Laban was shrewd enough to counter any of Jacob’s complaints regarding this switch. He can say to Jacob, ‘Oh, those speckled and spotted sheep and goats that you saw were not really mine. They belonged to my boys. So, they just took what was rightfully theirs. So, Jacob now if you breed any more speckled or spotted sheep or goats then we will know that they are yours, right?’
We will see how the tables were turned soon because The Holy Lord was all along watching Laban and his boys taking advantage of Jacob. So, The Great and Just God stepped in and changed the outcome by informing Jacob how he should go about his shepherding during the animal mating time.
The building up of wealth always provokes jealousy, especially from those who feel that they have lost by it. What had seemed a good bargain, and even rather clever, had now turned against them, and Laban’s sons were not amused. Furthermore Jacob could see that even Laban had cooled towards him. He was decidedly unpopular, which considering that he had not looked after Laban’s section of his charge very well (they were the weaker ones) was not surprising. He was beginning to feel uneasy.
3 Then the LORD said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your family, and I will be with you.”
The oppression that Jacob was into was hard to get out of. Have you ever experienced or know of someone who has had to undergo this same awful treatment? Jacob must therefore have been quite relieved when YHWH appeared to him and told him that it was time to return home. That YHWH may have said a little more possibly comes out in verses 11-13.
He was aware that his going would not be easy. He must first win over his wives. So being the schemer that he was, he concocts a convenient story for his wives based loosely on the truth.
4 So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field, to his flock, 5 and said to them, “I see your father’s countenance that it is not favorable toward me as before; but the God of my father has been with me. 6 And you know that with all my might I have served your father. 7 Yet your father has deceived me and changed my wages ten times, but God did not allow him to hurt me. 8 If he said thus: ‘The speckled shall be your wages,’ then all the flocks bore speckled. And if he said thus: ‘The streaked shall be your wages,’ then all the flocks bore streaked. 9 So God has taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me.
It is interesting to take into consideration Jacob’s thoughts and later actions. Had Jacob gone back to their permanent home at the time of shearing there would have been much comment and many questions, which is why he calls his wives to come to him. Ostensibly they are coming out to see what is happening. They then return to their homes and secretly prepare for their journey. This is evidenced by the fact that Rachel steals her father’s gods.
Jacob’s summary of the situation is smooth. He has, as we know, played his part in maneuvering the situation but now he puts all his success down to God. He is trying to win his wives over because God Is making the decision Whom he has personally heard from. So Jacob carefully puts the position to his wives without introducing any suggestion of his own manipulations. He is clearly not certain how they will feel about things. He wants them to think that all is of God and that he has had little to do with it.
10 “And it happened, at the time when the flocks conceived, that I lifted my eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the rams which leaped upon the flocks were streaked, speckled, and gray-spotted. 11 Then the Angel of God spoke to me in a dream, saying, ‘Jacob.’ And I said, ‘Here I am.’ 12 And He said, ‘Lift your eyes now and see, all the rams which leap on the flocks are streaked, speckled, and gray-spotted; for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you.
There are a couple of things that I take away from these verses. For one thing it really strikes me that The Holy Lord God of Heaven and Earth Personally appeared and communed with Jacob’s dad and grandfather. Yet, his interaction with God is by ‘dreams’. Also, Jacob is the direct descendent of men that He will use to develop a people specially dedicated to Him and from which He will come into the world as a man to save us. Therefore as we have learned in past studies he was kind of stuck being in a unique form of slavery to the shifty con-man Laban.
13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and where you made a vow to Me. Now arise, get out of this land, and return to the land of your family.’”
It was God’s perfect timing now that enough was enough and things had to change. It was time now to pack up and head for home.
14 Then Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, “Is there still any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house? 15 Are we not considered strangers by him? For he has sold us, and also completely consumed our money. 16 For all these riches which God has taken from our father are really ours and our children’s; now then, whatever God has said to you, do it.”
It is clear that they feel that their father Laban has demonstrated by his actions that he sees them as no longer having a part in his family. Laban had behaved badly and it would now rebound on him. He promises everyone everything but delivers nothing. They felt that they owed him no loyalty.
Take a look at both of their opinions as to their treatment by their father - ‘He has sold us and quite devoured our marriage portion.’ The marriage portion was for the wife’s benefit but Laban has promised but never supplied it to them. Thus he has in effect received a price for them and treated them as having been ‘sold’. They feel very bitter at having been so treated as chattels.
Because of his behavior towards them Laban has lost the loyalty and love of his daughters. They are quite content to feel that God has reimbursed them in another way and that all is therefore theirs by right to take away as they wish. Long years of mistreatment had broken down their sense of belonging permanently to Laban as their dad. Thus Jacob must do what God has told him to do.
17 Then Jacob rose and set his sons and his wives on camels. 18 And he carried away all his livestock and all his possessions which he had gained, his acquired livestock which he had gained in Padan Aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan.
We need to stop and think about the difficulty of the actions that Jacob was taking. He knew that while he could justify it to himself he would be seen by others other people in the area along with all of Laban’s sons and servants as breaking a contract that would decimate them, which was why he left in secret. Such behavior would not be tolerated by them. On the other hand he probably did not feel bound to a one sided agreement, for he had seen himself always as there with Laban on a ‘temporary’ basis and felt he had fully earned for himself what he possessed. But it was a far cry from when he had merely obtained wives and a comparatively few animals by his working contract. What was leaving was a substantial family and wealth in livestock, precious metals, and servants.
19 Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel had stolen the household idols that were her father’s. 20 And Jacob stole away, unknown to Laban the Syrian, in that he did not tell him that he intended to flee. 21 So he fled with all that he had. He arose and crossed the river, and headed toward the mountains of Gilead.
Jacob chose a good time for his departure. It was the time of sheep shearing. Everyone would be busy with shearing the sheep and with the subsequent feast at which they would no doubt drink too much. And he was helped by the fact that Laban with his flocks was some distance away, by Laban’s choice. This explains how so great a move was achieved in some secrecy.
Rachael stole the household idol. As I have mentioned, Laban did not give his daughters the riches that that they were entitled to. So, by swiping the Idol which was most likely made or at least covered with silver she was taking what she thought somewhat of what she was entitled to. Also, we see the hatred that she developed in her heart towards her dad. If the idol was of a spiritual value to him then she wanted to hurt him where it counts.
22 And Laban was told on the third day that Jacob had fled.
So, Laban was doing his things some distance away. For in finding out that Jacob and all his family and wealth disappeared a servant runner was dispatched to tell him.
23 Then he took his brethren with him and pursued him for seven days’ journey, and he overtook him in the mountains of Gilead.
So, Jacob had a head start but we need to stop and consider that he couldn’t be traveling too fast because of young children and animals. Laban and his group were not as restricted. They can just mount up and ride after Jacob. All this took seven days to be accomplished.
24 But God had come to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said to him, “Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.”
You do not mess with God’s kids. As I read this verse I think of Saul when God met him on the way to Damascus as we learn from the book of Acts chapter 9 our Holy God Jesus tells him that if you mess with them you are messing with Me, “And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”
Just as the Lord has done for Jacob’s dad and grandfather He is now doing the same thing here. For example, we learn in chapter 20 when a king took Abraham’s wife, “20 And Abraham journeyed from there to the South, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur, and stayed in Gerar. 2 Now Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. 3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, “Indeed you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.” 4 But Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, “Lord, will You slay a righteous nation also? 5 Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she, even she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands I have done this.” 6 And God said to him in a dream, “Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart. For I also withheld you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her. 7 Now therefore, restore the man’s wife; for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you shall live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”
If you want look over chapter 26 and you will see God’s defensive intervention for Jacob’s dad with a pagan king. God’s personal involvement changes Laban’s whole approach to the situation. Jacob is one thing, but to fight with the manifested supernatural Being is another.
25 So Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountains, and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mountains of Gilead.
Aware of the approaching threat, which he had long anticipated, Jacob takes his men and his possessions into a mountainous place. He knows that there may be fighting and he wants to protect his possessions and to have the advantage of the most strategic position. So he pitches his camp ‘in the mountain’. Then he watches as the forces of Laban arrive and camp below them.
26 And Laban said to Jacob: “What have you done, that you have stolen away unknown to me, and carried away my daughters like captives taken with the sword? 27 Why did you flee away secretly, and steal away from me, and not tell me; for I might have sent you away with joy and songs, with timbrel and harp? 28 And you did not allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters. Now you have done foolishly in so doing. 29 It is in my power to do you harm, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.’ 30 And now you have surely gone because you greatly long for your father’s house, but why did you steal my gods?”
Laban arrives at his camp with servants and his sons. Jacob must have been very surprised at the way Laban approaches the matter. These words are very different from those Laban had originally planned and are not what Jacob was expecting. The armed force makes it clear that the intention had been to force Jacob back to Paddan-aram in shame, and Jacob knew it. And that is what he expects. But unknown to him Laban’s awesome experience has made him wary. He no longer dares to demand that Jacob return, so instead he seeks to put Jacob in the wrong socially and personally, and to demonstrate the deep hurt that Jacob has made him suffer.
In a way Laban has disobeyed God’s instructions. God told him not to say anything good or bad. So in effect wouldn’t you agree that by just speaking to Jacob he is doing just what God told him not to? Yet, our Holy God cuts him some slack and does not squash him and those who came with him.
We can see the true makeup of Laban in his words. He all the time had no attention of letting Jacob have anything to take back to Cannon with him. He puts on a false pretense that Jacob took away those he dearly loved being his daughters and grandkids.
Nothing makes clearer from Laban’s on mouth that he sees what Jacob has done as similar to an act of war. It was, of course, untrue, for they had gone willingly, but Laban cannot bring himself to believe that. Like many powerful men he did not perceive the harm he himself had done. He is trying to demonstrate that he is in the right. So he seeks to salve his pride by putting Jacob in the wrong on other counts. In a way he says, ‘you are in a heap of trouble.’ Thus he suggests that Jacob has behaved dishonorably by leaving without proper farewells. But both he and Jacob are aware that had Jacob approached in the way he described, his departure with all his possessions would have been prevented.
The thought of Laban and his family rejoicing at the departure of Jacob with all his possessions, together with his wives and children, is ludicrous and to me quite funny.As I said Jacob might have been allowed to leave, but he would have been allowed to take little with him, as both of them well knew.
Laban adds one fiction statement to another when he says - And have not suffered me to kiss’. The picture of him as the fond grandfather longing to kiss his grandchildren goodbye is simply a way of putting Jacob again in the wrong, and is equally a wallop of sheer fantasy.
It is at this point that he mentions the stolen gods. That the gods were the last thing on Laban’s mind comes out in that he has not mentioned them until now, but they provided a further grounds for complaint, a further means of blaming Jacob, and they were unquestionably important to him. Their theft is a flouting of his authority as well as being an insult to his family. And it would be seen by the confederacy leaders as a grave offence. Thus if he could get these back it might satisfy the confederacy leaders that their journey had not been in vain. Poor Laban, he now has to pacify his own supporters because of the change of mind produced in him by his dream.
31 Then Jacob answered and said to Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I said, ‘Perhaps you would take your daughters from me by force.’
This is the answer to ‘why did you flee secretly?’ Jacob had rightly feared that if he left openly it would have been with very little.
32 With whomever you find your gods, do not let him live. In the presence of our brethren, identify what I have of yours and take it with you.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.
On the other hand he asserts his innocence on the charge of the theft of the gods, and gives permission for a search and agrees that any thief will suffer the death sentence. Let the confederacy leaders be witness to what happens. The hearer and reader, who are aware of what Rachel has done, now feel a mounting in tension. The death sentence has been passed on Rachel! But Jacob does not know what Rachel has done.
33 And Laban went into Jacob’s tent, into Leah’s tent, and into the two maids’ tents, but he did not find them. Then he went out of Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s tent. 34 Now Rachel had taken the household idols, put them in the camel’s saddle, and sat on them. And Laban searched all about the tent but did not find them. 35 And she said to her father, “Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise before you, for the manner of women is with me.” And he searched but did not find the household idols.
Laban is still convinced that it is Jacob who has stolen them. He searches all the tents thoroughly without exception. The idols were clearly too large to be hidden on the person, although not so large that they could not be hidden in the camel’s furniture. It is clear that Jacob watches the process in anger. He does not like all his personal belongings being searched.
Entering women’s quarters was only justified in extreme circumstances and Laban does it himself? They are members of his family. But he finds nothing. Then he enters Rachel’s quarters. That he accepts his daughter’s word suggests that he cannot bring himself to believe that his own daughters would deceive him, for had he doubted it he would have been more than suspicious. But like many arrogant people he is oblivious to how badly he has treated them and never suspects for one moment that they are resentful. We must always remember that how we treat people will at some time rebound on us.
36 Then Jacob was angry and rebuked Laban, and Jacob answered and said to Laban: “What is my trespass? What is my sin, that you have so hotly pursued me? 37 Although you have searched all my things, what part of your household things have you found? Set it here before my brethren and your brethren, that they may judge between us both! 38 These twenty years I have been with you; your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried their young, and I have not eaten the rams of your flock. 39 That which was torn by beasts I did not bring to you; I bore the loss of it. You required it from my hand, whether stolen by day or stolen by night. 40 There I was! In the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night, and my sleep departed from my eyes. 41 Thus I have been in your house twenty years; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times. 42 Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you last night.”
Having watched his possessions being trashed by Laban and his men without result Jacob is very angry and makes clear his grievances in front of all. Laban is necessarily on the defensive. He has been proved ‘wrong’. He has failed to justify his charge of theft.
Jacob’s now let’s out all the frustration that has been lingering in his heart. His arguments are:
• 1) Laban has failed to prove the charge of theft as the remainder have witnessed.
• 2) Jacob had paid well for what he has, both in wives and flocks and herds, by long and faithful service in which he endured much hardship. The hardship of the shepherd’s life is well depicted. Indeed Laban had demanded recompense for any failure to the full and constantly changed the terms of the contract, yet Jacob bore with it. Animals taken by wild beasts did not normally need to be accounted for.
• 3) He has not taken advantage of his position. While as shepherd he had the right to eat of the flock he has not taken the fat rams. And he has tended the ewes at birth so that there was no failure in the birth process. This may suggest that not all shepherds were so fastidious.
• 4) Nevertheless when he left Laban would have sent him away with nothing apart from his own personal possessions and would still do so were it not for God’s intervention.
• 5) God has passed judgment on the situation, having seen what he has put up with and the price he paid, and has justified Jacob.
These arguments were important. Laban’s men needed to be aware of the justice of his position, for the fact was that he had still absconded from the family with his possessions as Laban now argues.
43 And Laban answered and said to Jacob, “These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and this flock is my flock; all that you see is mine. But what can I do this day to these my daughters or to their children whom they have borne? 44 Now therefore, come, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it be a witness between you and me.”
Laban’s case is based on recognized custom. As head over a family belongs to him as the head. Yet to be the bigger man he proposes in front of all present that he wants to make a covenant agreement between both of them. When we review the points of this agreement you will notice the real thoughts of Laban. He was still dazed by his interaction with God Most High. He has lost a lot of things that he thought he had out tricked Jacob for. With the tables turned he now realize that there is a Supernatural Holy Being taken care of Jacob. He recognizes his losses and fears at the same time of any future revenge. This is why he wants the vow to indicate that these two families will never come against each other in the future. If either party violates this agreement then may they face a heap of trouble?
45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar. 46 Then Jacob said to his brethren, “Gather stones.” And they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there on the heap. 47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed. 48 And Laban said, “This heap is a witness between you and me this day.” Therefore its name was called Galeed, 49 also Mizpah, because he said, “May the LORD watch between you and me when we are absent one from another. 50 If you afflict my daughters, or if you take other wives besides my daughters, although no man is with us—see, God is witness between you and me!” 51 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Here is this heap and here is this pillar, which I have placed between you and me. 52 This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not pass beyond this heap to you, and you will not pass beyond this heap and this pillar to me, for harm. 53 The God of Abraham, the God of Nahor, and the God of their father judge between us.” And Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac.
Each now swears by the God he worships. Jacob swear by YHWH, the God of Abraham, in the title ‘the Fear’ (‘the Awesome One’) given by his father Isaac, and Laban swears by the god of Nahor. Each swears by the God of his father.
54 Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain, and called his brethren to eat bread. And they ate bread and stayed all night on the mountain. 55 And early in the morning Laban arose, and kissed his sons and daughters and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned to his place.
Stop and think about how Laban and his group must have thought when Jacob takes one of the clean animals and makes a sacrifice to God. They must have been thinking to themselves that Jacob took one of our animals to do the sacrifice. What is he doing throwing all this in our faces?
This is Jacob’s response to Laban’s offer. By offering sacrifice and eating with these men he fully accepts his part in the covenant, while their eating with him is a sign of their peaceful acceptance of the terms. All are now agreed and the deed is done. I think that no one went to sleep even though they all agreed to the agreement.
So then in the morning all ‘Returned to his own place.’ For Laban he returned to his normal life and to the daily grind. But for Jacob there was a new beginning. He was to find that God was truly on his side.
