We know from our last lesson Jacob had already decided that he wanted to return home before today’s reading selection even begins, but Laban had convinced him to stay with the promise of wages. This offer seemed generous on the surface, but we learned later that Laban was still trying to take advantage of Jacob and had no real intention of treating him fairly. Still, Jacob tried his best to get along with his father-in-law and make the situation work.
Today’s reading, in verses 1-2, opens with Jacob taking stock of his situation. How is this arrangement with Laban going? Jacob not only hears rumors that Laban’s sons are disgruntled with him, but he can also feel how the relationship with his father-in-law has changed. Have you ever been in a situation where you could just sense that things had gone south between you and someone else? Do you struggle with getting along with your in-laws? This is what Jacob was facing.
In verse 3, God told Jacob that it was time to return home. Jacob had been living in Harran with his uncle Laban for fear of his brother, Esau. Jacob had made Esau so angry that Esau wanted to kill Jacob, and so Jacob had been hiding out from him. Now God was sending him back to Canaan and his family with the reassurance that He would be with Him (Psalm 34:7-8).
Read verses 4-9. In those days, in an ancient Middle Eastern culture such as this, a husband would not necessarily have felt the need to discuss such decisions with his wife. Women’s opinions were not necessarily considered important. Nonetheless, Jacob calls his wives to him to discuss the situation. We can see that, with maturity, God is slowly changing Jacob’s heart. Notice that Jacob called his wives out to him in the fields rather than going to see them in the tents. He wanted privacy. Jacob explainedto his wives how he was feeling about the way Laban had treated him, but also, three times, he gave credit to God for His intervention. What are the three things Jacob gave credit to God for? Was Jacob giving his wives a fair assessment of what had happened?
In verses 10-13, Jacob told his wives of a dream he has had. This dream was another theophany for Jacob. God revealed that He was the one Who caused only the speckled and spotted male goats to breed with the female goats, thus causing Jacob’s flocks to flourish (Psalm 124:8). What did God call Himself in verse 13? Remember when Jacob had his first theophany and God appeared to him in a dream while he was traveling to Harran (Gen 28:12-17)? God was reminding Jacob of the first time He had appeared to him, the pillar Jacob erected, and of his vow. God wanted Jacob to know that He has done His part and now it is Jacob’s turn to carry through on his vow.
When did God say that Jacob should return home? Why might this be? Previously, Jacob had been thinking about returning home, but now he was being directed to do it by God and to do it quickly. God was aware of the growing problems between Jacob and Laban and probably knew that it was leading up to something unfortunate. Since God had promised to take care of Jacob, He is helping Jacob to avoid a future confrontation. God understood how serious the situation was becoming.
We all have people that we find it difficult to get along with. Sometimes a situation can keep simmering until it finally blows up and the result can be violent or damaging. God is letting Jacob know that the situation is urgent (Job 33:15-18).
Read verses 14-16. It seems that the wives had their own complaints about their father. They had concerns about their share in their father’s inheritance. They felt that the wages Jacob earned should have been theirs anyway and they accused Laban of treating them like foreigners rather than family. Due to all these things, they gave their support to Jacob.
In Gen 2:24, when God originally created marriage, He said that a man should leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife. The man and woman, once married, are now a new family and their allegiance should shift to each other. Jesus reiterates this idea again in Matt 19:5. That being said, if disputes arise between someone and your spouse, your first allegiance should be to your spouse, even if the disputes are with your parents. In this scenario, Leah and Rachel are giving their support to Jacob, but not because they are now one flesh. It is because Jacob has justified his position to them and because they also have their own issues with Laban. But what is God’s general expectation for wives (Eph 5:22-24, Col 3:18)? It is God’s expectation of the husband to make decisions with the same love for his wife as the love Christ consistently shows for the church (Eph 5:25-33). Was this loving model of authority and submission in marriage playing out the way that God intended?
Read verses 17-21. We see next that Jacob obeyed God. He put his wives and children on camels to head back to his father Isaac’s home, taking his concubines and slaves and livestock as well as all his belongings. What a huge convey this must have been! And we also see that they snuck away like bandits while Laban was off sheering the sheep.
Rachel decided to take something with her also. Did you see what it was? Here we see that old problem of generational sin rearing its head again. We know from our previous lesson that Laban had become involved in idol worship and now Rachel was following her father’s lead and even stooped to stealing to do it. While Jacob was trusting God to protect him and his family, though not enough to be up front with Laban that he is leaving, his wife felt the need to bring along some of her father’s household gods for protection. Can you see God just shaking his head?
Often, we can be like this. We put our trust in God… and then start putting back up plans in place. We must learn to really trust Him, especially when we are doing something He has specifically told us to do (Prov 3:5-6).
Responding to God: Thank God for your family and all the things He has given to you. Pray to God about any family members you may be struggling with. Ask Him to help you find a way to peace. Ask Him to help you trust Him through difficult times. Pray for God’s help in dealing with others who would seek to harm you. Seek His guidance in your marriage relationship and His help in always making your spouse your priority. Ask for God to help you have complete trust in Him.
Further Research: Read Psalm 124.
Add comment
Comments