November 5, 2024 • 23 mins
This episode takes you through the gripping narrative of Genesis 31, where Jacob's escape from Laban is marked by a divine warning and a high-stakes confrontation. Experience the tension as God warns Laban in a dream, urging him not to harm Jacob, and explore the complex layers of Laban's accusations as he positions himself as a victim despite a history of deceit. Witness how the protective presence of God provides Jacob with a momentary reprieve from danger and threat.
We journey into the intense covenant ceremony where Jacob and Laban's troubled relationship culminates in a dramatic agreement. Hear about Jacob's accusations of Laban's exploitation and dishonesty and the symbolic significance of the stone pillar and heap of stones that bear witness to their pact. Despite the bitterness, Laban's farewell blessings offer a poignant closure to their relationship, setting the stage for Jacob's next encounter with angels. Get ready for an insightful exploration of faith, family dynamics, and divine justice woven into this biblical narrative.
Email: nathan@nathandietsche.com
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome again to the Mysteries of God's Word.
We're in Genesis, chapter 31,and last week we learned that
Jacob had fleed the household ofLaban.
After serving him 20 years,jacob fleed with his two wives,
all of his household servantsand a whole herd of animals.
(00:22):
They crossed the EuphratesRiver and they headed towards
the hill country of Gilead.
And at the end of last week,when Laban had heard that Jacob
had fled, he gathered hiskinsmen, ran after Jacob and
pursued him all the way to thehill country of Gilead.
We left with Laban coming upclose, right behind Jacob in the
(00:43):
hill country of Gilead.
We left with Laban coming upclose, right behind Jacob in the
hill country of Gilead.
Today we pick up in verse 24 ofchapter 31.
But God came to Laban, theAraman, in a dream by night and
said to him Be careful not tosay anything to Jacob, either
(01:05):
good or bad, and Laban overtookJacob.
Now Jacob had pitched his tentin the hill country and Laban,
with his kinsmen pitched tentsin the hill country of Gilead.
In our first two verses we seethat God came to Laban in a
dream at night.
(01:25):
Sometime during the last nightof Laban's pursuit of Jacob, god
spoke to him in a dream and Godsaid be careful not to say
anything to Jacob, either goodor bad.
Considering Laban's need tocontrol and manipulate people
for his own personal gain, thefleeing of Jacob with Laban's
(01:48):
daughters may have outraged himto a point where he's prepared
to kill Jacob if Jacob refusesto come back.
However, as the Lord did forhis grandfather Abram, he now
does for Jacob, and he warns theman that would do harm to him.
In a dream, the Hebrew phrasegood or bad could be better
(02:13):
translated from good to evil.
The original sense of thiswording here is that when Laban
speaks to Jacob is that whenLaban speaks to Jacob, he's not
to begin with peace and kindnessand then turn it around and end
with swords or small bullets.
And we know from the past thatis Laban's common tactic for
(02:37):
manipulating people andspecifically getting Jacob to do
what he wants him to do.
He begins by being all friendlyand kind and then, once he's
gained Jacob's trust, hemanipulates the relationship for
his selfish gain.
We read that Laban overtookJacob.
(02:58):
This is simply a description ofhow Laban caught up with Jacob
and demanded that Jacob stop andtalk with him, and it says
Jacob had pitched tents andLaban had also pitched tents in
the hill country of Gilead.
So after Laban catches up withJacob and stops him, both
(03:21):
parties pitch their tents in thehill.
Picking up in verse 26, trick meand not tell me so that I might
have sent you away with myrrhand songs, with trambolines and
(03:48):
leer.
Why didn't you permit me tokiss my sons and my daughters?
Farewell, now you have actedfoolishly.
In these three verses we seeLaban accusing Jacob of fleeing
for no reason of accusing him offoolishness.
Laban says you've tricked me.
But considering their pastrelationship and how Laban
(04:11):
continually tricked Jacob andmanipulated Jacob, laban is
giving more of a hypocriticalrant than anything.
Really he's trying to furthermanipulate Jacob through this
shame tactic.
Really, he's trying to furthermanipulate Jacob through this
shame tactic.
Laban says what Laban is sayinghere is that he's accusing
(04:34):
Jacob of driving his daughtersaway from him as if they were
captives.
Laban is falsely accusing Jacobof forcing his daughters to go
with him under great threat andeven violence.
And then laban asksrhetorically why did you flee
and trick me?
Laban knows very well that heis the one that's done
(04:58):
everything in his power to takeadvantage of jacob.
He has kept jac Jacob trappedunder false pretenses for years,
and he is the one who hasforced Jacob to continue working
for him.
Certainly, it was Jacob thatfelt as if he were a captive of
Laban's.
Laban's mention of how he wouldhave liked to send Jacob and
(05:22):
his daughters away with joy andcelebration is merely a regret
of an abuser whose tactics haveled to this broken relationship.
Picking up in verse 29, labansays it is in my power to do you
harm, but the God of yourfather spoke to me last night
(05:44):
saying Be careful not to sayanything to Jacob, either good
or bad.
And now you've gone awaybecause you've longed greatly
for your father's house.
But why did you steal my gods?
In verse 29 and 30, afteracting as if he had wanted to
throw them a party before theyleft, laban shows his true self.
(06:07):
We see the true Laban here.
We see Laban doing what Labanhas always done to Jacob, and we
see Laban doing precisely whatGod told him not to do Begin as
if he wanted a good and peacefulrelationship with Jacob and his
daughters and then now bringthreats of retaliation if Jacob
(06:30):
refuses to comply with hisselfish and ungodly desires.
But the God of your father,laban says what a statement.
What a statement's coming outof the lips of Laban After
letting Jacob know that he couldharm him.
(06:50):
Laban tells Jacob that the Godof his fathers spoke to him last
night and said to him not tosay anything good or bad.
We can only imagine what abreak in the tension this must
have been to Jacob Out of thevery lips of the man that had
been oppressing him for years.
Jacob now hears that the god ofhis fathers has warned Laban
(07:14):
not to bring any harm to him.
Jacob had been fleeing in fearof Laban for the last ten days
at least.
Then, just hours ago, laban'sraiding party was seen and then
overtook Jacob.
Now, when Laban speaks to Jacob, he even makes a threat.
But to hear these words, tohear the words but the God of
(07:40):
your father spoke to me lastnight, must have brought an
overwhelming and amazing reliefto Jacob.
Jacob begins now to see God'stiming and God's faithfulness in
the midst of this verydifficult situation.
And then Laban says that Jacobleft because he longed greatly
(08:04):
for his father's house.
Laban continues to justify hisevil and selfish actions by
excusing Jacob's flight as if itwere just a desire to see his
family, when in fact it was bythe command of God and due to
the cruel actions and attitudeof himself that sent Jacob away.
(08:27):
And Laban asks Jacob, why didyou steal my gods?
Laban's focus here on hishousehold idols, his household
gods, speaks of theirsignificance in his life.
We now see clearly how Laban isa pagan worshiper of idols,
(08:48):
even though on occasion he giveslip service to the God of
Abraham.
Even though on occasion hegives lip service to the God of
Abraham, verse 31,.
Jacob answers and said to LabanBecause I was afraid, for I
thought that you would take yourdaughters from me by force.
Anyone with whom you find yourgods shall not live In the
(09:17):
presence of our kinsmen.
Point out what I have, that isyours, and take it Now.
Jacob did not know that Rachelhad stolen them.
So Laban went into Jacob's tentand into Leah's tent and into
the tent of the two femaleservants, but he did not find
them and he went out of Leah'stent and entered Rachel's.
Now Rachel had taken thehousehold gods and put them in
the camel's saddle and sat onthem.
(09:39):
Laban felt all about the tentbut did not find them and she
said to her father Let my lordnot be angry that I cannot rise
before you, for the way of womenis upon me.
So he searched but did not findthe household gods.
(10:00):
In verses 31 through 35, we readJacob's response and Laban's
search.
Jacob says I thought that youwould take your daughters from
me by force, thought that youwould take your daughters from
me by force.
This statement by Jacob isperhaps the most plain and
honest statement he's ever madeto Laban.
Now, seeing that the Lord iswith him and protecting him from
(10:24):
the hand of his father-in-law,jacob speaks plainly.
Jacob reveals to us further howLaban continued to manipulate
him through the relationshipswith his daughters.
It also helps us to see why itwas so important for Jacob to
take his wives into the fieldand get their approval before
fleeing Laban.
(10:45):
Jacob was afraid of Laban'scontinued feeling of ownership
that he had over his daughters,even after they were given in
marriage to Jacob, and Labanused that to manipulate Rachel
and Leah.
Then Jacob makes the boldstatement, based on his own
(11:06):
understanding, that nobody inhis household would have taken
Laban's idols.
Jacob doesn't know that Rachelstole the idols of Laban and
Jacob, in front of Laban'skinsmen, tells him so.
(11:30):
Laban did a thorough search ofJacob's tents, including his
daughter's tents and theservants' tents, but he could
not find the household gods.
And when he came to Rachel'stent he finds Rachel sitting on
a camel.
And Rachel furthers her theftand her deception by putting the
(11:50):
idols in the saddle of thecamel.
Then she sits on it.
We could say, like father, likedaughter, like her father Laban
, she continues to justify hersin of greed and theft as she
attempts to protect herself fromthe consequences of her evil
actions.
(12:11):
Consequences of her evilactions when Laban confronts
Rachel, rachel pleads with himnot to be upset but that she
can't rise from where she'ssitting because she's in the
middle of her menstrual period.
Picking up in verse 36, thenJacob became angry and berated
Laban.
Jacob said to Laban what is myoffense, what is my sin that
(12:36):
you've hotly pursued me For youhave felt through all of my
goods.
What have you found?
What have you found of all yourhousehold goods?
Set it here before my kinsmenand your kinsmen that they may
decide between the two of us.
These twenty years I have beenwith you.
Your ewes and your female goatshave not miscarried and I have
(13:01):
not eaten of the rams of yourflock.
What was torn by wild beasts Idid not bring to you.
I bore the loss of it myself.
I bore the loss of it myselfFrom my hand.
You required it.
Whether stolen by day or stolenby night, there I was.
By day, the heat consumed meand the cold.
(13:23):
By night and my sleep fled frommy eyes.
These twenty years I have beenin your house, I served you
fourteen years for your twodaughters and six years for your
flock and you've changed mywages ten times.
If the God of my father, theGod of Abraham and the fear of
(13:47):
Isaac had not been on my side,surely now you would have sent
me away empty-handed.
Been on my side, surely now youwould have sent me away
empty-handed.
God saw my affliction and thelabor of my hands and rebuked
you last night.
In verses 36 through 42, we seethat Jacob berated Laban.
(14:08):
You might say 20 years offrustration and anger are coming
to a head with Jacob, and Jacoblets Laban have it for all of
the lies and all of the ways inwhich Laban manipulated and
oppressed him.
Jacob begins to make a publicspectacle and a public case for
(14:30):
how Laban has mistreated him,and Jacob believes this case is
so strong that it needs to beset before the kinsmen so that
they might decide between thetwo of them.
And we read that Jacob servedLaban for 20 years.
This is one of the cleareststatements for the timeline of
(14:52):
Jacob while he is with Laban.
And here we learn that Jacobserved Laban for 20 years.
Jacob continues his case.
He says I bore the loss, theheat consumed me, the cold by
night, I had a lack of sleep andyou changed my wages ten times.
(15:14):
Jacob begins to build a casedescribing how he faithfully
served Laban in his laborthrough all kinds of adversity
and even suffered the losses ofthe flock himself, while Laban
continued to be abusive in theirrelationship, even changing
(15:34):
their agreement ten times.
Finally, jacob gives honor andglory to the God of Abraham and
Isaac who's been with him andblessing him, and how the Lord
has now rebuked Laban.
Just last night, in verse 43,we read.
(15:54):
Then Laban answered and said toJacob the daughters are my
daughters, the children are mychildren, the flocks are my
flocks and all that you see ismine.
But what can I do this day forthese my daughters, or for their
children whom they have born?
(16:15):
Despite Laban's many contractswith Jacob, despite Jacob's
attempt to hold Labanaccountable in front of everyone
, laban ignores everything.
The narrative continues toreveal to us the destructive
(16:35):
character of Laban.
Laban is completely focused onhimself and he believes
everything Jacob has is his,including Jacob's wives and
Jacob's children.
Today, we might say Labanthinks the world revolves around
him.
We might even label him as anarcissist, picking up in verse
(17:00):
44, come now, let us make acovenant, you and I, and let it
be a witness between you and me.
So Jacob took a stone and set itup as a pillar.
And Jacob said to his kinsmenGather stones.
And they took stones and made aheap and they ate there by the
heap.
Laban called it Yagar-shaduthah, but Jacob called it Galid.
(17:26):
Laban said this heap is awitness between you and me today
.
Therefore, he called it Galidand Mizpah.
For he said the Lord watchbetween you and me when we are
out of one another's sight, ifyou oppress my daughters or if
you take wives besides mydaughters, although no one is
(17:47):
with us.
See, god is witness between youand me.
Then Laban said See this heapand the pillar which I have set
between you and me.
This heap is a witness and thepillar is a witness that I will
not pass over this heap to youand you will not pass over this
(18:08):
heap and this pillar to me to doharm.
The God of Abraham and the Godof Nahor and the God of their
father judged between us.
So Jacob swore by the fear ofhis father, isaac, in the hill
country and called his kinsmento eat bread.
They ate bread and spent thenight in the hill country.
(18:35):
In these 10 verses 44 through 54, we read the covenant that is
made between Jacob and Laban.
Laban is asking Jacob to make acovenant with him.
We already know that Labandoesn't think keeping his word
is of any value and he's willingto break his integrity if he
(18:55):
thinks he can make a buck.
Any value and he's willing tobreak his integrity if he thinks
he can make a buck.
Laban wanting to make acovenant here likely has more to
do with saving face in the viewof his kinsmen than anything
else.
Even though Laban simply seesthe Lord God as one of many gods
, he may have some paranoia ofwhat the Lord might do to him.
(19:17):
We see that Jacob sets up apillar Similar to how he set up
a stone in Bethel in Genesis28.18,.
Jacob now sets up a stonepillar in Gilead and Jacob
commands his kinsmen to make aheap of stones.
The heap of stones put down bythe kinsmen represent the
(19:38):
witnesses of Jacob and Laban'skinsmen.
These two separate remindersJacob's pillar and the heap are
two witnesses that will remainhere and underline the
seriousness of this oath.
Initially, laban calls the heapof stones just that a heap of
(20:00):
stones.
Yagar Shaduthah is Hebrew for aheap of stones.
But then Jacob calls it Galid.
Galid means a heap of testimony.
Jacob's name for the placerefers to the great witness that
now stands against Laban atthis site.
(20:22):
After Jacob declares this placeas a heap of testimony, laban
agrees to the name and he saysthat it's a testimony between
both himself and Jacob says thatit's a testimony between both
himself and Jacob.
And then Laban calls the placeMizpah as well, which means
(20:44):
lookout point.
Laban adds this name using theLord's name, so as if he could
keep Jacob in line.
Laban, in this covenant, isasking that the Lord would keep
an eye on Jacob, that he notoppress his daughters or take
other wives.
And finally, laban adds anotheraspect to the covenant.
(21:07):
He says I will not pass overand you will not pass over.
Laban invokes this pillar andthis heap as a boundary line, a
boundary line of peace, callingupon the God of Abram, the God
of Nahor and the God of theirfather, terah.
After the oaths are finished,jacob offers a sacrifice In
(21:30):
worship to the Lord.
God, and as a celebration ofall that the Lord had done for
him, jacob makes a sacrifice andhe calls his kinsmen now to eat
and to rest for the night.
Wrapping up with verse 55, earlyin the morning Laban arose and
(21:51):
kissed his grandchildren and hisdaughters and blessed them.
Then Laban departed andreturned home.
At the beginning of the nextday Laban arises to leave for
his home, but before he does, hesays goodbye to his daughters
and his grandchildren by kissingthem and blessing them.
(22:14):
Laban gives his daughters andgrandchildren a blessing and
leaves to go home, thankfullyleaving on positive terms.
Thank you for joining me thisweek.
Join me next week when Jacobmeets the angels of God.
(22:34):
God bless you this week.
Welcome again to the Mysteries of God's Word.
We're in Genesis, chapter 31,and last week we learned that
Jacob had fleed the household ofLaban.
After serving him 20 years,jacob fleed with his two wives,
all of his household servantsand a whole herd of animals.
(00:22):
They crossed the EuphratesRiver and they headed towards
the hill country of Gilead.
And at the end of last week,when Laban had heard that Jacob
had fled, he gathered hiskinsmen, ran after Jacob and
pursued him all the way to thehill country of Gilead.
We left with Laban coming upclose, right behind Jacob in the
(00:43):
hill country of Gilead.
We left with Laban coming upclose, right behind Jacob in the
hill country of Gilead.
Today we pick up in verse 24 ofchapter 31.
But God came to Laban, theAraman, in a dream by night and
said to him Be careful not tosay anything to Jacob, either
(01:05):
good or bad, and Laban overtookJacob.
Now Jacob had pitched his tentin the hill country and Laban,
with his kinsmen pitched tentsin the hill country of Gilead.
In our first two verses we seethat God came to Laban in a
dream at night.
(01:25):
Sometime during the last nightof Laban's pursuit of Jacob, god
spoke to him in a dream and Godsaid be careful not to say
anything to Jacob, either goodor bad.
Considering Laban's need tocontrol and manipulate people
for his own personal gain, thefleeing of Jacob with Laban's
(01:48):
daughters may have outraged himto a point where he's prepared
to kill Jacob if Jacob refusesto come back.
However, as the Lord did forhis grandfather Abram, he now
does for Jacob, and he warns theman that would do harm to him.
In a dream, the Hebrew phrasegood or bad could be better
(02:13):
translated from good to evil.
The original sense of thiswording here is that when Laban
speaks to Jacob is that whenLaban speaks to Jacob, he's not
to begin with peace and kindnessand then turn it around and end
with swords or small bullets.
And we know from the past thatis Laban's common tactic for
(02:37):
manipulating people andspecifically getting Jacob to do
what he wants him to do.
He begins by being all friendlyand kind and then, once he's
gained Jacob's trust, hemanipulates the relationship for
his selfish gain.
We read that Laban overtookJacob.
(02:58):
This is simply a description ofhow Laban caught up with Jacob
and demanded that Jacob stop andtalk with him, and it says
Jacob had pitched tents andLaban had also pitched tents in
the hill country of Gilead.
So after Laban catches up withJacob and stops him, both
(03:21):
parties pitch their tents in thehill.
Picking up in verse 26, trick meand not tell me so that I might
have sent you away with myrrhand songs, with trambolines and
(03:48):
leer.
Why didn't you permit me tokiss my sons and my daughters?
Farewell, now you have actedfoolishly.
In these three verses we seeLaban accusing Jacob of fleeing
for no reason of accusing him offoolishness.
Laban says you've tricked me.
But considering their pastrelationship and how Laban
(04:11):
continually tricked Jacob andmanipulated Jacob, laban is
giving more of a hypocriticalrant than anything.
Really he's trying to furthermanipulate Jacob through this
shame tactic.
Really, he's trying to furthermanipulate Jacob through this
shame tactic.
Laban says what Laban is sayinghere is that he's accusing
(04:34):
Jacob of driving his daughtersaway from him as if they were
captives.
Laban is falsely accusing Jacobof forcing his daughters to go
with him under great threat andeven violence.
And then laban asksrhetorically why did you flee
and trick me?
Laban knows very well that heis the one that's done
(04:58):
everything in his power to takeadvantage of jacob.
He has kept jac Jacob trappedunder false pretenses for years,
and he is the one who hasforced Jacob to continue working
for him.
Certainly, it was Jacob thatfelt as if he were a captive of
Laban's.
Laban's mention of how he wouldhave liked to send Jacob and
(05:22):
his daughters away with joy andcelebration is merely a regret
of an abuser whose tactics haveled to this broken relationship.
Picking up in verse 29, labansays it is in my power to do you
harm, but the God of yourfather spoke to me last night
(05:44):
saying Be careful not to sayanything to Jacob, either good
or bad.
And now you've gone awaybecause you've longed greatly
for your father's house.
But why did you steal my gods?
In verse 29 and 30, afteracting as if he had wanted to
throw them a party before theyleft, laban shows his true self.
(06:07):
We see the true Laban here.
We see Laban doing what Labanhas always done to Jacob, and we
see Laban doing precisely whatGod told him not to do Begin as
if he wanted a good and peacefulrelationship with Jacob and his
daughters and then now bringthreats of retaliation if Jacob
(06:30):
refuses to comply with hisselfish and ungodly desires.
But the God of your father,laban says what a statement.
What a statement's coming outof the lips of Laban After
letting Jacob know that he couldharm him.
(06:50):
Laban tells Jacob that the Godof his fathers spoke to him last
night and said to him not tosay anything good or bad.
We can only imagine what abreak in the tension this must
have been to Jacob Out of thevery lips of the man that had
been oppressing him for years.
Jacob now hears that the god ofhis fathers has warned Laban
(07:14):
not to bring any harm to him.
Jacob had been fleeing in fearof Laban for the last ten days
at least.
Then, just hours ago, laban'sraiding party was seen and then
overtook Jacob.
Now, when Laban speaks to Jacob, he even makes a threat.
But to hear these words, tohear the words but the God of
(07:40):
your father spoke to me lastnight, must have brought an
overwhelming and amazing reliefto Jacob.
Jacob begins now to see God'stiming and God's faithfulness in
the midst of this verydifficult situation.
And then Laban says that Jacobleft because he longed greatly
(08:04):
for his father's house.
Laban continues to justify hisevil and selfish actions by
excusing Jacob's flight as if itwere just a desire to see his
family, when in fact it was bythe command of God and due to
the cruel actions and attitudeof himself that sent Jacob away.
(08:27):
And Laban asks Jacob, why didyou steal my gods?
Laban's focus here on hishousehold idols, his household
gods, speaks of theirsignificance in his life.
We now see clearly how Laban isa pagan worshiper of idols,
(08:48):
even though on occasion he giveslip service to the God of
Abraham.
Even though on occasion hegives lip service to the God of
Abraham, verse 31,.
Jacob answers and said to LabanBecause I was afraid, for I
thought that you would take yourdaughters from me by force.
Anyone with whom you find yourgods shall not live In the
(09:17):
presence of our kinsmen.
Point out what I have, that isyours, and take it Now.
Jacob did not know that Rachelhad stolen them.
So Laban went into Jacob's tentand into Leah's tent and into
the tent of the two femaleservants, but he did not find
them and he went out of Leah'stent and entered Rachel's.
Now Rachel had taken thehousehold gods and put them in
the camel's saddle and sat onthem.
(09:39):
Laban felt all about the tentbut did not find them and she
said to her father Let my lordnot be angry that I cannot rise
before you, for the way of womenis upon me.
So he searched but did not findthe household gods.
(10:00):
In verses 31 through 35, we readJacob's response and Laban's
search.
Jacob says I thought that youwould take your daughters from
me by force, thought that youwould take your daughters from
me by force.
This statement by Jacob isperhaps the most plain and
honest statement he's ever madeto Laban.
Now, seeing that the Lord iswith him and protecting him from
(10:24):
the hand of his father-in-law,jacob speaks plainly.
Jacob reveals to us further howLaban continued to manipulate
him through the relationshipswith his daughters.
It also helps us to see why itwas so important for Jacob to
take his wives into the fieldand get their approval before
fleeing Laban.
(10:45):
Jacob was afraid of Laban'scontinued feeling of ownership
that he had over his daughters,even after they were given in
marriage to Jacob, and Labanused that to manipulate Rachel
and Leah.
Then Jacob makes the boldstatement, based on his own
(11:06):
understanding, that nobody inhis household would have taken
Laban's idols.
Jacob doesn't know that Rachelstole the idols of Laban and
Jacob, in front of Laban'skinsmen, tells him so.
(11:30):
Laban did a thorough search ofJacob's tents, including his
daughter's tents and theservants' tents, but he could
not find the household gods.
And when he came to Rachel'stent he finds Rachel sitting on
a camel.
And Rachel furthers her theftand her deception by putting the
(11:50):
idols in the saddle of thecamel.
Then she sits on it.
We could say, like father, likedaughter, like her father Laban
, she continues to justify hersin of greed and theft as she
attempts to protect herself fromthe consequences of her evil
actions.
(12:11):
Consequences of her evilactions when Laban confronts
Rachel, rachel pleads with himnot to be upset but that she
can't rise from where she'ssitting because she's in the
middle of her menstrual period.
Picking up in verse 36, thenJacob became angry and berated
Laban.
Jacob said to Laban what is myoffense, what is my sin that
(12:36):
you've hotly pursued me For youhave felt through all of my
goods.
What have you found?
What have you found of all yourhousehold goods?
Set it here before my kinsmenand your kinsmen that they may
decide between the two of us.
These twenty years I have beenwith you.
Your ewes and your female goatshave not miscarried and I have
(13:01):
not eaten of the rams of yourflock.
What was torn by wild beasts Idid not bring to you.
I bore the loss of it myself.
I bore the loss of it myselfFrom my hand.
You required it.
Whether stolen by day or stolenby night, there I was.
By day, the heat consumed meand the cold.
(13:23):
By night and my sleep fled frommy eyes.
These twenty years I have beenin your house, I served you
fourteen years for your twodaughters and six years for your
flock and you've changed mywages ten times.
If the God of my father, theGod of Abraham and the fear of
(13:47):
Isaac had not been on my side,surely now you would have sent
me away empty-handed.
Been on my side, surely now youwould have sent me away
empty-handed.
God saw my affliction and thelabor of my hands and rebuked
you last night.
In verses 36 through 42, we seethat Jacob berated Laban.
(14:08):
You might say 20 years offrustration and anger are coming
to a head with Jacob, and Jacoblets Laban have it for all of
the lies and all of the ways inwhich Laban manipulated and
oppressed him.
Jacob begins to make a publicspectacle and a public case for
(14:30):
how Laban has mistreated him,and Jacob believes this case is
so strong that it needs to beset before the kinsmen so that
they might decide between thetwo of them.
And we read that Jacob servedLaban for 20 years.
This is one of the cleareststatements for the timeline of
(14:52):
Jacob while he is with Laban.
And here we learn that Jacobserved Laban for 20 years.
Jacob continues his case.
He says I bore the loss, theheat consumed me, the cold by
night, I had a lack of sleep andyou changed my wages ten times.
(15:14):
Jacob begins to build a casedescribing how he faithfully
served Laban in his laborthrough all kinds of adversity
and even suffered the losses ofthe flock himself, while Laban
continued to be abusive in theirrelationship, even changing
(15:34):
their agreement ten times.
Finally, jacob gives honor andglory to the God of Abraham and
Isaac who's been with him andblessing him, and how the Lord
has now rebuked Laban.
Just last night, in verse 43,we read.
(15:54):
Then Laban answered and said toJacob the daughters are my
daughters, the children are mychildren, the flocks are my
flocks and all that you see ismine.
But what can I do this day forthese my daughters, or for their
children whom they have born?
(16:15):
Despite Laban's many contractswith Jacob, despite Jacob's
attempt to hold Labanaccountable in front of everyone
, laban ignores everything.
The narrative continues toreveal to us the destructive
(16:35):
character of Laban.
Laban is completely focused onhimself and he believes
everything Jacob has is his,including Jacob's wives and
Jacob's children.
Today, we might say Labanthinks the world revolves around
him.
We might even label him as anarcissist, picking up in verse
(17:00):
44, come now, let us make acovenant, you and I, and let it
be a witness between you and me.
So Jacob took a stone and set itup as a pillar.
And Jacob said to his kinsmenGather stones.
And they took stones and made aheap and they ate there by the
heap.
Laban called it Yagar-shaduthah, but Jacob called it Galid.
(17:26):
Laban said this heap is awitness between you and me today
.
Therefore, he called it Galidand Mizpah.
For he said the Lord watchbetween you and me when we are
out of one another's sight, ifyou oppress my daughters or if
you take wives besides mydaughters, although no one is
(17:47):
with us.
See, god is witness between youand me.
Then Laban said See this heapand the pillar which I have set
between you and me.
This heap is a witness and thepillar is a witness that I will
not pass over this heap to youand you will not pass over this
(18:08):
heap and this pillar to me to doharm.
The God of Abraham and the Godof Nahor and the God of their
father judged between us.
So Jacob swore by the fear ofhis father, isaac, in the hill
country and called his kinsmento eat bread.
They ate bread and spent thenight in the hill country.
(18:35):
In these 10 verses 44 through 54, we read the covenant that is
made between Jacob and Laban.
Laban is asking Jacob to make acovenant with him.
We already know that Labandoesn't think keeping his word
is of any value and he's willingto break his integrity if he
(18:55):
thinks he can make a buck.
Any value and he's willing tobreak his integrity if he thinks
he can make a buck.
Laban wanting to make acovenant here likely has more to
do with saving face in the viewof his kinsmen than anything
else.
Even though Laban simply seesthe Lord God as one of many gods
, he may have some paranoia ofwhat the Lord might do to him.
(19:17):
We see that Jacob sets up apillar Similar to how he set up
a stone in Bethel in Genesis28.18,.
Jacob now sets up a stonepillar in Gilead and Jacob
commands his kinsmen to make aheap of stones.
The heap of stones put down bythe kinsmen represent the
(19:38):
witnesses of Jacob and Laban'skinsmen.
These two separate remindersJacob's pillar and the heap are
two witnesses that will remainhere and underline the
seriousness of this oath.
Initially, laban calls the heapof stones just that a heap of
(20:00):
stones.
Yagar Shaduthah is Hebrew for aheap of stones.
But then Jacob calls it Galid.
Galid means a heap of testimony.
Jacob's name for the placerefers to the great witness that
now stands against Laban atthis site.
(20:22):
After Jacob declares this placeas a heap of testimony, laban
agrees to the name and he saysthat it's a testimony between
both himself and Jacob says thatit's a testimony between both
himself and Jacob.
And then Laban calls the placeMizpah as well, which means
(20:44):
lookout point.
Laban adds this name using theLord's name, so as if he could
keep Jacob in line.
Laban, in this covenant, isasking that the Lord would keep
an eye on Jacob, that he notoppress his daughters or take
other wives.
And finally, laban adds anotheraspect to the covenant.
(21:07):
He says I will not pass overand you will not pass over.
Laban invokes this pillar andthis heap as a boundary line, a
boundary line of peace, callingupon the God of Abram, the God
of Nahor and the God of theirfather, terah.
After the oaths are finished,jacob offers a sacrifice In
(21:30):
worship to the Lord.
God, and as a celebration ofall that the Lord had done for
him, jacob makes a sacrifice andhe calls his kinsmen now to eat
and to rest for the night.
Wrapping up with verse 55, earlyin the morning Laban arose and
(21:51):
kissed his grandchildren and hisdaughters and blessed them.
Then Laban departed andreturned home.
At the beginning of the nextday Laban arises to leave for
his home, but before he does, hesays goodbye to his daughters
and his grandchildren by kissingthem and blessing them.
(22:14):
Laban gives his daughters andgrandchildren a blessing and
leaves to go home, thankfullyleaving on positive terms.
Thank you for joining me thisweek.
Join me next week when Jacobmeets the angels of God.
(22:34):
God bless you this week.
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