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JACOB ENRICHES AND FLEES FROM LABAN

Chapter 30:25 to 31:21

Up to this point, God had given Jacob a family, eleven sons and one daughter. But he was poor, for all his work was done exclusively to earn his two wives, and he had not received any material reward in the form of wages or property. Even having been deceived by Laban, he honestly complied with his part of the agreement.

After completing his obligation, Jacob was prepared to return to his place and his homeland, which was Canaan. That was the land of promise, and though he had spent many years in Haran, he had no intention of permanently residing there (like the world is not the place and the homeland of believers - Hebrews 13:14). He asked nothing from Laban save for permission to leave, taking his women and children with him. He trusted in God's promise that He would be with him and give him prosperity.

Laban pleaded for Jacob not to leave him: he had a selfish motive, having seen that he had prospered because of the love of the LORD for Jacob, which he had learned through experience over the years. Instead of making him a generous offer, Laban asked Jacob to stipulate a salary for his services.

Jacob reminded Laban how the LORD had blessed him, greatly increasing the little that Laban previously had, and how Jacob had behaved during this time. Laban then apparently admitted  that he owed Jacob more than a simple salary, asking "what shall I give you?"

 

 

 

Jacob wisely said that he wanted nothing from Laban (in exchange for past services), but he proposed to continue herding and guarding the flock of Laban in exchange for all the speckled and spotted sheep, and all the brown ones among the lambs, and the spotted and speckled among the goats which he had on that day. The idea that he had, of course, was soon to separate these animals for himself, and they would start a herd belonging to him, and in return he also would continue caring for the flock of Laban. From then on, those who were born would be separated by colour.

 

 

 

Laban thought he saw an opportunity here to take advantage of the valuable services of Jacob with little cost to himself: he agreed immediately, and straight away removed from the herd the male goats that were speckled and spotted, all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had some white in them, and all the brown ones among the lambs, gave them into the hand of his sons and took them to a distance of three days away. He therefore not only stole Jacob´s wages, but prevented them from crossing with the remainder, so reducing the chances of Jacob getting a large herd from their offspring.

 

 

Jacob apparently did not protest, but devoted himself to his work, and used the resources he knew to ensure that the lambs and kids that were born were streaked, spotted or speckled. He had great success, and used a selection technique to improve his own herd. For six years his herd multiplied, and because of his technique, the sheep of Laban became feebler and his own stronger. Jacob prospered greatly, and became owner of large flocks, female and male slaves, camels and donkeys (chapter 31:7,9).

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But at the end of this time, his success was already causing envy to the sons of Laban, and Laban himself was no longer favourable to him as before. The LORD told Jacob to return to Canaan, and promised to protect him. Jacob then called Rachel and Leah to the field for a secret conference.

 

 

 

Jacob told his wives how Laban was turning against him, despite all his dedication. Laban had changed his wages ten times, but God did not allow Jacob to be hurt, and made the flock produce the animals which would belong to Jacob no matter how Laban changed the rules. God had now finally ordered him to go back to his homeland.

(Continues below)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

His wives also felt they had been defrauded by Laban: according to the customs of the time, they should have received the benefits of the dowry paid by Jacob with his fourteen years of hard work. As Laban had not given them anything, they realized that they would inherit nothing from him. They therefore immediately agreed to the plan of Jacob, to gather all they had and leave with Jacob for his homeland.

 

 

Jacob then gathered his family, set his sons and his wives on camels, and set off to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan, carrying away all his livestock and all his possessions. It was a day when Laban had gone to shear his sheep (probably three days' journey away where he had initially taken them), and Rachel took the opportunity to rob him of his household idols: they were small idols or images of ancestors made of wood or metal, also called teraphim, which people of that time (and even today) kept in their homes thinking that they gave them protection and guidance in times of need. The largest portion of the inheritance of a family went to the person to whom it was bequeathed.

It is likely that Rachel stole her father's images so that, as she thought, they would not reveal where they were running away to, or maybe she intended eventually to claim the family inheritance with them; still another theory is that she, knowing the true God through her husband, took the idols of her father so that he realized that they had no power to stop them from going away.

 

R David Jones

 

 

 

25 And it came to pass, when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, "Send me away, that I may go to my own place and to my country.
26 Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, and let me go; for you know my service which I have done for you."

 

 

 

 

27 And Laban said to him, "Please stay, if I have found favor in your eyes, for I have learned by experience that the LORD has blessed me for your sake."
28 Then he said, "Name me your wages, and I will give it."
29 So Jacob said to him, "You know how I have served you and how your livestock has been with me.
30 For what you had before I came was little, and it has increased to a great amount; the LORD has blessed you since my coming. And now, when shall I also provide for my own house?"
31 So he said, "What shall I give you?" And Jacob said, "You shall not give me anything. If you will do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep your flocks:
32 Let me pass through all your flock today, removing from there all the speckled and spotted sheep, and all the brown ones among the lambs, and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and these shall be my wages.
33 So my righteousness will answer for me in time to come, when the subject of my wages comes before you: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the lambs, will be considered stolen, if it is with me."
34 And Laban said, "Oh, that it were according to your word!"
35 So he removed that day the male goats that were speckled and spotted, all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had some white in it, and all the brown ones among the lambs, and gave them into the hand of his sons.
36 Then he put three days' journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flocks.
37 Now Jacob took for himself rods of green poplar and of the almond and chestnut trees, peeled white strips in them, and exposed the white which was in the rods.
38 And the rods which he had peeled, he set before the flocks in the gutters, in the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink, so that they should conceive when they came to drink.
39 So the flocks conceived before the rods, and the flocks brought forth streaked, speckled, and spotted.
40 Then Jacob separated the lambs, and made the flocks face toward the streaked and all the brown in the flock of Laban; but he put his own flocks by themselves and did not put them with Laban's flock.
41 And it came to pass, whenever the stronger livestock conceived, that Jacob placed the rods before the eyes of the livestock in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods.
42 But when the flocks were feeble, he did not put them in; so the feebler were Laban's and the stronger Jacob's.
43 Thus the man became exceedingly prosperous, and had large flocks, female and male servants, and camels and donkeys.

 

1 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.

Genesis chapter 30, verse 25 to chapter 31, verse 21