“Then God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and said to him, “‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”‘
~ Genesis 24:31
Hi James and Ellen,
Are you good at deceiving? Ask your dad and/or ma if they have ever been deceived? Do you think that deceiving is a good thing to do? Jacob was one of Isaac’s kids and Abraham’s grandkid. Jacob had God change his name to Israel. The Israelite people group’s guys, gals and kids are God’s specially chosen guys, gals and kids. Jacob had twelve sons. Jacob’s twelve boys became the patriarchs of the Israelite people group’s twelve tribal clans. Jacob was born a twin. Jacob was born immediately after his twin bro was born. Jacob’s name means follower. Jacob and his twin bro – Esau, did not get along. Esau became his dad’s favorite kid. Jacob became his ma’s favorite kid. When Esau and Jacob lived on planet Earth – which was about 4000 years ago, the oldest son was to get the family birthright. To inherit the family birthright as the oldest son meant that the oldest son – when his dad died, would inherit a double portion of what his dad owned plus he would assume the headship over his dad’s extended family. Esau – because he was the oldest between he and Jacob, was who was to receive the family birthright. Esau one day – because he was feeling really hungry after a hunting trip, foolishly for a bowl of soup sold the family birthright that he was to receive to Jacob. A rite existed 4000 years ago when a dad formally passed on his birthright to his oldest son. The dad was to put his hand on the son who was born first signifying that this son was who was to receive the family birthright. Rebekah – Jacob’s ma, helped Jacob deceive his dad when it was time for Isaac to pass on the family birthright to Esau. Rebekah fixed a meat dish that Esau would have fixed for his dad, dressed Jacob up in clothes that Esau wore – because the clothes smelled like Esau, and because Esau was hairy, put goatskins on Jacob’s arms and on his neck. Isaac – because he was now an old guy, could no longer see. Because Isaac thought that he was giving his birthright blessing to Esau, Isaac gave his birthright blessing to Jacob. When Esau found out what his kid bro had done, Esau was really, really mad. Esau wanted to kill Jacob. Jacob ran for his life to where his Uncle Laban lived. Laban lived in a place called Paddan Aram. Paddan Aram would be located in Syria today.
Laban was Jacob’s ma’s bro. Jacob would spend sixteen years living with his Uncle Laban. Not long after Jacob showed up at his Uncle Laban’s place, Jacob fell in love with one of his Uncle Laban’s daughters – Rachel. When Jacob and Rachel decided to get married, Laban told Jacob that he would give his okay to Jacob marrying Rachel as long as Jacob first worked six years for him taking care of his flocks. Rachel had an older sis – Leah. When Jacob finished working the six years that his uncle Laban had told him that he had to do if he really wanted to marry his daughter, Laban let his nephew’s plans to marry his daughter to move ahead but . . . Laban after coercing Jacob into taking care of his flocks for six years, Laban then hoodwinked Jacob in a way that Jacob married Leah and not Rachel. Jacob did not love Leah. Laban did relent to Jacob also marrying Rachel but . . . Laban’s stipulation permitting Jacob to marry Rachel was an expectation that Jacob would work another six years for him taking care of his flocks. After working the six years that his Uncle Laban had stipulated, Jacob spent four more years taking care of Laban’s flocks of sheep and goats. Because Jacob did not have anything when he showed up at his Uncle Laban’s place, Laban told Jacob that he could have all the baby goats which were born speckled. God saw to it that all the baby goats were born speckled. When Laban saw that all the baby goats were being born speckled, Laban told Jacob that he could only have all the baby goats that were born streaked. After God saw to it that all the baby goats were born streaked, Laban changed his mind again and told Jacob he could only have all the goats that were born spotted. God made sure again that only . . . this did not make Laban happy at all with his nephew. Jacob was not happy either with his uncle because his uncle had changed his mind ten times about what he had promised to pay him– robbing Jacob each time of what he said that he was going to pay Jacob. When Jacob one day overheard his Uncle Laban’s boys talking about him – saying that he was stealing all the wealth that their dad was accumulating and everything else that their dad owned, Jacob knew that it was time for him to leave his Uncle Laban’s home in Paddan Aram.
Genesis 31 recounts Jacob leaving Paddam Aram. While his Uncle Laban was busy shearing his sheep, Jacob and his two wives left on camels – taking with them two handmaids and the livestock and possessions that he had accumulated over the years that he had lived with his Uncle Laban. Right before she left with her husband, Rachel took her dad’s idols. When Laban found out that his nephew had taken off with his two daughters and that his idols were missing, Laban took off after Jacob. On his way to catch up with Jacob, Laban received a message from God. Verse 24 says, “Then God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and said to him, “‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”’ When Laban caught up with Jacob, Laban told Jacob that he was not happy at all the Jacob had deceived him by taking off without giving him the opportunity to say goodbye to his daughters. What Laban really wanted was his idols back. Jacob told his Uncle Laban that he would kill whoever took the idols. Rachel had put the idols in a bag which she sat on as she rode on the back of her camel. Rachel told her dad that she could not get off her camel because . . . it was never found out that Rachel was who had taken her dad’s idols. What does one deceit do? One deceit invariably leads to another deceit and . . . a guy, gal or kid who deceives will teach other guys, gals and kids to deceive. The antidote for deceiving spirits is totally trusting God to resolve whatever.
Genesis 31 (199)