Repeated phrases:
(1) How did the Scriptures, Laban, and Jacob interpret the appearance of God to Laban were different.
From Scriptures,
31:24 But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and warned him, “Be careful that you neither bless nor curse Jacob.
(NET) “watch yourself,” which is a warning to be on guard against doing something that is inappropriate.
From Laban,
31:29 I have the power to do you harm, but the God of your father told me last night, ‘Be careful that you neither bless nor curse Jacob
Laban has been pursuing Jacob for 7 days v.23 and he meant to do harm to them. If God did not intervene then he could have succeeded in doing so.
From Jacob,
v.42b But God saw how I was oppressed and how hard I worked, and he rebuked you last night.”
Laban has been unreasonable as an employer to Jacob. He asked Jacob to absorb the loss and paid him the minimum v.39-41. In his dream, Jacob knew that it was God who helped him. Now, God helped him again by rebuking Laban when he pursued him (note, Jacob used the word, "rebuke" here). Jacob interpreted the appearance of God to Laban as a judgment to him.
(2) What they can agree on is to form a covenant to not to bother each other v.44-53
31:47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed.
(NET) Laban the Aramean gave the place an Aramaic name which means “witness pile” or “the pile is a witness.”
Galeed also means “witness pile” or “the pile is a witness,” but this name is Canaanite or Western Semitic and closer to later Hebrew. Jacob, though certainly capable of speaking Aramaic, here prefers to use the western dialect.
Summary: Perhaps both Laban and Jacob were right. Laban did have the power to harm Jacob from human stand point of view. He was determined to do so when he pursued Jacob for 7 days.
However, Jacob was protected by God as God had promised him in Bethel based on the covenant with Abraham.
12:3 I will bless those who bless you,
but the one who treats you lightly I must curse,
and all the families of the earth will bless one another by your name.”
Jacob was corrected, too. God did not just stop the harm from Laban now, but God also rebuked him from doing all the wrong things he had done to Jacob in the past. Perhaps God did not speak in the past for Jacob, but He intervened now in the time Jacob needed most.
Reflection: Thank God for His protection even in the time we do not realize what God had done. Just like God had stopped Laban from harming Jacob, God has been protecting us in the time we did not realize.
It may seem like God was silence but He did see what happened to us. Just like Jacob who had been struggling under the hands of Laban for 20 years. Eventually, God helped him in the moment he needed most.
(1) How did the Scriptures, Laban, and Jacob interpret the appearance of God to Laban were different.
From Scriptures,
31:24 But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and warned him, “Be careful that you neither bless nor curse Jacob.
(NET) “watch yourself,” which is a warning to be on guard against doing something that is inappropriate.
From Laban,
31:29 I have the power to do you harm, but the God of your father told me last night, ‘Be careful that you neither bless nor curse Jacob
Laban has been pursuing Jacob for 7 days v.23 and he meant to do harm to them. If God did not intervene then he could have succeeded in doing so.
From Jacob,
v.42b But God saw how I was oppressed and how hard I worked, and he rebuked you last night.”
Laban has been unreasonable as an employer to Jacob. He asked Jacob to absorb the loss and paid him the minimum v.39-41. In his dream, Jacob knew that it was God who helped him. Now, God helped him again by rebuking Laban when he pursued him (note, Jacob used the word, "rebuke" here). Jacob interpreted the appearance of God to Laban as a judgment to him.
(2) What they can agree on is to form a covenant to not to bother each other v.44-53
31:47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed.
(NET) Laban the Aramean gave the place an Aramaic name which means “witness pile” or “the pile is a witness.”
Galeed also means “witness pile” or “the pile is a witness,” but this name is Canaanite or Western Semitic and closer to later Hebrew. Jacob, though certainly capable of speaking Aramaic, here prefers to use the western dialect.
Summary: Perhaps both Laban and Jacob were right. Laban did have the power to harm Jacob from human stand point of view. He was determined to do so when he pursued Jacob for 7 days.
However, Jacob was protected by God as God had promised him in Bethel based on the covenant with Abraham.
12:3 I will bless those who bless you,
but the one who treats you lightly I must curse,
and all the families of the earth will bless one another by your name.”
Jacob was corrected, too. God did not just stop the harm from Laban now, but God also rebuked him from doing all the wrong things he had done to Jacob in the past. Perhaps God did not speak in the past for Jacob, but He intervened now in the time Jacob needed most.
Reflection: Thank God for His protection even in the time we do not realize what God had done. Just like God had stopped Laban from harming Jacob, God has been protecting us in the time we did not realize.
It may seem like God was silence but He did see what happened to us. Just like Jacob who had been struggling under the hands of Laban for 20 years. Eventually, God helped him in the moment he needed most.
2026
1. Repeated word: stealing of the household gods
v.19b ...Rachel stole the household idols that belonged to her father.
(ZIBBC OT) The household gods (terāpîm) were images that represented deceased ancestors in order to venerate them...were not to be given to a man outside the family. Rachel would have no right to this portion of the inheritance, nor would Jacob. Laban is logically distressed over this breach of inheritance practices as well as concerned that the care of the ancestors will be jeopardized by the loss of the images.
(BKC) To have the teraphim may have meant the right to inheritance (it did mean this according to the Nuzi tablets of the 15th century B.C.); it certainly meant Laban was without what he thought was his protection.
This is why Laban pursued Jacob. It was one thing for Jacob to take his flocks and family; but his gods too? Perhaps Jacob would try to steal back to Haran someday and claim all of Laban’s estate. (Failing to find the gods, Laban later, vv. 43–53, made a treaty to keep this troublesome man out of his territory.)
v.30 Now I understand that you have gone away because you longed desperately for your father’s house. Yet why did you steal my gods?”
v.35b ...So he searched thoroughly, but did not find the idols.
36 Jacob became angry and argued with Laban. “What did I do wrong?” he demanded of Laban. “What sin of mine prompted you to chase after me in hot pursuit?
Summary: It was reasonable for Laban to pursue Jacob and even to harm him. The intervention of God was the determining factor for Jacob to be saved v.22. However, Jacob did not realize that. When Laban could not find the stolen idols Jacob became angry to strove back. He thought God stopped Laban as a judgement of what he had done to him. Even though it was true that God judged Laban and gave his possession to Jacob 31: 7, 9, but not this time.
Reflection: A hot-headed, legitimate avenger who spent 7 days on the road and came all the way from Haran to Gilead decided not to harm Jacob was all because of the intervention of God. (ZIBBC from Haran to the northern end of the hill country of Gilead is approximately 350 miles). If God did not intervene Jacob would have died and all his families and possession would have lost. The presence or the protection of God means more than I can see. How can I trust Him more?
God spared us from a head-on collision on a highway last year. On one hand, it comforted me with the fact that any day after that day was a bonus gift from God. It is added. On the other hand, it reminded me the protection of God.
It was only because of the grace and mercy of God that Jacob survived. He was not a believer and his wife stole and deceived her father. On the same token, we did not deserved God's grace/mercy/protection. Do not dare to think that we are so important that God has to do that.
2. Questions:
4) Even though God talked to him in v. 29, Laban also believed in his household idols v.30 (which were stolen). He also acknowledge both the God of Abraham AND the god of Nahor, the gods of their father in v.53 (NET) However, Laban had a polytheistic world view, as evidenced by his possession of household idols (cf. 31:19)...when referring to Nahor’s god, for in the Hebrew text Laban refers to a different god here, probably one of the local deities.
5) “May the LORD watch between us when we are out of sight of one another." v.49 (NET) Jacob did not need this treaty, but Laban, perhaps because he had lost his household gods, felt he did.
6) God watched over Jacob before he believed in Him. He is gracious to sinners. He took care of us even we are not deserved.
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