"Jacob Separates from Laban"
Things have begun to turn sour. The wages Laban has promised to pay Jacob are looking better than the sheep with which he is left. Rumors had begun to spread regarding Jacob, that he was essentially stealing from Laban.
It was at this point that the Lord appeared to Jacob, telling him to go back home (i.e. the land of the promise). We also find out, in Jacob's retelling of prior events, that God has been blessing Jacob with the flocks, bringing together a large, strong, healthy flock for him to take (his wage was all the speckled/spotted/dark-colored sheep). In the same retelling, God revealed himself to Jacob as the God to whom he had made the vow at Bethel (Gen. 28:20-22). Essentially, God was gathering him back into the lands for his descendants.
Jacob, however, makes two mistakes as he leaves:
- He sneaks out, not telling Laban he's gone.
- He doesn't pay attention to Rachel, who then steals Laban's household idols.
God will provide and God will hold you to your promises. that being said, when following God's instruction, do not sin or offend others in the process. As we will see soon, there are repercussions.
No comments:
Post a Comment