Jacob Moves His Flocks to Canaan
May 13, 2024
Commentary
God could not allow Jacob to settle forever in the land from which years before he had called Abraham, so He allowed things to turn sour. Animosity was growing against him by Laban and his sons (vv. 1-2). Also, God had told Jacob to return to his own land (v. 3). Up to this point Jacob had been motivated by two goals: to marry Rachael and to get rich. He had achieved both, but neither brought contentment because neither money nor marriage can fulfil our deepest needs.
Jacob decides to leave Mesopotamia secretly and move his family and possessions to Canaan (vv. 4-9). He held a family conference with his two wives, Rachel and Leah, who agreed to move. They discussed Laban’s dislike for Jacob (vv. 4-5) and Laban’s dishonesty towards him (vv. 6-9). Jacob confessed that his prosperity was not a result of his cleverness but because of God’s grace (vv. 10-12). It had absolutely nothing to do with his own conniving but in God’s guidance (v.13). Jacob’s family all readily agreed with him that the time had come to leave. Jacob, his wives, and his children got on camels and left for his father, Isaac’s home in Canaan (v. 17). He took with him all his possessions he had gained and the livestock he had acquired (v. 18). Rachel even stole the household idols and took them with her (v. 19). They did this without telling Laban (vv. 20-21).
When Laban arrived home from a trip, he discovered that Jacob was gone (v. 22). He was furious to find that his daughters, his grandchildren, and all of Jacob’s vast holdings, which he had planned to seize, were also gone. He quickly gathered his forces and took off after Jacob. It took Laban seven days to catch up to Jacob (v. 23). As soon as he spied Jacob, he prepared for a violent onslaught the next day. But in a dream that night God told Laban not to harm Jacob (v. 24).
Application
As in the case of Jacob it can be a great blessing when the world, which looks so attractive, turns sour. It is my desire to always keep God at the top of my priority list.
Genesis 31:1– 24 (NET)
1 Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were complaining, “Jacob has taken everything that belonged to our father! He has gotten rich at our father’s expense!” 2 When Jacob saw the look on Laban’s face, he could tell his attitude toward him had changed.
3 The Lord said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your relatives. I will be with you.” 4 So Jacob sent a message for Rachel and Leah to come to the field where his flocks were. 5 There he said to them, “I can tell that your father’s attitude toward me has changed, but the God of my father has been with me. 6 You know that I’ve worked for your father as hard as I could, 7 but your father has humiliated me and changed my wages ten times. But God has not permitted him to do me any harm. 8 If he said, ‘The speckled animals will be your wage,’ then the entire flock gave birth to speckled offspring. But if he said, ‘The streaked animals will be your wage,’ then the entire flock gave birth to streaked offspring. 9 In this way God has snatched away your father’s livestock and given them to me.
10 “Once during breeding season I saw in a dream that the male goats mating with the flock were streaked, speckled, and spotted. 11 In the dream the angel of God said to me, ‘Jacob!’ ‘Here I am!’ I replied. 12 Then he said, ‘Observe that all the male goats mating with the flock are streaked, speckled, or spotted, for I have observed all that Laban has done to you. 13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the sacred stone and made a vow to me. Now leave this land immediately and return to your native land.’”
14 Then Rachel and Leah replied to him, “Do we still have any portion or inheritance in our father’s house? 15 Hasn’t he treated us like foreigners? He not only sold us, but completely wasted the money paid for us! 16 Surely all the wealth that God snatched away from our father belongs to us and to our children. So now do everything God has told you.”
17 So Jacob immediately put his children and his wives on the camels. 18 He took away all the livestock he had acquired in Paddan Aram and all his moveable property that he had accumulated. Then he set out toward the land of Canaan to return to his father Isaac.
19 While Laban had gone to shear his sheep, Rachel stole the household idols that belonged to her father. 20 Jacob also deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was leaving. 21 He left with all he owned. He quickly crossed the Euphrates River and headed for the hill country of Gilead.
22 Three days later Laban discovered Jacob had left. 23 So he took his relatives with him and pursued Jacob for seven days. He caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead. 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.”
Illustration: The Job Should Get The Fellow And Not The Fellow Get The Job
I often tell my people that I don’t want any fellow who has a job working for me. What I want is a fellow whom a job has. I want the job to get the fellow and not the fellow to get the job. And I want that job to get hold of this young man so hard that no matter where he is the job has got him for keeps. I want that job to have him in its clutches when he goes to bed at night, and in the morning I want that same job to be sitting on the foot of his bed telling him it’s time to get up and go to work. And when a job gets a fellow that way he’ll amount to something. (Source Unknown).