JACOB’s FLOCK OUTGROWS UNCLE LABAN’s

We are in a section of the Word of God which God has given to minister to our needs. It deals with a man who is a very sinful man in many ways and a man whom God would not give up. You and I can take courage from this.

The Lord will never give us up as long as we keep coming back to Him. He will always receive us. If He will take a fellow like Jacob and a fellow like I am, He will take you, my friend.

You will recall that Jacob has had a pretty sad ordeal of twenty years with Uncle Laban. Uncle Laban has really given him a course in the college of hard knocks, and poor Jacob is beginning to wince because of all the pressure he has been under.

However, since the new deal which he had made with Laban regarding cattle breeding, Jacob is now getting more than Uncle Laban is getting. Uncle Laban doesn’t like it, nor do his sons like it.

Genesis 31:1-16 KJV

[1] And he heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, Jacob hath taken away all that was our father’s; and of that which was our father’s hath he gotten all this glory.

[2] And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as before.

[3] And the LORD said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.

[4] And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock,

[5] And said unto them, I see your father’s countenance, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father hath been with me.

[6] And ye know that with all my power I have served your father.

[7] And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me.

[8] If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the cattle bare speckled: and if he said thus, The ringstraked shall be thy hire; then bare all the cattle ringstraked.

[9] Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me.

[10] And it came to pass at the time that the cattle conceived, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dream, and, behold, the rams which leaped upon the cattle were ringstraked, speckled, and grisled.

[11] And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I.

[12] And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ringstraked, speckled, and grisled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee.

[13] I am the God of Beth–el, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred.

[14] And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house?

[15] Are we not counted of him strangers? for he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money.

[16] For all the riches which God hath taken from our father, that is ours, and our children’s: now then, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do.

Genesis 31:1 KJV

And he heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, Jacob hath taken away all that was our father’s; and of that which was our father’s hath he gotten all this glory.

  • It must have been from rumor that Jacob got knowledge of the invidious reflections cast upon him by his cousins; for they were separated at the distance of three days‘ journey.

Genesis 31:2 KJV

And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as before.

  • literally, “was not the same as yesterday, and the day before,” a common Oriental form of speech.
  • The insinuations against Jacob‘s fidelity by Laban‘s sons, and the sullen reserve, the churlish conduct, of Laban himself, had made Jacob‘s situation, in his uncle‘s establishment, most trying and painful.
  • It is always one of the vexations attendant on worldly prosperity, that it excites the envy of others (Ecclesiastes 4:4); and that, however careful a man is to maintain a good conscience, he cannot always reckon on maintaining a good name, in a censorious world.
  • This, Jacob experienced; and it is probable that, like a good man, he had asked direction and relief in prayer.

Genesis 31:3 KJV

And the LORD said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.

  • Notwithstanding the ill usage he had received, Jacob might not have deemed himself at liberty to quit his present sphere, under the impulse of passionate fretfulness and discontent.
  • Having been conducted to Haran by God (Genesis 28:15) and having got a promise that the same heavenly Guardian would bring him again into the land of Canaan, he might have thought he ought not to leave it, without being clearly persuaded as to the path of duty.
  • So ought we to set the Lord before us, and to acknowledge Him in all our ways, our journeys, our settlements, and plans in life.

Genesis 31:4 KJV

And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock,

  • His wives and family were in their usual residence.
  • Whether he wished them to be present at the festivities of sheep shearing, as some think; or, because he could not leave his flock, he called them both to come to him, in order that, having resolved on immediate departure, he might communicate his intentions.
  • Rachel and Leah only were called, for the other two wives, being secondary and still in a state of servitude, were not entitled to be taken into account.
  • Jacob acted the part of a dutiful husband in telling them his plans; for husbands that love their wives should consult with them and trust in them (Proverbs 31:11).

Genesis 31:5 KJV

And said unto them, I see your father’s countenance, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father hath been with me.

  • That is one thing upon which we can agree with Jacob and say to his credit.
  • He had worked hard, but I’m of the opinion that we ought to give Laban credit for that.
  • I believe that Laban got his money’s worth out of anyone who worked for him.

Genesis 31:6 KJV

And ye know that with all my power I have served your father.

  • With all my power, This may have been an exaggeration.
  • Having stated his strong grounds of dissatisfaction with their father‘s conduct and the ill requital he had got for all his faithful services, he informed them of the blessing of God that had made him rich notwithstanding Laban‘s design to ruin him; and finally, of the command from God he had received to return to his own country, that they might not accuse him of caprice, or disaffection to their family; but be convinced, that in resolving to depart, he acted from a principle of religious obedience.

Genesis 31:7 KJV

And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me.

  • Notice that ten times in those twenty years old Laban had changed his wages! Poor Jacob.
  • But when he was perplexed and frustrated, not knowing where to turn, God intervened.

Genesis 31:8 KJV

If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the cattle bare speckled: and if he said thus, The ringstraked shall be thy hire; then bare all the cattle ringstraked.

  • Jacob is explaining to Rachel and Leah that it is God who has blessed him, to the extent that Laban and his sons have become very jealous of him; in fact, they hate him.

Genesis 31:9 KJV

Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me.

  • Now Jacob tells the actual reason why he wants to leave—

Genesis 31:10 KJV

And it came to pass at the time that the cattle conceived, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dream, and, behold, the rams which leaped upon the cattle were ringstraked, speckled, and grisled.

 

 

 

Genesis 31:11 KJV

And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I.

  • The angel of God spake, He gave Jacob a lesson in genetics which brought success.

Genesis 31:12 KJV

And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ringstraked, speckled, and grisled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee.

  • God says, “I did it!” We don’t need to look for natural explanations, although I am confident that God used one of them.
  • However, since God didn’t tell us which one it is, we simply do not know.
  • There are several explanations, and you may take the one you want, but I like this one: God says, “I saw what Laban was doing to you, and I blessed you.”

Genesis 31:13 KJV

I am the God of Beth–el, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred.

  • “I am the God of Beth-el.” God goes back to the time He appeared to this boy when he was running away, that first night away from home which he spent at Bethel.
  • “Now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred.” God wants him to leave Haran because he has at this time eleven boys who are growing up, and they are already beginning to learn some things which they should not be learning.
  • God wants to get Jacob and these boys away from the place of idolatry just as He got Abraham out of a home of idolatry.

Genesis 31:14 KJV

And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house?

  • Having heard his views, they expressed their entire approval; and from grievances of their own, they were fully as desirous of a separation as himself.
  • They display not only conjugal affection, but piety in following the course described – “whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do” [Genesis 31:16 ].
  • Those that are really their husbands‘ helpmeets will never be their hindrances in doing that to which God calls them.

Genesis 31:15 KJV

Are we not counted of him strangers? for he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money.

  • They are saying that certainly, as the daughters of their father, they should receive some inheritance, and that ought to keep Laban from being so antagonistic.

Genesis 31:16 KJV

For all the riches which God hath taken from our father, that is ours, and our children’s: now then, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do.

  • I admire these two women.
  • They tell Jacob to do whatever he wants to do.
  • They stand with him, and apparently they feel that their father has robbed them.

I hope that you have really enjoyed this post,

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