Now when we come to the 31st Chapter of Genesis, and we’re going to put in here today at Verse 7, then we recognize that we’re in a section that God has given to us to minister to our needs because we’re dealing here with a man that was also a very sinful man in many ways, and a man that God would not give him up.  And you can take courage from that.  The LORD will never give you up!  As long as you’ll keep coming to Him, He’ll keep receiving you.  And if He’ll take a fellow like Jacob and a fellow like I am, then He’ll take any of us I’m of the opinion.  And let’s now come here. 

You will recall that Jacob has now had a pretty sad ordeal of 20 years with Uncle Laban.  And Uncle Laban has really given him a course in the college of hard knocks.  And poor Jacob is now beginning to wince under all the pressure that he has been under.  And he senses now that God has prospered him so that the face of Laban is turned against him and also the sons of Laban.  And Jacob now has a call from God.  God tells him to “leave” and he calls his wives, Rachel and Leah, together that he might talk to them about it.  And he tells them that which is on his heart.  And in Verse 7 as we left off last time, he says:

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

Now is Jacob beginning to complain?  I think so, and we’re going to see that later on in this chapter.  Now will you notice he goes on to explain to these wives so that they’ll understand of actually what has happened; that the thing that he has done has in it the elements of, not trickery, but of taking advantage of his opportunity in a business way.  I don’t want to say he’s dishonest here, because I don’t think that he is.  He’s been dishonest in so many things, but I think here he was just using a method that I’m sure any businessman would have used, and it would have been legitimate.  He’s certainly not hurting Laban at all, but God has blessed him to the extent that Laban now and his sons become very jealous of him.  And they hate him.  

And you’ll notice as he goes on to explain all of this, he tells now actually why he wants to leave.  Because he says, in Verse 11 of Genesis 31:

And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I.  And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ring-streaked, speckled, and grizzled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee.  (Genesis 31:11-12)

Now probably you thought last time that I was not giving a satisfactory answer to what had taken place, because I recognized that there are several explanations of why these animals were speckled, but I was waiting until we could get right here because why were they that way?  God says, “I did it.”  May I say that I, therefore, don’t need to look for these natural explanations although I’m confident that God probably used one of them, but then God didn’t tell me which one it is.  I’m of the opinion that we don’t know.  There are several explanations, and you can take the one you want.  But I like this one.  God says, “I saw what Laban was doing to you, and I blessed you.”

Now Verse 13, and this is what’s important.

I am the God of Bethel…

Now you see, God goes back to where he appeared to this boy when he was running away from home, his first night away from home that he spent at Bethel.  And he says now…

I am the God of Bethel, 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.

Now God wants him out of that land because He’s got 12 boys that are growing up and they’re already beginning to learn some things that they should not be learning, and they’re there in the place of idolatry and heathenism, and so God wants to get Jacob and these boys away from there just as He got Abraham out of a home of idolatry.  Now will you notice Verse 14.

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

In other words, they’re saying, “Well, certainly.  As the daughters of our father, we should receive some inheritance.  And that ought not to cause him to be so antagonistic.”  And Verse 15:

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

Old Laban can’t be trusted, Friends.  And do you know that today, unfortunately, there are many Christians that the way they handle money, their own and others, reveals the fact they can’t be trusted either.  That is, I think, maybe a real test of an individual today.  I could tell you some stories that would make your hair stand on end; things that Christians do—Christian leaders do that they ought not to do.

Now will you notice Verse 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.

I admire these two women.  They say, “Whatever you want to do, Jacob, you go ahead.  We’re with you.  And our father has apparently robbed us.”  Let me read Verse 17.

Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon camels;   And he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gotten, the cattle of his getting, which he had gotten in Padanaram, for to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.  And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father’s.

Let’s just stop there a moment, because there’s a revelation here of something that’s quite interesting.  Now Jacob rises up and leaves post-haste again.  Remember that’s the way he had to leave his home.  Now he leaves his Uncle Laban the same way, and, actually, it’s not all his fault here.  But it was his fault when he had to leave his own home.  But he’s prepared for this.  After all, he’s had practice in leaving overnight and so he has all the cattle and everything ready to march; ready to get out of that land, and his wives, apparently, didn’t have a chance to even get many of the things that were theirs.  

But notice what happened.  Rachel stole the images that were her father’s.  I told you we were in the home of idolatry.  God didn’t want the boys brought up there.  But you see Rachel had been brought up in a home of idolatry, and she felt like she wanted to take her gods with her.  What a primitive heathen notion she had.  Poor Jacob thought he ran away from God when he went to Bethel.  God appeared to him there, and he found out you can’t run away from God.  In fact, David wrote about that.  David said, “Though I make my bed in Sheol, why I don’t get away from God.”  (Psalm 139:8)  Death won’t separate you.  Though you go to the heights of heaven, you’ll never get away from Him, and you can’t get away from Him by going to the moon.  You just don’t get away from God.  That’s all.  She, though, wanted to take these images that had been in the home.  

Now notice Verse 20.

And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled.

Now he waited until Laban went out to shear the sheep.  Probably he went quite a few miles away from home because the sheep grazed on a very large area in that day, and they still do for that matter.  It takes a great area to feed them.  And so this man Laban is away from home.  While he is, Jacob just forgot to tell him he was leaving; that he was going.  

So he fled with all that he had; and he rose up, and passed over the river, and set his face toward the mount Gilead.  And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob was fled.  And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days’ journey; and they overtook him in the mount Gilead.  (Genesis 31:21-23)

You see, they’re moving now quite a distance.  They’ve come, apparently, all the way here to mount Gilead, which is just on the east of the Jordan River, and it means that Laban has really been traveling fast to overtake him.  And Laban doesn’t mean any good as far as Jacob is concerned.  I’m of the opinion he was angry enough to kill him and would have killed him had not God intervened.  Verse 24.

And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

In other words, “You be very careful what you say and do.”

Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount: and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mount of Gilead.  (Genesis 31:25)

And now listen to Uncle Laban.  He’s a clever rascal, by the way.  Here’s he’s been coming breathing out fire and brimstone, wanting to not only recover all these possessions of Jacob and take them back, but probably kill Jacob and take back these two daughters and their children.  But God had to intervene to protect this boy.  

Now will you notice Verse 26.  My, how clever he is here.  He’s a real diplomat, by the way.

And Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters, as captives taken with the sword?  (Genesis 31:26)

 My, that ought to make Jacob feel pretty bad that he had run away like that.

Wherefore didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away from me; and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away with mirth, and with songs, with tabret, and with harp?  (Genesis 31:27)

Why Uncle Laban says, “I would have given you a wonderful send-off party.  I would really have had a great celebration, and we would have given you a fond farewell.”  That’s what he’s saying now.  I don’t think he would have done it.  And listen to him.  My, he appeals now to sentiment.  

Verse 28:  

And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? 

The sons would be those 12 grandsons there, and they’re going to be very prominent as far as the history of this world is concerned. “…hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters?”

Thou hast now done foolishly in so doing.  It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

Laban lets him know that he didn’t mean good by him, but God had prevented him from doing bad.  Now will you notice.  Verse 30.

And now, though thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longedst after thy father’s house, yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods?

That’s a funny kind of a god to have that you can steal it.

And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid: for I said, Peradventure thou wouldest take by force thy daughters from me.  (Genesis 31:31)

Now he’s not answering that he had taken the gods.  He didn’t know that Rachel had taken them actually.  What’s he’s answering is this:  Why did you run away without letting me know and given you a party?  He says, “I was afraid that if I wanted to go that you wouldn’t let me take your daughters, my wives, and my family and that which belonged to me.  You wouldn’t permit it.”  And Verse 32.

With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live: before our brethren discern thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee. For Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them.

You see, Jacob is so sure that they haven’t done a thing like this, and if you think Laban believed Jacob, you’re wrong.  He didn’t believe him.  Jacob didn’t believe Laban either.  They had no confidence in each other.  That’d have been a nice, pleasant, little 20 years, had it not!  Now notice.

And Laban went into Jacob’s tent, and into Leah’s tent, and into the two maidservants’ tents; but he found them not. (Now he expected one of his daughters to be the one that got them.)  Then went he out of Leah’s tent, and entered into Rachel’s tent.  Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel’s furniture, and sat upon them.  (Genesis 31:33-34)

Quite a clever girl, herself, isn’t she.  She’s sure the daughter of her father.  And she had taken them and put them in the camel’s furniture; that is, that which went on the camel’s back.  And then she sat down on them. 

And Laban searched all the tent, but found them not.  And she said to her father, (Listen to her now.) Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up before thee; for the custom of women is upon me. And he searched but found not the images.  (Genesis 31:35)

Why?  Because she’s sitting on them.  She says, “I’m sorry but I can’t get up; don’t feel well today,” and she’s sitting on them.  May I say this is truly a very realistic setting that’s given to us here of this family.  

Now will you notice Verse 36.

And Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban: and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me?

And now old Jacob gets a little conflict because he doesn’t locate these images, and he’s sure that they’re not anywhere around.  And, frankly, he just now wants to rebuke the man, his father-in-law, that’s come after him.  

Now will you listen to his complaint.  Here is the course that he passed, and he’s now getting his college degree; his degree from the college of hard knocks.  And will you listen to this here.  Verse 38.

This twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten.

In other words, he didn’t even get his meals.  He had to pay for that.  

That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night.  (Genesis 31:39)

And he couldn’t even get any insurance.  When a lamb was stolen or killed by a wild animal, why Jacob had to pay for it.  Believe me, this Laban, he’s a hard task master, is he not.  Now listen to him, Verse 40.

Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, (He didn’t get a vacation in summer.)  …and the frost by night (And when it got cold, he still had to stay out with the sheep and with the animals); and my sleep departed from mine eyes.  (Many nights he had to watch to protect the flock.)

Now listen to him in Verse 41.

  Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times.

Here’s what’s happened to this man.  Here is the man that was clever, and this is the man that thought that he could get by with it.  But actually, he didn’t get by with it.  God didn’t let him get by with it because, frankly, God has made it very clear:  whatsoever a man sows that shall he also reap.  Jacob refused submission to God at home and he now has to submit to his uncle.  Jacob came to receive a wife in dignity, and he was made a servant because God respects the rights of the first born.  And Jacob deceived his father, and he’s deceived by his father-in-law.  Jacob the younger became the older; he found out that he was given the oldest when he thought he was getting the younger.  He revealed a mercenary spirit that displayed in the way he got the birthright, and Jacob allowed his mother to cover his hands with the skins of kids, of goats, and later on we’re going to see his own sons deceived him in the same way.  They killed a goat and dipped Joseph’s coat of many colors in it.  He deceived his father about being the favorite son, and he was deceived about his favorite son, Joseph.  God says whatsoever a man sows that shall he also reap.  

Now he leaves Laban.  They bid each other good-bye, and they’re going to make a contract.  Let me read now Verse 42.

Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.  

Now Jacob has his day in court.  And he lets Laban have it now.  

And Laban answered and said unto Jacob, These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and these cattle are my cattle, and all that thou seest is mine: and what can I do this day unto these my daughters, or unto their children which they have born?  Now therefore come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee.  And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar. And Jacob said unto his brethren, gather stones to make a stone. (Genesis 31:43-45)

And now they make a contract.  Verse 48:

And Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and thee this day. Therefore was the name of it called Galeed; And Mizpah; for he said, The Lord watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another.  (Genesis 31:48-49)

And this has been used by young peoples’ groups as the benediction and other groups.  And I don’t think it ought to be used that way, because this is actually a contract between two rascals that they’re going to quit stealing from each other and work on somebody else.  “The LORD watch between me and thee.”  In other words, may the Lord keep His eye on you so you won’t steal from me anymore.  That’s exactly what these men are saying.  Now they’re going to separate, and they do separate.  

And we’re going to see the great experience in the life of Jacob next time in Chapter 32.