This story of Jacob and Laban holds a surprise key
Abraham had to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. In this GOD could see the man of faith was worthy of His trust.
Here we see an echo of this, even with Jacob… The principle of sacrifice is eternal and will appear throughout scripture as we digest it bit by bit.
Preparing the Bride for GOD’s Story
How do we prepare as the Bride of Christ? One aspect is to learn GOD’S STORY. He created us in His image…. Piece by piece, and peace by peace, we learn to walk as He has walked. And we learn His perspective.
Genesis 31:17-32
“Then Jacob rose and set his sons and his wives on camels. And he carried away all his livestock and all his possessions which he had gained, his acquired livestock which he had gained in Padan Aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan. Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel had stolen the household idols that were her father’s. And Jacob stole away, unknown to Laban the Syrian, in that he did not tell him that he intended to flee. So he fled with all that he had. He arose and crossed the river, and headed toward the mountains of Gilead.
“And Laban was told on the third day that Jacob had fled. Then he took his brethren with him and pursued him for seven days’ journey, and he overtook him in the mountains of Gilead. But God had come to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said to him, “Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.”
“So Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountains, and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mountains of Gilead.
And Laban said to Jacob: “What have you done, that you have stolen away unknown to me, and carried away my daughters like captives taken with the sword? Why did you flee away secretly, and steal away from me, and not tell me; for I might have sent you away with joy and songs, with timbrel and harp? And you did not allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters. Now you have done foolishly in so doing. It is in my power to do you harm, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.’ And now you have surely gone because you greatly long for your father’s house, but why did you steal my gods?”
“Then Jacob answered and said to Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I said, ‘Perhaps you would take your daughters from me by force.’ With whomever you find your gods, do not let him live. In the presence of our brethren, identify what I have of yours and take it with you.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.”
Confrontation
Well, first, Laban heard GOD and obeyed. He had a fear, respect, awe, obedience to GOD, even through from history we see he didn’t live a life on integrity.
And so, Jacob does a runner and Laban catches up to him.
I wonder why no one told Laban Jacob had gone before three days’ had passed? Did Jacob have allies in the camp?
It must have been a pretty intense meeting. But was it squashed when Jacob said he left in secret because he was afraid? Apparently not entirely, because the gods were an issue.
Jacob unawares
Jacob was so trusting of his wives and sons that he promised to allow Laban to kill whomever had stolen the idols. To his mind, no one in the camp had them. Otherwise, he’d surely not have spoken so confidently. Alternatively, he was so frightened of Laban’s company, he wrote off the thief for the sake of his entourage. Either way, he was aiming to offer Laban one person for the sake of the entire family: that one might die for the sake of many…
Isn’t that what Caiaphas said to the Sanhedrin about our beloved Jesus?
“…nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.” (John 11:50)
Sacrifice
GOD is a God of sacrifice. This echoes throughout scripture. Here it is in Genesis and it will arise again and again, across the Bible.