The LORD has kept Jacob during the long years with his uncle Laban. During that time Jacob has seen his own family grow quickly with the birth of at least 12 children. Back in Gen.28:14 the LORD had promised him that he would have numerous offspring and that promise was well on the way to being accomplished.

At the same time the LORD had promised to make Jacob the source of blessing for others. While the full accomplishment of this particular promise would have to await the coming of Jesus as the Messiah there have nevertheless been foretastes already as Jacob's presence has been a source of blessing for Laban as Laban himself acknowledged:!

Gen.30:27 "I have learned by divination that the LORD has blessed me because of you."

Indeed we'll see that whenever there had been a problem with the flocks it was Jacob who had been the loser and not Laban – this was certainly unusual as it would normally be the owner and not the labourer who would bear this sort of loss (31:38-40).

Jacob has been a real blessing for Laban and it really is remarkable that Jacob had not reacted with hostility towards him given the ways in which Laban had tricked him and cheated him.

Now, we read, that as soon as Rachel finally bears a child Jacob wants to leave Laban and go back to the Promise Land – the land to which the LORD had promised to return him in safety.

"The LORD is My Helper"

After all those years of service we might have expected a kind father-in-law would send his son-in-law away with his blessing and something like a golden handshake. But Laban was not that kind of man. He doesn't make any displays of generosity or thankfulness but simply wants to keep Jacob as a profitable labourer.

There is I suppose a hint of generosity when Laban asks Jacob to name his own wages but the reality will soon surface when in the next chapter we read of his unilaterally changing Jacob's contract on several occasions.

Jacob is frustrated – he wants to leave and he wants to work for his own family but he just can't get away. He's grown used to Laban's ways and certainly doesn't trust him any more – the subsequent cheating won't come as any surprise to Jacob!

The next story Moses records is of how the LORD prospered Jacob even though Laban would do everything in his power to counteract this. Jacob uses his ingenuity but it is the LORD who prospers him. This fact is clearly understood by Jacob and he is fully prepared to testify to the fact.

In chapter 31 Jacobs firstly tells his wives Leah and Rachel how the God of his Father had been with him and protected him and given him the livestock that had originally belonged to Laban. The secondly he declares the same truth to Laban himself. Jacob know that had Laban had his way then he Jacob would be no rich man but a pauper.

Jacob has prospered and he traces the source of his blessings not to his own cleverness but to the good hand of his God upon him!

Prosperity brings its own problems

For the Israelites hearing Moses' account for the first time they may well have been struck by the similarities between what had happened to their ancestor Jacob and what had recently been their experience.

Jacob had worked like a slave for Laban in exile from the Promised Land – the Israelites too had worked as slaves in exile in Egypt. Jacob had been on his own as he began to work for Laban but had been multiplied – similarly the Israelites had not been very numerous when they went to Egypt but had grown into a great nation during their years there. The similarities don't stop there either – as God had prospered Jacob with material prosperity despite the hostile environment so He had prospered the Israelites as they left Egypt – the Egyptians gave generously too them.

Do we recognise the LORD's goodness to us and do we acknowledge it?

But back to Jacob: he heard that Laban's sons were now quite jealous of his prosperity. They expressed their hostility in words. Laban was perhaps more cagey about it all but his face betrayed him – he was no longer so pleased to have Jacob around!

And this hostility is not because Jacob has treated anyone badly – but that is often the way of the world.

Our Lord was to teach His disciples to make sure they conducted themselves properly even in hostile circumstances. The NT fills out what such behaviour might look like:

Mt.5:44 "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; " (AV)

Rom.12:17-19 "Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honourable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”"

Heb.12:14 "Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord."

The LORD is not about to abandon Jacob now. Instead the LORD speaks to him again this time telling him it is finally time for him to uproot himself and head back to the Promised Land. A conditional promise is attached to this command – the LORD promises to be with him if Jacob obeys!

Whose side are the women on?

Jacob now has to plan his escape and so he needs to know whether or not he can count upon his wives or will they remain faithful to their father. How many families experience difficulties because of misplaced loyalties? How important it is for a new household to become an independent unit not subject to undue pressures by parents who sometimes try to exert too much influence in their offspring's lives!

Jacob wants a quiet place where conversations won't be overheard so he takes his wives out into the fields and explains the situation to them as he sees it.

It is heartening to see the emphasis Jacob places upon the LORD. Would that our lives were always perfumed with this same fragrance!

v.5 God has been with him

v.7 God had kept him from harm

v.9 God has enriched Jacob

v.11 the plan is to move is not his own – an angel of God has told him what to do

* Note the identification Jacob makes – this is the God of Bethel

* This is the all-seeing God – He knows all about Laban!

* He has determined the timing of this.

After several stressful years together Leah and Rachel are finally beginning to act as the helpmeets they should always have been. After a few words of explanation concerning how Laban is now no longer treating them favourably they together encourage Jacob to do whatever it is that God has told him to do!

How men today need this sort of support and encouragement. The feminization of society with its shift in gender roles has left many men unsure of themselves and consequently unsure of how to conduct themselves. As Bible truths of complementarity are replaced with secular concepts of a flat equality men have been left sometimes wondering how to be truly Godly men. The encouragement wives can bring to their husbands to obey God is therefore very necessary.

The Flight

The moment comes to leave when Laban is away from home shearing sheep. Jacob had already told Laban of his desire to leave but had been obliged to stay on for several more years. During that time Jacob had worked honestly while Laban cheated again and again.

As Jacob goes Rachel once more betrays her poor spiritual condition. Instead of trusting the God who had taken such care of her husband she wants the gods she knows – the idols belonging to her father. Faith must be personally exercised it is not sufficient to trust in the faith of one's spouse or in the faith of any one else for that matter. This type of idol functioned as something like a good luck charm. This sort of idol was to cause the people of Israel trouble throughout their history.

Jacob's progress is slow and after a week he is chased down by Laban. Jacob's safety might be thought to be hanging in the balance but the LORD has other plans.!

This time it is Laban who has a dream and in it he is warned in no uncertain terms not to mistreat Jacob.

The comparison with Israel's later exodus from Egypt continues. Laban chases after Jacob and the Egyptian army pursues the Israelites. Both Jacob and the later Israelites are delivered by divine interventions which guarantee their respective safety.

Laban has caught up with Jacob but daren't touch him! Nevertheless he blusters away as though he could if he wanted to – Jacob is in his power. Grudgingly however he is forced to admit that God won't let him harm Jacob.

Isn't it a sad thing that Laban has lived with a man who is protected by God, is spoken to by this same God and remains an unbeliever. He won't commit himself to this God. As he catches up with Jacob he only speaks of "The God of your fathers" – Laban remains estranged from Him. It is a sobering thought that one can be so close and yet still miss out on a real relationship with God.

I wonder how safe Jacob felt as he saw Laban catch him up after a week of flight. I wonder how he felt as the bluster began. And yet he was completely safe benefiting from the LORD's protection.

How often do we as members of the people of God allow our enemy to frighten us by his bluster when the LORD has promised good to us! C.H. Spurgeon used to like to declare of Christians while preaching that they "were immortal till (their) work was done." Let us truly take to heart what Paul wrote to the Romans:

Rom.8:31 "If God is for us, who can be against us?"

Laban can't touch Jacob but he would like his gods back! And so the story continues with Rachel showing herself to be every bit as devious as her father.

When nothing is found Jacob verbally goes on the attack.

We can understand something of the pent-up frustration that seems to explode out of him as he rebukes and challenges Laban.

He basically declares himself to be innocent of any wrong-doing towards Laban. He goes further to declare that Laban would still be twisting and cheating him as he had done for years had the LORD not intervened to defend him.

And still Laban doesn't quickly back down. He is defeated and he knows it but he doesn't make life easy fro Jacob who must go on trusting in the LORD. A sign of weakness and Jacob might be living a life of slavery again even though the LORD has set him free.

But Laban knows the tables have been turned and in his turn is now apprehensive of what Jacob might do to him! He proposes a peace treaty.

Jacob is quite happy to agree. He has not treated Laban badly up till now and sees no reason to change now.

Laban leaves to return to his home – Jacob is free and on his way home!

Conclusion

I've drawn your attention to some of the similarities existing between Jacob and the later Israelites. The Christian church has always gone on to note the similarities existing between the exodus and the LORD's later delivering of His people from the bondage not of Egypt but of sin.

We should draw comfort from this as we look back at just how God has kept His promises, accompanied, protected and provided for His people. Our bondage has been broken and my how we have been enriched with the adoption of son-ship and being made into Temples of the Living God indwelt by the blessed Holy Spirit. We too are now homeward bound – not to an earthy country but to a heavenly one wherein dwells righteousness.

How good God is to His people! Trials and difficulties still exist to be faced but they are not to frighten or deter us:

Rom.8:37-39 "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."