GENESIS 31 THE JOURNEY BACK Between the time of escaping from the consequences of his deception, and going back to that same place, the many experiences of life through which Jacob passed, changed him. The same things happen to us. Instead of fear, the grace that saved us through faith keeps us free from being paralyzed by fear. When we come to Christ and put our faith in Him as our Redeemer and Savior, we receive the Spirit of love, truth, hope and a new nature. Even though many normal human experiences happen: marriage, parenthood, business and labor take place in us the same as in other people, we now see God’s hand guiding us as we yield to Jesus Christ as our Lord.
Dangers, threats, and opposition that may lead to hardships, all prove to be life-changing spiritual experiences that can be for our good as we move forward toward spiritual maturity. By nature, we have a strong tendency to control people and events in our lives for our benefit at the expense of others. We will not likely even recognize that our self-centered motives are sinful. Recognizing and facing self-centered motivation becomes painful to us when we admit to who we are and what is wrong in us. However, that awareness is the first step back to a wholesome and blessed fellowship with God that changes every aspect and outlook we have on our life and service.
God’s power is made evident in our weakness. Jacob had nothing when he arrived in Haran. Even though he was treated deceptively and unfairly by Laban and likely his sons, God’s power was not limited by their unfairness. God’s ability to meet Jacob’s needs and lead him to success as a result of his hard labor, was obvious to those in Laban’s household. Jacob had wives and children, he had become rich in livestock, and all his material needs were met. If we ever have a tendency to be jealous of the success of others, we have two choices. We can allow jealousy to have its way with us, and it will eat away at us like a disease until we are constantly unhappy with everything. Or, we can “rejoice with them that do rejoice.” When that happens, we choose to find joy in the success of others and that will keep us from sinning, lift our own spirit, and keep us sweet in soul as we interact with those who have been entrusted with what we have not been trusted.
Of interest to those who compare scripture with scripture, are the events that happened in Jacob’s life when he left Padanaram, and the events that happened to the children of Israel when they left Egyptian bondage four hundred years later. Hostility arose against them both because of their strength and fruitfulness. God-given ability made them people to be feared by those who were unbelievers. They were both poverty-stricken when they went into bondage, but when they left bondage, they were wealthy. They both had to cross great waters that separated them from those who were against them. God intervened in both cases to keep them safe from those who had previously controlled them.
These same things happen to believers who are willing to “come out from among them and be ye separate, says the Lord,” in this day and age. When we yield the controlling interest of our lives to our Lord, He takes care of us, preserves us, empowers us and makes us fruitful in the things that are important. He leads us to the place in life where He knows we should be in order to flourish in holy things.
THE DEPARTURE To “Set our affection on things above, not on things of the earth,” will give us an appropriate response to all the world system throws against us. Much happens in the world that will keep us down in despair with unnecessary burdens if we look at them and even participate in them. We are able to have a sense of fulfillment when we submit to kingdom principles as taught by our Lord, rather than the practices and principles of the world system. Unfortunately, believers have the inclination to want to be like the people around, and want what people who have no faith in God want, if we allow our thoughts to see, hear, taste and then touch them. It is then we are in danger of acting upon those things that appeal to our sinful nature and lose touch with God.
The inward man needs to be daily renewed, and then we will be able to overcome those vile attractions that give us spiritual misery. When God made us a new creation in Christ, that included the desire for the “sincere milk of the word to nourish us,” and the “strong meat” to strengthen us and make us wise.
The light of truth being known and practiced to the best of our apprehension, brings light and life to our soul and spirit. We have a sure hope in dark times. We have a meaningful life when all around us, people flounder from one disappointment to another. We have abundant life while others barely find a reason to live.
Laban knew what was real and important when he saw it in his son-in-law, Jacob, but he remained unchanged in himself and died as he lived back in Mesopotamia. He didn’t hurt Jacob and Jacob didn’t hurt him, but they both went different ways when they parted. The older man, Laban, went back poorer, although he had greatly benefitted from the twenty-one years of Jacob’s servitude when he was close to Jacob. Jacob went the opposite way back to Bethel, made rich by his labor as an indentured servant, insightful by his experiences with God in normal life, and aware of heavenly things and the reality of God with him.
Anger will stop those who are blessed by God, from seeking God and like Laban, leaves people abandoned on “the shores of the cast-away.” Strangers and pilgrims who go for the better land God promised, and the rich pasturelands of the “mountains of Gilead,” will find God has already been there with His bountiful rain and all the blessings associated with being back at the place God wants us to be.
“This world is a wilderness wide.” Even though Jacob had fled that place over twenty years before, God had changed him and he returned to the same place and found it a place of bounty and blessing. What a joy new life gives us, even when we are in the same place we were before God saved us!
GOING HOME! Separation from the world begins in the heart. It goes beyond just physical separation and a hankering to see loved ones, to where we want to get to the place where we can live at peace with God and with people. This cannot happen to a believer who has close ties to the world. In this narrative, God enforced the desire of Jacob’s heart and guided him to do what was right in the eyes of God.
A Crisis, v.1-3. Jacob’s prosperity was evident and jealousy on the part of others, “upped the bottom.” Laban was crafty and so was Jacob, but Laban’s sons exaggerated their charge against Jacob. In times like this, we can trust God to intervene and we should consciously “make our requests known unto God.” What God promises when we get our marching orders from Him, is what will definitely happen.
A Consultation, v.4-16. To consult with others who are either involved or affected by what we plan, is very important. Involved people have a right to know what we plan to do. They may not understand all that it means to us to do a certain thing, but they have aright to make comments and suggestions. Often other people, like Leah and Rachel, have their own issues that we need to deal with and take into consideration. They need to be consulted as to what we plan, and how our plans fit with their needs and plans. It may be surprising how much insight others can give us in regard to the whole matter, by them giving a wider picture of what is to come.
A Flight, v.17-21. When a matter is decided, initiative and prompt action are definitely in order. Don’t wait “to bury your dead” or for a more convenient season to act on divine direction. Don’t worry too much about what other people may think when you know what God has assured you of. It is what God wants us to do that is important.
A Pursuit, v.22-24. Opposition, even from a superior force behind it than we have at our disposal, is no match for God who is far stronger than both forces. “If God be for us, who can be against us.” Even though we have character flaws like Jacob, right and truth are with us when we are walking in the light with our Lord. The powers of darkness are not satisfied with what is right and true. They just want what they want and are determined to get it no matter what it might mean. Be thankful that “Our God is able to deliver us.”
A Charge, v.25-35. A false charge and an attitude of injured innocence are only evidences of hypocrisy and exaggeration. Unreal or excessive expressions of love and concern are worthless words when many missed opportunities in the past would have shown this to be in reality, a pity-party. It is what we do for people when they are with us and have the opportunity, not our expressions of kindness and love after they are gone, that counts.
A Vindication, v.36-42. Jacob had opportunity to vindicate himself as he answered Laban’s charges. Laban didn’t challenge his statements so he must have had to admit, at least to some degree, that his charges were unjust. God will support and defend us against wrong in His way and time. We may not always need to, nor should we, seek to vindicate ourselves. Sometimes silence is the best answer. But when it is the right time and we need to do this, trust God to give the right words to say and the best way to say it – and don’t say too much!
A Covenant, v. 43-55. The heap of stones Jacob and Laban made simply meant, “a witness.” “Mizpah” indicated the Lord saw the whole scene. The word, “Mizpah,” basically meant at that time and situation, “I don’t trust you, keep away, I am warning you.” Application by many today of the word “Mizpah,” is trust, union and fellowship. Even spiritual people can misapply scriptures to make a point.
The will of God in daily life may lead us to an inward desire and outward circumstances to make a move of some kind. Things may happen that initiate an inward unrest until that inward desire and outward circumstance, and most importantly, divine guidance, opens the way before us. The conviction of the Holy Spirit, the clear teaching of the principles and doctrines of the word of God, and an open door before us, will allow the “meek” to be guided in judgment and the “meek” to be taught His way.
When we acknowledge God in daily life, we will realize that the secrets of a consecrated life are to acknowledge God’s presence and power to shape our objective into that which is right in His eyes and suits our capacity to accomplish. The outcome may not be what we had wanted or hoped for, but it is God’s will that is important. God has His ways of stopping us if He chooses to, and to ignore those stop signs will lead to tragedy and disappointments.
It is a blessed life when we experience the providence of God in daily life. In the narrative of this action in the life of Jacob and his family, we can see God moving, shaping, overruling and even making the wrath of man to praise Him. Sin and free-will are often hard to deal with in life because our human nature and its tendencies want its way, even when we know what God’s word says. Each person has been given the right to choose whether we want to do God’s will or our own. God’s providence means He knows the results before the events even take place. When we rest on that fact, we can have a quiet spirit in times of confusion around us, the rest of faith, when all is uncertain and the assurance that the providence of God will produce the best possible result when we are totally yielded to God’s will.