"Greetings Everyone in the Name of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ"
Today's Blog Title: "Jacob Flees from Laban"
Today's Scripture Reading: Genesis 30:1-21
Todays' Key Verse: Genesis 31:13 "I am the God of Bethel were you anointed the pillar and where you made a vow to me. Now arise, get out of the land, and return to the land of your family."
Chapter 31 I have broken down into three parts (1) "Jacob Flees Laban" (2) "Laban pursues Jacob" (3) "Laban's Covenant with Jacob" We now begin part 1 of Genesis 31 "Jacob Flees Laban".
In yesterday's blog, we saw that Laban at the time of Jacob's arrival had no sons. Now as Chapter 31 opens, we that sons were born to Laban after Jacob's arrival. Concerned about their welfare, they begin to accuse Jacob of being a thief.
God then in verse 3, repeats the promises He made to Jacob at Bethel. He promised to be with Jacob, as he returned to his homeland. In verse 4, Jacob talked to Leah and Rachel about his wanting to go back to Canaan, and he did not command his wife's to tag along. He was careful to obtain their whole hearted agreement. What a blow to "man the master" view of the biblical family. As Jacob continues to talk to Leah and Rachel, it becomes apparent that Laban kept on switching the deal, as he watched the births of a variety of colored animals. In fact Laban had changed Jacob's wages 10 times, but with every new deal, God always increased Jacob's herd.
Jacob in verse 11, tells them about God appearing to Him in a dream. The Lord identified Himself, as the same God who revealed himself to Jacob at Bethel, and he is told to, "arise, get out of this land, and return to the land of your family." Rachel and Leah in verse 14 agreed that it was proper to leave there father's home, even though the cultural ties would have ordinarily would have kept them there. Perhaps the births of sons to Laban, displaced their inheritance. Both daughters had resented the way that their father had sold them. They also both agreed, that whatever God had taken from their father, belonged to them anyway.
In verse 17-21, we now see that Jacob has his family on camels, and all there possessions including livestock, and they were heading back to the land of his father Isaac. But we read in verse 19, that while Laban was in the field shearing his sheep, that Rachel went into Laban's tent and stole his household idol(s). In this culture, possession of the household idol, or idols was the right of the principle heir. Rachel did not steal the idol(s) to worship them, but to retain the rights of the principle heir for Jacob. But for Jacob, the Lord's blessing was more important to him, than any rights that might have come from being Laban's heir.
Today's Question and Comment: "If you owned a nice house, and had a great job and God were to come to you in a dream, and tell you that you need to move, how long would you have to think about it, until you packed up and moved?" We see in this story today, that Jacob had wealth, a family of 7 sons and a daughter, and that God told Jacob to return to the land of his fathers, and that He would be with him, and that Jacob was ready. He even consulted with Leah and Rachel and they both agreed to leave with him. We need to be always mindful, of the voice of God and His directions for our life's and say, "Here I am Lord, Send Me".
We believe, and we know, we believe You are the Holy One of God!
We believe and we know, You are the Way, The Truth, The Life,
You are the Lord
Heavenly Father, Renew in our hearts, to sing praises to You in the morning, at noontime, and in the evening. Open our hearts, that they will be full of your praise, open our eyes, that we might see the beauty of your creation, open our minds, to the knowledge of your word, and open our ears Lord, to listen to your voice. Lord, fill us with the power to live our lives for you.
Amen
Have a God Filled and Spirit Led Day. Go in Peace, Serve the Lord with Gladness and Love God More Today.
Yours in Christ,
Cindi
No comments:
Post a Comment