The God of my Father Has Been with Me

Safety, Prosperity, and Direction from Heaven
(Genesis 31, Preaching: Pastor Nathan Snyder, May 10, 2015)

In this chapter Jacob parts ways with Laban, his father-in-law for thirteen years and employer for twenty years.  God instructs him to take his family and possessions and return to the land of Canaan.  Now is a good time to leave too, for Laban and his sons’ attitude toward Jacob is growing increasingly resentful.  Laban is the kind of man who likes you as long as he thinks he has the advantage over you and is profiting from you.  For the first fourteen years Jacob was with Laban, this seemed to be the case.  But over the last six years, Jacob has been gaining more and more of Laban’s flocks as wages, and Laban is not a happy camper.  Though he has tried to change the specifics of his wage arrangement with Jacob numerous times in order to gain the advantage, Jacob has always ended up coming out on top.

Jacob tells his wives God’s instruction to return to Canaan.  His speech is rather impressive considering what we have come to expect from Jacob.  Here is a man who, not unlike Laban, has always sought to gain an advantage for himself.  Yet now he has a lot to say about the faithfulness and blessing of God.  He recognizes that God has been with him despite Laban’s repeated attempts to take advantage of him.  He credits his prosperity to God’s kindness, not to his own scheming.  God has shown this to Jacob in a dream.  God also reminds Jacob of his experience at Bethel where God had promised to be with him and one day bring him back safely to Canaan.  Jacob had at that time vowed that if God would indeed be with him and take care of him then Jacob would have him as his God.  God has clearly kept his promise up to now and he reminds Jacob of his own vow.  Jacob is learning to trust in himself less and to trust in God more.  He obeys the command to return home.

Leah and Rachel are for their part ready to leave as their father has consistently treated them poorly.  Jacob sneaks his family away for fear of Laban, and Laban follows after them with enough men to do harm to Jacob.  Once again, it is not Jacob’s cunning that spares him but God’s mercy, for the LORD appears in a dream to Laban and tells him not to harm Jacob.  Though God is protecting Jacob, Laban at least believes he has grounds to accuse Jacob of wrong in sneaking away like this, and he accusing him of stealing his gods.  In truth, Rachel has stolen them, but Jacob knows nothing of her actions and claims innocence.  We are not told what Rachel’s motives were, but her theft was a sin which almost led to disaster for them.  Laban searches through all Jacob’s tents but cannot find the gods.  The last tent searched is Rachel’s.  The suspense builds, but Rachel successfully deceives her father, and he leaves without finding them.  At this point, Jacob loses it.  All his pent up frustration comes pouring out.  He recounts his twenty years of hard labor for Laban and Laban’s injustices against him throughout those years.  He also bears witness once again to the fact that God has continually blessed him despite all Laban’s attempts to take advantage of him.  Jacob’s words are true and all Laban can do in response is make an empty claim that everything Jacob has is Laban’s.  This is simply false.  He and Jacob had agreed upon terms which had been met.  Before the two men part ways, Laban makes a treaty of non-aggression with Jacob.  Because God has prospered and protected Jacob, Laban does not have the advantage over him anymore that he once had, and so he makes a treaty with him as an equal.  Why has God blessed Jacob as he has?  Not because of any merit in Jacob, or any merit in his wives, but because of God’s own gracious promise.

Put the Word to Work:  While we might often seek safety, prosperity, and direction through our own schemes, God has something better for us: his own heavenly presence and care.

Memory Verse from the Psalms of Ascents: Psalm 130:6 ...my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.

Gospel Reading: Matthew 21:23-27 – The authority of Jesus challenged