| Subject: Genesis 31 vss 33-42 Post 160 |
Author:
Hillbilly
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Date Posted: 19:29:49 09/20/11 Tue
Genesis 31:33-42 And Laban went into Jacob's tent, and into Leah's tent, and into the two maidservants' tents; but he found them not. Then went he out of Leah's tent, and entered into Rachel's tent. 34 Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel's furniture, and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the tent, but found them not. 35 And she said to her father, Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up before thee; for the custom of women is upon me. And he searched, but found not the images. 36 And Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban: and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me? 37 Whereas thou hast searched all my stuff, what hast thou found of all thy household stuff? set it here before my brethren and thy brethren, that they may judge betwixt us both. 38 This twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten. 39 That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night. 40 Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes. 41 Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times. 42 Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.
Jacob has given Laban his blessing to search all of the belongings of him and his family for the gods that Rachel has stolen from her daddy. Jacob is clueless as to what Rachel has done and would have been in a deep quandary if Laban had found the idols. After searching the tents of Jacob, Leah and the two maidservants' tents he heads into Rachel's tent. Rachel is sitting on the "camels' furniture" acting totally innocent. By her actions she has proven herself a theif, idol worshiper andis a good liar. It is surprising to find out the true character of Rachel. Rachel was Jacob's choice and was such a beautiful and sweet person that no one would suspect her baser character. Well is it written in God's word As it is written, "There is none righteous, no, not one" (Rom. 3:10) Rachel claims that she is "at that time of the month" and her father does not make her rise in order search among the camels gear for the idols. I would venture to say that Laban was as fooled as Jacob concerning his youngest daughters less than honorable character.
When Laban fails to find anything Jacob rises up in righteous indignation and more or less "get's in Laban's face." "What is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me?" demands Jacob. Jacob's boldness isn't all righteous indignation. He remembers what Laban told him when he first confronted him after arriving at Jacob's camp. "It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad." Laban was afraid of the God of Isaac. Notice that Laban did not say "your God". That had not been settled completely as evidenced by Jacob's previous conversation with the Lord when he said to Him: Genesis 28:20-21 And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, 21 So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God: Jacob pronounced a condition on the Lord being his God and that may well explain some of the hardships he went through before leaving again for home.
Jacob reels off a list of things to show how undeserving he was of the treatment that Laban had meted to him. 20 years of hard labor, 14 years service for his daughters, 6 years for his flocks and herds. Jacob reminds him of how he had changed his wages on the average of once every two years and from his throwing it in Laban's face you can rest assured his wages were cut and not raised. There were no vacation benefits, no sick days, no 401k and precious little thanks for enriching Laban before he ruined him. Yep, Jacob conveniently forgot to mention that part. Jacob rightfully reminds Laban that his fortunes being turned to the better was at the hand of the God of Abraham and the God whom Isaac his father feared.
Laban may have been an idol worshiping reprobate but he knew by word of mouth how that God had been with Abraham and Isaac. It is not a stretch to believe that Laban knew the promise God had given to Abraham and then Isaac: Genesis 12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. It's just not smart to mess with God's chosen people.
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