Genesis 31:22-42 - Pursuit and Rebuke

Genesis 31:22-42

Laban Pursues Jacob

22 And Laban was told on the third day that Jacob had fled. 23 Then he took his brethren with him and pursued him for seven days’ journey, and he overtook him in the mountains of Gilead. 24 But God had come to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said to him, “Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.”

25 So Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountains, and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mountains of Gilead.

26 And Laban said to Jacob: “What have you done, that you have stolen away unknown to me, and carried away my daughters like captives taken with the sword? 27 Why did you flee away secretly, and steal away from me, and not tell me; for I might have sent you away with joy and songs, with timbrel and harp? 28 And you did not allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters. Now you have done foolishly in so doing. 29 It is in my power to do you harm, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.’ 30 And now you have surely gone because you greatly long for your father’s house, but why did you steal my gods?”

31 Then Jacob answered and said to Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I said, ‘Perhaps you would take your daughters from me by force.’ 32 With whomever you find your gods, do not let him live. In the presence of our brethren, identify what I have of yours and take it with you.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.

33 And Laban went into Jacob’s tent, into Leah’s tent, and into the two maids’ tents, but he did not find them. Then he went out of Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s tent. 34 Now Rachel had taken the household idols, put them in the camel’s saddle, and sat on them. And Laban searched all about the tent but did not find them. 35 And she said to her father, “Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise before you, for the manner of women is with me.” And he searched but did not find the household idols.

36 Then Jacob was angry and rebuked Laban, and Jacob answered and said to Laban: “What is my trespass? What is my sin, that you have so hotly pursued me? 37 Although you have searched all my things, what part of your household things have you found? Set it here before my brethren and your brethren, that they may judge between us both! 38 These twenty years I have been with you; your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried their young, and I have not eaten the rams of your flock. 39 That which was torn by beasts I did not bring to you; I bore the loss of it. You required it from my hand, whether stolen by day or stolen by night. 40 There I was! In the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night, and my sleep departed from my eyes. 41 Thus I have been in your house twenty years; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times. 42 Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you last night.”

Laban pursued Jacob and his daughters after they left in a hurry under threat from Laban’s sons who saw Jacob as a threat and accused him of stealing their inheritance due to their father’s dirty dealings and God’s answer in a dream to pay Jacob’s due wages in livestock by means of stripped sticks.  Laban took three days to discover Jacob had left and it was a total of seven before he caught up with them.  However he wanted to deal with God’s man, the LORD stopped him in a dream of warning him not to speak good or bad.  God was protecting his man from the wrath and violence that might have been unleashed by Laban the Syrian when he met up with Jacob and tried to get back his flocks and daughters, both of which were earned by Jacob anyway.  But Laban did let Jacob know he was ready to harm him and that God intervened.  Not only did he not get a chance to say his goodbyes, his idols had vanished into the night when they took flight.  Laban seemed more worried about his ungodly items of worship than his own flesh and blood.  Jacob heard this and knew stealing was wrong in God’s eyes and was relieved that Laban had not come to take Jacob’s wives away.  He gladly let his father-in-law search for his gods, unaware that Rachel had them under her.  They were not found because they were well hidden and so Jacob derided Laban for what he thought was a false accusation.  He sharply rebuked Laban for pursuing him just as he had doggedly done over the years he worked for his wives and the flocks he tended and also grew for himself.  He had served Laban fourteen years for his daughters, and six years for his flock, a total of twenty years!  In all that time Jacob suffered, Laban kept changing the terms of his wages required to gain what was his.  He made it clear that it was only by the grace and keeping of the God of his father Isaac and his father Abraham, both men of faith and example, that he was able to leave with his wages and not empty handed!  He told Laban plainly that Gods he feared had  rebuked Laban and not he himself in the end because the LORD had seen Jacob’s suffering under his father-in-law’s hand.  The implication was that Laban should fear God who worked this out On Jacob’s behalf.  While the stolen idols were not recovered, the fact that they were the false hope of Laban instead of the LORD whom he should truly fear, the real and living God of Jacob, this should make Laban examine his life and actions in these matters.  That was God’s rebuke of Laban’s misguided pursuit.  Do we hear this account and so continue to deal fairly and honestly with others, not trusting in anyone or anything but the Lord or be tempted to take matters into our own hands?  Our anger does not work God’s (James 1:20) righteousness.