“Glory to the Precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ”

Psalms 22: 23 You who fear the Lord, praise Him! All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him, And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel!

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Hallelujah

The Seperation of Jacob

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, in the portion of the Bible that we meditated upon yesterday, we see that Jacob, his wives, his children and all his livestock left Laban's house and started their journey to their own people and to their father's country. Because Jacob did not tell Laban before leaving Laban pursued Jacob with anger. He pitched his tent in the same place that Jacob had done. God is warning Laban not to do anything evil towards Jacob.

Jacob worked in Laban's house for twenty years. Laban changes his wages ten times. 

One of the reason why Laban was very angry was because Jacob's wife Rachel stole the household idols from her father's house. Jacob did not see that. Because Laban was very angry due to this he searched all the things that Jacob had brought.  When he searched all the things Jacob got angry with Laban but though he searched he couldn't find it because 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. 

The twenty years that Jacob worked in Laban's house he worked truthfully without any deceit. We come to know that God was with Jacob in his work.

God is showing us clearly as a pattern in these verses that we must leave traditions and come out. We must leave our traditional life and journey towards our own land Canaan which God has shown us. We must leave and step down from all the customs and traditions and worship of our ancestors. We should never be like Rachel and travel along with it. If we go along with it we will have tribulations. The enemy will follow us with anger. We must be careful in this matter.

God was merciful to Jacob and so he rebuked Laban. So Laban  is only becoming humble. Genesis 31: 43 - 45 And Laban answered and said to Jacob, “These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and this flock is my flock; all that you see is mine. But what can I do this day to these my daughters or to their children whom they have borne? 

Now therefore, come, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it be a witness between you and me.”

So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar. 

Then Jacob said to his brethren, “Gather stones.” And they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there on the heap. Eating on the heap of stones means God is using Jacob to show as a pattern that the church must eat together.

Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed.

But Laban followed Jacob, his daughters, Jacob's flock and said to Jacob, “These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and this flock is my flock; and said we must make a covenant because he wanted to show him that he had a right over them. So when Satan comes to deceive the sheep in the church and to deceive our soul cunningly we must walk in wisdom.

Jacob walks with wisdom in this situation. But because Laban says that let God be a witness between you and me the place gets the name Mizpah.

After that, in Genesis 31: 51 - 55 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Here is this heap and here is this pillar, which I have placed between you and me. 

This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not pass beyond this heap to you, and you will not pass beyond this heap and this pillar to me, for harm. 

The God of Abraham, the God of Nahor, and the God of their father judge between us.” And Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac. 

Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain, and called his brethren to eat bread. And they ate bread and stayed all night on the mountain. 

And early in the morning Laban arose, and kissed his sons and daughters and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned to his place.

Psalms 23: 5, 6 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.

In this manner, God blessed Jacob and because of the covenant he took before God after that Laban did not come into Jacob's life. We come to know that Jacob also does not go to Laban.

Let us pray. May the Lord bless you all.

- To be continued