Character

Character

Genesis 31: ⁴⁵ So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar. ⁴⁶ Then Jacob said to his brethren, “Gather stones.” And they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there on the heap. ⁴⁷ Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed. ⁴⁸ And Laban said, “This heap is a witness between you and me this day.” Therefore its name was called Galeed, ⁴⁹ also Mizpah, because he said, “May the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent one from another. ⁵⁰ If you afflict my daughters, or if you take other wives besides my daughters, although no man is with us—see, God is witness between you and me!”

 

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After twenty years of a tense relationship with Laban, Jacob and his family were finally about to leave. GOD had taken Laban’s wealth and family from him and warned him not to say anything good or bad about Jacob. Jacob and his group he led, placed stones in a heap and sat on them.

 

My Observations:

• Laban could not bless or curse Jacob, so he said “May the LORD watch between you and me.”
• Laban’s statement was targeted at Jacob’s character, because Laban’s character was not good.
• Laban’s statement was true because GOD is the keeper of character.

 

Character is doing the right actions when no one is looking. This is the usual definition. But I have to add these words, “Knowing that GOD is always watching.”  “May the LORD ‘watch’” is a warning to Jacob and us. When temptation comes, “watch.” When we don’t feel like doing it GOD’s way, “watch.” When trouble comes and we feel like leaving GOD, “watch.”

 

GOD sees everything we do. There is no hiding. Character says “Do it GOD’s way especially when no one can see you and give you a reward for your actions.” Laban had to let go of the wealth and his family he tried to control for decades. He let Jacob know that GOD is watching.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD give Moses the detail of Jacob’s actions and Laban’s conversation?
• Have you ever been faced with a decision to do right or wrong when no one is looking?
• Is there a part of you that needs to be placed before GOD so HE can help with good character?

Confronted

Confronted

Genesis 31: 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.”

 

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Laban looked for the household gods stolen by Rachel, but did not find them because she sat on them on her camel. Jacob took the opportunity to confront Laban for twenty years of mistreatment.

 

My Observations:

• Laban may not have been as interested in Leah’s wellbeing, rather with free experienced labor.
• Laban made Jacob work seven years for Leah, knowing Jacob wanted Rachel, then he made him work another seven years.
• Laban changed Jacob’s wages to benefit himself and to steal from Jacob.

 

Two wrongs don’t make a right and three wrongs makes a mess. Rachel stole the household gods, which was wrong. Jacob wanted to skip tradition by marrying Rachel, which was wrong. Laban wanted free labor, which was wrong. BUT GOD worked through this messy situation.

 

GOD knew the promise o salvation would come through a deceitful lineage. Laban convinced Leah to deceive Jacob into marrying her. She could have refused. Jacob was being transformed from trying to get his way. His work was hard and he probably realized he needed to make a change. Meanwhile, Laban was demanding free work with no benefits. GOD saw it all and protected Jacob, father of many nations.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD explain in detail to Moses how Jacob was deceived over wages?
• Has an employer ever been deceitful to you?
• Do you know that GOD sees the people who have been deceitful to you and will pay you back in full?

Laban’s Greed

Laban’s Greed

Genesis 30: ³¹ So he said, “What shall I give you?”

 

And Jacob said, “You shall not give me anything. If you will do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep your flocks: ³² Let me pass through all your flock today, removing from there all the speckled and spotted sheep, and all the brown ones among the lambs, and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and these shall be my wages. ³³ So my righteousness will answer for me in time to come, when the subject of my wages comes before you: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the lambs, will be considered stolen, if it is with me.”

 

³⁴ And Laban said, “Oh, that it were according to your word!” ³⁵ So he removed that day the male goats that were speckled and spotted, all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had some white in it, and all the brown ones among the lambs, and gave them into the hand of his sons. ³⁶ Then he put three days’ journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob fed the rest of Laban’s flocks.

 

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When Abraham’s servant came to the place where Abraham grew up, he prayed for a wife for Isaac and Rebekah showed up. Bethuel was her father, but she ran and told her mother and Laban. Years later, Jacob shows up. Laban, Jacob’s uncle, is in control of a vast estate of lambs, cattle, goats, camels and many other animals. When Jacob asked to leave, Laban asked about the parting wages.

 

My Observations:

• Laban was a deceiver who may have followed the ways of those who worshipped idols.
• Terah was Abraham’s father who also had Haran and named the city after him when he died.
• Laban lived in Haran and may have picked up values that included greed and human possession.

 

Being wealthy and greedy, Laban saw an opportunity to get over on Jacob again. When Jacob gave the parameters of the parting wages, Laban went through the flocks and herds and chose the best animals for himself. He separated the animals with three days’ journey between him and Jacob.

 

Little did Laban know, that GOD was in control of the situation. It’s hard to see how GOD would use a deceiver like Jacob, but HE had a larger plan. Possibly there was no one who would even mention GOD, living at that time. Maybe it was similar to the time of Noah, where he was the only believer on earth. Regardless, GOD showed grace to Jacob.

 

Challenge

• Why do you think GOD told Moses about the conversation between Laban and Jacob?
• Have you ever done something wrong and wondered if GOD would leave you?
• Can you make a decision today to stand firm with the LORD despite any sin you did in the past?