Homeward Bound

Leaving Laban

Jacob sensed a change in Laban’s attitude, and it seemed that Laban had not been as friendly toward him as he had been previously. What might have caused this change in attitude? First, Laban could see that Jacob had become very prosperous, and he felt that it was at his expense. While Jacob’s flocks continued to increase, his flocks had decreased. Second, when Jacob arrived on the scene over twenty years earlier, there was no mention of Laban having sons of his own, but as told in Genesis 30:35, he now has at least two sons. According to the customs in those times, a man without sons of his own could adopt a close relative to become his heir. This adopted son would have had the rights of the firstborn and, therefore, headship over the family. As proof of this, the firstborn son (the adopted son) would have been given the household gods, which would signify his headship of the family. So while Laban had initially welcomed Jacob with open arms and may have considered him to be his heir, the situation had changed and Jacob was now looked upon with disfavor and was seen as a competitor.

Think About This: Shortly after Jacob fled his homeland, he saw God in a dream at Bethel. The next time God spoke to Jacob is recorded in Genesis 31, after more than twenty years had elapsed. Perhaps God had gently nudged Jacob during that time, although no communication is recorded in Scripture. It apparently took more than a gentle nudge to get Jacob’s attention and to finally hear God telling him it was time for him to go home.

Heading for Home

Not only did Jacob hear from God, but he could see the proverbial writing on the wall. Knowing that he needed to take his family back to his homeland, Jacob called a family meeting with his wives to get their view of the situation. They had been witnesses throughout the years of all their father had done to Jacob, how he had taken advantage of him while enjoying the fruits of Jacob’s labors. The women knew their father regarded them as little more than slaves, and that they would have no share in an inheritance from him. They agreed with Jacob that they should leave Laban (Genesis 31:14-16).

Without giving Laban any advance warning, Jacob gathered his wives, children, possessions and herds and began the journey back to Canaan. He left Paddan-aram at a time when he knew Laban would be busy shearing his sheep. On the third day, Laban learned that Jacob had fled, and it probably took him at least one day to

organize a caravan to give pursuit, and after seven days, Laban and his company caught up with Jacob at Gilead (Genesis 31:17-25).

When Laban started out in pursuit of Jacob, it was not to bid his family a fond farewell. According to Hughes, the account as written in the original language indicates that Laban was filled with murderous intent; the specific verbs used in the account are militaristic, and his “kinsmen” were most likely warriors. In fact, when Laban finally caught up with Jacob, he admitted it was within his power to “harm” him. But God had appeared to Laban in a dream and told him, “Be careful that you do not speak to Jacob, either good or bad.” And surprisingly, Laban obeyed (Genesis 31:26-29). In verse 30, we discover the real reason he had hotly pursued Jacob: “…but why did you steal my gods?”

At this point, things could have gone terribly wrong for Jacob. He truly did not know that Rachel had stolen the gods Laban was seeking, and through a careless oath, he could have caused the death of his beloved Rachel. He said to Laban, “The one with whom you find your gods shall not live; in the presence of our kinsmen point out what is yours among my belongings and take it for yourself” (Genesis 31:32). 

Think About This: There is a story in the book of Judges that comes to mind when we read about Jacob’s oath to kill the person who stole Laban’s gods. Jephthah was the ninth judge of Israel and he made an oath to God in exchange for a military victory. He said, “…then it shall be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the sons of Ammon, it shall be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.” Military victory was achieved, but when Jephthah returned home, it was his beloved daughter, his one and only child, who was the first to run out of the house to greet him. And because he had made the vow to God, he did indeed offer her up as a burnt offering. The story of Jephthah can be found in Judges 11:29-40.

Although Laban searched the entire camp looking for his gods, he came up empty handed. And when he attempted to search Rachel’s bags on the camel upon which she was sitting, she turned him away by simply stating, “the manner of women is upon me”, and Laban walked away (Genesis 31:33-35).

The Covenant of Mizpah

Laban had not been able to prove that Jacob (or someone in his household) had stolen his gods, but he was convinced one of them was responsible for their disappearance. He knew he needed to do something to guarantee that Jacob would never make use of those gods to further encroach upon his possessions in the future. So Laban initiated a treaty and spelled out its terms. Since he had not been successful in holding Jacob in check, Laban now calls upon Jacob’s God to do so. (Deffinbaugh)

The first term of the covenant was that Jacob agreed never to mistreat Laban’s daughters, Leah and Rachel; nor would Jacob take any other wives in addition to them. It makes one wonder if Laban did not know about Jacob’s relationships with Bilhah and Zilpah, with whom he had already produced sons, or if Laban was okay with extramarital affairs as long as the women were not considered legal wives. In any case, the second term of the covenant was that neither Laban nor Jacob would pass that place (the place where the covenant was initiated) in order to harm the other. Laban did not state the obvious: his main concern, and the primary reason for the covenant, was to prevent Jacob from returning to Paddan-aram in order to take possession of Laban’s property through the use of his household gods.

Think About This: The tragic story of Jephthah’s careless oath takes place in Mizpah (Judges 11:34), which is the same place Jacob vowed to kill the person among his household who stole Laban’s gods. It is also the place where Laban and Jacob signed the treaty which is known as the Covenant of Mizpah (Genesis 31:49).

The morning after the covenant between Jacob and Laban was initiated, Laban blessed his daughters and began the trip back to Paddan-aram. His often stormy relationship with Jacob had come to an end, and there is no other mention of Laban in the Bible.

Jacob still had one challenge to face as he continued homeward, and that will be the subject of our next lesson.

Think About It, Talk About It

What are some possible reasons Laban’s attitude toward Jacob had changed from friendly to hostile? Could Jacob himself have caused some of these hard feelings? How?

Why was it dangerous for Jacob to vow to kill the person who stole Laban’s gods? Where else in the Bible do we see where a careless vow caused heartbreak and death?

What was the real reason for Laban making a covenant with Jacob? How did his household gods play a role in the need for this covenant?

Sources

Bimson, John J.: The Baker Encyclopedia of Bible Places (Inter-Varsity Press 1995).

Deffinbaugh, Bob: Jacob from the series From Creation to the Cross (www.bible.org)

Deffinbaugh, Bob: The Difference Between Legality and Morality from the series From Paradise to Patriarchs, (www.bible.org)

Hughes, R. Kent: Preaching the Word-Genesis (Crossway Books)

McGee, J. Vernon: Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee (Thomas Nelson Publishers)