After Laban departed from Jacob and returned home, Jacob’s thoughts focussed on his most pressing concern – meeting his brother Esau. Twenty years ago when Jacob left his father’s home to go to Haran, he was also fleeing the anger of his brother Esau, who had sworn to kill him because of a perceived “stolen blessing”.
Jacob has been working for Laban by keeping his flock for six years now – that’s after having done this for fourteen years previously as a dowry for his two daughters. Laban has been very deceitful and has not dealt fairly with him. Plus, Jacob noticed that Laban and his sons’ countenance towards him has become quite toxic.
After Jacob has arrived in Haran, he meets Rachel his uncle’s daughter at a well. He tells her who he is and she takes him to her father’s house. Jacob after seven years marries Leah and Rachel, Laban’s daughters. Jacob loves Rachel, but is not so loving of Leah. So, God graciously opens her womb and she bears him four sons in the hope that Jacob would love her too. In this chapter we see where the two women are engaging in a race to see who can have the most children. But also, there is a note of Rachel’s spiritual lacking. God finally gives her a son and Jacob wants to go back home. However, Laban is unwilling to let Jacob leave because he has noticed how Jacob’s God has prospered him on account of Jacob. So, he bargains with Jacob once again – only to deceive him again. But God over-rules Laban’s actions against Jacob and greatly increases his wealth.
After receiving a visitation by God in a dream, Jacob’s spirit is revived and he journeys onward to Haran. After arriving there, he meets some shepherds at a well who tell him that Rachel, his uncle’s daughter, is headed to the same place. He introduces himself to Rachel; and she thereby introduces Jacob to her father Laban. Laban welcomes Jacob. After working for him for a short period, Jacob contracts with Laban to marry his younger daughter Rachel. Laban deceives Jacob and gives him the eldest daughter Leah. Jacob then has to negotiate once again a bridal price for Rachel. But, all is not well in his household. Leah is unloved. So, God favors her because Jacob does not.
After Jacob deceives his father into blessing him with the birthright, his brother Esau plans to kill him after his father dies. Their mother Rebekah learns of this and makes another plan that will send Jacob away to take a wife from her brother’s house. Isaac openly and rightly blesses Jacob with the Abrahamic blessing and sends him to his uncle Laban’s house to get a wife. On his long journey there, no doubt Jacob is full of fear and apprehension. So, on the way, God appears to him in a dream to establish the Abrahamic covenant and reassure him of His continued presence. Although Jacob is clearly not the man God wants him to be, what awaits him is a long period of discipline and transformation.
Did you find a lesson or teaching uplifting, encouraging or helpful to you? Then help us continue making more lessons like these! Consider a donation or maybe just buy us a cup of coffee. Your gifts are truly needed and appreciated. Your privacy and transactions are always secure.
