In the Rearview - Genesis 31:1-16

Bible Study Lesson for April 21

The events of Genesis 28-30 are coming to a head. Over the last three chapters, the story of Genesis has been occupied with Jacob’s exile in Aram, to which he fled to get away from the wrath of his brother Esau. But Esau has faded into the background as Jacob has encountered a new rival in the person of his father-in-law Laban. We have seen over the last few lessons that Laban has been trying to steal Jacob’s blessing and use God’s promises for his own benefit. In last week’s study, Jacob was preparing to leave Aram, and he sought to get fair wages for almost two decades of work on his way out the door. In today’s passage, Jacob finally acknowledges the role God has played while in exile in Aram. What is striking about this passage is that, unlike what has come before, Jacob explicitly talks about what God has done in his life.

This story begins and ends with statements about the children of Laban. First, the sons of Laban challenge Jacob’s right to what he has taken. Their complaint speaks of resentment: “Jacob has taken... he has gained all his wealth from what belonged to our father” (Genesis 31:1). This complaint, with its implied threat, is the final push to make Jacob leave, which he has already planned on doing. The final word in the story belongs to Laban’s daughters, Leah and Rachel, who accept Jacob’s plan to leave. As we talked about last week, Laban has employed Rachel and Leah as leverage to gain wealth for himself and his sons. This dynamic is not lost on his daughters and they are ready to leave their father.

After Jacob observes that his welcome is wearing out, the Lord speaks to him directly for the first time since 28:13-15. In that passage, God promised Jacob land, children, and blessing. Now that Jacob has received children (12 so far!) and blessing, God calls Jacob back to the land. In chapter 28, God had promised to give Jacob his homeland, but first commanded him to leave and travel to Aram. Jacob took God’s promise - “I will be with you” - with him to exile. Now God commands Jacob to return, again with the promise “I will be with you.” This promise of the presence of God is integral to Jacob living out his promise. Jacob’s faith in God’s presence helps him to make sense of the challenges and the triumphs of his life. 

Jacob’s statements about God are striking. Over the course of his time in Aram, everything Jacob does has a natural explanation. We could explain Jacob’s success in a lot of different ways. Jacob worked hard. Jacob used folk methods to influence the production of sheep. Some scholars even try to use modern understandings of genetics to explain the breeding story. But at the end of his time in Aram, Jacob finally points to God’s work over his time in the house of Laban. Jacob points to three aspects of God’s care: presence, protection, and providence.

Jacob situates God’s care against the threat posed by Laban’s treatment. “Your father does not regard me as favorably as he did before. But the God of my father has been with me” (v. 5).  God’s caring presence is not changing like the whims of Laban. Laban has soured on Jacob because Jacob is leaving, taking with him the blessing, and great material possessions he has earned while in Laban’s land. Jacob names God’s faithfulness to the last promise God made at Bethel. God has been with Jacob, even now when Laban is against him. This a constant promise God makes to God’s people. When God told Abraham to leave Haran, God said, “I will be with you.” The promise of Emmanuel at Christmas is “God is with us.” No matter what human threats we face, no matter who turns against us, God does not leave us or abandon us.

God has protected Jacob from Laban’s schemes. “Your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times, but God did not permit him to harm me” (v.7) God’s protection for Jacob has been protecting the future God promised. If God sent Jacob back home empty-handed, that would have put Jacob in a bad situation when time comes to confront Esau. Instead, God uses Laban’s scheming to protect Jacob from economic hardship. Like Jacob, I think we can all look back at times when things could have turned out a lot worse for us, and give thanks that we were spared the worst. Perhaps we can see God at work in bringing us through difficult situations.

Finally, God has provided for Jacob. Even when Laban tried to manipulate the breeding process, all the flock bore whatever type of animals were to be Jacob’s wages (v. 9). God takes away the very thing that Laban tried to cheat Jacob out of. God provides for Jacob in spite of Laban’s deception. The way God gives Jacob what was Laban’s mirrors the Exodus story: when the Israelites leave Egypt, they take with them gifts from their neighbors of silver and gold (Exodus 11:2, 12:35-36). Whatever possessions we may have, we recognize everything comes from God’s hand.

Jacob’s story reveals something about testimony. Over the course of his twenty year sojourn in the house of Laban, I doubt that Jacob was often aware of God’s blessing. He probably saw, as many of us would, endless work for a boss who did not have his best interests at heart. He may have felt alone in his struggle for survival and his quest for fair wages. But looking back, he was able to see the hand of God at work in his life. So often we only recognize God’s work in our lives looking back. Look back over the past year or years: where has God been present, protecting, and providing for you?