Jacob Considers Returning To His Homeland

INTRO

Our goal is that the Word of God we are studying goes out from us. We should not just be sponges, hoarding His words for ourselves. In Genesis 30, Jacob had 11 sons and was ready to move on, but Laban didn’t want him to leave. It was decided that Jacob’s wages, before he left, were to be speckled and spotted sheep and goats (vv. 25–43). While Laban left on a three-day trip, Jacob started peeling bark and setting the peeled branches in troughs when the animals mated. Somehow Jacob thought this superstitious act would give him what he wanted. There was no trust in the Lord!

TEACHING

Genesis 31:1-2: Laban’s sons were saying, “Jacob has taken what belongs to us!” There was jealousy that started to come into play. We know Laban is the one who cheated Jacob, but God’s hand was on Jacob. Jacob sensed something was off and said Laban’s face was “not with him.” The Lord was with him, but Laban was not. Envy and jealousy took root, just as it had with Jacob’s wives.

Genesis 31:3: God told Jacob to leave Paddan-aram and go back to Canaan, the land of his fathers. Wiersbe addressed how God told Jacob it was time to leave this way: “Through inner witness of our hearts, the outward circumstances of life, and the truth of His Word.”1

How God addressed Jacob (and address us!):

1. Inner witness of our heart
2. Be careful! The heart can be deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9).
3. If we delight in the Lord, He will give us our heart’s desire (Psalm 37:4).
4. Jacob knew the promises of Abraham and Isaac, and he wanted to see God do what He promised.

Outward circumstances of life

The Word of God

Jacob was reminded of the promise at Bethel (Genesis 28:12-15).

Jacob is told to go back to Esau (Genesis 32:2-4).

God tells Jacob to go back to Bethel (Genesis 35:1).

Jacob is instructed to move to Egypt (Genesis 46:1-4)).

Repeatedly, Jacob was instructed to do different things. God was fulfilling His promise! It all goes back to Genesis 12:1–3. The promise is from Abraham to Isaac to Jacob. When God told Jacob to go back to the land, Jacob had to be feeling like the promise was getting closer.

Genesis 31:4–9: For the first time, it seems like Jacob was in control of his own household, not Rachel and Leah and their jealousy. Jacob called Rachel and Leah to where the flocks were, an isolated environment. He wanted to make sure Rachel and Leah were behind him and not their father. Remember from verse 2 that Laban was different toward Jacob. This was the first time Jacob took ownership of his own faith! Not buying things, selling things, or tricking people. Jacob recognized God was on his side. Jacob explained to his wives that Laban had changed his wages, but God changed the flocks. Just like in verse 5, Jacob credited God! Psalm 119:105 shows us that God directs our steps. Everywhere that Jacob was going, God was directing it. There was an anointing and calling on Jacob’s life, even in his imperfection. Jacob was finally realizing that it’s all about God!

Genesis 31:10–11: God spoke to Jacob through a dream. God still speaks through dreams (Joel 2:28-29; Acts 2:17–19). Has the day of the Lord come? No! Then the dreams and visions and prophecies are still going to happen. God will speak to us through dreams and visions, and it will always line up with the truth of His Word. For example, Muslims are coming to know the Lord through dreams and visions. Jacob’s response to his dream was “Here I am!”

Genesis 31:12–13: In Jacob’s dream, an angel appeared and said, “Lift up your eyes, I want to show you!” God was going to provide for Jacob; it had nothing to do with superstition. God is the One who provides. God reminded Jacob of his first dream in Bethel where Jacob made a vow to God.

Genesis 31:14–16: Jacob proclaimed all that God had done, and now Rachel and Leah proclaimed what their father Laban had not done. The wives looked at Laban’s actions in the past, present, and future.2 They decided, “Jacob you’re right! Our dad has done nothing for us, but God has.” God had given Jacob these two women who chose to stand behind him.

Genesis 31:17–18: Jacob woke up the next day and put his wives and children on camels. Jacob only had 11 children at this time: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Isaachar, Zebulun, Gad, Asher, Dan, Naphtali, and Joseph.

Jacob acted in haste. We know we are not supposed to act in haste. Isaiah 28:16, “The one who believes will be unshakable.” We shouldn’t have to act in haste when we trust the Lord. Jacob fled Laban at a much slower pace than when he fled Esau. This time, Jacob had all his family and possessions. It took Laban seven days to catch up (Genesis 31:23).

Genesis 31:19: While Laban was shearing sheep, usually a day of celebration and blessing, Rachel stole her father’s idols. Rachel either wanted to punish her dad, or she did not fully trust the Lord, as she held on to some false beliefs. Laban’s idols were most likely two- to three-inch figurines, which could have been considered charms, and possibly were figures of departed ancestors or false gods. It was even believed these idols could be used in helping people be fruitful. Maybe Rachel took them because she thought they would give her children. Remember at this point she had not had Benjamin yet.

Genesis 31:20–21: Jacob was deceptive again. He left in haste, not trusting the Lord. Why did Moses (author of Genesis) refer to Laban as an Aramean at this point? I believe God is showing there were two distinct people groups here. Jacob fled to his homeland and to safety. Laban came after them, and Rachel got away with stealing the idol. In the end, Jacob and Laban make a covenant.

CLOSING

For the first time, Jacob recognized that God was in this. And Leah and Rachel were standing with him. There was this beginning process of them realizing that God was up to something. Genesis 31:42 states, “If the God of my father, the God of Abraham, the Fear of Isaac [the ‘awesome one’], had not been with me, certainly now you would have sent me off empty-handed. But God has seen my affliction and my hard work, and He issued His verdict last night.” Jacob finally started to see that God’s hand was on him. What you can learn from Jacob is that you need to give yourself patience as God is speaking to you. God will continue to speak to you. God’s hand is on you, and it will not leave you.