GENESIS LESSON 46


     We will begin this lesson in chapter 31 verse 32
     Genesis 31:32 "With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not
live: before our brethren discern thou what [is] thine with me, and
take [it] to thee. For Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them."

     Jacob made this statement, before he realized that his
precious Rachel was the one who took the false Gods.

     Genesis 31:33 "And Laban went into Jacob's tent, and into Leah's
tent, and into the two maidservants' tents; but he found [them] not.
Then went he out of Leah's tent, and entered into Rachel's tent."
     Genesis 31:34 "Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in
the camel's furniture, and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the
tent, but found [them] not."
     Genesis 31:35 "And she said to her father, Let it not displease
my lord that I cannot rise up before thee; for the custom of women
[is] upon me. And he searched, but found not the images."

     It seems that these false gods were more important to Laban than
the lives of his daughters. Had he found them, They would have been
killed. Rachel now committed another sin. She lied to cover up the fact
that she stole the images. Jacob had already spoken death to anyone who 
was found with the images.  Whether Rachel worshipped these, or she
wanted them for their monetary value , or she did it to provoke her
dad, we are not certain. We will find out it not only provoked Laban,
but angered God, as well.

     Genesis 31:36  "And Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban: and
Jacob answered and said to Laban, What [is] my trespass? what [is] my
sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me?"
     Genesis 31:37 "Whereas thou hast searched all my stuff, what hast
thou found of all thy household stuff? set [it] here before my
brethren and thy brethren, that they may judge betwixt us both."

     Jacob had became very put out with Laban. In modern day language
he said, show us if you have found any sin in our camp, if not I don't
want to hear about. Jacob told him to let their servants judge who was
in error.

     Genesis 31:38 "This twenty years [have] I [been] with thee; thy
ewes and thy she goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy
flock have I not eaten."
     Genesis 31:39 "That which was torn [of beasts] I brought not unto
thee; I bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it,
[whether] stolen by day, or stolen by night."

     Jacob was telling Laban that Laban was blessed. His flocks
increased, because Jacob had done over and above what was expected of
him. God blessed the young, as well. Laban had gotten more than was
expected of any worker. Jacob had even taken all the losses on his
herd destroyed by wild animals. Jacob did not even kill and eat
animals from Laban's flock. Laban had no reason to complain.

     Genesis 31:40 "[Thus] I was; in the day the drought consumed me,
and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes."

     Jacob told Laban that day and night in all kinds of weather, he
saw to the flock even to the point of punishing his own body.

     Genesis 31:41 "Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I
served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for
thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times."

     Here was the first mention of the exact time  that Jacob labored
for Laban. Twenty years was a very long time. Jacob reminded Laban that
Leah and Rachel were no longer Laban's, and neither were the cattle.
Jacob owed Laban nothing. Jacob fulfilled his part of the bargain, now
Laban wanted to back out of the deal.

     Genesis 31:42 "Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham,
and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me
away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my
hands, and rebuked [thee] yesternight."

     Jacob was telling Laban that if God had not intervened and given
Laban a dream, Laban would have come into camp with a large group of
men, and would have taken his daughters and all of Jacob's animals and
things by force. God protects His own, and this was no exception. Jacob
was divinely protected by God Himself.

     Genesis 31:43  "And Laban answered and said unto Jacob, [These]
daughters [are] my daughters, and [these] children [are] my children,
and [these] cattle [are] my cattle, and all that thou seest [is] mine:
and what can I do this day unto these my daughters, or unto their
children which they have born?"

     You can easily see from this above Scripture, that Laban claimed
everything and everyone that Jacob had worked for. Laban said the
reason that he would not take it by force was that he loved Rachel and
Leah and the children. The real reason was because God intervened, and
he was afraid of Jacob's God.

     Genesis 31:44 "Now therefore come thou, let us make a covenant, I
and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee."

     Laban decided he would like a peace agreement between him and
Jacob. He knew, if Jacob were to mount an army and come against him,
that he would be destroyed. He knew full well that God was with Jacob.
Laban knew he was no match for God, so he asked Jacob for a treaty.

     Genesis 31:45 "And Jacob took a stone, and set it up [for] a
pillar."
     Genesis 31:46 "And Jacob said unto his brethren, Gather stones;
and they took stones, and made an heap: and they did eat there upon
the heap."

     They built a monument to remind them of their peace treaty. They
broke bread together to seal their friendship.

     Genesis 31:47 "And Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha: but Jacob
called it Galeed."

     "Jegarsahadutha" means heap of the testimony. "Galeed" means the
same thing. Isn't it strange that these two men called this place by
two different names? One was a Syrian, the other was a Hebrew.
Possibly, that covered the same situation, or perhaps, the difference was
their point of view.

     Genesis 31:48 "And Laban said, This heap [is] a witness between
me and thee this day. Therefore was the name of it called Galeed;"
     Genesis 31:49 "And Mizpah; for he said, The LORD watch between me
and thee, when we are absent one from another."

     "Mizpah" means pause.

     Genesis 31:50 "If thou shalt afflict my daughters, or if thou
shalt take [other] wives beside my daughters, no man [is] with us;
see, God [is] witness betwixt me and thee."
     Genesis 31:51 "And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and
behold [this] pillar, which I have cast betwixt me and thee;"
     Genesis 31:52 "This heap [be] witness, and [this] pillar [be]
witness, that I will not pass over this heap to thee, and that thou
shalt not pass over this heap and this pillar unto me, for harm."

     Laban warned Jacob, that if he mistreated his daughters in any way the
deal was off. They set up boundary and neither one was to cross over
that boundary to war with the other. God was the witness to the agreement
they made with each other.

     Genesis 31:53 "The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God
of their father, judge betwixt us. And Jacob sware by the fear of his
father Isaac."

     These men sware by the one they worshipped. We know Who the God
of Abraham was, but Abraham's father was an idolater. It was
not known who Nahor worshipped. Jacob swore by his father, Isaac.

     Genesis 31:54 "Then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount, and
called his brethren to eat bread: and they did eat bread, and tarried
all night in the mount."

     Jacob gave thanks to God for protecting him in all of this. We
should always remember and thank God for His goodness.

     Genesis 31:55 "And early in the morning Laban rose up, and kissed
his sons and his daughters, and blessed them: and Laban departed, and
returned unto his place."

     Laban was finally satisfied, after kissing his children and
grandchildren, he returned home.


                              Questions 46

1.  What did Jacob say was to happen to the one the images were found
    with?
2.  Was Jacob aware who had them?
3.  Where did Laban search?
4.  Where had Rachel hidden them?
5.  What excuse did Rachel give for not rising?
6.  What additional sin did Rachel commit?
7.  What reasons might she have taken them for?
8.  Besides provoking Laban, who was angered?
9.  What question did Jacob ask Laban?
10. Who did Jacob say should judge between him and Laban?
11. In our modern English, what did Jacob say to Laban?
12. How many years had Jacob been with Laban?
13. How many years had he worked to get Leah and Rachel?
14. Who took the loss, when a wild animal tore one of the flock?
15. Why was Laban blessed?
16. Was Jacob an eight hour a day worker? Explain.
17. Who did Jacob give credit for saving him?
18. Why did God protect Jacob?
19. What did Laban claim as his own that was Jacob's?
20. Laban said because of Leah and Rachel he would not harm Jacob, but
    what was the real reason?
21. How did Jacob and Laban settle this?
22. What did the two men build?
23. What did they do to seal the friendship?
24. "Galeed" Means What?
25. What was another name for the place?
26. What does "Mizpah" mean?
27. What was the heap and pillar to remind them of?
28. Who was their witness?
29. Who did they swear by?
30. What did Jacob do after all the treaty was over?
31. What was the last thing Laban did before he went home?