Genesis Part 2 - Week 11

Day 1 

READ 

Genesis 30:25-28 

²⁵ Soon after Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Please release me so I can go home to my own country. ²⁶ Let me take my wives and children, for I have earned them by serving you, and let me be on my way. You certainly know how hard I have worked for you.” ²⁷ “Please listen to me,” Laban replied. “I have become wealthy, for the Lord has blessed me because of you. ²⁸ Tell me how much I owe you. Whatever it is, I’ll pay it.” 

Jacob wants to return home with his family and livestock. Laban realized he had become wealthy because of the way God blessed Jacob. He agrees to pay Jacob whatever he requested for back wages. What will Jacob ask? 

REFLECT 

Have you acquired wealth because of someone else? If so, you know how Laban felt about Jacob.  

RESPOND 

With your friend read Genesis 30:25-33. This reveals the price that Jacob asked Laban for. It also reveals how Jacob was trying to deceive Laban. Jacob and Laban were both known for their attempts at deceiving one another and it continued.  

Day 2 

READ 

Genesis 30:34-36 

³⁴ “All right,” Laban replied. “It will be as you say.” ³⁵ But that very day Laban went out and removed the male goats that were streaked and spotted, all the female goats that were speckled and spotted or had white patches, and all the black sheep. He placed them in the care of his own sons, ³⁶ who took them a three-days’ journey from where Jacob was. Meanwhile, Jacob stayed and cared for the rest of Laban’s flock. 

Laban had an idea of how he could trick Jacob. He placed the chosen goats in the care of his sons and had them taken three days away from Jacob. While this was occurring, Jacob was caring for the remainder of Laban’s flock. In spite of what the two men were attempting to do in out-manipulating the other, it will be seen that God was still in control. 

REFLECT 

Have you been taken advantage of in the past? Did you later realize that God had not forgotten you in the process? 

RESPOND 

With your friend read Genesis 30:34-43. This passage reveals how Laban and Jacob were competing against each other to increase their wealth at the expense of the other. Both could be considered rascals in the way they were treating the other one.  

Day 3 

READ 

Genesis 31:1-3 

¹ But Jacob soon learned that Laban’s sons were grumbling about him. “Jacob has robbed our father of everything!” they said. “He has gained all his wealth at our father’s expense.” ² And Jacob began to notice a change in Laban’s attitude toward him. ³ Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your father and grandfather and to your relatives there, and I will be with you.” 

Animosity was growing between Laban’s sons and Jacob. They accused Jacob of taking advantage of their father. Wealth has seemingly always been a divider of families and relatives so this was nothing unusual. The important part of these verses is the Lord’s command to Jacob to return to his homeland and relatives there. 

REFLECT 

Have finances caused disruption in your family? What did you do to heal the problem? 

RESPOND 

With your friend read Genesis 31:1-21. This passage reveals what Jacob said Laban had done to him. It also reveals that Jacob’s wives were willing to leave their father and follow him to his home country. Rachel took the family’s gods. There is no indication in the Bible whether she had confidence in them or not. Laban did not know of their leaving, but he would soon learn of it. 

Day 4 

READ 

Genesis 31:22-24 

²² Three days later, Laban was told that Jacob had fled. ²³ So he gathered a group of his relatives and set out in hot pursuit. He caught up with Jacob seven days later in the hill country of Gilead. ²⁴ But the previous night God had appeared to Laban the Aramean in a dream and told him, “I’m warning you—leave Jacob alone!” 

After Laban learned of Jacob’s leaving he pursued him for seven days and caught up with him. In Laban’s and Jacob’s attempts of deceiving each other, God had been working and now warns Laban to “leave Jacob alone!” 

REFLECT 

When you have experienced difficulties, were you later aware that God was working behind the scenes even if you didn’t realize it at the time? 

RESPOND 

With your friend read Genesis 31:22-42. This section reveals Laban’s accusations and Jacob’s defense. It also shows how Laban searched for his household gods and could not find them. Jacob did not know that Rachel had taken them. In Jacob’s concluding defense he was aware that God had been on his side or Laban would have been successful in taking a greater advantage of him. 

Day 5 

READ 

Genesis 31:43-46 

⁴³ Then Laban replied to Jacob, “These women are my daughters, these children are my grandchildren, and these flocks are my flocks—in fact, everything you see is mine. But what can I do now about my daughters and their children? ⁴⁴ So come, let’s make a covenant, you and I, and it will be a witness to our commitment.” ⁴⁵ So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a monument. ⁴⁶ Then he told his family members, “Gather some stones.” So they gathered stones and piled them in a heap. Then Jacob and Laban sat down beside the pile of stones to eat a covenant meal. 

Laban and Jacob acknowledged they were enemies and wanted to make a covenant that never again would one of them take advantage of the other. As the custom was in those days a monument was set up to be a remembrance of the agreement made. They even had a meal to commemorate the covenant.  

REFLECT 

Have you ever used an object to remind you of something good or bad in your past? Often it was to cause younger generations to ask questions so it could be explained. Try this in your life. 

RESPOND 

With your friend read Genesis 31:43-55. Especially notice that although some people today use “Mizpah” as a promise of blessing, it was set up to keep two rascals from taking advantage of the other one. Once this agreement was made and celebrated, Laban kissed his family, blessed them and returned home.