pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: Laban


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God’s Guiding Presence

Readings: Genesis 31, Genesis 32, Genesis 33, Genesis 34, Genesis 35, Genesis 36

Genesis 32:28 – “Your name won’t be Jacob any longer, but Israel, because you struggled with God and with men and won.”

Today’s readings begin with Jacob leaving Haran. God directs this move and watches over it. As Laban catches up to the escaping Jacob, God intervenes on his behalf. This leads to a “symmetrical covenant.” Laban and Jacob part ways peacefully and with God’s blessing. As his journey continues, Jacob prepares to and is prepared to meet Esau, the brother he stole from and deceived.

Jacob first sends messengers to Esau, who comes out to meet Jacob with 400 men. This terrifies Jacob. He splits all that he has into two camps. Then he prays a “reminder” prayer to God. He reminds both God and himself of the covenant promises made to Abraham and to Isaac and to himself. He then sends a very large gift of livestock to Esau, seeking to pacify him. That night Jacob wrestles with God. He is renamed “Israel” and he receives God’s blessing.

In the morning Jacob arranged his family strategically – servants then Leah then Rachel, each with their children. But then he goes in front to meet Esau. He bows low 7 times as Esau is approaching. Esau runs to greet him. It is an emotional and joyful reunion. Jacob sees the face of God in his brother’s grace.

In chapter 34 a terrible thing happens to Dinah – she is raped and humiliated by a local prince. Her brothers exact revenge, killing every male and looting everything in the town. They use deception to set it all up. They are Jacob’s sons. But now Jacob fears revenge too, so the family moves on. God protects them as they go. In the process God reiterates the name change as well as the covenant. Sadly, Rachel dies giving birth to Benjamin. Isaac dies too and is buried with his ancestors by Jacob and Esau together. Our reading closes with Esau’s genealogy.

Reflecting on today’s six chapters I am struck by God’s presence guiding Jacob’s life. Many things happen that remind me that God is with us no matter what – when we are faithful, when we are less than faithful. God is steadfast and true.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for your hand ever guiding Jacob. Thank you for your hand that desires to guide us. As you work in our lives, shape and form us as you did Jacob – more and more into one who knew and loved you. Amen.


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What a Tale!

Readings: Genesis 28:10-22, Genesis 29, Genesis 30

Genesis 29:30 – “Jacob slept with Rachel, and he loved Rachel more than Leah. He worked for Laban seven more years.”

Photo credit: Patrick Schneider

As we wrap up chapter 28 Jacob has a dream. He sees a stairway connecting earth and heaven. The Lord appears to Jacob and reiterates the covenant promises made to Abraham and to Isaac: many descendants and the promised land. The Lord also adds promises of presence, protection, and guidance. Jacob recognizes the sacredness of this place and of this encounter. He sets up a sacred pillar and names the place “Bethel” – the house of God. And, yet, Jacob’s faith is still immature. In verse 20 he begins, “If God…” The relationship is still very conditional.

In chapter 29 Jacob arrives in Haran and soon meets Rachel and then Laban, her dad. Laban welcomes Jacob. After a month, Laban asks Jacob’s price for his labor. Jacob offers 7 years of labor in exchange for marrying Rachel. After 7 years, the night comes. There is a great banquet and much celebration. Jacob awakens in the morning to find Leah in his tent. He must work 7 more years for Rachel. Older before the younger, you know – customs!

What follows next would put the best ever soap opera to great shame. Leah is unloved so God opens her womb. She thought sons would make Jacob love her. After son 4, she instead praises God for the gift of another son. To get in the game Rachel gives her servant girl to Jacob. This produces 2 sons. To try to again win his favor (or to compete with her sister), Leah gives her servant girl to Jacob. 2 more sons. Then God “responds” to Leah again – 2 more sons and a daughter! Finally God “remembers” Rachel and she bears Jacob a son, taking away her shame.

In Genesis 30:25 Jacob declares his desire to go back home. But he has no wealth. He worked 14 years to pay the customary bride price. He had left home with nothing. Laban sees Jacob’s presence has blessed him, so he agrees to an arrangement to build Jacob’s flocks – the only measure of wealth at this time. Both men try to trick and outwit the other. Laban steals livestock and Jacob manipulates the mating. Jacob ends up “very, very rich.” What a tale we are weaving! The story continues tomorrow.

Prayer: Lord God, blessing, competition, jealousy, the gift of children, trickery and theft. Phew! Promises, a God who sees, provides, loves. Ah… Today we turn pages and read an almost unfathomable tale. And then we pause and realize that this is still our world, still our lives today. Lord, when we are tempted by status or power or possessions, remind us of where we find our true identity and worth – in our relationship with you. Amen.


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Strong and Powerful

Reading: Genesis 29: 15-28

Verse 18: “I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel”.

After stealing Isaac’s blessing from his brother Esau, Jacob runs away to his mother’s family in Haran. His mother, Rebekah, had schemed to get the son she loved more the coveted birthright. Her love for Jacob led her to place him before his older brother Esau. Once Jacob safely arrives in Haran, he soon meets Laban, Rebekah’s brother. Laban says to Jacob, “You are my own flesh and blood”. All seems to be going well.

After staying with and working for Laban a month, Jacob is asked to name his wages. Being in love with Rachel, Jacob names his price: “I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel”. He must love Rachel very much. The time flies by – “they seemed like only a few days” – and Jacob asks for her. After a big feast Laban sends Leah, the older sister, to lie with Jacob. In the light of morning he realizes he has been tricked. In that moment he must have known what Isaac and Esau felt when they found out what Jacob and Rebekah did to them. Just as Rebekah’s love for Jacob led her to do what she thought she had to do, so too does Laban’s love lead him to do for Leah, his oldest daughter. To Jacob’s protest, Laban replies that it is custom to marry off the oldest daughter first. He grants Rachel to Jacob too, in exchange for seven more years of labor. Jacob willingly agrees.

Love is a strong and powerful emotion. We have all done things for love too. And we’ve all had people look at us and question our decision. That is the path of sacrificial love too. It is a love that leads one to place the other before one’s own needs… It is the kind of love Jesus practiced and calls for from his followers. May we seek to love well today.

Prayer: Living God, your call is to do anything in the name of your great love. Give me a servant’s heart today. Make my love pure and generous. Guide me to be love in the world. Amen.


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A Better Way

Reading: Genesis 29: 15-28

Verse 25: What is this you have done to me? … Why have you deceived me?

Today’s reading is an interesting turn of events.  Poor Jacob is tricked by his uncle and ends up with the older, less beautiful daughter.  But before we feel too bad for Jacob, let’s remember why he is here.  Jacob has fled from his home to escape the wrath of his father Isaac and his brother Esau.  He tricked the very elderly Isaac into giving him, the younger son, Esau’s birthright.  Maybe, just maybe, Jacob deserves what Labsn has done – a little taste of his own medicine, so to speak.

But before we jump on that bandwagon, we’d better take a little stock of our own lives.  Yes, we have probably been in a place like Jacob finds himself in.  We have been let down by someone we trusted.  We have had agreements and arrangements broken.  Maybe we were a faithful employee for years and years, only to see the new and younger person receive the leadership role.  Maybe we have seen a long-term friendship evaporate when someone new moved to town.  We have all been where Jacob finds himself.  We know the anger, the hurt, the frustration.

When we stop and reflect, though, we’ve all played Laban’s role as well.  Maybe we haven’t slipped the older daughter into a drunk man’s bed after he had worked for seven years for the other daughter, but we have made decisions or manipulated or crossed the line a time or two.  Maybe it was as simple as choosing how to reword something or to embellish it or to leave a detail out – to best insure our desired outcome.  In any event, we have been there and done it.  We too have made others shout, “What is this you have done to me? … Why have you deceived me”?

When we take stock, when we reflect on those moments, we realize there is a better way for us and for others.  It is the way of love, the way of the servant, the way of Jesus.  Lord, help me to be righteous, bringing honor and glory to you in all I do and say and think this day and every day.