We must point out that when Jacob arrived at Laban’s house, he had nothing, but after serving him for many years, he was certainly leaving a lot wealthier than when he first arrived.
And so, because of this, Laban’s sons were becoming increasingly jealous, and so Jacob noticed that something wasn’t right, Genesis 31:1 / 1 Corinthians 3:3 / James 3:16 / 1 Corinthians 13:4 / Titus 3:3 / Matthew 27:18.
Not only did Jacob know something wasn’t right, Genesis 31:2, but so did the Lord, hence He tells him to return to his homeland, which is back to where Isaac and Rebekah lived, Genesis 31:3.
Notice that Jacob had to demonstrate faith in action; he had to return to the land, and then God promised He would be with him, Genesis 31:3. In other words, he had to act first in faith to receive the promise of God being with him.
Jacob sends word to Rachel and Leah to come, Genesis 31:4, and when they arrive, he tells them that their father’s attitude toward him has changed, but the God of his father has been with him, Genesis 31:5.
Jacob basically assures Rachel and Leah that everything which happened concerning their father’s flock was the work of God and not his own idea. In other words, it was God’s will that Jacob should prosper so that he could return to his homeland wealthier.
Jacob told Laban’s sons that their father had cheated him of his wages by changing his wages ten times, Genesis 31:6-7. This may well be the way things were done in their culture, but it was still dishonest, and God recognised this as dishonest, too.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This is said to mean, merely ‘numerous times,’ after the customary Hebrew usage. ‘The number ten expresses the idea of completeness.’ It is used in Revelation simply to express multiplicity, as in the case of the ‘ten horns’, Revelation 18. No matter what Laban did, every change turned out to the benefit of Jacob.’
He reminds them of the deal he made with Laban concerning the speckled ones being his wages and the streaked ones will be his wages,’ Genesis 31:8 / Genesis 30:27-43.
He tells them it was God who had taken away their father’s livestock and given them to him, Genesis 31:9. He says it was during breeding season that he had a dream and when he looked up and saw that the male goats mating with the flock were streaked, speckled, or spotted, Genesis 31:10.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘It is significant that this dream’s connection with events that occurred at the very beginning of the six years of service is dramatically emphasised in the Samaritan version. “It gives us the whole of this dream at the end of Genesis 30:36.’
The angel of God told Jacob in his dream his name, and he replied, He is there, Genesis 31:11. It was the angel of God who told him to look up and see that all the male goats mating with the flock are streaked, speckled or spotted, for He had seen all that Laban had been doing to him, Genesis 31:12.
Notice the angel of God reveals His identity, He is the LORD, the God of Bethel, where Jacob anointed a pillar and where he made a vow to Him, Genesis 31:13 / Genesis 28:18-22. Jacob goes ahead and tells Rachel and Leah that it was time to leave, Genesis 31:13. Who is this angel? This is the pre-incarnation appearance of the Christ.
Haynes Jr, in his commentary, says the following.
‘A study of these passages reveals that the Angel of the Lord appeared in human form, Genesis 18:2 / Genesis 22:1-18 / Hebrews 13:2, and performed normal human functions, Genesis 32:24 / Numbers 22:23 / Numbers 22:31, yet he was an awe-inspiring figure, Genesis 32:30 / Judges 6:22 / Judges 13:22, exhibiting divine attributes and prerogatives including predicting the future, Genesis 16:10-12, forgiving sin, Exodus 23:21, and receiving worship, Exodus 3:5 / Judges 13:9-20.’
Rachel and Leah both reply to Jacob and ask him if they still have any share in the inheritance of their father’s estate, Genesis 31:14. They ask if he doesn’t regard them as foreigners. They tell him that not only has their father sold them, but he has also used up what was paid for them, Genesis 31:15.
Rachel and Leah acknowledged that their father didn’t deal with Jacob honestly, and so, they agreed to leave secretly from their father’s household. Laban has become their enemy, and he and his sons needed to get right with God, Revelation 2:4-5.
Notice they both claim that it was God who took away all their wealth from their father, and now it belongs to them and their children, Genesis 31:16. They are happy to do whatever God has told Jacob to do, Genesis 31:16.
Whilst Jacob gained two wives and several sheep and goats, Laban lost two daughters, his grandchildren and most of his flock. Surely there’s a lesson here about dishonesty and reaping the consequences.
The plan to leave Laban’s land was now underway, and they left without saying goodbye, but notice that Jacob puts his livestock ahead of him and his children, Genesis 31:17.
Usually, the head of the house would lead the way, but here it’s the opposite. Why? Possibly because Jacob remembered that Esau was going to be a real danger when he returned, Genesis 27:41. Jacob wanted to go and see his father, Isaac, Genesis 31:18.
Notice that Rachel stole her father’s household gods, Genesis 31:19. Why? They were like an inheritance; they were the deeds of ownership of the property of Laban, and so, whoever possessed them had legal rights to the inheritance of Laban.
Aalders, in his commentary, says the following.
‘One Jewish midrash suggested that Rachel took the idols in order to keep her father from worshipping them!’
Rachel and Leah were wrong to look to Laban for their inheritance because they were married to Jacob; they should have been looking to him for their inheritance.
Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him he was running away, Genesis 31:20, and so he fled with all he had, crossed the Euphrates River, and headed for the hill country of Gilead, Genesis 31:21.
Whitelaw, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The River here is the Euphrates, which in the Bible is called, ‘by preeminence, the river, 1 Kings 4:21 / Ezra 4:10 / Ezra 4:16.’
Three days later, Laban is told that Jacob had fled, Genesis 31:22, and so, he follows in hot pursuit for seven days and catches up with him in the hill country of Gilead, Genesis 31:23.
Notice that God came to Laban in a dream, Genesis 31:24. In that dream, God basically warned Him not to speak harshly against Jacob. God was simply putting fear into Laban’s heart.
Whitelaw, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This is an idiomatic expression, a proverbial phrase for opposition or interference.’
Laban overtook Jacob while Jacob was camping in the hill country of Gilead, and so Laban and his relatives camped there too, Genesis 31:25. Laban now speaks to Jacob and asks what he had done. He tells Jacob he deceived him and carried his daughters off like captives in war, Genesis 31:26.
The word hypocrisy comes to mind here when we read about what Laban accuses Jacob of. He accused Jacob of stealing his family, being rude in the way he left, ignoring his so-called generosity, and being denied the right to send his daughters away with a feast, Genesis 31:27 / Genesis 29:22.
He says Jacob didn’t even let Laban kiss his grandchildren and his daughters goodbye, Genesis 31:28. Laban doesn’t seem to realise that he was guilty of everything he was accusing Jacob of.
He says to Jacob that he had the power to harm him, but God told him the night before that he must be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad, Genesis 31:29 / Genesis 24:50. He even accused Jacob of being a thief; he accused him of stealing the household gods, Genesis 31:30.
Notice how Jacob deals with all these accusations; he didn’t defend himself in any shape or form. This shows the kind of character that Jacob is now becoming. He tells Laban that he was scared because Laban was going to take his daughters back by force, Genesis 31:31.
He then says if Laban finds anyone who has his gods, then that person will be killed, Genesis 32:32. He invites Laban to look for himself in the presence of their relatives, to see if he can find anything that belonged to him, and if he does, he can take it, Genesis 32:32. We must remember that Jacob had no idea that Rachel had taken them, Genesis 32:32.
Laban is looking for his household gods and first goes to Jacob’s tent and then Leah’s tent and then into the tent of the two female servants, but he found nothing, Genesis 31:33.
Then he goes into Rachel’s tent, Genesis 31:33, but couldn’t find them because Rachel was sitting on them, Genesis 31:34. She obviously had hidden them in the saddle of her camel, and so, when everyone is searching for them, she comes out with the excuse that she was on her monthly period, Genesis 31:35, which we know was a lie.
Because Jacob had been accused of all kinds of things, especially stealing Laban’s household gods, we can understand why Jacob would become angry; he was basically being hunted down, Genesis 31:36, and being accused of being a thief, Genesis 31:37.
He goes to rebuke Laban because of his behaviour and the way he has treated Jacob since he arrived at Laban’s house. He’s been with Laban for twenty years, and his sheep and goats have not miscarried, nor has he eaten rams from his flocks, Genesis 31:38.
Jacob didn’t bring him animals torn by wild beasts, but he gladly bore the loss himself, Genesis 31:39. He reminds Laban that he himself demanded payment from Jacob for whatever was stolen by day or night, Genesis 31:39.
Wenham, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Under traditional ancient Near Eastern law, a shepherd was not held responsible for losses to his master’s flocks due to attacking wild beasts and, in some cases, thieves. Yet Jacob had borne these losses, Genesis 31:39. Laban had cheated Jacob.’
This was Jacob’s situation: the heat consumed him in the daytime and the cold at night, and sleep fled from his eyes, Genesis 31:40.
Lamsa, in his commentary, says the following.
‘In view here are the harsh temperature changes of the Arabian deserts, where the temperature rises to 120 degrees during the day and falls as low as 55 degrees at night.’
For twenty years, Jacob served in Laban’s house. He worked for him for fourteen years for Leah and Rachel and six years for his flocks, and he changed his wages ten times, Genesis 31:41 / Genesis 29:18-30.
Jacob reminds Laban that it was God who was blessing him; if God wants to bless him, then he would have left with nothing, Genesis 31:42. He also reminds him that God Himself rebuked Laban in a dream, Genesis 31:42. Notice he uses the phrase, the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, Genesis 31:42 / Genesis 31:53.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This is another expression that means ‘Jehovah,’ and it is used here as a synonym for Jehovah.’
The reality of God being involved in everything seems to have finally struck a chord with Laban, and so, he recognises that Jacob isn’t his slave and everything Jacob owns is legally his, Genesis 31:43. He asks Jacob to make a covenant, Genesis 31:44.
Normally, to establish a covenant, some kind of memorial was erected made from stone, Genesis 31:45, oaths were then shared, and then some kind of feast was held, where they could eat the meat from a sacrificed animal.
Notice that Laban named the heap of stones ‘Jegar Sahadutha’, but Jacob named it Galeed, which means ‘witness heap’, Genesis 31:46-48. It was also called Mizpah, which means ‘watchtower’, Genesis 31:49. The idea is that if you do wrong, God will see it and will punish you.
Laban now gives Jacob a warning: if Jacob mistreats Laban’s daughters or if he takes any wives besides Laban’s daughters, even though no one is with them, remember that God is a witness between them both, Genesis 31:50.
Laban seems to know that having more wives only brings about more trouble, especially if they are Canaanite women. Laban goes on and tells Jacob, here is this heap, and here is this pillar I have set up between them both, Genesis 31:51.
The heap and the pillar are to be witnesses that he won’t go past the heap on Jacob’s side to harm him and that Jacob won’t go past the heap and pillar to Laban’s side to harm Laban, Genesis 31:52.
The agreement was that Laban wouldn’t increase his territory south of the monument and Jacob wouldn’t increase his north of the monument, in order that they not trespass on one another’s lands.
He then asks the God of their fathers, Abraham and Nahor, Genesis 11:22-29, to judge between them, Genesis 31:53. Notice Jacob takes an oath in the name of the Fear of his father, Isaac, Genesis 31:53 / Genesis 31:42. He offered a sacrifice and invited his relatives to a meal, and after eating, they spent the night there, Genesis 31:54.
In the morning, Laban kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them. Then he left and returned home, Genesis 31:55. They depart from each other, and this is the last time we hear of Laban, who was clearly a man of the world.