Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel 23 He took his men with him and pursued Jacob for seven days until he caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead. 13 I am the God who appeared to you at Bethel, where you dedicated a stone as a memorial by pouring olive oil on it and where you made a vow to me. Laban agreed to also give him Rachel after Jacob completed the wedding week with Leah, but would only do so in exchange for another seven years of work (Genesis 29:18–29). The Shepherd of Prosperity And when the business relationship that Jacob and Laban had between them, would begin to sour. 12 Zilpah bore Jacob another son, 13 and Leah said, “How happy I am! Thus, he readily agrees to give Jacob these animals in exchange for more service (30:29–34). Genesis 31: Jacob and Laban; The Story. If you want something else, you must work for it.”. Jacob had served Laban 14 years. 1 Jacob continued on his way and went toward the land of the East. Laban promised to give Rachel to Jacob if he would work for him for seven years (Genesis 29:19–20). But as we will see tomorrow, God will give this cheater his just desserts. 51 Here are the rocks that I have piled up between us, and here is the memorial stone. 16 When Jacob came in from the fields in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You are going to sleep with me tonight, because I have paid for you with my son's mandrakes.” So he had intercourse with her that night. Then she stopped having children. Tell me what your wages should be.” 16 Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 3 She said, “Here is my slave Bilhah; sleep with her, so that she can have a child for me. © 1992 American Bible Society. He had many flocks, slaves, camels, and donkeys. 5 Bilhah became pregnant and bore Jacob a son. 23 She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. 22 When it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled, 23 then he took his kinsmen with him and pursued him a distance of seven days’ journey, and he overtook him in the hill country of Gilead. 3 Then the Lord said to him, “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your relatives. I didn't take it to you to show that it was not my fault. 52 Both this pile and this memorial stone are reminders. 1 But Rachel had not borne Jacob any children, and so she became jealous of her sister and said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I will die.”, 2 Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, “I can't take the place of God. in all its fullness to as many people as possible. 37 Jacob got green branches of poplar, almond, and plane trees and stripped off some of the bark so that the branches had white stripes on them. 33 She became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. 25 Not until the next morning did Jacob discover that it was Leah. In addition, Laban was thrice related by marriage to Abraham's family: his sister Rebecca married Isaac, and his two daughters, Leah and Rachel, both married Jacob.Thus Laban was Abraham's great-nephew, Isaac's cousin and brother-in-law, and Jacob's uncle and father-in-law. Now he wished to depart and return to his father in Canaan. Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son's mandrakes.”, 15 Leah answered, “Isn't it enough that you have taken away my husband? Jacob took care of the rest of Laban's flocks. First published in Tabletalk Magazine, an outreach of Ligonier. Now women will call me happy”; so she named him Asher. 25 After the birth of Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Let me go, so that I can return home. 50 Laban went on, “If you mistreat my daughters or if you marry other women, even though I don't know about it, remember that God is watching us. Donate Now. 12 ‘Look,’ he continued, ‘all the male goats that are mating are striped, spotted, and speckled. We need to understand that Jacob was in Laban's home because he had run away. 30 The little you had before I came has grown enormously, and the Lord has blessed you wherever I went. All the solid-coloured animals belonged to Laban. He is the one who keeps you from having children.”. Why have you tricked me?”, 26 Laban answered, “It is not the custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older. But recognizing that God has blessed him because of Jacob’s presence, Laban asks Jacob to stay and continue to manage his flocks—and Laban promises to let Jacob name his wages. But God has seen my trouble and the work I have done, and last night he gave his judgment.”, 43 Laban answered Jacob, “These young women are my daughters; their children belong to me, and these flocks are mine. 24 In a dream that night God came to Laban and said to him, “Be careful not to threaten Jacob in any way.” 25 Jacob had set up his camp on a mountain, and Laban set up his camp with his relatives in the hill country of Gilead. Laban did not do well by Jacob, and in the end, the LORD propelled Jacob above Laban. He got all his wealth from what our father owned.” 2 He also saw that Laban was no longer as friendly as he had been earlier. 21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “The time is up; let me marry your daughter.” 22 So Laban gave a wedding feast and invited everyone. Jacob inquired why the shepherds did not water their flocks while it was still day. That was a foolish thing to do! I worked to get Rachel. Jacob and Laban’s Relationship While reading my chronological Bible study, I was struck by the relationship between Jacob and Laban.It is a fairly lengthy relationship that takes up more than four chapters of Genesis, so I felt it was worthy of a little more study. Title: Jacob Runs from Laban Scripture: Genesis 31 Target Age Group: 3 rd-5 th grade Main Point: God’s (point upward) blessings (both hands up with palms toward you, and bring hands down) are unstoppable (hand on hip and other arm straight out with palm facing kids)! Jacob and Laban in Gilead. Laban welcomed his nephew as a young man, and set him the stipulation of seven years' labour before he permitted him to marry his daughter Rachel. In keeping with his deceitful nature, Laban removes all of the animals from his herd that could quickly produce speckled offspring for he wanted to keep Jacob around longer (vv. She ran to tell her father; 13 and when he heard the news about his nephew Jacob, he ran to meet him, hugged him and kissed him, and brought him into the house. Jacob Prospers （Genesis 30:25-43 ) And it came to pass, when Rachel had born Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, Send me away, that I may go to my own place, and to my country. She said, “The Lord has seen my trouble, and now my husband will love me”; so she named him Reuben. “Look, here comes his daughter Rachel with his flock.”, 7 Jacob said, “Since it is still broad daylight and not yet time to bring the flocks in, why don't you water them and take them back to pasture?”, 8 They answered, “We can't do that until all the flocks are here and the stone has been rolled back; then we will water the flocks.”, 9 While Jacob was still talking with them, Rachel arrived with the flock. Just then, Rachel, Laban’s daughter, arrived with her father’s herds. May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us." Seven years for Leah and seven for Rachel. He crossed the Euphrates River and started for the hill country of Gilead. A rich herdsman of Mesopotamia, son of Bethuel, and grandson of Mahor, Abraham's brother, Genesis 24:28-31.His character is shown in the gladness with which he gave his sister Rebekah in marriage to the only son of his rich uncle, Abraham, Genesis 24:30,50; and in his deceitful and exacting treatment of Jacob his nephew and son-inlaw, against which Jacob … Jacob got green branches of poplar, almond, and plane trees and stripped off some of the bark so that the branches had white stripes on them. The mission, passion and purpose of Ligonier Ministries is to proclaim the holiness of God Genesis 29:14-30:43 ^ BACK ^ ^ BACK ^ Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel. He put them there, because the animals mated when they came to drink. Jacob was with Laban twenty years in all. (AT)23 Taking his relatives(AU)with him(AV), he pursued Jacob for seven days and caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead. The Next 500 Years: 2017 National Conference, Regarding the Present in Light of the Future, Show Me Your Glory: Understanding the Majestic Splendor of God, Naming Ligonier the Beneficiary of a Bank or Investment Account, Gifts That Provide Income and Tax Benefits. 34 Rachel had taken the household gods and put them in a camel's saddlebag and was sitting on them. 38 I have been with you now for twenty years; your sheep and your goats have not failed to reproduce, and I have not eaten any rams from your flocks. 20 She said, “God has given me a fine gift. 29:14 After Jacob had stayed with him for a whole month, 15 Laban said to him, “Just because you are a relative of mine, should you work for me for nothing? Supplies: Paper, markers/crayons, and pencils Lesson Opening: Our Unstoppable God! Now my husband will accept me, because I have borne him six sons”; so she named him Zebulun. 4 So Jacob sent word to Rachel and Leah to meet him in the field where his flocks were. Laban had called a feast (Hebrew mishteh, from the root shātâ, "to drink"), a drinking banquet. 10 When Jacob saw Rachel with his uncle Laban's flock, he went to the well, rolled the stone back, and watered the sheep. Jacob sees through Laban and shrewdly makes an offer his father-in-law cannot resist. Though Laban has engaged in the forbidden practice of divination, God has overruled his superstition (see also 1 Sam. 33 Laban went and searched Jacob's tent; then he went into Leah's tent, and the tent of the two slave women, but he did not find his gods. Prophecy : The business battle between Jacob and Laban led Jacob to head back to his land in Canaan with his father Isaac. 27 Wait until the week's marriage celebrations are over, and I will give you Rachel, if you will work for me another seven years.”. This is why Jacob speaks of the land possessively — it is “his land” (“my” as he speaks in the first person) — when he asks Laban to send him out (30:25–26). Bible text from the Good News Translation (GNT) is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by American Bible Society, 101 North Independence Mall East, Floor 8, Philadelphia, PA 19106-2155 (www.americanbible.org). Do whatever God has told you.”. 29 I have the power to do you harm, but last night the God of your father warned me not to threaten you in any way. 40 Many times I suffered from the heat during the day and from the cold at night. Laban Pursues Jacob 22 And Laban was told on the third day that Jacob had fled. 28 Name your wages, and I will pay them.”, 29 Jacob answered, “You know how I have worked for you and how your flocks have prospered under my care. 5 He said to them, “I have noticed that your father is not as friendly toward me as he used to be; but my father's God has been with me. 26 Laban said to Jacob, “How could you hoodwink me and carry off my daughters like prisoners of war? Then he worked for Laban another seven years. "Name me your wages, and I will give it," Laban said (verse 28), hoping to entice Jacob to stay. 10:16 Gal. Jacob sees through Laban and shrewdly makes an offer his father-in-law cannot resist. 28), allowing him to see how divine providence has blessed him. 27, 30). “That day Laban removed the male goats that were striped and spotted, and all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had white on it, and every lamb that was black, and put them in charge of his sons” (Gen. 30:35). 10 Then Zilpah bore Jacob a son. Then they would put the stone back in place. Laban, also known as Laban the Aramean, is a figure in the Book of Genesis of the Hebrew Bible. Thus, he readily agrees to give Jacob these animals in exchange for more service (30:29–34). It served as a witness to all passersby of the covenant of peace that they had made. 11 The angel of God spoke to me in the dream and said, ‘Jacob!’ ‘Yes,’ I answered. That is all the wages I want. You know how well I have served you.”, 27 Laban said to him, “Let me say this: I have learned by divination that the Lord has blessed me because of you. 17 God answered Leah's prayer, and she became pregnant and bore Jacob a fifth son. However, Laban proved to be as duplicitous as Jacob himself. I will be with you.”. That is where his mother’s brother, Laban, lived. She said, “This time I will praise the Lord”; so she named him Judah. Laban was a nomad. 31 When the Lord saw that Leah was loved less than Rachel, he made it possible for her to have children, but Rachel remained childless. Laban made a deal with Jacob whereby Jacob had to work for Laban for 7 years in exchange for his daughter Rachel’s hand in marriage. 19 Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and during his absence Rachel stole the household gods that belonged to her father. 30 Jacob had intercourse with Rachel also, and he loved her more than Leah. 33 In the future you can easily find out if I have been honest. Laban gathered all the men of the area and had a mishteh (feast, lit. He found a stone and put it at his head. 34 Once again she became pregnant and gave birth to another son. 35 Rachel said to her father, “Do not be angry with me, sir, but I am not able to stand up in your presence; I am having my monthly period.” Laban searched but did not find his household gods. Laban. 10 “During the breeding season I had a dream, and I saw that the male goats that were mating were striped, spotted, and speckled. I will continue to take care of your flocks if you agree to this suggestion: 32 Let me go through all your flocks today and take every black lamb and every spotted or speckled young goat. 8 Rachel said, “I have fought a hard fight with my sister, but I have won”; so she named him Naphtali. Such perseverance is one mark of discipleship. Jacob then took Rachel as his second wife, on condition of serving an additional seven years' la… The way Laban cheated him with Rachel and Leah was merely a temporary setback; he had the fortitude to press on for what he wanted. 49 Laban also said, “May the Lord keep an eye on us while we are separated from each other.” So the place was also named Mizpah. 41 When the healthy animals were mating, Jacob put the branches in front of them at the drinking troughs, so that they would breed among the branches. However, Laban substituted her older sister Leah instead and Jacob had to serve a further 7 years in order to marry Rachel. 16 All this wealth which God has taken from our father belongs to us and to our children. That night, God told Laban, “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, … Laban believed the payout would be small but that his own prosperity would be great. Jacob had left his home and was going to Haran. 43 In this way Jacob became very wealthy. 27 Why did you deceive me and slip away without telling me? He put his sons in charge of them, 36 and then went away from Jacob with this flock as far as he could travel in three days. Jacob and Laban Make a Covenant of Peace. As the sun was setting, Jacob looked for a place where he could spend the night. 42 But he did not put the branches in front of the weak animals. When Jacob told Laban everything that had happened, 14 Laban said, “Yes, indeed, you are my own flesh and blood.” Jacob stayed there a whole month. 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