Jacob Pursued by Laban

Doing More than What is Expected

Bible Study Lessons at Genesis 31:22-55  

When Laban catches up with him, Jacob finally lets out his feelings about the way he was treated by Laban and retorted that he had done everything expected of him - and more. You'll also find a lesson for you and me in this Bible study from Genesis.

31:22 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.

24 God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream of the night and said to him, "Be careful that you do not speak to Jacob either good or bad."

25 Laban caught up with Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban with his kinsmen camped in the hill country of Gilead.

26 Then Laban said to Jacob, "What have you done by deceiving me and carrying away my daughters like captives of the sword?

27 "Why did you flee secretly and deceive me, and did not tell me so that I might have sent you away with joy and with songs, with timbrel and with lyre;

28 and did not allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now you have done foolishly.

29 "It is in my power to do you harm, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, 'Be careful not to speak either good or bad to Jacob.'

30 "Now you have indeed gone away because you longed greatly for your father's house; but why did you steal my gods?"

31 Then Jacob replied to Laban, "Because I was afraid, for I thought that you would take your daughters from me by force.

32 "The one with whom you find your gods shall not live; in the presence of our kinsmen point out what is yours among my belongings and take it for yourself." For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.

33 So Laban went into Jacob's tent and into Leah's tent and into the tent of the two maids, but he did not find them. Then he went out of Leah's tent and entered Rachel's tent.

34 Now Rachel had taken the household idols and put them in the camel's saddle, and she sat on them. And Laban felt through all the tent but did not find them.

35 She said to her father, "Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise before you, for the manner of women is upon me " So he searched but did not find the household idols.

36 Then Jacob became angry and contended with Laban; and Jacob said to Laban, "What is my transgression? What is my sin that you have hotly pursued me?

37 "Though you have felt through all my goods, what have you found of all your household goods? Set it here before my kinsmen and your kinsmen, that they may decide between us two.

38 "These twenty years I have been with you; your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten the rams of your flocks.

39 "That which was torn of beasts I did not bring to you; I bore the loss of it myself. You required it of my hand whether stolen by day or stolen by night.

40 "Thus I was: by day the heat consumed me and the frost by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes.

41 "These twenty years I have been in your house; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flock, and you changed my wages ten times.

42 "If the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had not been for me, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed God has seen my affliction and the toil of my hands, so He rendered judgment last night."

The Covenant of Mizpah

43 Then Laban replied to Jacob, "The daughters are my daughters, and the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine. But what can I do this day to these my daughters or to their children whom they have borne?

44 "So now come, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it be a witness between you and me."

45 Then Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar.

46 Jacob said to his kinsmen, "Gather stones." So they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there by the heap.

47 Now Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed.

48 Laban said, "This heap is a witness between you and me this day." Therefore it was named Galeed,

49 and Mizpah, for he said, "May the LORD watch between you and me when we are absent one from the other.

50 "If you mistreat my daughters, or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no man is with us, see, God is witness between you and me."

51 Laban said to Jacob, "Behold this heap and behold the pillar which I have set between you and me.

52 "This heap is a witness, and the pillar is a witness, that I will not pass by this heap to you for harm, and you will not pass by this heap and this pillar to me, for harm.

53 "The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us " So Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac.

54 Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain, and called his kinsmen to the meal; and they ate the meal and spent the night on the mountain.

55 Early in the morning Laban arose, and kissed his sons and his daughters and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned to his place.

Doing More Than Expected

In this study lesson the verses, although long, mostly point to the fact that Jacob did everything Laban asked of him. He worked seven years for Leah and seven more to marry Rachel - even though Labon deceived him from the very beginning.

The next six years, Jacob spent working to acquire the flock and God blessed him. Notice Labon says "my daughters" and "my flocks", disregarding the deal he had with Jacob and the labor provided.

Laban had treated Jacob almost as a slave, cutting his wages ten times during that period of time.

Expectations

In my humble opinion, I would have to say, Jacob did his part and more, don't you think? But, his diligence and hard work paid off in the end. Jacob became wealthy in riches but also in character from this experience.

Spiritual and Physical Benefits

When we do more than is expected of us, we please God. He always expects our best whether it is in our work, our relationship with others or our relationship with Him. Although this is most important, it's not the only benefit for doing more than is expected. ..

We also gain respect, reputation and confidence from other people who come in contact with us. We get more experience by doing more and we gain spiritual maturity.

Can you think of any reason why we shouldn't do more than is expected in everything we do?

Love in Christ

- Bob

Genesis 28:10-22 - Jacob Makes His Covenant with God