†. Gen 31:14-15 . .Then Rachel and Leah replied and said to him:
Have we then still a share and an inheritance in our father's house?
Are we not considered by him as strangers? For he has sold us and
even totally consumed our money!
Now the truth comes out. All along the girls had resented the calculating,
business-like way that their dad sold them into marriage; like they were
commodities: not even caring how they might feel about living with Jacob;
and especially how the sisters might feel about sharing the same husband.
And what an incredible louse! The girls were each supposed to get a dowry,
but Laban kept it back and then, of all things, spent their dowries on
himself; or, worse yet, on himself and on the girls' brothers. Weasel! That
reminds me of one of my favorite bumper stickers:
MEN ARE NOT PIGS!
Pigs are gentle, sensitive, intelligent animals.
Laban was obviously some sort of maladjusted sociopath with one of those
"borderline" personality disorders. I don't know what happened to him in life
to make him that way, but something was very wrong with that man. The
attitude he displayed toward his little girls was absolutely abnormal. It was
just as abnormal as any of the psycho dads in the news from time to time
who get prosecuted for abusing their own little flesh and blood daughters.
†. Gen 31:16 . .Truly, all the wealth that God has taken away from
our father belongs to us and to our children. Now then, do just as
God has told you.
Yaaaaaay! (cheering section activity) That's it! We're out of here. The girls
are grown women with kids now and have to be thinking about their future.
Leah and Rachel are ready to leave home and kiss Haran good-bye forever.
Thank God that Rachel, Leah, and Dinah knew a man like Jacob or they
might have been poisoned on men all their lives. He wasn't perfect, yes that
is true. But Jacob was an excellent family man. For twenty years Rachel and
Leah observed and compared their brothers and their dad to Jacob. And
guess what. They much preferred to live with Jacob. He was fair, sensitive,
caring, accommodating, and always looking out for their best interests and
letting them have their own way whenever possible.
You know, Jacob didn't have to sleep with the maids. He could have put his
foot down and refused. But he did it to soothe his wives. I'm sure he was
aware of their rivalry amongst themselves and tried to help keep the peace
as best as he could. Life wasn't easy for Jacob; having to live with two
miserable women.
But he was willing to go the extra mile; and even let the girls have a say in
big decisions effecting the family's future. In the culture of that day, he
really didn't have to. Do you think Laban or his boys would have been
concerned about how the girls might feel about moving away to a new land?
No way. Their dad and brothers were nothing like that. They would have just
simply marched in and barked an announcement: Okay everybody; start
packing! We leave for California in two days!
†. Gen 31:17-18 . .Thereupon Jacob put his children and wives on
camels; and he drove off all his livestock and all the wealth that he
had amassed, the livestock in his possession that he had acquired in
Paddan-aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan.
That must have been quite a sight. Camels and people and supplies, dust
billowing everywhere, with Jacob's drovers moving the herds, followed by a
remuda of burros bringing up the rear. It was a real old fashion trail drive,
kind of like an 1840's wagon train. The girls must have been very excited to
be making their very first long-distance trek away from home. Rueben and
his brothers of course saw it as one big adventure. yahoooooo! Move 'em
out! Beer-sheba or bust!
†. Gen 31:19 . . Meanwhile Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and
Rachel stole her father's household idols.
Labans's household gods may have corresponded to ilani-- family gods of
the Nuzi household, and to the Roman's penates --household gods who were
thought to protect food supplies and assure the general well-being of the
family.
Since Laban was known for divination, some have suggested that Rachel
may have stolen his gods in order to prevent him from discovering Jacob's
whereabouts. However, I think Rachel just wanted those gods for their
potential access to providence.
†. Gen 31:20-21 . . Jacob kept Laban the Aramean in the dark, not
telling him that he was fleeing, and fled with all that he had. Soon he
was across the Euphrates and heading toward the hill country of
Gilead.
There's a note in the JPS Tanakh concerning the phrase: "Jacob kept Laban
the Aramean in the dark". The actual Hebrew says: he stole Laban's mind.
So I guess you cold say Rachel ripped off Laban's religion, and Jacob took
his brains.
The precise route Jacob took to go home is uncertain. It's hard to believe
that he came directly south through the Syrian Desert on the back side of
Mt. Hermon. Maybe he did, I don't really know; but it sure looks that way
The region of Gilead is on the east side of the Jordan Valley in between Yam
Kinneret (the Sea of Galilee) and the Dead Sea. Why Jacob didn't proceed
down through Lebanon and the West Bank I'm not sure; except maybe he
was in a very big hurry to get away from Laban and back on relatively safer
home turf. The Gilead route would eventually take him into the Jordan
Valley, one of the best sources of water and pasture for his animals. In
Abraham's day, the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere, like the
garden of God. It was probably still in pretty good shape yet in Jacob's.
Nowadays, usually all that travelers really need are gas stations and motels.
But in that day, the selection of a route was always dictated by the need of
water and pasture for the animals; not only the herds, but also the ones
people rode upon. The Jordan Valley was a relatively hazardous route
because lions lived in that area back in Jacob's day; so his drovers would
have to guard the livestock day and night to protect them from predators.
Cont.
/
Have we then still a share and an inheritance in our father's house?
Are we not considered by him as strangers? For he has sold us and
even totally consumed our money!
Now the truth comes out. All along the girls had resented the calculating,
business-like way that their dad sold them into marriage; like they were
commodities: not even caring how they might feel about living with Jacob;
and especially how the sisters might feel about sharing the same husband.
And what an incredible louse! The girls were each supposed to get a dowry,
but Laban kept it back and then, of all things, spent their dowries on
himself; or, worse yet, on himself and on the girls' brothers. Weasel! That
reminds me of one of my favorite bumper stickers:
MEN ARE NOT PIGS!
Pigs are gentle, sensitive, intelligent animals.
Laban was obviously some sort of maladjusted sociopath with one of those
"borderline" personality disorders. I don't know what happened to him in life
to make him that way, but something was very wrong with that man. The
attitude he displayed toward his little girls was absolutely abnormal. It was
just as abnormal as any of the psycho dads in the news from time to time
who get prosecuted for abusing their own little flesh and blood daughters.
†. Gen 31:16 . .Truly, all the wealth that God has taken away from
our father belongs to us and to our children. Now then, do just as
God has told you.
Yaaaaaay! (cheering section activity) That's it! We're out of here. The girls
are grown women with kids now and have to be thinking about their future.
Leah and Rachel are ready to leave home and kiss Haran good-bye forever.
Thank God that Rachel, Leah, and Dinah knew a man like Jacob or they
might have been poisoned on men all their lives. He wasn't perfect, yes that
is true. But Jacob was an excellent family man. For twenty years Rachel and
Leah observed and compared their brothers and their dad to Jacob. And
guess what. They much preferred to live with Jacob. He was fair, sensitive,
caring, accommodating, and always looking out for their best interests and
letting them have their own way whenever possible.
You know, Jacob didn't have to sleep with the maids. He could have put his
foot down and refused. But he did it to soothe his wives. I'm sure he was
aware of their rivalry amongst themselves and tried to help keep the peace
as best as he could. Life wasn't easy for Jacob; having to live with two
miserable women.
But he was willing to go the extra mile; and even let the girls have a say in
big decisions effecting the family's future. In the culture of that day, he
really didn't have to. Do you think Laban or his boys would have been
concerned about how the girls might feel about moving away to a new land?
No way. Their dad and brothers were nothing like that. They would have just
simply marched in and barked an announcement: Okay everybody; start
packing! We leave for California in two days!
†. Gen 31:17-18 . .Thereupon Jacob put his children and wives on
camels; and he drove off all his livestock and all the wealth that he
had amassed, the livestock in his possession that he had acquired in
Paddan-aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan.
That must have been quite a sight. Camels and people and supplies, dust
billowing everywhere, with Jacob's drovers moving the herds, followed by a
remuda of burros bringing up the rear. It was a real old fashion trail drive,
kind of like an 1840's wagon train. The girls must have been very excited to
be making their very first long-distance trek away from home. Rueben and
his brothers of course saw it as one big adventure. yahoooooo! Move 'em
out! Beer-sheba or bust!
†. Gen 31:19 . . Meanwhile Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and
Rachel stole her father's household idols.
Labans's household gods may have corresponded to ilani-- family gods of
the Nuzi household, and to the Roman's penates --household gods who were
thought to protect food supplies and assure the general well-being of the
family.
Since Laban was known for divination, some have suggested that Rachel
may have stolen his gods in order to prevent him from discovering Jacob's
whereabouts. However, I think Rachel just wanted those gods for their
potential access to providence.
†. Gen 31:20-21 . . Jacob kept Laban the Aramean in the dark, not
telling him that he was fleeing, and fled with all that he had. Soon he
was across the Euphrates and heading toward the hill country of
Gilead.
There's a note in the JPS Tanakh concerning the phrase: "Jacob kept Laban
the Aramean in the dark". The actual Hebrew says: he stole Laban's mind.
So I guess you cold say Rachel ripped off Laban's religion, and Jacob took
his brains.
The precise route Jacob took to go home is uncertain. It's hard to believe
that he came directly south through the Syrian Desert on the back side of
Mt. Hermon. Maybe he did, I don't really know; but it sure looks that way
The region of Gilead is on the east side of the Jordan Valley in between Yam
Kinneret (the Sea of Galilee) and the Dead Sea. Why Jacob didn't proceed
down through Lebanon and the West Bank I'm not sure; except maybe he
was in a very big hurry to get away from Laban and back on relatively safer
home turf. The Gilead route would eventually take him into the Jordan
Valley, one of the best sources of water and pasture for his animals. In
Abraham's day, the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere, like the
garden of God. It was probably still in pretty good shape yet in Jacob's.
Nowadays, usually all that travelers really need are gas stations and motels.
But in that day, the selection of a route was always dictated by the need of
water and pasture for the animals; not only the herds, but also the ones
people rode upon. The Jordan Valley was a relatively hazardous route
because lions lived in that area back in Jacob's day; so his drovers would
have to guard the livestock day and night to protect them from predators.
Cont.
/
