†. Gen 31:29c . . said to me last night: Beware of attempting
anything with Jacob, good or bad.
That was a very serious threat and I think the man knew it. If Laban tried to
persuade Jacob to return to Paddan-aram; he would die. If he harmed Jacob;
he would die. If he attempted to take the girls, the grandkids, and all the
flocks; he would die. In other words, God told that man not to interfere with
Jacob's life in any way at all or He would give him good reason to regret it.
From now on, Jacob, and all that pertained to him, was off limits-- including
Laban's ex-daughters, who were both married women; old enough to be on
their own, and completely out their dad's jurisdiction. When they were girls
living at home under their father's roof; then their dad could rule them. But
married women are ruled by their husbands.
†. Gen 3:16 . . your husband . . . he will rule over you.
†. Gen 31:30a . .Very well, you had to leave because you were
longing for your father's house.
Wrong! Jacob had to leave because God issued him marching orders. And
Jacob really needed to go anyway. Life with uncle Laban was unbearable. It
was humiliating, and it was suffocating. Jacob could never achieve his
greatest potential with a man like that always interfering and controlling his
destiny. Leaving Laban's ranch was in truth, an act of self defense; not just
for Jacob, but for Leah and Rachel too. Their dad ruled them from the day
they were born. That's okay for minor children, but it is not an okay thing
for married women. Married women need to be royalty in a home of their
own, and be allowed to do their own thinking and to make their own
decisions-- Princesses Of Quite A Lot, and Queens Of Everything.
I've heard it said that no one is truly a failure when they can always serve
as a bad example. (chuckle) Sort of like ex drunks, smokers, and drug
addicts. Well . . a man like Laban is a perfect example of a parent from hell.
He's probably the worst case scenario there is. Hopefully most of us will
never have to deal with an in-law like him. But there are only two ways to
deal with parents and in-laws from hell: 1) stand up for your rights, and 2)
get as far away as possible where their meddling tendrils can't mess up your
life. Jacob and the girls did both; and Yhvh's providence was right there on
hand to make sure they succeeded.
†. Gen 31:30 . . but why did you steal my gods?
Laban accused Jacob of taking the gods without even first inquiring if he
actually did. In the American system of criminal justice, a person is assumed
innocent until proven guilty; and the burden of proof is always upon the
accuser. Not only is that a very good principle of civic government, but it is
also an excellent social skill and will go a long way towards nurturing
friendships.
†. Gen 31:31 . . Jacob answered Laban, saying: I was afraid because
I thought you would take your daughters from me by force.
Jacob was probably right about that. He worked for Laban twenty years and
suspected the old boy would never let Jacob take the girls away from
Paddan-aram. Laban was definitely one of those over-my-dead-body kinds
of people. But it's doubtful Laban would've traveled all that way just to
retrieve his daughters or his gods: I've no doubt that what he really wanted
was Jacob's livestock.
†. Gen 31:32 . . But anyone with whom you find your gods shall not
remain alive! In the presence of our kinsmen, point out what I have
of yours and take it. Jacob, of course, did not know that Rachel had
stolen them.
It might appear that Jacob spoke rashly. But in that day, the code of
Hammurabi stipulated that the theft of temple gods was a death offense.
Apparently, it was truly a very serious crime to steal household gods as well.
Note : Hammurabi was a king of Babylonia; and the greatest ruler in the first
Babylonian dynasty. Precise dates for his life and reign aren't available. So
called middle chronology establishes his reign as about 1792-1750 BC. He
extended his empire northward from the Persian Gulf through the Tigris and
Euphrates river valleys and westward to the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.
After consolidating his gains under a central government at Babylon,
Hammurabi devoted his energies to protecting his frontiers and fostering the
internal prosperity of the empire. Throughout his long reign he personally
supervised navigation, irrigation, agriculture, tax collection, and the erection
of many temples and other buildings. Although he was a successful military
leader and administrator, Hammurabi is primarily remembered for his
codification of the laws governing Babylonian life.
The Code of Hammurabi is a collection of his laws and edicts, and the
earliest legal code known in its entirety. A copy of the code, engraved on a
block of black diorite nearly 2.4 m (8 ft) high, was unearthed by a team of
French archaeologists at Susa, Iraq (formerly ancient Elam) during the
winter of 1901-02. The block, broken in three pieces, has been restored and
is now in the Louvre in Paris.
The supposed "divine origin" of the written law is emphasized by a bas-relief
in which the king is depicted receiving the code from the sun god, Shamash.
The attribute most usually associated with that particular god is Justice. The
code is set down in horizontal columns of cuneiform writing: 16 columns of
text on one side and 28 on the reverse.
The text of the code of Hammurabi begins with a prologue that explains the
extensive restoration of the temples and religious cults of Babylonia and
Assyria. The code itself, composed of 28 paragraphs, seems to be a series of
amendments to the common law of Babylonia, rather than a strict legal
code. It begins with direction for legal procedure and the statement of
penalties for unjust accusations, false testimony, and injustice done by
judges; afterwards follow laws concerning property rights, loans, deposits,
debts, domestic property, and family rights.
The sections covering personal injury indicate that penalties were imposed
for injuries sustained through unsuccessful surgeries by physicians, and for
damages caused by neglect in various trades. Rates are fixed in the code for
various forms of service in most branches of trade and commerce.
The Code of Hammurabi contains no laws regarding religious practices. It
actually protected all forms of religion without stipulating any favoritism
towards any. The basis of criminal law is that of equal retaliation,
comparable to the Semitic law of an eye for an eye. The law offers
protection to all classes of Babylonian society-- the weak and the poor,
including women, children, and slaves --against injustice at the hands of the
rich and powerful.
The code was particularly humane for the time in which it was promulgated;
and attests to the law and justice of Hammurabi's rule. It ends with an
epilogue glorifying the mighty works of peace executed by Hammurabi and
explicitly states that he had been appointed by the gods "to cause justice to
prevail in the land, to destroy the wicked and the evil." He describes the
laws in his compilation as enabling the land to enjoy stable government and
good rule, and he states that he had inscribed his words on a pillar in order
that the strong may not oppress the weak, that justice may be dealt the
orphan and the widow.
Hammurabi counsels the downtrodden in these ringing words: Let any
oppressed man who has a cause come into the presence of my statue as
king of justice, and have the inscription on my stele read out, and hear my
precious words, that my stele may make the case clear to him; may he
understand his cause, and may his heart be set at ease!
If Laban had been disposed to honor Hammurabi's code, then he wouldn't
have been so quick to accuse Jacob. But the man was a law unto himself;
which has been pretty obvious all along.
Cont.
/
anything with Jacob, good or bad.
That was a very serious threat and I think the man knew it. If Laban tried to
persuade Jacob to return to Paddan-aram; he would die. If he harmed Jacob;
he would die. If he attempted to take the girls, the grandkids, and all the
flocks; he would die. In other words, God told that man not to interfere with
Jacob's life in any way at all or He would give him good reason to regret it.
From now on, Jacob, and all that pertained to him, was off limits-- including
Laban's ex-daughters, who were both married women; old enough to be on
their own, and completely out their dad's jurisdiction. When they were girls
living at home under their father's roof; then their dad could rule them. But
married women are ruled by their husbands.
†. Gen 3:16 . . your husband . . . he will rule over you.
†. Gen 31:30a . .Very well, you had to leave because you were
longing for your father's house.
Wrong! Jacob had to leave because God issued him marching orders. And
Jacob really needed to go anyway. Life with uncle Laban was unbearable. It
was humiliating, and it was suffocating. Jacob could never achieve his
greatest potential with a man like that always interfering and controlling his
destiny. Leaving Laban's ranch was in truth, an act of self defense; not just
for Jacob, but for Leah and Rachel too. Their dad ruled them from the day
they were born. That's okay for minor children, but it is not an okay thing
for married women. Married women need to be royalty in a home of their
own, and be allowed to do their own thinking and to make their own
decisions-- Princesses Of Quite A Lot, and Queens Of Everything.
I've heard it said that no one is truly a failure when they can always serve
as a bad example. (chuckle) Sort of like ex drunks, smokers, and drug
addicts. Well . . a man like Laban is a perfect example of a parent from hell.
He's probably the worst case scenario there is. Hopefully most of us will
never have to deal with an in-law like him. But there are only two ways to
deal with parents and in-laws from hell: 1) stand up for your rights, and 2)
get as far away as possible where their meddling tendrils can't mess up your
life. Jacob and the girls did both; and Yhvh's providence was right there on
hand to make sure they succeeded.
†. Gen 31:30 . . but why did you steal my gods?
Laban accused Jacob of taking the gods without even first inquiring if he
actually did. In the American system of criminal justice, a person is assumed
innocent until proven guilty; and the burden of proof is always upon the
accuser. Not only is that a very good principle of civic government, but it is
also an excellent social skill and will go a long way towards nurturing
friendships.
†. Gen 31:31 . . Jacob answered Laban, saying: I was afraid because
I thought you would take your daughters from me by force.
Jacob was probably right about that. He worked for Laban twenty years and
suspected the old boy would never let Jacob take the girls away from
Paddan-aram. Laban was definitely one of those over-my-dead-body kinds
of people. But it's doubtful Laban would've traveled all that way just to
retrieve his daughters or his gods: I've no doubt that what he really wanted
was Jacob's livestock.
†. Gen 31:32 . . But anyone with whom you find your gods shall not
remain alive! In the presence of our kinsmen, point out what I have
of yours and take it. Jacob, of course, did not know that Rachel had
stolen them.
It might appear that Jacob spoke rashly. But in that day, the code of
Hammurabi stipulated that the theft of temple gods was a death offense.
Apparently, it was truly a very serious crime to steal household gods as well.
Note : Hammurabi was a king of Babylonia; and the greatest ruler in the first
Babylonian dynasty. Precise dates for his life and reign aren't available. So
called middle chronology establishes his reign as about 1792-1750 BC. He
extended his empire northward from the Persian Gulf through the Tigris and
Euphrates river valleys and westward to the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.
After consolidating his gains under a central government at Babylon,
Hammurabi devoted his energies to protecting his frontiers and fostering the
internal prosperity of the empire. Throughout his long reign he personally
supervised navigation, irrigation, agriculture, tax collection, and the erection
of many temples and other buildings. Although he was a successful military
leader and administrator, Hammurabi is primarily remembered for his
codification of the laws governing Babylonian life.
The Code of Hammurabi is a collection of his laws and edicts, and the
earliest legal code known in its entirety. A copy of the code, engraved on a
block of black diorite nearly 2.4 m (8 ft) high, was unearthed by a team of
French archaeologists at Susa, Iraq (formerly ancient Elam) during the
winter of 1901-02. The block, broken in three pieces, has been restored and
is now in the Louvre in Paris.
The supposed "divine origin" of the written law is emphasized by a bas-relief
in which the king is depicted receiving the code from the sun god, Shamash.
The attribute most usually associated with that particular god is Justice. The
code is set down in horizontal columns of cuneiform writing: 16 columns of
text on one side and 28 on the reverse.
The text of the code of Hammurabi begins with a prologue that explains the
extensive restoration of the temples and religious cults of Babylonia and
Assyria. The code itself, composed of 28 paragraphs, seems to be a series of
amendments to the common law of Babylonia, rather than a strict legal
code. It begins with direction for legal procedure and the statement of
penalties for unjust accusations, false testimony, and injustice done by
judges; afterwards follow laws concerning property rights, loans, deposits,
debts, domestic property, and family rights.
The sections covering personal injury indicate that penalties were imposed
for injuries sustained through unsuccessful surgeries by physicians, and for
damages caused by neglect in various trades. Rates are fixed in the code for
various forms of service in most branches of trade and commerce.
The Code of Hammurabi contains no laws regarding religious practices. It
actually protected all forms of religion without stipulating any favoritism
towards any. The basis of criminal law is that of equal retaliation,
comparable to the Semitic law of an eye for an eye. The law offers
protection to all classes of Babylonian society-- the weak and the poor,
including women, children, and slaves --against injustice at the hands of the
rich and powerful.
The code was particularly humane for the time in which it was promulgated;
and attests to the law and justice of Hammurabi's rule. It ends with an
epilogue glorifying the mighty works of peace executed by Hammurabi and
explicitly states that he had been appointed by the gods "to cause justice to
prevail in the land, to destroy the wicked and the evil." He describes the
laws in his compilation as enabling the land to enjoy stable government and
good rule, and he states that he had inscribed his words on a pillar in order
that the strong may not oppress the weak, that justice may be dealt the
orphan and the widow.
Hammurabi counsels the downtrodden in these ringing words: Let any
oppressed man who has a cause come into the presence of my statue as
king of justice, and have the inscription on my stele read out, and hear my
precious words, that my stele may make the case clear to him; may he
understand his cause, and may his heart be set at ease!
If Laban had been disposed to honor Hammurabi's code, then he wouldn't
have been so quick to accuse Jacob. But the man was a law unto himself;
which has been pretty obvious all along.
Cont.
/
