†. Gen 31:51 . . And Laban said to Jacob: Here is this mound and
here the pillar which I have set up between you and me:
Laban didn't set up anything. He only participated in dedicating the pillar.
Jacob and his sons set it up with their own hands. And it was all their own
idea, not his.
†. Gen 31:52 . . this mound shall be witness and this pillar shall be
witness that I am not to cross to you past this mound, and that you
are not to cross to me past this mound and this pillar, with hostile
intent.
I think Laban was beginning to become just a little bit scared because there
was something different about Jacob. He wasn't acting like the quiet,
humble, hard working hired hand Laban knew up in Paddan-aram. Jacob was
acting more like a sheik. And I think Laban was just a little unraveled by
that. He wasn't accustomed to that kind of a Jacob. And he knew it would be
impossible to defeat Jacob while Jacob's god watched over him. And I think
he was afraid that if Jacob ever did come up against him, Yhvh would make
sure he won.
†. Gen 31:53a . . May the God of Abraham and the god of Nahor--
their ancestral deities --judge between us.
Laban equated Abraham's God with Nahor's gods. Big mistake. Not all gods
are equal. But to a man like Laban, one is as good as another.
†. Gen 31:53b . . And Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac.
No way was Jacob going to honor Nahor's gods with an oath. And speaking
of:
Here in the USA, the Federal constitution guarantees religious liberty; viz:
religious tolerance. However, the constitution does not guarantee religious
equality. So then, American citizens are not required by law to regard
Islam's Allah as just as worthy of respect as Christianity's Yhvh-- and the
first amendment grants us the freedom of speech to say so if we please. If
Muslims controlled our government, we would risk execution for disparaging
Islam, while Islam would enjoy federal protection from criticism.
Should America apologize for burning Korans? No, we are a nation under the
Bible's God not Islam's god. The Bible's God does not look with favor upon
pagan deities; nor require His people to respect them; but on the contrary,
demands that His people quite disrespect them: with extreme prejudice. It's
the very first of the Ten Commandments.
Anyway, that ended the meeting and Laban went back to his own camp for
the night.
†. Gen 31:54 . . Jacob then offered up a sacrifice on the Height, and
invited his kinsmen to partake of the meal. After the meal, they
spent the night on the Height.
The kind of sacrifice that Jacob offered wasn't an 'olah (o-law') which would
have been totally incinerated. It was a zebach (zeh'-bakh); which more
resembles Passover, where the lamb is both a sacrifice and a meal. So then,
a biblical sacrifice isn't eo ipso something given up or destroyed, but
essentially pertains to something dedicated. (cf. Hos 14:1-2, Rom 12:1-2)
You can bet that was a very happy occasion. Jacob's family was finally going
to be rid of ol' MadDog Laban once and for all; and without violence too.
Since a good part of the day was wrecked already, they stayed and planned
on leaving the next day after an impromptu Thanksgiving dinner. Next
hurtle: Big Red, a.k.a. Mr. Esau ben Isaac.
Cont.
/
here the pillar which I have set up between you and me:
Laban didn't set up anything. He only participated in dedicating the pillar.
Jacob and his sons set it up with their own hands. And it was all their own
idea, not his.
†. Gen 31:52 . . this mound shall be witness and this pillar shall be
witness that I am not to cross to you past this mound, and that you
are not to cross to me past this mound and this pillar, with hostile
intent.
I think Laban was beginning to become just a little bit scared because there
was something different about Jacob. He wasn't acting like the quiet,
humble, hard working hired hand Laban knew up in Paddan-aram. Jacob was
acting more like a sheik. And I think Laban was just a little unraveled by
that. He wasn't accustomed to that kind of a Jacob. And he knew it would be
impossible to defeat Jacob while Jacob's god watched over him. And I think
he was afraid that if Jacob ever did come up against him, Yhvh would make
sure he won.
†. Gen 31:53a . . May the God of Abraham and the god of Nahor--
their ancestral deities --judge between us.
Laban equated Abraham's God with Nahor's gods. Big mistake. Not all gods
are equal. But to a man like Laban, one is as good as another.
†. Gen 31:53b . . And Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac.
No way was Jacob going to honor Nahor's gods with an oath. And speaking
of:
Here in the USA, the Federal constitution guarantees religious liberty; viz:
religious tolerance. However, the constitution does not guarantee religious
equality. So then, American citizens are not required by law to regard
Islam's Allah as just as worthy of respect as Christianity's Yhvh-- and the
first amendment grants us the freedom of speech to say so if we please. If
Muslims controlled our government, we would risk execution for disparaging
Islam, while Islam would enjoy federal protection from criticism.
Should America apologize for burning Korans? No, we are a nation under the
Bible's God not Islam's god. The Bible's God does not look with favor upon
pagan deities; nor require His people to respect them; but on the contrary,
demands that His people quite disrespect them: with extreme prejudice. It's
the very first of the Ten Commandments.
Anyway, that ended the meeting and Laban went back to his own camp for
the night.
†. Gen 31:54 . . Jacob then offered up a sacrifice on the Height, and
invited his kinsmen to partake of the meal. After the meal, they
spent the night on the Height.
The kind of sacrifice that Jacob offered wasn't an 'olah (o-law') which would
have been totally incinerated. It was a zebach (zeh'-bakh); which more
resembles Passover, where the lamb is both a sacrifice and a meal. So then,
a biblical sacrifice isn't eo ipso something given up or destroyed, but
essentially pertains to something dedicated. (cf. Hos 14:1-2, Rom 12:1-2)
You can bet that was a very happy occasion. Jacob's family was finally going
to be rid of ol' MadDog Laban once and for all; and without violence too.
Since a good part of the day was wrecked already, they stayed and planned
on leaving the next day after an impromptu Thanksgiving dinner. Next
hurtle: Big Red, a.k.a. Mr. Esau ben Isaac.
Cont.
/
