Genesis 31:14-55 Clinging to the Lord

Jacob and his wives discuss leaving Laban and his trickery behind and return to the land of Canaan. During the conversation the wives observe, “Surely all the wealth which God has taken away from our father belongs to us and our children” (31:16).

Jacob prepares the family to flee from Laban. However, one more thing takes place before they leave. Rachel steals her father’s household idols. At that point the family deceives Laban by leaving without telling him.

When Laban learns of the situation he pursues them. On the way, the Lord speaks to Laban in a dream telling him not to harm Jacob.

Laban finds Jacob and the entourage. He tells Jacob of God’s message in the dream but indicates that he has the power to harm Jacob. He also asks Jacob why he fled taking the household idols with him. Jacob knows nothing of the theft and permits Laban to search for the idols and agrees that the person responsible for the theft should be killed. Laban does not find the idols.

Jacob reminds Laban his mistreatment of Jacob and comments, “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” (31:42).

Laban and Jacob eventually agree not to harm each other. To commemorate the agreement they erect a heap of stones. They ask that the Lord might watch over them so that one does not take advantage of the other.

This account shows what happens when people live their lives using trickery and deception to get what they want. The end result is often suspicion, mistrust and hurt relationships. God never intended us to live that way. He wants us to have relationships that bring fulfillment and honor the Lord. He wants us to edify and encourage one another. He wants our yes to be yes and our no to be no.

Another thing the Lord wants from us is total allegiance and worship, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other Gods before Me” (Ex 20:1-2).

Rachel and had seen the goodness of God as He protected the family and brought prosperity. Even so, she could not leave without taking the family idols. Apparently she was not able to make a total break from the pagan religion of her father.

The Ten Commandments continue with this specific command, “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them: for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God” (Ex 20:4-5).

How difficult it is for some of us to leave the past behind and give total allegiance to the Lord. Sometimes we are like the taxi driver who commented, “When I go by a church, a mosque a shrine, etc. I leave some money at each place. Then I have all of my bases covered.”

God has already covered all of our bases by sending His Son who died in our place so that we might not have to pay the penalty for our sin. He not only covered our bases, more importantly He covered our sin with His blood.

Let’s not be like Rachel as she stole the idols. She had seen the goodness of God but had not come to trust in Him fully and exclusively.

Let’s be like David who said:

“I will praise [thee], O LORD, with my whole heart; I will show forth all thy marvelous works” (Ps 9:1).

“Praise ye the LORD. I will praise the LORD with [my] whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and [in] the congregation” (Ps 11:1).

Psalm 119 has several reminders of the importance of seeking the Lord with a whole heart:

“Blessed [are] they that keep his testimonies, [and that] seek him with the whole heart” (Ps 119:2).

“With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments” (Ps 119:10).

“Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with [my] whole heart” (Ps 119:34).

“I entreated thy favor with [my] whole heart: be merciful unto me according to thy word” (Ps 119:58).

“The proud have forged a lie against me: [but] I will keep thy precepts with [my] whole heart” (Ps 119:69).

“I cried with [my] whole heart; hear me, O LORD: I will keep thy statutes” (119:145).

The message could not be any more clear. The Lord wants us to reject the things that cause us to lose our focus on Him. Let’s cling to Him in these days serving Him with a whole heart!