Laban confronts Jacob (Gen. 21:25-29)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 01-17-2007

 

My Worship Time                                                                Focus:  Laban confronts Jacob

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                   Reference:  Genesis 31:25-29

 

            Message of the verses:  “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.’”

           

            I think that it would be fair to say that the deceiver got deceived, and the point could also be made that Jacob, who was a deceiver before he went to Uncle Laban’s house is still learning a lesson about deception.  It seems clear that Laban really wanted to do harm to Jacob, but was not allowed to do so, kind of like Balaam wanted to do harm to Jacob’s offspring but was not allowed to do so either.

           

            It is hard to believe that Laban was going to give a farewell party for his family when they left if he would have known about their departure, but that is what he said.  Laban was a very selfish person who was only looking out for himself and used Jacob along with others to get his way, and thus it is doubtful that he was a believer.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Deception has no part in the life of the believer and one cannot learn contentment when one practices deception.

 

The Word of God has been convicting and challenging to my heart as I read and studied it this morning.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  Continue to trust the Lord to direct my paths and also to continue to teach me contentment.