Jacob was sheckleless and alone when he arrived in Haran. As we saw last time, all he had was Yehovah’s Promise. It took twenty year, but Jacob receives the promise.
Jacob served Laban for seven years and then took the twins (28), first Leah and then Rachel a week later, he was 84. Over the next 7 years all his sons (except Benjamin) would be born to him. And during these same 14 years Laban also had been blessed in sons and daughters, riches.
Yasher 31:24 At that time, the other seven years which Jacob served Laban for Rachel were completed, and it was at the end of fourteen years that he had dwelt in Haran that Jacob said unto Laban, give me my women and send me away, that I may go to my land, for behold my mother did send unto me from the land at Canaan that I should return to my father’s house.
25 And Laban said unto him, Not so I pray thee; if I have found favor in thy sight do not leave me; appoint me thy wages and I will give them, and remain with me.Give me my women and my children for whom I have served you, and let me go; for you know my service which I have done for you.” And Laban said to him, “Please stay, if I have found favor in your eyes, for I have learned by experience that Yehovah has blessed me for your sake.” (Gen 30:26-27)
Jacob Receives The Promise
But the final 6 years is when Jacob receives the promise in full, Yehovah added great possessions and did according to all He had told him. What Yehovah says, He does!
Yasher 31:31 And Jacob served Laban six years longer, and when the sheep brought forth, Jacob removed from them such as were speckled and spotted, as he had determined with Laban, and Jacob did so at Laban’s for six years, and the man increased abundantly and he had cattle and maid servants and men servants, camels, and asses.
32 And Jacob had two hundred drove of cattle, and his cattle were of large size and of beautiful appearance and were very productive, and all the families of the sons of men desired to get some of the cattle of Jacob, for they were exceedingly prosperous.
33 And many of the sons of men came to procure some of Jacob’s flock, and Jacob gave them a sheep for a man-servant or a maid-servant or for an ass or a camel, or whatever Jacob desired from them they gave him.
34 And Jacob obtained riches and honor and possessions by means of these transactions with the sons of men, and the sons of Laban envied him of this honor.
Yes, it was in these years that the countenance of Laban and his sons changed concerning Jacob.
Yasher 31:36 And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban and of his sons, and behold it was not toward him in those days as it had been before.
So Yehovah commanded Jacob to return to the land of his birth.
Yasher 31:37 And Yehovah appeared to Jacob at the expiration of the six years, and said unto him, Arise, go forth out of this land, and return to the land of thy birthplace and I will be with thee.
38 And Jacob rose up at that time and he mounted his children and women and all belonging to him upon camels, and he went forth to go to the land of Canaan, to his father Isaac.
Laban was very unhappy when Jacob left and to make matters worse, Rachel had stolen her father’s idols.
The story of Laban’s pursuit of Jacob and the subsequent “covenant/cutting” which Jacob and Laban made to not do the other harm; and the breaking of the same, before Jacob had gone even a few miles is an interesting story.
53 And Jacob and Laban offered slaughter upon the mount, and they ate there by the heap, and they tarried in the mount all night, and Laban rose up early in the morning, and he wept with his daughters and he kissed them, and he returned unto his place.
54 And he hastened and sent off his son Beor, who was seventeen years old, with Avichorof the son of Uz, the son of Nahor, and with them were ten men.
55 And they hastened and went and passed on the road before Jacob, and they came by another road to the land of Seir.
56 And they came unto Esau and said unto him, Thus saith thy brother and relative, thy mother’s brother Laban, the son of Bethuel, saying,
57 Hast thou heard what Jacob thy brother has done unto me, who first came to me naked and bare, and I went to meet him, and brought him to my house with honor, and I made him great, and I gave him my two daughters for his women and two of my maids.
You will have to listen to this audio to find out more; Yasher definitely has “the rest of the story.”
Jacob Receives The Promise
2G35 Genesis 30.18-31.19 and Yasher 30-31.35
[Click here to download this audio mp3]
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