Deceit of Laban & God's Mercy

Deceit of Laban & God’s Mercy By: Tam Walls 1

Anger of Esau Esau was very angry at Jacob for receiving the birthright blessing from their father Isaac. In fact, Esau sought to kill Jacob! Upon hearing Esau’s desire to do Jacob harm, Rebekah ordered Jacob to flee to the land of Haran and live with her brother Laban until Esau’s anger subsided.

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Jacob Needs a Wife Before Jacob left for Haran, Isaac charged Jacob to not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan. Instead he was to take a wife of the daughters of Laban his mother’s brother. Isaac blessed Jacob and asked that God bless him and make him fruitful so that his offspring would be a multitude of people.

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Jacob’s Dream Jacob left the land of Beersheba and began his journey to the land of Padanaram. When the sun was set, Jacob stopped in a certain place to rest for the night.

He took stones for pillows and laid himself down to sleep.

Jacob had a special dream that night. In the dream a ladder was set up on the earth and the top of it reached to heaven.

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God Speaks The Lord stood at the top of the ladder and said, “I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac...� The Lord continued by telling Jacob that he would give him the land on which he stood and that his seed would be as the dust of the earth. God promised to be with Jacob wherever he goes.

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Jacob Awakes When Jacob awaked out of his sleep, he knew that the Lord was there and had spoken to him in the dream.

Jacob took the very stones he used for pillows and set them up for a pillar. He poured oil on top of the pillar and called the name of the place Bethel.

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Jacob Vows Jacob made a vow unto the Lord stating that if God kept him as he journeyed to and dwelt in Padanaram, provided him with his basic necessities, and allowed him to return to his father’s house in peace, than God would be his God. The pillar which he set up would be God’s house and he would give a tenth unto the Lord.

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Jacob Continues His Journey As Jacob continued on his journey, he finally came into the land of the people of the east.

He saw people with flocks of sheep at a well and asked them where of what land were thy from. The people told Jacob they were from Haran. Jacob questioned the people about Laban, his mother’s brother, just as Laban’s daughter Rachel was approaching with her father’s sheep.

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Jacob Continues His Journey When Rachel came near, Jacob kissed Rachel and began to cry. He told Rachel that he was her father’s brother and Rebekah’s son. Rachel ran and told her father of all these things. Laban quickly came to meet Jacob. The two men greeted each other with a warm embrace. Laban brought Jacob to his home and Jacob abode with him for a month.

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Jacob Chooses Rachel After a month, Laban told Jacob that although they are family Jacob should not work for free therefore, Laban asked Jacob what should his wages be. Now Laban had two daughters. The eldest was named Leah and the younger was named Rachel. Jacob loved Rachel. She was beautiful and well favored. Jacob told Laban that he would work seven years for Rachel. The seven years Jacob served for Rachel seemed as a few days to him because of the great love he had for her. At the end of the seven years Jacob asked Laban for his wife. Laban prepared a feast but, he had no intentions on giving Rachel to Jacob. Instead, Laban deceitfully brought Leah to Jacob and Jacob went in unto her thinking it was Rachel.

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The Truth Unveiled I wasn’t until the following morning that Jacob discovered Laban’s deception. Jacob questioned Laban about his actions and Laban responded by telling Jacob that the younger daughter could not be given in marriage before her older sister.

On top of tricking Jacob, Laban told him if he wanted Rachel he would have to serve seven additional years!!!

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Leah Is Hated Because of Jacob’s great love for Rachel, he served the additional seven years. Jacob loved Rachel far above Leah. But when the Lord saw Leah was hated, he opened her womb and blessed her with a son who she named Reuben. The Lord opened Leah’s womb again and blessed her with another son named Simeon. Her womb was opened a third time and this son was named Levi.

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Rachel’s Envy The Lord looked upon Leah again and blessed her a fourth time. Again, a son was born unto Leah and she named him Judah. When Rachel saw that her sister gave Jacob children and she had not, Rachel became envious of her sister. Rachel told Jacob she would die if he did not give her children. Jacob quickly responded by telling Rachel he was not God and that it was up to God to allow her to bare children.

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Handmaid Is Given Rachel desperately wanted children therefore, Rachel told Jacob to take her handmaid Bilhah to wife that she might bear children for her. Jacob took Bilhah to wife and went in unto her.

Bilhah conceived and she bare a son whom Rachel named Dan. Bilhah conceived a second time and bare a son named Nephtali.

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God Remembers Rachel God remembered Rachel and opened her womb. He blessed her with a son called Joseph. After the birth of Joseph, Jacob went to Laban and told him he wanted to go to his own country with his wives and children. Now Laban was a very cunning man. Laban knew that the Lord was with Jacob and as a result Laban’s cattle and wealth increased because Jacob resided and worked for him.

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Laban’s Deceit Laban had to figure out a way to keep Jacob with him therefore he asked Jacob to set his wages. Laban was cheating Jacob and not being fair despite the increase he received from God because of Jacob. Jacob agreed to keep Laban’s flock however, Jacob would remove the speckled and spotted cattle and goats as well as the brown cattle among the sheep. Those things would be Jacob’s hire.

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Jacob’s Cattle Increase Jacob continued to care for Laban’s flocks. As for his own flocks, Jacob took rods of green poplar, and of the hazel and chestnut tree and pilled white strakes in them. Jacob took the rods and set them before the cattle, sheep, and goats at the watering troughs so that the animals would conceive when they came to drink. The cattle did conceive and brought forth like animals that were rings raked, speckled and spotted. Jacob’s cattle increased greatly. Jacob also increased exceedingly in maidservants, menservants, camels, and asses.

God was with Jacob as he promised and blessed him abundantly.

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Laban Is Angry Laban’s sons were wroth with Jacob and began to accuse him of taking from their father. Even Laban’s attitude towards Jacob changed. God came to Jacob and told him it was time for him to return to the land of his kindred and that he would be with him. Jacob called Rachel and Leah unto him and told them of their father’s change toward him.

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God Is With Jacob Jacob told his wives that he had been faithful in his service with Laban. He explained to them that Laban was deceitful in his dealings with him even changing his wages ten times. Despite all those things God did not allow Laban to hurt Jacob. Jacob talked about a dream God gave him in which the Lord told him that he saw all the wrong Laban did against him and how God remembered the vow Jacob made unto him at Bethel.

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The Departure Rachel and Leah told Jacob that their father had been unjust in his actions towards them even stealing their money. They agreed to do as God commanded Jacob and leave their father’s house. Jacob immediately took his wives and sons and put them on camels and carried them away. He also took his cattle and all his goods he had gotten in Padanaram.

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God Speaks to Laban Laban was told three days later that Jacob had left with wives, sons, and goods. Laban took his brethren and pursued after Jacob for seven days and overtook them in Gilead. God knew Laban was a wicked man therefore he came to Laban in a dream to warn him that he ought to be careful with how he spoke to Jacob. When Laban caught up with Jacob he asked Jacob why did he leave without notice. Laban claimed that he would have thrown a party to wish Jacob well on his journey. Laban was brazen enough to tell Jacob that he desired to do him hurt but God came to him at night and warned him not to speak either good or bad to Jacob.

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Laban Inquires About His Idols Jacob told Laban he was afraid to tell him that he was leaving because he believed Laban would take his daughters from him. Laban questioned Jacob about the theft of his idols and Jacob told Laban whoever was found with the idols shall not live, unaware that it was Rachel who had stolen her father’s idols.

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Laban Inquires About His Idols Laban searched all of tents, sacks, and camel’s furniture but he did not find his missing idols. The idols were hidden with Rachel but she told her father that she was unable to get off of her camel due to the custom of females being upon her. Jacob was angry at Laban because his harassment and told him that of the twenty years he had served him, he was more than fair and upright in his dealings with Laban.

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Laban’s Deceit Revealed Jacob told Laban that none of Laban’s flocks miscarried their young nor did he eat any of Laban’s cattle.

Anything that was lost by theft or torn of beast, Jacob counted the loss against himself. Jacob worked day and night maintaining the things of Laban. Jacob worked fourteen years for Rachel and Leah and six years for cattle. In the twenty years Jacob worked his wages were changed ten times!

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God’s Mercy Despite all of Laban’s deception Jacob dealt with, Jacob never lost his integrity. He maintained the fear of the Lord at all times, never confronting Laban nor seeking revenge. God saw Jacob’s affliction and faithfulness to God. God didn’t allow Laban to send Jacob away empty nor do him harm. As Laban took from Jacob, the Lord added to Jacob abundantly.

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God’s Mercy Jacob was a wealthy man with much cattle, maidservants and menservants. But God blessed Jacob to bring forth sons and a daughter, a nation of people namely the twelve tribes of Israel. God also fulfilled his promise of allowing Jacob to return to the land of his father in peace.

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Questions

For questions regarding this presentation please contact us via email at info@householdofisrael.org or by phone at 219.949.9308

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Special Thanks

This presentation was developed by Tam Walls

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