Mizpah
Gen 31:33 And Laban went into Jacob's tent, and into Leah's tent, and into the two maidservants' tents; but he found them not. Then went he out of Leah's tent, and entered into Rachel's tent.
Gen 31:34 Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel's furniture, and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the tent, but found them not.
Gen 31:35 And she said to her father, Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up before thee; for the custom of women is upon me. And he searched, but found not the images.
The camel's furniture was a basket saddle. Within the saddle was the idol that Rachel had taken from her father. Rachel set upon the saddle and by two things she appealed to her father, to not get up. She appealed to her womanhood, that she would not be embarrassed as to the time of the month it was. Secondly, her father trusted her word and her character. In reality she was a liar and a thief. How often humans appeal to their honor and reputation, when confronted with a trespass.
Isa 64:4 For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.
Isa 64:5 Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou art wroth; for we have sinned: in those is continuance, and we shall be saved.
Isa 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
Isa 64:7 And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.
Isa 64:8 But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.
Isa 64:9 Be not wroth very sore, O LORD, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, see, we beseech thee, we are all thy people.
Filthy rags, here means menstrual rags; applied this to Rachel, she appealed to her time of the month and her righteousness was based on her words, which were lies and deceit. She was under the curse of her husband who said: Gen 31:32 With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live:... Rachel needed to repent and trust the true God of Jacob. All must repent and receive the promise through Abraham; the Messiah Jesus our Lord.
Before I condemn Rachel, let me say that she may have just been insecure about leaving her father and wanted something of her father's that meant a lot to him. What do we show our children that we value in our lives? If they were to leave us to a distant place, would they take our faith with them? This is what Rachel did. What do you love most that your children might take as a reminder of what you loved most? Would they take a TV, or a credit card, or maybe a bad habit? It would be important to me that they take our God and our faith with them.
Jacob Speaks His Mind
Gen 31:36 And Jacob was wroth, and chided with Laban: and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me?
Gen 31:37 Whereas thou hast searched all my stuff, what hast thou found of all thy household stuff? set it here before my brethren and thy brethren, that they may judge betwixt us both.
What is it now, that you seek to accuse me of? Now Jacob let's loose his anger.
Gen 31:38 This twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten.
Gen 31:39 That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night.
Gen 31:40 Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.
Jacob always was responsible as a servant for anything that happened where he labored. He was the one to blame and to steal from. Isn't this the spirit of our adversary? If you serve him, he accuses you and he places bad things in your life. If you gain anything of value, he will take it from you. Only when we are under God's covenant can we escape this bondage.
Luke 1:68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,
Luke 1:69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;
Luke 1:70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:
Luke 1:71 That we should be saved from our enemies, andfrom the hand of all that hate us;
Gen 31:41 Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times.
I assume that his wages were increased, proving that he was a valuable servant.
Gen 31:42 Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.
If it were not for my God's blessings, I would still be your slave and have nothing. But, God has told me to leave you, it is time and he has given me this increase.
Gen 31:43 And Laban answered and said unto Jacob, These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and these cattle are my cattle, and all that thou seest is mine: and what can I do this day unto these my daughters, or unto their children which they have born?
All you have is from me, my daughters, your increase. Laban does not give Jacob's God the glory. In truth everything came from Jacob's service. Laban also increased because of the blessings of God on Jacob.
Psa 115:12 The LORD hath been mindful of us: he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron.
Psa 115:13 He will bless them that fear the LORD, both small and great.
Psa 115:14 The LORD shall increase you more and more, you and your children.
Psa 115:15 Ye are blessed of the LORD which made heaven and earth.
Gen 31:44 Now therefore come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee.
Gen 31:45 And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.
Gen 31:46 And Jacob said unto his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made an heap: and they did eat there upon the heap.
That was a big heap, if they ate upon it. It was a memorial and a marker of a new agreement between Jacob and Laban.
Gen 31:47 And Laban called it Jegarsahadutha: but Jacob called it Galeed.
Laban called it Jegarsahadutha: "witness heap". Jacob called it Galeed: Hebrew? for "witness heap"
Gen 31:48 And Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and thee this day. Therefore was the name of it called Galeed;
Gen 31:49 And Mizpah; for he said, The LORD watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another.
Mizpah means "watchtower".
Gen 31:50 If thou shalt afflict my daughters, or if thou shalt take other wives beside my daughters, no man is with us; see, God is witness betwixt me and thee.
Gen 31:51 And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have cast betwixt me and thee;
Gen 31:52 This heap be witness, and this pillar be witness, that I will not pass over this heap to thee, and that thou shalt not pass over this heap and this pillar unto me, for harm.
This was a border marking, a witness heap, a memorial and an agreement place.
Gen 31:53 The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge betwixt us. And Jacob sware by the fear of his father Isaac.
The God of Nahor, the grandfather of Abraham. A worshipper of idols. Abraham was called out of there unto a land and an inheritance by the one true God. Others point to Abraham as their father today, but their God is not the God of Abraham.
Jacob swore by Isaac, the son of Abraham and from him he had received the blessing and the inheritance promised to Abraham.
Gen 31:54 Then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread: and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mount.
Jacob offered sacrifice to his God. Laban lost his god, he was in a saddle basket hid away. Can the God of Abraham be stolen? Only by false teaching and false beliefs. He is being taken, hidden from America and without him, they have no light or truth.
Gen 31:55 And early in the morning Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them: and Laban departed, and returned unto his place.
He had a good farewell and offered them his blessing. He loved his children as a father of the world should. There was no turning back for Jacob. He left the known, for the unknown. He would have to truist God who had blessed him this far. Has Jesus brought you our of bondage? Don't look back, keep going. The journey is not over until we are with Jesus.
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