Gen 31:1 And he heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, Jacob hath taken away all that was our father's; and of that which was our father's hath he gotten all this glory.

Property and money can really be the cause of hatred and even murder. There was a man in Akron a few years ago that was killed over a property dispute. A life was taken, the one who killed went to prison, a home was broken, lives were ruined and all for a piece of property.

If only we could get it across to everyone the final picture. The things in this life are going to pass away. God is going to make all things anew. If at our time of departure from this life unto our eternal life, all we have to show for our lives is property and gain, we will pass on without nothing for we can't take anything with us. Our souls are lost for eternity and our property falls into the hands of others.

If we seek the things of God and care for the things that we will inherit from Him, nothing can be taken from us and at the time of death, we are rich. We are full now for the presence of His Holy Spirit in our lives is more valuable than any gold or material things. When we learn these things, losing property will not mean as much, at least not to the point of killing someone over our property.

As we read these chapters, we will see that if God had not have protected Jacob, Laban would have killed him and would have taken all that he possessed.

Gen 31:2 And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as before.

Envy, jealousy, greed, was within Laban now and he didn't like Jacob. Seems like everywhere Jacob goes he makes enemies either through his own mistakes or through God blessing him and his enemies becoming envious.

Gen 31:3 And the LORD said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.

When God says it is time to go, then it is time. Jacob felt in his heart the desire to leave and now he can't delay any further.

Gen 31:4 And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock,
Gen 31:5 And said unto them, I see your father's countenance, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father hath been with me.
Gen 31:6 And ye know that with all my power I have served your father.
Gen 31:7 And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me.

Laban was a man that was a shrewd businessman. He was out to use Jacob and gain all his could from Jacob's labor.

Gen 31:8 If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the cattle bore speckled: and if he said thus, The ringstreaked shall be thy hire; then bore all the cattle ringstreaked.
Gen 31:9 Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me.
Gen 31:10 And it came to pass at the time that the cattle conceived, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dream, and, behold, the rams which leaped upon the cattle were ringstreaked, speckled, and grizzled.
Gen 31:11 And the angel of God spoke unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I.
Gen 31:12 And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ringstreaked, speckled, and grizzled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee.

God multiplied the cattle of Jacob because he saw the treachery of Laban. Most of what had befallen Jacob was a result of the reaping and sowing of his past but after a time, God started blessing him again and wouldn't allow Laban to harm him any longer. God will judge but afterward he will judge those that come again those he calls for His own purpose. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was called of God for a purpose and nothing will change that. Christ was to come through their seed.

Gen 31:13 I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred.
Gen 31:14 And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house?

Gen 31:15 Are we not counted of him strangers? for he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money.
Gen 31:16 For all the riches which God hath taken from our father, that is ours, and our children's: now then, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do.

Rachel and Leah justifies all that Jacob had because they felt they deserved an inheritance from their father and their father took their money instead of giving it to them as the custom was.

Gen 31:17 Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon camels;
Gen 31:18 And he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gotten, the cattle of his getting, which he had gotten in Padan-aram, for to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.
Gen 31:19 And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father's.

We see here the signs that they did have idolatry in the land from which Abraham originally came from. Idolatry was a problem in ancient times, during the times the law of Moses was in effect and all through history unto this present day. The coming of Jesus eliminated most idolatry from followers of Jesus except the images that some churches insist on having. God has forbidden Jews and the believers in Christ from having graven images. They have always been a problem and we only hurt ourselves when we insist on using images in our worship. We need to cast them out of our churches and worship God in spirit and in truth. God is not to be made into an image of anything in heaven or in earth. We are not to make images of God or the Son of God.

Gen 31:20 And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled.

Jacob reminds me a little of myself. I would rather just leave quietly and without someone hindering me rather than have someone make a fuss, give a farewell party or try to talk me out of leaving if I have a mind to leave. I'm the type that will just go.

Gen 31:21 So he fled with all that he had; and he rose up, and passed over the river, and set his face toward the mount Gilead.
Gen 31:22 And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob was fled.
Gen 31:23 And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days' journey; and they overtook him in the mount Gilead.

He would have harmed Jacob at this point but God would not allow it.

Gen 31:24 And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.
Gen 31:25 Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount: and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mount of Gilead.
Gen 31:26 And Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters, as captives taken with the sword?
Gen 31:27 Wherefore didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away from me; and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away with mirth, and with songs, with tabret, and with harp?
Gen 31:28 And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? thou hast now done foolishly in so doing.
Gen 31:29 It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spoke unto me last night, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.
Gen 31:30 And now, though thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longedst after thy father's house, yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods?

Jacob must have found out later about these gods for he instructed his family to put away all of them. Rachel seems to want to hold onto some of the ways of her people.  She has not yet learned to trust in the true God of Israle.

Gen 35:2 Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments:
Gen 35:3 And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.
Gen 35:4 And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem

When Jacob went to worship God, back in Bethel, the gods had to go.

Gen 31:31 And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid: for I said, Peradventure thou wouldest take by force thy daughters from me.

He left in fear just like he did years ago from the face of his brother Esau.

Gen 31:32 With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live: before our brethren discern thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee. For Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them.
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.

She must have claimed to have been having a monthly period that women have which would have excused her not being hospitable to her father. Laban fell for it. Perhaps though he knew that she had them and knew what Jacob had said and would not want to kill his own daughter.

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 between us both.
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 bore 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.
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.
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 labor of my hands, and rebuked thee last night.
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?
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.
Gen 31:47 And Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha: but Jacob called it Galeed.
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.
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 between me and thee.
Gen 31:51 And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have cast between 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.
Gen 31:53 The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us. And Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac.
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.
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.


Jacob finally let loose and stood up for himself and confronted Laban with all his trickery and deceit. They made a covenant of peace and departed in peace.

If it wasn't for the mercy and intervention of God in this matter, they would have been bitter enemies for life. Christ brings us a better way to live. We don't have to worry about things the world has to worry about. If we lost things here, we have and inheritance that will never fade away.

John 6:27 Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.
 

Genesis 32