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31 Then Jacob answered and said to Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I said, ‘Perhaps you would take your daughters from me by force.’ 32 With whomever you find your gods, do not let him live. In the presence of our brethren, identify what I have of yours and take it with you.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them. 33 And Laban went into Jacob’s tent, into Leah’s tent, and into the two maids’ tents, but he did not find them. Then he went out of Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s tent. 34 Now Rachel had taken the household idols, put them in the camel’s saddle, and sat on them. And Laban searched all about the tent but did not find them. 35 And she said to her father, “Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise before you, for the manner of women is with me.” And he searched but did not find the household idols. ~ Genesis 31:31-35
Today, we continue our study of Genesis 31 where Jacob and his family have departed from Haran and now they are camped on Mount Gilead which means the mountain of perpetual spring. After arriving there, Jacob received a visit from Laban his father-in-law who was quite put out with Jacob for taking his daughters and grandchildren from Haran. Laban had just asked Jacob why he left Haran for the Promised Land and Jacob is about to provide him with his answer.
In v.31 of today's passage we read, "Then Jacob answered and said to Laban, 'Because I was afraid, for I said, Perhaps you would take your daughters from me by force."
In response to the question from Laban, Jacob sighted fear for his motive. Jacob was afraid of Laban his father-in-law. Jacob, yet again, feared another man. Fear is self-imprisoning. As this type of fear grows in us it yields anxiety which robs us of all types of good things, particularly rest. From Genesis 9:2 to Revelation 19:5, the word fear is used more than five hundred times.
In 2 Timothy 1:7 we read, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."
Obviously, the cure for fear is faith in the God of the Bible, but the tricky part about the growth of our faith in the God of the Bible is that we must go to and through our fears in order to grow in our faith in God. Yes, Jacob needed more faith in his soul but in order to grow in his faith he had to confront and quell his fear of Laban.
Jacob was stung by Laban’s accusations and to the first that he was disrespectful for the way he left Haran he admitted that he feared Laban, he was afraid if he told Laban he was leaving and returning home that Laban would take his daughters from him by force. Jacob didn't know that Laban's real motivation was to find his idols which he called his gods.
Jacob's answer attended to the matter of his wives first, rather than any theft Laban suffered. What Jacob noted here wasn’t at all far-fetched. Jacob had worked for and paid off his debt to Laban. Also he took nothing from him when he left. Rachel took his household gods which Jacob knew nothing about. He had every right to leave and his departure was actually the wise thing to do considering the circumstances of the past 20 years.
In v.32 of today's passage we read, "'With whomever you find your gods, do not let him live. In the presence of our brethren, identify what I have of yours and take it with you.' For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them."
After addressing what he felt was the main concern, Jacob brought up another matter in a way which would absolutely confirm his innocence. If the idols were found in his camp, Laban would have the right to execute whomever stole them. As to the accusation that he had stolen Laban’s gods, Jacob denied it because he did not know that Rachel had stolen them. Still a bit fearful of Laban and not knowing what was going to happen, Jacob told Laban to search through their belongings and if he found anything that was his to take it. And, if the gods were found, the person who had them should be put to death.
Subtly, Jacob goes from a fearful man to a man who is courageous. The difference was made by the truth. Jacob was convinced that the idols of Laban were not stolen by anyone in his family and this explains why Jacob suggested that the one be killed who stole them. The salve to our fear is the truth and our trust in the truth. Jacob feared because he lacked the truth. If we want to grow in our faith and if we want to overcome our fears we must be defined by the truth. Jacob had no clue that his wife Rachel had stolen her father's idols and that she had carried them along with her.
In v.33 of today's passage we read, "And Laban went into Jacob’s tent, into Leah’s tent, and into the two maids’ tents, but he did not find them. Then he went out of Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s tent."
Laban didn't know that "Rachel had taken the household idols and had put them in the camel's saddle." A camel's saddle was probably simply a blanket or a cloth folded up and placed on the back of the camel. And that's what she was seated on.
In v.34 of today's passage we read, "Now Rachel had taken the household idols, put them in the camel’s saddle, and sat on them. And Laban searched all about the tent but did not find them."
Rachel obviously heard Jacob’s words about putting to death whoever had taken the idols and so she packed them away in a camel’s saddle and sat down on them. Then, she devised a plan to keep him from finding them. As her dad poked around in her tent, Rachel informed him of a supposed malady which prevented her from dismounting the camel at that moment.
In v.35 of today's passage we read, "And she said to her father, 'Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise before you, for the manner of women is with me.' And he searched but did not find the household idols."
Rachels words to her father revealed she had garnered her deceptive practices well from her dad. Laban’s search turned up nothing and his gods were still missing. It was then that Jacob saw that there was no need for him to fear Laban. Jacob knew then that God was protecting him from Laban. Jacob was growing in his understanding that God had him no matter what.
In Isaiah 49:16 we read, "Behold, I have graven you on the palms of my hands."
The Lord Jesus, after His resurrection, appeared to his frightened disciples, huddled together in the upper room, and He said to them, "Behold, my hands and my feet and see that it is I." The wounds in the hands of the Lord Jesus were the marks of love and the very names of believers have been engraved there.
In John 10:28 we read, "I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one."
