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43 And Laban answered and said to Jacob, “These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and this flock is my flock; all that you see is mine. But what can I do this day to these my daughters or to their children whom they have borne? 44 Now therefore, come, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it be a witness between you and me.” 45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar. 46 Then Jacob said to his brethren, “Gather stones.” And they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there on the heap. 47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed. 48 And Laban said, “This heap is a witness between you and me this day.” Therefore its name was called Galeed, 49 also Mizpah, because he said, “May the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent one from another. 50 If you afflict my daughters, or if you take other wives besides my daughters, although no man is with us—see, God is witness between you and me!” ~ Genesis 31:43-50
Today, we continue our study of Genesis 31 where Jacob and his family have escaped their dad's deceptive ways only to encounter him at Mount Gilead yet again. Since Jacob has been growing in the truth we find him galvanized and substantiated in such a way that he has overcome his fear of his father-in-law Laban. In response to Jacob's confident reply to Laban's false charges, we now see Laban wanting to enter into a covenant with Jacob. Jacob's confidence was yet again soaring because he was learning to be defined by his Savior and not the opposite of truth which is sin.
Without God’s word, there can be no true understanding of anything. This is most true of our relationship with Him. From the very first days of creation, God has directed man's attention to Himself through His creation. In addition to His word, God uses creation and our conscience and His Spirit to lead us to know Him and His ways. God spoke His word to us through His prophets and apostles. In the Bible are promises, blessings, curses, and assurances. If one aspect of His word fails, then all hope would be lost. The sacredness and reliability of God's word is tied directly to His holiness and truthfulness.
In v.43-44 of today's passage we read, "43 And Laban answered and said to Jacob, 'These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and this flock is my flock; all that you see is mine. But what can I do this day to these my daughters or to their children whom they have borne? 44 Now therefore, come, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it be a witness between you and me."
Laban, without admitting any guilt or any wrongdoing toward Jacob, makes a great and boastful claim that everything in Jacob’s possession was derived from him. Here, Laban acted in such a way that made him seem generous without not insisting on keeping that which he believed belonged to him. At the end of the day, Laban had no choice but to let Jacob keep them. Laban reasoned that he simply couldn’t find it in his heart to deprive his departing family of their well being which was quite insincere of him to do. One of the many products of feeding the flesh is insincerity which derives itself from insecurity because when we are such we know that we are living a lie.
The separation was final and Laban realized it. Jacob wasn’t coming back and his daughters, grandchildren and what he contended was some of his livestock were all going with Jacob. And, just like six years earlier, Laban realized that God was with Jacob. In the past, he asked Jacob to stay and work for him but it had become completely evident that Jacob was finally free from his clutches.
God had made Jacob fruitful. He had fulfilled His promise to him that He would be with him and protect him. Before parting, Laban asked to enter into a covenant with Jacob. The covenant would be a witness between the two of them. If Jacob agreed to it, it was implied that all past quarrels will be forgotten and anything which was misplaced between them would be overlooked. There would be an agreement of peace and good will between the two which would stand as a testimony between them, especially since the agreement was being made in the presence of the Lord and all those present.
In v.45-46 of today's passage we read, "45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar. 46 Then Jacob said to his brethren, 'Gather stones.' And they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there on the heap."
Jacob had previous to this occasion set up a stone as a pillar. It was on the night after he had his dream concerning the ladder. It was through that dream that God guaranteed Jacob His protection. Today's meeting between Laban and Jacob proved that what God had promised to did come to pass, and as a result, Jacob's faith in the Lord grew.
Jacob shared a meal with Laban showing their reconciliation one to another. By taking the time to sit and eat a meal, they were able to sort out the problems which had arisen from the past and they resolved them that day. I'm reminded of the Lord's Supper where we meet with the Lord and we are reminded of His death until He comes again. It is there where the Holy Spirit directs our thoughts that center on the cross of the Lord Jesus and we are reminded that we have been reconciled to the Lord.
In v.47 of today's passage we read, "Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed."
This is the very first time that a language other than Hebrew is used in the Bible. Laban named the heap Jegar Sahadutha which is Aramaic meaning "witness pile." Jacob named the mound "Galeed" which means the same in Hebrew. By naming the mound in their own languages, it was a way of confirming that this covenant applied not only to them, but to their posterity after them.
In v.48-50 of today's passage we read, "48 And Laban said, 'This heap is a witness between you and me this day.' Therefore its name was called Galeed, 49 also Mizpah, because he said, 'May the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent one from another. 50 If you afflict my daughters, or if you take other wives besides my daughters, although no man is with us—see, God is witness between you and me!'"
"Mizpah" means "watchtower" implying that the Lord was the One watching over the covenant made there on Mount Gilead that day. It would be the Lord who would stand as the judge over any transgressions of the agreement, just as we saw with the covenant between Abraham and Abimelech. God continues to monitor what man has long ago forgotten. He stands at the watchtower ensuring the ancient covenants are kept. This book, the Bible, is a testament to His care about such things. History always reveals that God can be trusted to be true to His word.
