The situation between Jacob and Laban starts to get tense and Jacob notices that even Laban’s sons are resentful toward him. The reason for the resentment is simply the fact that, no matter how much Laban has been rigging things in his own favour, things always seemed to turn out in Jacob’s favour. So ironically, even though Laban is the one who has tried to swindle Jacob, Jacob is accused of swindling Laban. The narrator of this story wants us to see the pattern of fulfilment here. He who tries to take from Jacob finds that much has been taken from him and given to Jacob. This fulfils the promise: “Whoever curses you I will curse” (Genesis 12:3). In deliberate contrast to this pattern of God’s care for Jacob is the action of Rachel in stealing Laban’s household gods. Rachel would have taken the gods possibly as a good luck charm, and possibly, according to the custom in the ancient Near East, to thereby have a claim to an inheritance from her father. But had not God so obviously blessed Jacob more than Laban? Jacob had told Rachel what God had said to him. She could see that God was looking after them. Why would she need these gods? Before we judge Rachel on this, however, we should search our own hearts to see if we are doing the same sort of thing. Often, we say we trust in God, but then we act autonomously and in self-dependence. Trust God and then act accordingly.
Where in your life are you really dependent and trusting in God right now? Ask God to teach you how to trust him.
Read Genesis 31:22-55.
