Fri.’s Devo - Leaving Laban and Going Home

Read: Genesis 30:1-31:16; Matthew 10:1-23; Psalm 12:1-8; Proverbs 3:13-15 Rachel and Leah were not without drama and sibling rivalry. To make things worse they were married to the same man and the way to have status in their day was to have sons. Rachel was the one who was pretty and loved by her husband but Leah was the one who could produce sons. They both caved to what Sarah did by throwing in their concubines to help their own status. In the end, twelve sons would be born between the four women and they would all have Jacob’s seed, Isaac’s seed and Abraham’s seed. Jacob was not without his own drama. He had tricked his brother Esau out of his birthright and blessing and then went to live with the greatest trickster of all - Laban. God used Laban to humble Jacob. Jacob worked hard for Laban and worked all his deceit out of himself. When he had had all he could take, God told him it was time to go back home. Jacob had learned through his animals that you become what you behold and he did not want to become like Laban. God appeared to Jacob and reminded him of the vow he had made to the Lord at Bethel that he would return to his own homeland one day. It was time to do that. His wives were in agreement to leave because their father had also tricked them out of any inheritance they would receive. In Matthew, we have the list of Jesus’ disciples just like we had a list of eleven of the twelve sons of Jacob in Genesis. Jesus sent his disciples out to proclaim the good news of the kingdom and that the Messiah had come in the body of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. They were sent to the Jewish people only because it was to them first. They were the offspring of Abraham and they had the opportunity first to come into the kingdom. The disciples were to depend on the Lord to provide for them. Those who received them would receive a blessing and those who refused them would receive a curse. Jesus warned them from the beginning that they would be persecuted like him and it would not be easy for them. He would return before they had reached all the towns of Israel. Lord, thank you for the trials we face because we know that they are working to produce a finished work in us. May we submit to your discipline and learn from our mistakes. You never leave us or forsake us. You are on our side.