Thurs.’s Devo - Jacob’s Escape

Read: Genesis 31:17-32:12; Matthew 10:26-11:6; Psalm 13:1-6; Procures 3:16-18 Jacob fled Paddan-aram while Laban had gone to shear his sheep. Rachel stole Laban’s household gods and hid them. Jacob took all he owned and traveled toward Canaan. *** Laban was told three days later and set out to pursue Jacob. He found him after seven days. The night before he confronted him, God spoke to Laban and warned him not to speak evil or good to Jacob. *** Laban demanded to know why Jacob had left without telling him and why he had taken his household gods with him. Jacob explained that he left secretly because he was afraid Laban would not let his daughters go with him. He was irate that Laban accused him of stealing his household gods and pronounced a curse of death over who had taken them. He let Laban’s men search everything of Jacob’s and they did not find the gods. Rachel had hidden them in her camel’s saddle and was sitting on it. *** Jacob became angry at Laban and told him off for how he had mistreated Jacob all these years and changed his wages 10 times. It was only because God was watching over him that he left with anything but the shirt on his back. *** Laban had been warned by God not to harm Jacob so he had no other recourse than to make a covenant with him so he wouldn’t come one day and harm to him in revenge. Laban called the place by its Aramic name but Jacob called it by its Hebrew name: Galeed and Mizpah. Laban left the next morning after kissing his family good-bye. *** When Jacob left, the angels of God came to meet him. There were so many of them he called it God’s camp - Mahanaim. *** Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to Esau with the news that he had oxen, donkeys, flocks, male servants, and female servants. He was telling him this to earn his favor. *** The messengers told Esau and he gathered 400 men with him to come and meet Jacob. This news made Jacob greatly afraid so he divided his people and flocks into two camps. He reasoned that if Esau attacked the first group, the other could escape. *** Jacob reminded the Lord that he had told him to go back home. He was aware of his unworthiness of all God had given him, but he prayed that God would deliver him from Esau’s hand. When he thought of what Esau might do to his family he reminded God that he had promised to make him a great nation. *** In Matthew, Jesus could have been talking straight to Jacob. He told us not to be afraid of our enemies because all their sins will be revealed. And, do not be afraid of what our enemies can do to our natural bodies, because they can not touch our soul. Instead, fear God who can destroy the body and the soul. If God takes great care of sparrows, he will take greater care of us. *** Jesus didn’t come to bring peace, but division. He came to divide truth from fiction and life from death. To live, we must take up our cross and be willing to die to ourselves and take on Christ. *** John the Baptist was in prison and heard all the deeds Christ was doing. He must have felt forgotten because he asked if he was the one to come or if they should look for another. Jesus reminded him of all the scripture that he had fulfilled then he told him that those who were not offended in him would be blessed. (I think John was offended that he had not come and set the prisoner, him, free. *** There are so many take-aways from todays reading. From Jacob we learned to put faith over our fears and that when we are afraid, we can remember God’s promises to us and remind him. We saw that even the greatest prophet, John the Baptist, had doubts and felt disappointed at times. When we get discouraged that God is not moving in our time table, we can remember what he told John - to not be offended in him. *** Lord, may we lay down our time table and rely on your timing which is perfect and right. Thank you for your steadfast love that never ceases and your mercies that are endless.