seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Genesis 31:4 So Jacob sent word to Rachel and Leah to come out to the fields where his flocks were. 5 He said to them, “I see that your father’s attitude toward me is not what it was before, but the God of my father has been with me. 6 You know that I’ve worked for your father with all my strength, 7 yet your father has cheated me by changing my wages ten times. However, God has not allowed him to harm me. 8 If he said, ‘The speckled ones will be your wages,’ then all the flocks gave birth to speckled young; and if he said, ‘The streaked ones will be your wages,’ then all the flocks bore streaked young. 9 So God has taken away your father’s livestock and has given them to me.
10 “In breeding season I once had a dream in which I looked up and saw that the male goats mating with the flock were streaked, speckled or spotted. 11 The angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob.’ I answered, ‘Here I am.’ 12 And he said, ‘Look up and see that all the male goats mating with the flock are streaked, speckled or spotted, for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you. 13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and where you made a vow to me. Now leave this land at once and go back to your native land.’”
10 “In breeding season I once had a dream in which I looked up and saw that the male goats mating with the flock were streaked, speckled or spotted. 11 The angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob.’ I answered, ‘Here I am.’ 12 And he said, ‘Look up and see that all the male goats mating with the flock are streaked, speckled or spotted, for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you. 13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and where you made a vow to me. Now leave this land at once and go back to your native land.’”
Jacob could have taken his wives and left without a word. After all, wives were second class citizens. He wanted them to understand and choose to leave with him. So here he is explaining himself.
This is what studylight has to say on the topic.
Even though Laban tried to cheat Jacob, God protected him all the time. God showed Jacob that He was greater and able to overcome what any man might do to Jacob.
This shows Jacob knew his wives were aware of his righteous conduct and Labans unfair treatment of him.
Significantly, there was much more to what the Lord said to Jacob than what was reported in Genesis 31:3. Genesis 31:3 was completely true, but there was more to it than this simple brief word from the Lord.
God told Jacob to go back to Bethel, back to the place where he first encountered the Lord in a personal way. This was Jacobs way of returning to his first love and first works (as later described in Revelation 2:4-5).
This shows Jacob knew his wives were aware of his righteous conduct and Labans unfair treatment of him.
Significantly, there was much more to what the Lord said to Jacob than what was reported in Genesis 31:3. Genesis 31:3 was completely true, but there was more to it than this simple brief word from the Lord.
God told Jacob to go back to Bethel, back to the place where he first encountered the Lord in a personal way. This was Jacobs way of returning to his first love and first works (as later described in Revelation 2:4-5).
