{"id":38607,"date":"2018-08-25T23:44:26","date_gmt":"2018-08-25T20:44:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=38607"},"modified":"2022-03-20T00:18:30","modified_gmt":"2022-03-19T22:18:30","slug":"chapter-summary-genesis-31","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/chapter-summary-genesis-31\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter Summary – Genesis 31"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[],"acf":{"old_id":"38607","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":false,"related_cahpter":"31","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"Chapter 31 Summary: Let\u2019s Get Out of Here\r\n","content":"

Jacob had many good reasons to leave Laban in Haran. \u00a0He has amassed a significant amount of his own property (described in the previous chapter) and his impressive flock that he raised has aroused the jealousy of Laban\u2019s children. \u00a0In addition, Jacob\u2019s relationship with Laban \u201cwas not as it had been in the past\u201d (Genesis 31:2; this Hebrew phrase is used in modern Hebrew and appears in the poems of Bialik and Agnon). \u00a0And, as if this were not enough a reason to leave, God reveals Himself to Jacob and tells him that it is time to return home to Canaan (verse 3).<\/span><\/p>\n

In order to make the journey, he must overcome two hurdles: The first has to do with \u00a0his wives, Laban\u2019s daughters. Will they leave their father\u2019s home and head out with all their children to an unknown country? \u00a0It is not certain that Jacob\u2019s plan will be accepted so favorably. The second hurdle is Laban himself who certainly does not want to give up on Jacob as being a member of his clan. <\/span><\/p>\n

How will Jacob deal with these challenges?<\/span><\/p>\n

In terms of his wives, Jacob describes his feeling of a lack of trust that prevails between him and their father for the past several years (verses 5-8) and the dream in which God told Jacob: \u201cNow, arise and leave this land and return to your native land\u201d (verse 13). His wives inform Jacob that they are 100% with him and even express the feeling that their father has exploited them too. They will join Jacob without a problem.<\/span><\/p>\n

What remains is dealing with Laban. What does Jacob do? \u00a0He simply runs away! He does so together with his entire family and all their possessions. \u00a0As they go secretly, Rachel takes with her the <\/span>terafim<\/span><\/i>, Laban\u2019s household idols (although Jacob does not know this).<\/span><\/p>\n

When Laban discovers three days later what has happened, he gets very angry and heads out in pursuit. \u00a0God meets him in a dream and warns him not to harm Jacob (this helps us understand better Laban\u2019s intentions when he went out in pursuit of Jacob).<\/span><\/p>\n

The encounter between Laban and Jacob includes an exchange of harsh words (which you should feel free to read and decide how true they are; see verses 26-31). \u00a0The encounter also includes a search for the missing <\/span>terafim <\/span><\/i>which turns up nothing (see verse 34), a further exchange of harsh words (verses 36-43), and finally a pact. \u00a0The fact that Jacob and Laban set up a monument of stones indicates that this pact is an eternal covenant. <\/span><\/p>\n

Points to Ponder:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Jacob fled from Canaan to Haran (Chapter 28) and flees from Haran back to Canaan. \u00a0This chapter closes the circle.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. In verses 38-40, there is an authentic and vivid description of the life of a shepherd, the extent of his responsibility over the sheep, and the existential experience of surviving in the extreme weather conditions of the desert environment: \u201cOften, scorching heat ravaged me by day and frost by night; and sleep fled from my eyes\u201d (Genesis 31:40).<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. A monument is erected that is given a name in two languages–a monument of stones which is basically one large rock: \u00a0\u201cLaban named it Yegar-sahadutha, but Jacob named it Gal-ed\u201d (Genesis 31:47).<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. It is not only this rock that has two different names, but God, too, is called different names by the parties involved in the pact. \u00a0For Laban, God is \u201cthe God of Abraham and the god of Nahor\u201d (Genesis 31:53) and for Jacob God is called \u201cthe Fear of his father Isaac\u201d (Genesis 31:53).<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Once again, a meal and a covenant go well together (verse 54).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","image":{"ID":86314,"id":86314,"title":"Points to ponder","filename":"Points-to-ponder.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/points-to-ponder-psalm-84\/points-to-ponder\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"points-to-ponder","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":86166,"date":"2021-01-09 20:56:58","modified":"2023-12-28 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