(7)
All Scripture is God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16) and the whole Bible is a book of life. Do you truly believe that Gen. 31, the chapter which we shall consider in this message, is the breath of God? When I was young, I thought that surely every word and phrase in Ephesians was inspired by God, but I did not appreciate Genesis 31 as much as I did Ephesians. Do you believe that the record in this chapter is the word of life? There is no mention of life in this chapter. Rather, there is the mention of the stealing of household images and of diplomatic talk. Is this the word of life? If we would see how Genesis 31 is the word of life, we need to consider it along with the whole Bible.
In Gen. 28, as Jacob was on his way to Laban's home, he had a dream. The significance of that dream was that it revealed how God was desirous to have a house on earth and that His intention was to make His called one a stone, the material for His building. Is the Jacob revealed in Genesis 31 the proper material for the building of God's house? No, he was not a gentleman but a subtle man when he saw the dream. Do you believe that a subtle man like Jacob could become the precious material for the building of God's house on earth? If you answer, "Yes," it is because you know that you are the same as Jacob. We all are Jacobs. But the subtle Jacob is intended to be the material for the building of God's house. This chapter reveals that through God's dealings, such a subtle one can become the material for God's dwelling place. This chapter continues the record of God's dealings with His chosen one. Because this chapter gives us a view of God's dealings with Jacob, it is surely the word of life.
Jacob stayed with Laban for twenty years. In Gen. 31:7 Jacob said that Laban had changed his wages ten times. The number ten signifies the completion of a certain dealing. Jacob seemed to be saying, "Laban has not changed my wages nine times but ten times. He has dealt with me in a complete way." The number twenty, which is double the number of completion, is composed of two times ten. God put Jacob under Laban's hand for twenty years that Jacob might have a thorough dealing. But after those twenty years were over, we see in Genesis 31 that Jacob was still not a fully transformed person. We may find this disappointing, saying, "If the process of transformation cannot be completed in twenty years, then how long will it take? The Lord may come back before it has been accomplished." However, if you compare the Jacob in this chapter with the Jacob in some of the earlier chapters, you will see that he certainly has experienced an amount of transformation. A great change has taken place in Jacob after spending twenty years with Laban. At the beginning of these twenty years, he was truly a supplanter, but at the end of that time, he was at least somewhat transformed. As we read chapter thirty-one, we see that the subtle Jacob has undergone a significant change. But although he has been somewhat transformed, in this chapter he is still quite natural.
Perhaps you are wondering how this chapter reveals Jacob's naturalness. Jacob was afraid of Laban, probably realizing that he could not defeat him. Jacob admitted that he was unable to do this. This is the reason that he fled from Laban, stealing away from him. If he had been bold, being assured that he could have defeated Laban, he would not have fled. Rather, he would have said, "Laban, you have treated me very badly. Now I am leaving you. Good-by!" But Jacob did not dare to do this. Instead, he stole away. As Laban was pursuing the departed Jacob, God spoke to him in a dream the night before he overtook Jacob, saying, "Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob from good to bad" (v. 24, Heb.). Laban was more subtle than Jacob, but this time God forced him to be honest. Laban even told Jacob of what God had spoken to him, saying, "It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt; but the God of your fathers spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob from good to bad" (v. 29, Heb.). If I had been Laban, I would have never told Jacob of this. Nevertheless, Laban was foolish enough to speak of it. Then after upbraiding Laban for searching through his possessions, Jacob said, "God hath seen mine affliction and the labor of mine hands, and rebuked thee yesternight" (v. 42). Jacob seemed to be saying, "Laban, you have power in your hand, but I have God with me. Your power cannot defeat my God." Because of what Laban had told him, Jacob became quite strong with him. This was a reaction of Jacob's natural man. If Jacob had been truly spiritual, when Laban related his dream, he would simply have said, "Praise the Lord. O Lord, thank You." Jacob could have said, "Laban, since the God of my father has spoken to you, there is no need for me to say anything. Praise Him!" But even if Jacob had said this much, he would have exposed the tail of his natural man. If not even the tail of the natural man remained, he would have said nothing except, "Praise the Lord, Uncle Laban." And then he would have turned to the Lord, saying, "O Lord, I praise You. How I thank You that I am in Your hands." After hearing how God had spoken to Laban, charging him not to do anything to Jacob, Jacob was emboldened to rebuke Laban to his face, pointing out how he had searched his stuff, had forced him to bear the loss of what was stolen, and had changed his wages ten times (vv. 36-41). Jacob seemed to be saying, "See what you have done! I served you twenty years and you have changed my wages ten times. Now you have searched through all my things and have found nothing. What is the meaning of this?" Although this may appear to be frankness, it is the frankness of the natural man. Here Jacob is revealed not as a bad man or as a subtle man but as a natural man. This indicates that Jacob had not yet been fully transformed.
Before chapter thirty-two, there is no record that Jacob prayed. In Gen. 32:3-4 Jacob sent messengers to Esau, commanding them to address Esau as his lord. The messengers returned to Jacob, saying, "We came to thy brother Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him" (32:6). When Jacob heard this news, he was afraid and prayed about it to the Lord. Fearing that Esau was planning to kill him and his family, Jacob was forced to pray. According to the record of Genesis, this is the first instance of Jacob's praying. Before this, Jacob did not pray because he had always had his own way. When it came to fleeing from Laban, he used his skillful way, talking to his wives in a very convincing tone and persuading them to stand with him against their father. Unlike Esau, Jacob was not a good fighter, but he certainly was a good speaker.
The record in Genesis 31 exposes our own situation, giving us an accurate picture of what we are. This surely is the word of life. Although the word life is not mentioned in this chapter, the very life in the Gospel of John, the Gospel of life, is found here. In John 10:10 the Lord Jesus said, "I came that they may have life and may have it abundantly." The way to have life abundantly is in Genesis 31, not in John 10. Genesis 31 is a revelation of our being.
Throughout all my years in the ministry, I have seen many cases concerning the relationship between husband and wife, and often I have been asked to mediate between a husband and wife. Every sister who has asked me to mediate between her and her husband has expected that after I prayed for them, her husband would be changed into an angel. Many of us still cling to this concept. Some sisters may say to themselves, "My husband is so pitiful. Surely if the elders and the leading sisters pray for him, the Lord will change him into an angel. If my husband cannot be an elder in the church, he can at least be a deacon." Although the Lord will certainly answer this prayer, He will not answer it according to our way, but according to His way. The Lord's way is not magical. Do not expect that in one day your husband will be changed into an angel and that you will be able to testify about it in the next church meeting.
Many of you have been in the church life for several years. Perhaps you have been praying for yourself, asking the Lord to transform you. Have you been transformed? You must admit that you are still somewhat natural. In the meetings, we all appear to be transformed, but how do you appear at the dining table with your wife? Many of us must admit that we are exactly the same as the Jacob in Genesis 31. I praise the Lord that there has been a significant change in many of the saints throughout the years. But where are you today — in Genesis 48 or in Genesis 31? You must admit that, at best, you are in chapter thirty-one. We cannot have the maturity of life, the transformation of life, overnight, or even in a few years. It is a life-long matter. It does not grow like a mushroom.
If you study the biography of Jacob, you will see that even when he was in his mother's womb God began to deal with him. The natural life of Jacob realized that two were in the womb. Although he tried his best to be born first, God allowed his brother to come out first. Since that time, in chapter after chapter, we see the striving of Jacob. But at the end of the book of Genesis, Jacob's striving is over. As Jacob worshipped God, the supplanting hands now leaned upon the top of his staff, the sign of his pilgrim life on earth (Heb. 11:21). At the end of Genesis, Jacob was thoroughly transformed. Only at the end of his lifetime was his transformation complete. Transformation requires our whole lifetime. Do not expect it to be accomplished in a few years. I believe that every day and even every hour something is working for our transformation. Nevertheless, this takes a long time. Of the fifty chapters in this book, the record relating to Jacob occupies more than half of them. This is the long record of a transformed life. The Lord Jesus can save us instantaneously, we can consecrate ourselves quickly, and we may even come into the church life in a very fast way. But it takes a long time to be transformed. We need to have a great many ups and downs. Sometimes within one day we may have three ups and three downs. This is our natural being, our natural life.
In the matters of God's selection and transformation, Jacob is the prototype in the Bible. Romans 9 tells us this. But throughout the generations not many Christians have seen this, thinking that the chapters dealing with Jacob's history are merely interesting stories. Few Christians view these chapters as the record of the model of a transformed life.
In chapter thirty-one Jacob's circumstances suddenly changed. His cousins envied him (v. 1), and his uncle's countenance changed toward him (v. 2). This change was for Jacob's benefit. In this chapter, Jacob was in the middle of the process of transformation. God sovereignly prepares everything for our transformation. We must believe this. Nothing in Genesis 31 was accidental; everything was pre-planned. According to God's sovereignty, Laban had many sons. In the past, I thought that it would have been better for Jacob if Laban had had no sons and the two daughters. But Laban had several sons. Throughout the twenty years of Jacob's stay with Laban, Laban and his sons regarded Jacob as a profit to them. Laban admitted that Jacob's stay with him was a blessing (Gen. 30:27). But 31:1 says, that Jacob "heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, Jacob hath taken away all that was our father's; and of that which was our father's hath he gotten all this glory." (Glory here means riches — v. 16.) This is a fact. According to Jacob's record, God revealed in a dream how He took the cattle from Laban and gave them to Jacob (Gen. 31:11-12). Throughout the years, Laban's sons saw their father's flocks decreasing and Jacob's continually increasing. At a certain point, being envious of Jacob, they could not tolerate it any longer. This was not an accident. At the same time, "Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as before" (v. 2). During the past twenty years, Laban's countenance might have smiled upon Jacob because Jacob was a cause of his profit. But after Laban realized that Jacob was no longer a cause of his profit, his countenance changed toward him. When anyone sees that you are causing his profit to wane, his countenance will change toward you. Do not believe that people are really good to you. Everyone is selfish and lives for himself. After staying with Laban for fourteen years, Jacob told him that he was leaving (Gen. 30:25-26). However, he might actually have had no heart to go. This was just his policy to gain something from Laban. Laban saw clearly that God's blessing was with Jacob and he did not want him to go. Therefore, they negotiated and agreed upon the terms according to which Jacob would remain with Laban for another period of time. But after several more years had passed, Laban realized that all the increase was on Jacob's side, and thus he changed his countenance toward Jacob. This also was pre-planned by God. Because it was time for Jacob to go back, God arranged for his cousins to express their attitude and for Laban to change his countenance.
Jacob must have been seriously exercised concerning whether he should stay or leave. At that juncture, God intervened and said to Jacob, "Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee" (v. 3). If Jacob had been a completely transformed person, he would have immediately praised the Lord and told the Lord that he was trusting Him for His clear guidance. But Jacob did not pray. Instead, he called his two wives to his flock, not daring to talk with them in his uncle's presence. After he talked with them about the change of circumstances, they consented to leave their father (vv. 4-16). These changes in Jacob's circumstances and environment were all prearranged by God.
All the changes in Jacob's environment were indicators that he should go back home. Jacob did go, but not in a noble way. Do you think that Jacob fled from Laban in a proper way? No, he stole away from Laban. But what would have happened if he had not fled from Laban in the way he did? Laban would have exercised his power to detain his daughters and their maids and all their children. He probably would have told Jacob, "Jacob, if you want to go, then go, but you must leave everyone and everything with me." Because Jacob feared this, he stole away.
Although Jacob's way of leaving was not the right way, God allowed it to happen. Because he was not yet mature, Jacob had a weak point. Why did Jacob not put his trust in God? Since God is all-powerful and all-capable, Jacob should have trusted Him to protect his wives and children. It is easy to talk about trusting God, but it is not easy to practice it. Trusting God is not a doctrinal matter. If you had been Jacob, would you have dared to go to Laban and say, "Uncle Laban, I am leaving"? It is not easy to do this, for it requires the maturity of life and a measure of faith. In order to have the necessary measure of faith, we need the growth in life. Jacob, however, did not have this. I do not condemn Jacob; rather, I wholly sympathize with him. Many times we also have been placed in situations where we had no choice except to flee, to steal away. It would be easy to rebuke Jacob for not leaving Laban publicly in an honorable and noble way. But if we examine ourselves, we shall see that many times we have done things without letting our husbands or wives know about them.
In this chapter we are told that Jacob stole the heart of Laban (v. 20, Heb.). While Jacob stole Laban's heart inwardly, Rachel stole the household images outwardly (v. 19). Even among those God-fearing people there were still idols. These were not the temple idols but the household idols, the idols which they worshipped in their homes. Because they were considered so important, Rachel stole them and Laban searched for them. Do not think that because Jacob was a saint called by God that he had an upright family. Apparently some of us have a very proper family, but God knows that we still have some household images. If the Bible did not mention these idols, no one would have ever believed that Laban or Jacob had idols in his family. But even Jacob's weakness in stealing Laban's heart was permitted by God.
We all make mistakes, but God can never be mistaken. Certainly it was not noble of Jacob to run away, but even this was under God's permission. Do not regret your mistakes, for even your mistakes work for your transformation. None of us is absolutely honest, noble, faithful, or upright. Only the Lord Jesus is such a person. We all have our weak points, our natural weaknesses. Jacob fled from Laban because he was weak in faith and weak in the ability to sacrifice. Perhaps Jacob should have said, "Regardless of what I would lose, even if it would be my life, I must be honest with God." It is easy to say this, but try to practice it. When the time comes, you will also flee and steal another's heart. All our mistakes, even our wrongdoings, are under God's sovereignty, and He uses them to transform us. Now I am not encouraging you to make mistakes. I hope that you do not make any mistakes. Forty years ago, I charged people not to make mistakes. But I no longer do this, because I realize that it is foolish to do so. However strongly I encourage you not to make mistakes, you will continue to make them. No one wants to make mistakes. I can testify that day after day and year after year, I have prayed to the Lord that He would keep me from making mistakes. Although I hate mistakes and have no intention of making them, I still have made some big mistakes. What then is the use for me to charge others not to make mistakes? If I were a teacher of ethics, I would command you not to make mistakes. But I am not a teacher of ethics. I am one who is helping you to be transformed.
In order to transform us, God will use our mistakes. I can testify that if I had not made certain mistakes, I would not be as transformed as I am today. The greatest amount of transformation in my life has come about through my mistakes. Nothing troubles me more than my mistakes. Whenever I thought that I was all right, the Lord allowed me to make a mistake. Nothing helps us to be transformed like our mistakes. This does not mean that I am saying that we should do evil that good may come. No, if you intentionally make mistakes, those mistakes will not help your transformation. They will depress and condemn you. But as we try our best to avoid mistakes, we may pray, "O Lord, keep me in Your presence and never allow me to be mistaken. Lord, I fear and tremble in Your presence." Although we may pray like this, after a period of time we may still make another mistake, and the Lord will sovereignly use it for our transformation.
As we have seen, Laban pursued Jacob and overtook him (vv. 22-55). Laban had the power to hurt Jacob, but God warned him in a dream not to do anything to him (v. 24). Although Laban could not do anything, he did what all human beings do — he complained. He expressed his anger through complaining about Jacob's fleeing (vv. 26-29). Complaining is the best way to ventilate your anger. Next, Laban accused Jacob of stealing his images (vv. 30-35), and then, after the images were not found, Jacob rebuked Laban for his mistreatment (vv. 36-42). After this, Laban was subdued and, being subtle, he changed his attitude and made a covenant of peace with Jacob. This is a good example of human diplomacy.
This chapter reveals that no man is trustworthy. In chapter twenty-seven, Jacob's mother, Rebekah, thought that Laban would be a protection and help to her beloved son, Jacob. Thus, she sent Jacob away to her brother. But consider what Laban did to Jacob. No human being, even our closest relative, is trustworthy. Never put your trust in any human being. If we realize that we are God's called ones and that we are now undergoing His process of transformation, we must realize that everything is a matter of God's hand. It is not a matter of anyone's being trustworthy. While we should not trust any human being, we should thank the Lord that everyone in our environment is under God's sovereign hand for our good. You may think that you have a faithful and trustworthy uncle. But such an uncle will not be very helpful for your transformation. As we read this chapter again and again, we can see that we should neither put our trust in anyone nor blame anyone. Whether our uncle is honest or not, we must still say, "Praise the Lord. God is sovereign. I am not in my uncle's hand, but in God's sovereign hand. Even my uncle who is not trustworthy is in God's hand for the sake of my transformation." We all need to see this and to know that nothing in our environment is trustworthy. Do not trust anything, any person, or any matter. Everything and everyone in our environment is an instrument sovereignly used by God for our transformation. If, for the sake of your transformation, you need an honest person, God will give you one. But mostly we need a Laban and cousins like Laban's sons. Do not complain, but thank God for everyone, saying, "Lord, I thank You for all my cousins. And I thank You for my uncle and even for my weaknesses." Praise the Lord that even our weaknesses are a means employed by God for our transformation.
In the scene portrayed in this chapter, the crucial person is the invisible God with His invisible hand. This chapter is not merely a story of human life; it is the revelation of the transforming God with His transforming hand. We all must see the God revealed in this chapter. The crucial character is neither Laban nor Jacob, but the hidden God who sovereignly prepares our environment for our transformation. In this chapter, God is hidden, yet He is on the alert, knowing the exact time to intervene and to speak to Jacob or to Laban. He does whatever He intends to do. Thus, the crucial person here is the sovereign, transforming God. If we see this picture, we shall rest in Him, believing that whatever we are and wherever we are, everything is all right because everything is under the sovereign hand of the transforming God.
