An Adversary's Covenant: Genesis Chapter 31 Bible Study

Introduction 

Welcome to The Daily Manna! Every week we study deeper in scripture allowing it to nourish us daily.

Today we will study chapter 31. This chapter will show a maturing of Jacob's faith as we see Jacob crediting God for his success. We see Jacob taking his family to flee Laban. Then Laban pursues Jacob and his family claiming stolen idols. Today we will see how this battle between two deceivers ends. 

Please read chapter 31 before starting this Bible study as this is meant to be a Bible study companion and should not be a substitute for reading your Bible.

Summary of Genesis Chapter 31

Verses 1- 10 Jacob sees that Laban's attitude towards him has changed. Laban and his sons claim Jacob took his wealth from him. Jacob credits everything he has to God even after Laban had changed his wages 10 times. 

Verses 11- 16 Rachel and Leah agree that they don't have an inheritance from their father, that he has sold them. That surely all the wealth God took from their father has been given to them and their children. They encourage Jacob to do what God tells him.

Verses 17- 21 Rachel steals her fathers idols and they flee while Laban is away. 

Verses 22 - 29 Laban is visited by God in a dream while in pursuit of Jacob. God warns Laban not to harm Jacob. Laban overtakes Jacob but tells him what God warned him. 

Verses 30- 42 Laban confronts Jacob for leaving secretly and claims lost idols were stolen by him. He searches through all of Jacob's household and doesn't find anything stolen. Jacob claims justification for all he has, claiming that if God hasn't been with him that he wouldn't have anything. That God had seen his hardship and rebuked Laban.

Verses 43- 55 Laban suggests making a covenant between them that God watches them both to make sure no lines are crossed between them. Laban then sends them on their way and returns home. 

Key Themes and Meanings 

Jacob Matures in Faith 

Chapter 31 starts with Jacob hearing Laban sons claiming that Jacob has taken everything from their father. He notices even Leban's attitude towards him was not what it was before. From here we see the Lord telling Jacob to go back to the land of his father's and that he will be with him. 

Throughout Jacob's story we will see, Just like in ourselves, a sort of spiritual wrestling. We can see his faith has matured especially in this chapter. However just like all of us we tend to revert back to our old ways. 

Genesis 31:5 NIV

[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.  

https://bible.com/bible/111/gen.31.5.NIV

Here we see Jacob understanding that God is with him even through this hardship. He goes on to tell his wife that even though their father has cheated him by changing his wages 10 times God has not allowed Laban to harm Jacob. He then claims that God has taken away their father's livestock and has given them to Jacob. Here we see he is crediting God for everything he has and not saying it was from himself. This shows a spiritual maturity that all blessings come from God. 

He later shows maturity in verses 42 to Laban, This shows knowledge that he knows God is protecting him. 

Genesis 31:42 NIV

[42] If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands, and last night he rebuked you.”

https://bible.com/bible/111/gen.31.42.NIV

God Keeps His End of Bargain

In verses 10 through 13 Jacob recalls a dream he had where God tells him to take all the livestock with flaw because he has seen what Laban has been doing to Jacob. God tells Jacob to leave this land at once and go back to his native land. This is God's way of saying look what I've done. He has kept his end of the bargain that Jacob made with him at the end of chapter 28. 

From here Jacob and his family leave while Laban is tending to his sheep. Rachel steals her father's household gods or idols. This shows that Laban was a pagan. Rachel's motives for doing this may have been financial rather than religious. We can see this in versus 14 through 16 

Genesis 31:14-16 NIV

[14] Then Rachel and Leah replied, “Do we still have any share in the inheritance of our father’s estate? [15] Does he not regard us as foreigners? Not only has he sold us, but he has used up what was paid for us. [16] Surely all the wealth that God took away from our father belongs to us and our children. So do whatever God has told you.”

https://bible.com/bible/111/gen.31.14-16.NIV

On the third day after they fled Laban was told of what happened. When he went to go find him God came to him in a dream at night to warn him not to harm Jacob. This is divine protection from God showing how faithful he is. 

Genesis 31:23-24, 29 NIV

[23] Taking his relatives with him, he pursued Jacob for seven days and caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead. [24] Then God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and said to him, “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”

[29] I have the power to harm you; but last night the God of your father said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’ 

https://bible.com/bible/111/gen.31.23-29.NIV

An Oath Between Adversaries 

The first thing Laban asks when he finds Jacob is “what have you done? You've deceived me and you carried off my daughter's like captives and war. Why did you run off secretly and deceive me?” If you notice he deceitfully says he would have sent him away with joy and music, and then guilt trips Jacob by saying you didn't even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughter's goodbye. This was a form of control. 

From here we see Laban searching through Jacob's things and search for the stolen idols, which he never finds. Here the narrative between Laban and Jacob also shows that they sort of have an agree to disagree conversation. 

Finally Laban says let's make a covenant. 

 Genesis 31:49-50 NIV

[49] It was also called Mizpah, because he said, “May the Lord keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other. [50] If you mistreat my daughters or if you take any wives besides my daughters, even though no one is with us, remember that God is a witness between you and me.”

https://bible.com/bible/111/gen.31.49-50.NIV

This wasn't a friendly covenant but it was a way of saying to each other “I can't trust you. May God watch you to make sure you keep to your side of the promise.” 

Genesis 31:52-53 NIV

[52] This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not go past this heap to your side to harm you and that you will not go past this heap and pillar to my side to harm me. [53] May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” So Jacob took an oath in the name of the Fear of his father Isaac. 

https://bible.com/bible/111/gen.31.52-53.NIV

From here Leban gets up early the next morning kisses his daughter's grandchildren and blesses them and then he leaves to return home. This allows Jacob and his family to continue on. 

Reflections for Today

Where in your life are you needing to give God the credit? 

Where do you feel God has kept his end of the bargain in your life?

Have you even agreed to disagree with someone you couldn't trust, and put it in God's hands from there? 

Conclusion 

This chapter teaches us that sometimes we wrestle with maturity versus immaturity in relationship with God. We need to remember how faithful God is and that he's in control. We also need to remember that God sees everything that's done to us unjustly. 

Prayer

Dear Lord, thank you for being faithful in my life, even when I don't deserve it. Thank you for continuing to protect me in ways I don't see from people or situations that may try to bring harm. Amen