GENESIS 31
Escape. The family situation was not at all comfortable for Jacob or his wives, but he patiently waited for God’s instructions before making a move. The seeking heart will always get a word from God when decisions have to be made. Read Psalm 25 in the light of Jacob’s situation. Like his mother before him, Jacob did a right thing in a wrong way, and God had to intervene to protect him (v.
Encounter. Jacob had a three-day lead on Laban, but his father-in-law finally caught up with him. No one can successfully run away from problems. Laban accused Jacob of a breach of social custom, while Jacob accused Laban of breaking his promises for twenty years. There was also the matter of the household gods, for whoever had them could claim possession of Laban’s property.
Expedience. The two men never did agree, and their problems were not solved. Instead, they declared a truce and made a pile of stones the boundary beyond which neither would pass. It was called “the heap of witness” to remind Jacob and Laban that God was watching both of them. (The word Mizpah means “watchtower.”) The so-called Mizpah benediction is not a correct interpretation or application of this passage.
It is better to declare a truce than to wage a war, but the best decision of all is for brethren to “dwell together in unity” (Ps. 133:1). See