Be careful about your words
Genesis 31:41
“Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times.
Jacob stayed with Laban for twenty years and Laban treated him anyhow ( like a slave).
Jacob had not eaten any ram from Laban’s flocks (Genesis 31:38).
Laban demanded that Jacob will be responsible for any missing animal, be it in the day or in the night (Genesis 31:39).
As a result of what Laban said, Jacob usually suffered from the heat of the sun during the day and from cold in the night (Genesis 31:40).
Jacob is usually in the open field at Midnight to monitor the animals (verse 40).
He dare not sleep at midnight, he is always supervising the animals (verse 40).
Jacob worked 14 years to win Laban’s 2 daughters (verse 41).
He worked 6 years to get his own flocks (verse 41).
Laban changed his wages 10 times (verse 41).
Laban is ready to send him away empty-handed (verse 42).
Laban would have probably killed him when he finally met him, but for God who warned Laban (verse 29).
And Laban deceived him by giving him Leah instead of Rachel (verse 23).
As you can see, Laban never treated Jacob as a relative. He rather treated him like a foreigner/stranger/slave.
WHY DID JACOB STAY THAT LONG WITH LABAN?
Jacob loved Rachel too much ( Genesis 29:20)
Jacob’s mum, Rebecca promised to send someone to bring Jacob back from Laban’s house when Esau’s anger cools down, but she died while Jacob was waiting for the person to come but never knew that mama was gone (dead) Genesis 27:44 and 45.
Jacob was thinking Esau was still angry with him and still wanted to kill him, and maybe that is why mama has not sent someone. (you can actually see the fear in him when he wanted to meet with Esau (Genesis 32:11, 33:3).
WHY DID LABAN TREAT JACOB LIKE A FOREIGNER?
Jacob told Laban everything. (Gen 29:13) Laban knows everything about his life i.e he knew the reason why Jacob left or ran away from home.
Laban also knew Esau is after Jacob’s life.
Laban knew Jacob had nowhere to turn to for help, Jacob can’t go back home, Esau wanted to kill him.
BE CAREFUL OF WHAT YOU TELL PEOPLE SO THAT THEY WILL NOT USE IT TO HARM OR WORK AGAINST YOU.
REBECCA DIED BEFORE RESCUING JACOB FROM LABAN (GENESIS 27:45), I PRAY, THE HELPER THAT IS AN AMEN (ANSWER ) TO OUR PRAYERS WILL NOT DIE BEFORE HELPING US.
Rotimi Israel is a writer and a teacher of God’s word. He attended the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries Bible School. He is also currently training as a pastor with a Pentecostal denomination. He loves reading the Bible and preaching.
