Page:An Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1828) vol 1.djvu/197

Rh go along with their husband, and to put themselves with him under the divine conduct; Whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do. Note, Those wives that are their husbands' meet helps, will never be their hinderances in doing that which God calls them to.

17. Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon camels. 18. And he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gotten in Padan-aram, for to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan. 19. And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father's. 20. And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled. 21. So he fled with all that he had; and rose up, and passed over the river, and set his face toward the mount Gilead. 22. And it was told Laban on the third day, that Jacob was fled. 23. And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days' journey: and they overtook him in the mount Gilead. 24. And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

Here is,

I. Jacob's flight from Laban. We may suppose he had been long considering of it, and casting about in his mind respecting it; but, when now, at last, God had given him positive orders to go, he made no delay, nor was he disobedient to the heavenly vision. The first opportunity that offered itself he laid hold on, when Laban was shearing his sheep, (v. 19.) that part of his flock which was in the hands of his sons three days' journey off. Now, 1. It is certain that it was lawful for Jacob to leave his service suddenly, without giving a quarter's warning. It was not only justified by the particular instructions God gave him, but warranted by the fundamental law of self-preservation, which directs us when we are in danger, to shift for our own safety, as far as we can do it without wronging our consciences. 2. It was his prudence to steal away unawares to Laban, lest, if Laban had known, he should have hindered him, or plundered him. 3. It was honestly done to take no more than his own with him, the cattle of his getting, v. 18. He took what Providence gave him, and was content with that, and would not take the repair of his damages into his own hands. Yet Rachel was not so honest as her husband; she stole her father's images, (v. 19.) and carried them away with her. The Hebrew calls them Teraphim. Some think they were only little representations of the ancestors of the family in statues or pictures, which Rachel had a particular fondness for, and was desirous to have with her, now that she was going into another country. It should rather seem, they were images for a religious use, Penates, Household-Gods, either worshipped or consulted as oracles; and we are willing to hope (with Bishop Patrick) that she did not take them away as being covetous of the rich metal they were made of, much less for her own use, or out of any superstitious fear lest Laban, by consulting his Teraphim, might know which way they were gone. Jacob, no doubt, dwelt with his wives as a man of knowledge, and they were better taught than so; but she might design hereby to convince her father of the folly of his regard to those as gods, which could net secure themselves, Isa. 46. 1, 2.

II. Laban's pursuit of Jacob. Tidings were brought him on the third day, that Jacob was fled; he immediately raises the whole clan, takes his brethren, that is, the relations of his family, that were all in his interests, and he pursues Jacob, as Pharaoh and his Egyptians afterward pursued the seed of Jacob, to bring them back into bondage again, or with design to strip him of what he had. Seven days' journey he marched in pursuit of him, v. 23. He would not have taken half the pains to have visited his best friends. But the truth is, bad men will do more to serve their sinful passions, than good men will, to serve their just affections, and are more vehement in their anger, than in their love.

Well, at length, Laban overtook him, and the very night before he came up with him, God interposed in the quarrel, rebuked Laban, and sheltered Jacob, charging Laban not to speak unto him either good or bad, (v. 24.) that is, to say nothing against his going on with his journey, for that it proceeded from the Lord. The same Hebraism we have, ch. 24. 50. Laban, during his seven days' march, had been full of rage against Jacob, and was now full of hopes that his lust should be satisfied upon him; (Exod. 15. 9.) but God comes to him, and with one word ties his hands, though he does not turn his heart. Note, 1. In a dream, and in slumberings upon the bed, God has ways of opening the ears of men, and sealing their instruction, Job 33. 15, 16. Thus he admonishes men by their consciences, in secret whispers which the man of wisdom will hear and heed. 2. The safety of good men is very much owing to the hold God has of the consciences of bad men, and the access he has to them. 2. God sometimes appears wonderfully for the deliverance of his people, then when they are upon the very brink of ruin. The Jews were saved from Haman's plot, when the king's decree drew near to be put in execution, Esth. 9. 1.

25. Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount; and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mount of Gilead. 26. And Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters, as captives taken with the sword? 27. Wherefore didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away from me; and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away with mirth, and with songs, with tabret, and with harp; 28. And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Thou hast now done foolishly in so doing. 29. It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad. 30. And now, though thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longedst after thy father's house, yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods? 31. And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid: for I said, Peradventure thou wouldest take by force thy daughters from me. 32. With