Studies

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Studies in Genesis
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The Protection of God Gen 31v22-55
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Introduction
What picture does the word 'protection' bring to
mind? Might it be a menacing gangster exhorting
money from a businessman, or a political
defector, who is being kept in a safe house? Or a
couple of boys fighting in the street, one of
them shouting, Dont dare touch my wee brother
again!' God too, is in the protection business.
He doesn't run a protection racket or offer
protection only to those with something of value
to give. Rather he protects those on whom he has
set his love from anything that he cannot
constructively use in the development of their
character and the advancement of his kingdom.
This is the picture we need to keep in mind as
we approach the passage before us.
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Laban The Protagonist
After 20 years Laban's prize asset and the source
of his material blessing had escaped his
clutches. News of Jacob's escape sent Laban and
his men in hot pursuit. Laban was burning with
rage. The fact that he committed so many men to
the pursuit during the busy sheep shearing season
indicates just how seriously he took Jacobs
flight. Why is he so angry? Cf v27ff... The
real reason for his anger was his avarice. He
could not bear to part with all that Jacob
possessed. Of course he couldnt say that, so he
looked for a more righteous reason to justify
his hostility. Its easier to get sympathy for a
righteous campaign than one driven by
self-indulgence. Jacob I just wanted to give
you a big farewell party!' But Labans words
made no impression upon Jacob and his family.
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Laban The Protagonist
Laban's reasons do not stand up to the light of
examination. But they do provide us with a
valuable insight into human nature. Men will
often disguise the true reason for their
hostility, anger and opposition. They attempt to
deceive their own hearts and to gain the sympathy
of others for their cause. Laban's anger is
also fuelled by misunderstanding. Laban had
discovered that his household god's were missing.
We know from v19 that Rachel had removed them.
She may have done so for a number of reasons. It
may have been to prevent her father from
consulting them in order to discover, which way
they had travelled - we know that Laban claimed
to be able to discover certain facts by
divination cf. 30.27... This view is
strengthened, when we see that that Laban having
mustered a party of men to pursue Jacob only
then discovered that his idols were missing. What
made him look for them? Surely he wanted to find
out, by divination the likely outcome of his
expedition?
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Laban The Protagonist
Secondly, Rachel may have taken the idols in the
belief that their possession would have given her
some future claim upon her father's estate after
his death. Thirdly, their removal may reflect
Rachaels idolatrous past - they were taken in
the hope that they might give her protection on
her journey. In any event Laban jumped to the
wrong conclusion and was convinced that Jacob
had taken them. Indeed, it suited his purpose to
believe this. It is always dangerous to form
opinions of others without having all the facts
or as the result of misinterpreting the facts.
Resentment of others can be built on very shaky
foundations. Are we reluctant to examine those
foundations because it serves our purposes to
believe the worst?
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Laban The Protagonist
The devil is an expert at sowing the seeds of
misunderstanding which are designed to bring
disruption into the lives of God's people. C. S.
Lewis describes Satan operating in our lives. In
Screwtape Letters - a junior devil is being
given some advice on how to disrupt the
tranquillity of the believer. Bring fully into
the consciousness of your patient that particular
lift of his mother's eyebrows which he learned to
dislike in the nursery, and let him think how
much he dislikes it. Let him assume that she
knows how annoying it is and does it to annoy-
if you know your job he will not notice the
immense improbability of the assumption. And of
course never let him suspect that he has tones
and looks which similarly annoy her.
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God The Protector
Without realising it Jacob was in a
life-threatening situation and unknown to him
God, his protector, was at work. In Gen. 28.15
God had covenanted himself to be Jacob's
protector. These were not idle words of God but a
solemn promise, which God faithfully discharged.
With good reason scripture reveals God to be the
Good Shepherd of his people. He provides for and
protects them. Someone asks, Does God always
protect his people? What about those who have
died as martyrs? What of those who have suffered
tremendous hardship? Where has the protecting
hand of God been in those situations?
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God The Protector
In the Psalm23 David talks of the providing and
protecting role of the Lord his Shepherd. David
himself had experienced great hardships! His life
was far from easy in the early years. An old
Scottish divine preaching on the 23rd Psalm,
pointed to Davids confident affirmation in the
last verse, 'Surely goodness and mercy will
follow me all the days of my life.' And he said,
goodness and mercy were like two sheepdogs
protecting the rear of the flock and, only
those ills are allowed to touch the flock, which
first get past the sheepdog of Gods goodness and
mercy. The protection which God provides allows
only those ills and difficulties to get through,
which he can press into his service.
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God The Protector
God prevented Laban from pressing through to the
place, where he could harm Jacob. Jacobs return
to Canaan was necessary for Gods plan of
salvation. And no grasping, irate, meat producer
was allowed to upset Gods plan v24. Down the
ages God has protected his people and his work.
Think of the Hebrew oppression in Egypt and
Gods deliverance via the Red Sea despite the
stubborn resolve of Pharaoh who was prepared to
destroy them rather than lose his workforce. Or
think of wicked Haman, who during Israel's exile
was poised to exterminate every Jew alive. God
infiltrated, not only the Medo-Persian court but
also the heart of King Ahasuerus, whose love
for Queen Esther ensured that her race was
saved from destruction.
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God The Protector
Leap forward in time to the birth of the infant
N.T. church. Saul of Tarsus was all set to
obliterate the church from the face of the earth
when God stopped him in his tracks and
transformed him into one of the churchs foremost
advocates. Three hundred years later the Roman
Emperor Julian attempted to undo all that his
predecessor Constantine had done in the empire.
Julian's aim was to return the Empire to paganism
and totally eradicate Christianity. Julian died
on the battlefield during his Persian campaign.
His last reported words, as he threw his blood
heavenward were, 'you have won Galilean! God
knows how best to protect his church.
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God The Protector
This historical evidence s and biblical witness
have stirred others to great boldness. In the
C18th Britain and America were experiencing a
tremendous spiritual decline. God raised up men
like John Wesley and George Whitfield who were
involved in the Great Spiritual Awakening.
Thousands were swept into the kingdom. But there
was much opposition! On numerous occasions these
evangelists lives were in danger from menacing
crowds. A number of their would-be assassins
were converted and others restrained in such an
amazing fashion that Wesley wrote in his diary,
"I am immortal until my work is done". He was
conscious of the protecting hand of God.
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God The Protector
Jacob too, was conscious of Gods protection. At
the end of his life he called his sons to his
side in order to bless them. He describes God as
his Shepherd Gen.50v24. This is the first time
God is described in this way in the Bible.
Whenever a scriptural term is used for the first
time, the context governing its use often fills
out our understanding of its meaning. Jacob was
blessing Joseph, who despite a catalogue of
hardships, had experienced the protection and
blessing of God. Joseph had been in the
Shepherd's care. And it was this Shepherd God
who had preserved Jacob's life, - despite the
scheming complications he introduced - when he
too had been in danger.
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Jacob The Protected
Jacob had been convinced that Laban would not let
him go. He was unable to trust God to deal with
Laban and so devised the scheme to enable him to
sneak out of camp and get a head start in the
race for Canaan. During the sheep shearing season
everyone was occupied and Laban's household would
have been scattered 31v19. Jacob made a run for
it. And it was Jacob's failure to trust God
that led both to Laban's pursuit and the need of
God's supernatural intervention. If Jacob had
openly and firmly told Laban that he intended to
leave, God would have opened the door. Instead,
his manner of his leaving, slinking away without
a word cast him in the roll of a fugitive
breaking out of prison rather than of a prince
travelling to his inheritance.
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Jacob The Protected
It is easy to criticise Jacob. We can so easily
be like him. Rather than face a situation in
which we anticipate confrontation and argument,
and trust God to equip us clearly to state our
position and to give us the courage to stick to
our convictions, we collapse. Fear often has us
scurrying around for an escape tunnel, some means
of obeying God, which will not prove too costly,
some easy route something, which will reduce the
risk of unsettling our composure. But the bottom
line is that we are saying to God as Jacob did,
'We cannot trust you to keep and protect us if we
behave openly and honestly.'
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Jacob The Protected
We might be tempted to ask, 'Why did God not
simply prevent Laban from leaving Haran? Or,
'Why did God not tell Laban in the dream that he
was simply to return home?' If God had done
either of these things, Jacob would have missed
learning a valuable lesson. He would not have
known that God had acted on his behalf as his
Protector. He might indeed have further
congratulated himself on the success of his
stratagem. This is why, time and again, God
brings our schemes for self-preservation
crashing around our heads. He opens our eyes to
see his hand of deliverance despite all of the
complications, which our fear and weakness
introduce.
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Jacob The Protected
Imagine Jacobs shock when Laban rode into camp.
His deception had failed! Laban was a sight to
behold when his anger was roused! Laban's opening
words must have sounded ominous, 'I have the
power to harm you. Then Jacob learned of God's
intervention - the dream, where God set
boundaries for Labans behaviour. Laban was now
prepared to cut his losses, retrieve his
household gods and return home. What did Jacob
do when he discovered he was the object of God's
protection and when Laban failed to find his
idols? He took advantage of the situation to cut
his adversary down to size. He would humiliate
him before his followers and enjoy seeing him
squirm cf v36ff, 42.
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Jacob The Protected
By behaving in this way Jacob is abusing God's
protection. Like the small boy who takes
advantage of the presence of his big brother by
putting his tongue out at a classmate. Jacobs
reaction of is of great practical importance.
When we find that we have been vindicated and are
enjoying the protection of heaven, we can do one
of two things. We can either rub salt in the
wound of our adversary, or we can die to the
selfish desire to see them squirm. God wants us
to be gracious and merciful in victory. That is
always safe. As it happened, in future days,
when Laban's idols were found in Rachel's
possession, Jacob was greatly embarrassed.
Perhaps the memory of his tirade against Laban
had a humbling effect !
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Jacob The Protected
Jacob also embarks upon a policy of
self-justification by resurrecting a series of
past injustices, which he had suffered at Laban's
hand v38ff. God had protected him. God had
vindicated him but be did not consider God had
gone far enough! He wanted more than to be
allowed to continue on his journey unhampered. He
wanted to leave with his reputation enhanced. He
wanted to press home his claim in order to be
well thought of by Laban's family. When we
begin to justify ourselves we can often fuel the
bitterness and anger in our hearts. The meekness
produced by God's Spirit can liberate us from
the reactions of bitterness and anger produced
by unjust treatment. Sadly, Jacobs reaction
betrays a lack of this quality.
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Conclusion
As Jacob continued on his journey it was with a
heightened awareness of the protecting hand of
God upon his life. He was discovering what a
wonderful refuge God is to his people. And it is,
as we increasingly make this discovery, that our
panicking is replaced by poise and our anxious
scheming, driven by self-preservation, is
replaced by a confident resting in the God of our
salvation. This is the rest of faith of which the
scriptures speak Heb.4.11. Jacob is not quite
there yet but he is heading in the right
direction! Is this the direction in which we
are travelling?
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