Daily Scripture Reading Genesis 31:31-47
One of the sayings in our society is “You cannot prove a negative”. It is not possible to prove something did not happen, or that something does not exist. Unfortunately, modern society does not excel at critical thinking; therefore, this is a truth that we tend to violate. We don’t necessarily violate it by trying to prove a negative, we violate it by making decisions based on the certainty that something is not true or does not exist. The 31st chapter of Genesis records an incident in Jacob’s life that illustrates the risk of being certain that something did not happen.
When Jacob decided to return to his father in the land of Canaan, he did not tell Laban he was leaving. Instead, he put his wives and children upon camels, and drove them as well as all his livestock and possessions toward the hill country of Gilead. Meanwhile, Rachel stole her father’s idols.
Three days after Jacob left, Laban was told he was gone, so Laban pursued Jacob and overtook him in the hill country of Gilead. Laban asked Jacob why he did not allow him to say goodbye to his daughters and grandchildren and why he stole his gods.
Gen. 31:31 Then Jacob answered and said to Laban, “Because I was afraid, because I said, ‘Lest you take your daughters from me by force.’
Gen. 31:32 The one with whom you find your gods shall not live; in the presence of our relatives recognize what is yours among my belongings and take it for yourself.” But Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.
Don’t miss the words “shall not live”. Jacob was not aware that Rachel stole her father’s gods; therefore, Jacob assumed no one in his family had them. He was so confident in his family’s innocence that he offered to put to death anyone found having them. Keep in mind Rachel was the wife he loved.
This is related to the truth that you cannot prove a negative. Jacob certainly knew for certain he did not have the gods, but he had no way of being certain that no one else in his household had them. He was foolish to be so certain about the absence of something that he was willing to offer to put someone to death.
This illustrates a common human folly. It is normal for people to forget the limits of their knowledge. Sometimes we become convinced that something does not exist. In other words, sometimes we become convinced we can prove a negative, but it is not possible to prove a negative.
One example of this is people who claim there is no God. Anyone who says God does not exist is saying they have searched the entire universe and did not find God. They are trying to prove a negative, but that is not possible.
Gen. 31:33 ¶ So Laban went into Jacob’s tent and into Leah’s tent and into the tent of the two maidservants, but he did not find them. Then he went out of Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s tent.
Gen. 31:34 Now Rachel had taken the household idols and put them in the camel’s saddle, and she sat on them. And Laban felt through all the tent but did not find them.
Gen. 31:35 And she said to her father, “Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise before you, for the manner of women is upon me.” So he searched but did not find the household idols.
Jacob was very fortunate he did not suffer consequences for his foolish declaration.
Gen. 31:36 ¶ Then Jacob became angry and contended with Laban; and Jacob answered and said to Laban, “What is my transgression? What is my sin that you have hotly pursued me?
Gen. 31:37 Though you have felt through all my goods, what have you found of all your household goods? Place it here before my relatives and your relatives, that they may decide between us two.
Gen. 31:38 These twenty years I have been with you; your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten the rams of your flocks.
Gen. 31:39 That which was torn of beasts I did not bring to you; I bore the loss of it myself. You required it of my hand whether stolen by day or stolen by night.
Gen. 31:40 Thus I was: by day the heat consumed me and the frost by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes.
Gen. 31:41 These twenty years I have been in your house; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flock, and you changed my wages ten times.
Gen. 31:42 If the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the dread of Isaac, had not been for me, surely now you would have sent me away empty. God has seen my affliction and the toil of my hands, so He rendered the decision last night.”
Once again we see Jacob giving Yahweh the credit for his success.
Gen. 31:43 ¶ Then Laban answered and said to Jacob, “The daughters are my daughters, and the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine. But what can I do this day to these daughters of mine or to their children whom they have borne?
Gen. 31:44 So now come, let us cut a covenant, you and I, and let it be a witness between you and me.”
Gen. 31:45 Then Jacob took a stone and raised it up as a pillar.
Gen. 31:46 And Jacob said to his relatives, “Gather stones.” So they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there by the heap.
Gen. 31:47 And Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed.
Jegar-sahadutha is an Aramaic term that means “heap of witness”. Galeed is a Hebrew word that means the same thing.
It is not possible to prove something did not happen, or that something does not exist. Unfortunately, modern society does not excel at critical thinking; therefore, this is a truth that we tend to violate. We don’t necessarily violate it by trying to prove a negative, we violate it by making decisions based on the certainty that something is not true or does not exist.
Jacob knew for sure he did not have Laban’s gods, but he had no way of being certain that no one else in his household had them. He was foolish to be so confident about the absence of something that he was willing to offer to put someone to death if they were found to be in possession of Laban’s gods.
What are ways people today take a strong stand that something did not happen or does not exist when they have no way of knowing for certain that their belief is true?
Have you ever made a foolish promise similar to Jacob’s foolish promise?
What consequences have you suffered because you were certain something did not exist or did not happen, and yet you were wrong?
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”