Daily Scripture Reading Genesis 31:48 - 32:16
It is natural for humans to act one way in public and quite differently in private. When we think no one is watching us, we tend to do things we would not do when people are watching. This means that if we think no one is watching, then we are more prone to steal possessions or abuse another person.
However, Jacob and Laban grasped a reality about Yahweh that is true today. Yahweh is always watching. It is not possible for us to do anything in secret. Therefore, we should always behave as if we are being watched, because we are.
When Jacob decided to leave Laban and return to his father in Canaan, he did not tell Laban he was leaving. When Laban learned Jacob had left, he gathered some relatives, pursued Jacob, and caught up with him near Gilead. They and their relatives created a heap of stones in order to establish a covenant between themselves.
Gen. 31:48 Then Laban said, “This heap is a witness between you and me this day.” Therefore it was named Galeed,
The pronoun “you” refers to Jacob and the pronoun “me” refers to Laban.
The Hebrew word Galeed means “heap of witness”.
Gen. 31:49 and Mizpah, for he said, “May Yahweh watch between you and me when we are absent one from the other.
Mizpah is the Hebrew word for watchtower. The heap of stones was a reminder that Yahweh was watching their actions.
Gen. 31:50 If you afflict my daughters, or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no man is with us, see, God is witness between you and me.”
Laban reminded Jacob that while Laban may not see how Jacob treated his wives and children, Yahweh was always watching and would see if Jacob afflicted Laban’s daughters.
This is true today. We tend to act one way in public and another way in private, because we think there are times no one is watching what we do. However, Yahweh is always watching us, so we should always behave as if we are being watched, because we are.
Gen. 31:51 And Laban said to Jacob, “Behold this heap and behold the pillar which I have set between you and me.
Gen. 31:52 This heap is a witness, and the pillar is a witness, that I will not pass by this heap to you for harm, and you will not pass by this heap and this pillar to me for harm.
The covenant was they would not harm each other.
Gen. 31:53 The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” So Jacob swore by the dread of his father Isaac.
Notice the word “swore”. When they wanted to make agreements official, they did not sign and notarize them as we do today. Instead, they swore oaths.
Gen. 31:54 Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and called his relatives to eat a meal; and they ate the meal and spent the night on the mountain.
Gen. 31:55 And Laban arose early in the morning and kissed his sons and his daughters and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned to his place.
Gen. 32:1 ¶ Now Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.
Gen. 32:2 Then Jacob said when he saw them, “This is God’s camp.” So he named that place Mahanaim.
The Hebrew word “Mahanaim” is the dual form of Machaneh. “Machaneh” is the Hebrew word for camp. Jacob called this place “Two Camps”.
Mahanaim was located along the Jabbok River, but the exact location is debated.
Gen. 32:3 ¶ Then Jacob sent messengers before him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom.
It was approximately 120 miles / 200 km from Mahanaim down to Edom. That would have been about a 4 day journey.
Gen. 32:4 He also commanded them saying, “Thus you shall say to my lord, to Esau: ‘Thus says your servant Jacob, “I have sojourned with Laban and have been delayed until now;
Gen. 32:5 and I have oxen and donkeys and flocks and male and female slaves; and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find favor in your sight.”’”
Gen. 32:6 ¶ Then the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother, to Esau, and furthermore he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.”
Picture this from Jacob’s perspective. When he left home, he knew Esau wanted to kill him. He probably had little to no contact with Esau during his twenty years with Laban. I doubt at this point he had any idea if Esau still wanted to kill him. When he learned that Esau was coming with 400 men, he probably assumed Esau intended to get revenge for when Jacob pretended to be Esau and stole the blessing.
Gen. 32:7 Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed; and he divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and the herds and the camels, into two camps.
Notice Jacob divided his family and possessions into two camps. Since Mahanaim was the dual form of the word for camp, this might be why Jacob named this place Mahanaim.
Gen. 32:8 And he said, “If Esau comes to the one camp and strikes it, then the camp which remains will escape.”
Gen. 32:9 ¶ And Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Yahweh, who said to me, ‘Return to your land and to your kin, and I will prosper you,’
Gen. 32:10 I am unworthy of all the lovingkindness and of all the truth which You have shown to Your slave; for with my staff only I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps.
Look at the word “unworthy”. Jacob recognized that he was not worthy of his prosperity and everything Yahweh had done for him.
This is a humble attitude that we should emulate in our lives. God has greatly blessed us, even though we are so sinful we are unworthy of any blessing from God.
Gen. 32:11 Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and strike me down with the mothers and the children.
We don’t know how many men Jacob had on his side, but since Esau had 400 men, Jacob was probably at a disadvantage and knew his only hope was for Yahweh to protect him.
Gen. 32:12 For You said, ‘I will surely prosper you and make your seed as the sand of the sea, which is too great to be numbered.’”
Gen. 32:13 ¶ So he spent the night there. Then he took from what he had with him a present for his brother Esau:
Notice the word “present”. This following verses do not list Jacob’s total wealth. Instead, they list the items he withdrew from his wealth as a present for Esau.
Gen. 32:14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams,
Gen. 32:15 thirty milking camels and their colts, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys.
Jacob’s present was a total of 580 animals. Many family farms in the area where I live have fewer than 500 animals. Jacob had to have thousands of animals in order to be able to give Esau a present that large. Jacob was very wealthy.
Gen. 32:16 And he gave them into the hand of his servants, every flock by itself, and said to his servants, “Pass on before me and put a space between flocks.”
Notice the word “servant” is plural. The text does not tell us how many servants Jacob had, but thousands of animals would require at least dozens of servants.
It is natural for humans to act one way in public and quite differently in private. When we think no one is watching us, we tend to do things we would not do when people are around us. However, Jacob and Laban grasped a reality about Yahweh that is true today. Yahweh is always watching us. Therefore, we should always behave as if we are being watched, because we are.
What do you do in private that you would not do in public?
What should you change about your behavior in light of the fact that God is always watching and sees and hears everything you say and do?
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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.”