IN one sense we have considered the spiritual lessons gained from this history of Jacob recorded in these verses, but I have felt it good to consolidate them in this second meditation on these verses, as the witness of Jacob, as a child of God, given in these verses are good to be remembered, understood and realised for our strength and assurance in the spiritual battle all God's believing people face, in one way or another, and in a greater or lesser degree, in our earthly journey to the promised land of the heavenly glory.

The first lesson we can glean from Jacob's life recorded in these verses can be found in verse 13. We are reminded in this verse by God of what could be called Jacob's conversion experience. God had revealed himself to Jacob when he was escaping from the anger of his brother over Jacob's deceit in stealing his birth right. We find this episode in Genesis 28: 10-22. Up to this point God had been acting in the life of Jacob, but Jacob had lived in worldly and deceitful way. In his extremity and loneliness God met him through a powerful dream, revealing himself to Jacob as the God of his family, and so also of him, and renewing his eternal promise of blessing to him. When Jacob woke up he realised he had been in the presence of God, and so he made a promise of commitment to the Lord. God reminds Jacob of this, as he gave him his guidance at this critical time. We learn from this that God remembers our faith and commitment to him, and shows that he comes to us in our time of need to guide us and lead us forward. Through such experiences we are reminded and assured that God is always ordering our lives for good according to his eternal purpose for us.

Then in verse 9 of our passage we are reminded that all blessing comes from God, and he is the one from whom all blessings flow. Jacob was wrestling with the problem of Laban's deceit, and finding that Laban's deceit was confounded by the fact that all the deceit of Laban turned out for good to Jacob. In God's dealings with him Jacob confessed and testified to the fact that, although Jacob struggled in his own strength, all blessing came from God. God is sovereign over all the affairs of mankind, and in the case of God's believing people, God is working his sovereign plan and purpose for us to prepare us for his heavenly glory, and ordering our life in blessing and for our good. God never fails his believing people.

Next we read in verses 5 and 7 Jacob's testimony. In verse 5 he confesses 'the God of my father has been with me.' Then in verse 7 Jacob declares 'God has not let him (Laban) harm me.' Blessed is the Christian who understands this, for as it was true for Jacob, it is true for every true believer. Sometimes the experiences God allows us to experience may seem that God has allowed harm to come to us, but the fact is that such experiences are always for our good, and the underlying truth is that God never allows us to be overcome by evil, but keeps us from harm and for his good eternal purpose.

The next truth which we may glean from these verses is that God communicates with us to instruct, guide and strengthen us. For Jacob God communicated with him in a dream as he had done at Bethel. We read this in verses 10-13. God visited Jacob in this way in the time of his need for guidance and direction, and so Jacob knew what he should do. God guides his believing people now through the bible by the Holy Spirit. We need to believe this, and lay hold of this truth. We read the Bible to hear and learn from God, but also through such reading and study God speaks to us sometimes in a direct way according to our need at that moment. We need to believe this and look for it.

In Jacob's case God communicated his purpose that it was now time for Jacob to escape from Laban and return to his father's home. We find that in a real way Jacob found his wives concurring with this action. We see this concerning his wives in verse 16. For Jacob we see he received such guidance in verses 3 and verses 10-13. Jacob's example here is one to be noted and received. What we see in this saga is that Jacob obeyed immediately. This is Jacob's example to us. When we receive direction from God, whatever that direction should be, like Jacob we should immediately act on such direction, teaching or guidance. The passage says it so clearly. Trust and obey, for there's no other way; to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.'

The way Jacob obeyed may raise questions in our minds. We are told that Jacob left Laban with all his family and livestock secretly. In verse 20 we read that Jacob deceived Laban by not telling him his plans to escape. The suggestion seems to be that Jacob led Laban to believe that all was well in his service of Laban. The question which is raised is whether Jacob should have been up front with Laban, and told him that God had directed him to return home. The truth is that if Jacob had been up front with Laban, Laban would have acted strenuously to oppose such a move, making it too difficult for Jacob to obey God. In such circumstances the will of God should come first, even though this may seem to be acting in a wrong way. No doubt if Jacob had told Laban his purpose to leave, God would have overruled all the plans of Laban to prevent it, but to what purpose when to escape as Jacob did meant that God's purpose was more firmly achieved.