Genesis Chapter 31 Discussion

Hello Murlon. According to the narrative on Laban in Genesis 31, it appears that he did practise idolatry, even as Terah, Abraham & Nachor also did ( Joshua 24:2). They lived in Ur of the Chaldees (now modern Iraq). In spite of their idolatrous ways & ignorance of the true God, God did reveal Himself to Abraham & called him to serve Him alone & be the father of many nations.

As also with Laban, who continued to practise idolatry, but was now accepting of this God who he was hearing about from Abraham's servant (likely Eliezer of Damascus), in his earlier encounter with him concerning Isaac ( Genesis 24:50,51). Whether Laban ultimately rejected his gods for the true God, we cannot say as the Bible doesn't indicate that; but in spite of him using divination ( Genesis 30:27, KJV: "experience" = 'nachash', or signs, divination), he acknowledged that Abraham's God had blessed him. He might have even added an image of God to his other gods, but hopefully in time & by revelation, he would have rejected his false gods.

Syncretism in religion (i.e. merging together of different beliefs & practises), is never an acceptable thing, even as practised today amongst so-called Christians, because God requires a true worship of Him, and Him alone. Abraham, by God's Call & revelation of Himself to him, would have learned to reject any other god or form of worship & to serve the True & Living God. Thus he was greatly blessed.

was Laban worshipping idols than God?

I love reading the bible

Jocelynne,

Our soul is the non material part of us that makes us conscious of being alive, that we are our own individual person. Our soul includes our mind (not our brain), our emotions, our will, our conscience, our awareness of thoughts, ideas, the ability to evaluate what our senses send to our brain along with ideas, points of views, wonderings, inquisitiveness. Many things like that. Our souls are immortal, but our bodies are mortal. So our body dies, but our soul goes to wherever God determines it should rest until our resurrection. Our soul was not alive before we were conceived; they had a beginning. God creates the soul in a person at conception. At the resurrection, our soul will be reunited in our bodies because a soul only lives in an alive body. Our body will be changed from mortal to immortal, our body and souls will change from being corruptible by sin to incorruptible and unable to sin every again. We will live forever in this new body with a perfected soul with God.

Hope this helps.

Jocelyn

IF!! you believe the jkv bible. God breathe your soul into your body then, your soul bring you alive

Your soul enters the body with your first breath and leaves your body with your last breath

Genesis 2:7

"And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."

King James Version (KJV

I was asking if our souls are suppose to go to Heaven how are we suppose to actually know that if we don't know they're there in the first place.

Ecclesiastes 12:7

"Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it."

King James Version (KJV) tells us this

Hi Jocelynne.

Can you rephrase your question?

Thanks in advance.

God bless.

If people say our souls are in our bodies, and that's the part of us going to Heaven, how are we suppose to believe that because we actually don't know if our souls are actually there?

In reference to Laban's idols, apparently they were not as rare an occurrence that might be supposed. The word in Hebrew for 'image' in Genesis 31:19 is 'terapim', or 'teraphim'. And there have been evidences of their possession by the 'God-fearing' (see Judges 17:5 (Micah); 1 Samuel 19:13 (Michal); Hosea 3:4 (Israel)). They're often connected with the 'ephod' & 'urim', so one could suppose that in the absence of the urim & ephod (which were used to learn God's Mind & direction to take), that the teraphim were kept by some to do likewise. So the teraphim (also referred to as 'gods' - Genesis 31:30), were probably not used so much for worship, but in some way to look into the future or for impartation of household blessing. Though the use of idols, images, etc. were condemned ( 2 Kings 23:24), images & teraphim apparently were still kept as a 'rabbit's foot' in households.

Now the fact that Rachel stole her father's teraphim is interesting. Either she wanted to rid them from his house as worthless idols or maybe fearing that they might have some impact on alerting Laban as to where Jacob & his family had fled to, she took them to prevent that happening. Or yet, she may have wanted to take something to remember her father by (no photos in those days) or even to take something of value ( Genesis 31:14,15). By her hiding them (obviously they were very small objects) under the camel's accoutrements, indicates that she held little value to them as objects of worship, or else she wouldn't be sitting on them. But one could be justifiably concerned that Rachel might have given those teraphim some undeserved regard.

.......explaining she is having her monthly period, Jacob pretty much lights in to Laban, recounting how Laban did not treat him in good faith and Jacob had not done Laban wrong all these 20 years., recounting how well the flocks have prospered under his shepherding. He attests that God, who was his grandfather's God and his father's God (the Fear of Isaac is a name for God) has been with him none of that would have happened. He didn't claim God as his own at this time.

Then Laban has his turn at speaking to Jacob, claiming that the wives and children belong to him, along with the flock. he is unwilling to let go and keep his end of the bargain. He obviously wanted Jacob to stay in Haran and keep his family near him, though he had other sons. So Laban suggests a covenant. Laban seems to make the terms of the covenant, having Jacob vow to treat his wives well and not add any wives. Then he vows that the pillar will be a boundary that neither will cross to harm the other. He calls God, (Abraham's, Naho's, and Terah) to be the judge or witness between them. Jacob swears by the same God as Laban (the Fear of Isaac, by name) Jacob offers a sacrifice to God (makes me wonder why Laban had household idols?) The share a meal, that evening and part ways in the morning on good terms.

After hearing Jacob's words to him, perhaps Laban realized that he had mistreated Jacob and therefore relented. Or maybe Jacob's sons were much older and stronger than Laban's sons, and he assessed the situation and made the wise choice to let Jacob leave. Maybe, having heard from God, Laban was beginning a journey with the True God then.

So, we shall see how the rest of the story turns out. I'm curious about the idols Rachel stole and kept hidden from Jacob?

The daughter was to receive some of the dowry from her father. Laban had not given them any family wealth apart from what Jacob had earned. They new that Jacob had prospered their father more than what would ordinarily be a dowry amount, and that their father had spent his wealth. On top of that, Laban had treated his daughters as strangers instead of family. Funny, how Laban claimed Leah and Rachel and the grandkids as his when he confronted Jacob. Laban was greedy. This lack of reception of their father's inheritance probably prompted Rachel to take the family statues/images. Perhaps they were of some value that we do not know about. Sometimes called Teraphim, they were linked to idolatry and perhaps family land ownership.

Here in this chapter, Jacob recounts how it was that his flock grew so large. God showed him in a dream how it would happen. God also reminded him about meeting Him in Bethel and Jacob making a vow to God. The dream and words from God reminded Jacob of what he said to God in this vow, that if the Lord will prosper him and guard him, he would serve God. Now, Jacob saw that God had prospered and guarded him. Now he could trust God for his day to day life and his future.

Jacob was obedient to and set out for home without telling Laban. He knew Laban was untrustworthy and so he wanted to follow God's direction without Laban's interference. He had already been in the land 6 years past when God had first told him to leave in the dream. Now this is the second time God tells him to go home. 3 days into their journey arriving at the mount of Gilead. Laban catches up to him there after God had spoken to him to not mistreat Jacob. When Laban asks Jacob why he left as he did, Jacob says that he was afraid Laban would take his daughters back by force, reneging on the deal that was made 20 years ago. After searching for the household idols, and not finding them on account of Rachel sitting on the pillow she put them under.....see more

Jacob sure lived an interesting life, but not, perhaps. more so than Noah, Shem, ........Abraham, Isaac. We just are noit given quite as much info on these other brothers in the Lord.

Jacob had been away from his family for 20 years. He was at least 60 years old by now and Isaac was about 120 yrs. or more. God appears and speaks to Jacob and says to go home. He was ready to go back home, His quiver was full of children, his flocks had prospered to the point of greatly outnumbering Laban's. It seems that Laban had sons, as it says they complained about the state of their flocks as compared to Jacob's. Laban must have left the tending of his flocks totally to his sons and Jacob. Otherwise, he would have known what was the state of his flocks. He was not happy to see Jacob wealthy and now his wealth diminished, having been transferred to Jacob through the increase in Jacob's flock.

Jacob explains that he has tended the flocks in good faith for 20 years, even though Laban had changed his wages 10 times. Laban was crafty and intended to take advantage of Jacob. Jacob was mild mannered, unlike Esau. But he was also wise enough to depend on God, since God continued to bless him. It says he served Laban with all of his might. So he was all in to the job, not lazy, or looking for a way to get out of work. He was worth far more than the wage he was being paid. I was taught to work this way. I have been overqualified for most of the jobs I have had, but still worked hard and earned my wage. In one restaurant job, I worked with some workers just out of high school. They did not do their best to earn their wage, commenting that they were only getting minimum wage, so they di d not have to work hard. God honored Jacob's work ethic and blessed the work of his hands.

Leah and Rachel were concerned about leaving without any of the inheritance that they should receive. Ordinarily, a suitor would pay a dowry for a wife, but Jacob had not done so......

Good evening Sacha, I am thinking too of your love that you share and your encouragements. Often the timing of our walks with each other are for a reason. Your message helped me this past week which was well needed.

Thank you.

Hi Carleton ! Its good to know you are still out there ! Keep on shining ! Love in Christ .

Love to all, keep the faith!

God is Amazing!

A HA A HA

Psalm 35:21

Psalm 40:15

Psalm 70:3

Ezekiel 25:3

Ezekiel 26:2

Ezekiel 36:2

Isaiah 44:16

Where in the Bible God say A ha?

If the unbeliever depart let them depart.

Commentary: Numbers 30:12 "But if her husband hath utterly made them void on the day he heard [them; then] whatsoever proceeded out of her lips concerning her vows, or concerning the bond of her soul, shall not stand: her husband hath made them void; and the LORD shall forgive her."

When he committed adultery you were eligible to be divorced. Divorce is barely tolerated because of vows. He broke the vow with you; first.

It matters what the "grounds" were for the divorce.

You and your intended need to make an appointment with your Pastor, for counseling. It all needs to be sorted out before you initiate intimacy. It is wisdom to seek this counseling. To be informed before proceeding.

Children bear the scars emotionally in divorce; way into adulthood. It needs to be handled righteously for their sakes. They should not know all the details.

I hope this helps. Mishael

I am seeing different verses about divorce. My former husband had multiple partners while we were married and continued to be unfaithful and he was hostile after marriage torwads me and the children. So I left the home but he divorced me first. I need to know because he divorced me and my situation I know Jesus has forgiven me but I do have someone I love dearly that is Christian like me and he was divorced with his wife as well. Does this make us adulters still in the lord's eyes in the day of judgment?

But first u ask Jesus. The Bible says do all things saying" By will" because no matter what we need JESUS we need remission of sins in JESUS name. The Bible says there is power in the name Jesus. The Bible says baptize in the name"of the Father,Son , and Holy Ghost." Which must be Jesus! Satan wants to take out the powerful name"Jesus"

I can guarantee you it's great that you have that but how about the (probably) millions/billions who go in heaven. That DONT have it. All. i need is His Spirit and ill be A OK. But maybe ill check it out.

Why? I mean it's not like he is cussing.

I dont think so. Taking idols is taking faalse gods. It is best is not to take too long to judge. The idol didnt save anyone. It didnt save her from death or whatever. The Jesus' holy children will be saved. As the song says " Death is a lie!" For God's saints it is. I am not a Universalist or whatever heresy in the Not-pure-anymore-Church.

Stuff is not slang. It is a general all inclusive word. And also you do know this is the 2016 KJB version. Right?

So here is a firm covenant, before Jehovah, that the border of Syria and Israel is on the mount Gilead? The Golan Heights are much further north? Mmm.

Stuff the noun in this early modern context should be associated with the verb and interpreted as their furnishing. Stuffing in the sense of a mattress or pillow、 slang is a misnomer in language it is a class based assessment not a linguistic reality. One of my reasons for reading KJB is for etymology and early modern context since becoming an English teacher overseas and encountering US English

Verse 5- even when our family members fail to be there for us we can count on Jehovah God being there for us if we draw lose to him.