GENESIS 31
Now Jacob heard that the sons of Laban were saying, “Jacob has taken all that was our father’s, and from what was our father’s he has gained all this wealth.” 2 And Jacob saw that Laban did not regard him with favor as before. 3 Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.”
4 So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah into the field where his flock was 5 and said to them, “I see that your father does not regard me with favor as he did before. But the God of my father has been with me. 6 You know that I have served your father with all my strength, 7 yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times. But God did not permit him to harm me. 8 If he said, ‘The spotted shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore spotted; and if he said, ‘The striped shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore striped. 9 Thus God has taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me.
– Genesis 31:1-9
GENESIS 31 LABAN’S SONS’ ENVY ON JACOB
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
The sons of Laban began to envy Jacob’s prosperity
They slandered Jacob to their father out of jealousy
Because of this, Laban’s mind was poisoned
His regard for Jacob changed and Jacob saw this
He then met with his wives to discuss what’s going on
He explained to them how he honestly served their father.
It becomes a bone of contention when envy enters a person’s heart. The bible says in James 4:1-2 says “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passionsare at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel.” Laban’s heart is not right with the Lord as he has cheated Jacob many times already. It is not surprising that his own sons would have that streak of jealousy as they watch Jacob’s wealth increase. Envy almost always lead to other sins. As James says in the mentioned verses, that it can lead to murder. Slandering Jacob is a form of murdering his good name. It leads to poisoning other people’s view of someone, a form of murdering their identity and character.
REFLECTION
- How can slander or talking ill of someone be considered murder?
