#88 My Precious Genesis 31

Now Jacob heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, "Jacob has taken away all that was out father's, and from what was our father's he has acquired all this wealth." and Jacob saw the countenance of Laban, and indeed it was not favorable toward him as before. then the Lord said to Jacob, "return to the land of your fathers and to your family, and I will be with you." So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field, to his flock, and said to them, "I see your father's countenance that it is not favorable toward me as before; but the God of my father has been with me. And you know that  with all my might i have served your father. Yet your father has deceived me and changed my wages ten times, but God did not allow him to hurt me. If he said thus: 'the speckled shall be your wages,' then all the flocks bore speckled. And if he said thus: 'the streaked shall be your wages,' then all the flocks bore streaked. So God has taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me. "And it happened, at the time when the flocks conceived, that I lifted my eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the rams which leaped upon the flocks were streaked, speckled, and gray-spotted. Then the Angel of God spoke to me in a dream, saying, 'Jacob.' And I said, 'here I am.' And He said, 'lift your eyes now and see, all the rams which leap on the flocks are streaked, speckled, and gray-spotted; for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you. I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and where you made a vow to Me. Now arise, get out of this land, and return to the land of your family.' " Then Rachel and Leah answered  and said to him, "is there still any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house? are we not considered strangers by him? For he has sold us, and also completely consumed our money. For all these riches which God has taken from our father are really ours and our children's; now then, whatever God has said to you, do it." Then Jacob rose and set his sons and his wives on camels. And he carried away all his livestock and all his possessions which he had gained in Padan Aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan. Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel had stolen the household idols that were her father's. And Jacob stole away, unknown to Laban the Syrian, in that he did not tell him that he intended to flee. So he fled with all that he had. He arose and crossed the river, and headed toward the mountains of Gilead. Genesis 31: 1-21 NKJV

Laban's sons are not exactly happy for Jacob, and this most likely reached their father's ears as well. Everything was great to them when they were being blessed by God because of Jacob. Now, when Jacob is being blessed, there is this opportunity that goes amiss by them. Laban has deceived Jacob, by switching daughters, and justified it to himself through means of tradition not foreclosed in the original agreement. He did give Jacob the agreed upon daughter a week late but added yet another 7 years. He was only in favor of the current arrangement because he thought it in his favor. There is now the opportunity to admit to wrong and repent; seeing that God is with Jacob and that all Laban had is now being given away. It says that his countenance had changed, and I have seen this a hundred times. I am in the wrong, I have been caught, but I am mad at both the person I wronged for receiving justice, and the one who caught me in the wrong. I choose not to see my part and to find everyone else unjust, and follow the pattern of envy and greed. This assumes that I am above those around me and that my wants justify my behavior.

It is not that what happens here on earth is unimportant, but the things of this earth are not more valuable than the people and our relationships to one another. If success is based solely upon what you acquire materially in this life, then you will leave behind much that has no value in eternity. The want will set your rule, and your desire will be your master. 

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6: 19-21 NKJV