18. Laban’s ‘Don’t Harm Jacob’ Dream
The dream setting began twenty years previously when Jacob agreed with Laban to work seven years for Rachel. At the end of these seven years Laban tricked Jacob into marrying his older daughter Leah justifying his deceit by citing local custom.
He then offered another seven-year deal for Rachel. Fourteen years later Jacob wanted to go home but Laban insisted he stay. Laban had discovered through divination that his prosperity was linked to God blessing Jacob.
Laban played a major part in God’s plans for Abraham’s family line. He had a key role in arranging Isaac’s marriage to his sister Rebecca and Rabbinic sources say he was the father of the concubines, Bilhah and Zilpah, whom Jacob also had children with. If that is true then this would make Laban, like Isaac, a grandfather of the Twelve Tribes of Israel.
Laban’s biggest problem was his self-interest, which caused trouble for others especially Jacob and Joseph. Had Jacob married Rachel first then Joseph would have been the rightful heir and the other brothers would have had no reason to be so jealous. This dream was given in the midst of an emotionally charged life- threatening situation.
The Dream Scripture
Genesis 31:19-30
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When Laban had gone to shear his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household gods. Moreover, Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him he was running away. So he fled with all he had, crossed the Euphrates River, and headed for the hill country of Gilead. On the third day Laban was told that Jacob had fled. Taking his relatives with him, he pursued Jacob for seven days and caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead.
Then God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and said to him, “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”
Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead when Laban overtook him, and Laban and his relatives camped there too. Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done? You’ve deceived me, and you’ve carried off my daughters like captives in war. Why did you run off secretly and deceive me? Why didn’t you tell me, so I could send you away with joy and singing to the music of timbrels and harps? You didn’t even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye. You have done a foolish thing.
I have the power to harm you; but last night the God of your father said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’
Now you have gone off because you longed to return to your father’s household. But why did you steal my gods?”
The Problem
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Jacob had deceitfully fled with Laban’s daughters, their children and possessions. This was a huge dishonour and loss for Laban who then chased after them with a posse. Jacob’s lack of integrity put God’s covenant with Abraham and Isaac under threat. It also placed Laban and his men in a dangerous situation with God for in threatening God’s direction for Jacob’s life they were in the perilous position of thwarting God’s plans for His Messiah.
The Dreamer’s Metron
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Laban was a natural family leader who first appeared as a spokesman for his father, Bethuel’s, household. He was impressed by the golden jewellery gifted to his sister Rebecca from Isaac. He also played a key part in arranging their marriage.
Laban’s motives were always about gaining advantage for his family and this often set him at cross purposes with God’s plans. Laban is symbolic of a man who seeks first his own kingdom.
In trying to work a good arrangement for his daughter Leah he unwittingly hampered God’s plan of Joseph being Jacob’s rightful heir.
His concern over Jacob throwing away family safety in Aram for a risky prospect in the land of Canaan also put him in a position where he was opposing God’s plans, this time for the Children of Israel to return to the Promised Land.
Nevertheless God used Laban’s metron to provide safety, work and wives for Jacob.
God also chose Laban to be a grandfather of all the Twelve Patriarchs of Israel.
The Message
* * *
The message was clear enough Do not harm Jacob.
It’s similar to God’s previous warnings to Pharaoh and Abimelech, which were also essentially, Don’t harm those I’m in covenant with.
God’s words to Laban weren’t as harsh as those He spoke to Abimelek - You are as good as dead - but the implication was the same. There was a real sense of threat to Laban and his relatives if they disobeyed God’s command.
God’s Purpose
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God was moving Jacob to the geographical area he needed to be in for the next stage of God’s purpose. He has used Laban to prosper Jacob and his seed line and now He is protecting Jacob and Laban and their households from death and destruction.
God is essentially keeping His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, as he moves forward his prophetic word from Genesis 3 about Jesus, the Messiah, the seed of the woman.
Satan’s Purpose
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Satan’s purpose was to harm everyone. He wanted Laban to harm Jacob and his family and divert them from God’s plans for them to be back in the Promised Land. Satan used greed, fear, anger, mistrust, offence, conflict, strife and deceit in an attempt to accomplish this.
Dreamer’s Eyes Enlightened
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Laban clearly understands God in his graciousness is warning him in order to save his own life and many other lives.
Dreamers Response and Application
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Like Pharaoh and Abimelek before him Laban quickly changes his mind and obeys God’s instructions and in so doing averts God’s judgment on himself and his people.
Like Pharaoh and Abimelek, Laban also rebukes Jacob for his cowardly behaviour but there’s a hallow ring to his questioning of Jacob. After all Laban, Pharaoh and Abimelek had all the power in these interactions and apart from God’s intervention they would probably have used that power to harm God’s chosen people.
Know God Better
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God is once again shown as a wise and gracious promise keeper. He was also merciful to Laban. God knew angry Laban planned to harm Jacob and He warned him of the consequences of his intended actions. God kindly brought life and peace instead of strife and death.
The Dream Process
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This is a simple literal dream with the instructions, Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad. This is obviously an idiomatic expression basically meaning, Don’t pick a fight with Jacob. It’s a warning dream with corrective instructions requiring an immediate response. It has personal, family, national and international implications.
The Usual Suspects
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God speaks in this dream. Jesus the seed of the woman is there as regards the Covenant bloodline under threat. Satan is evident in Laban’s deception and anger and Jacob’s fear and deceit. The god’s appear in the guise of the household gods being stolen by Rachel.
Takeaways
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God is protecting the Messiah’s bloodline and keeping covenant. He speaks clearly to Laban and takes the heat out of the situation. God can and will protect us from our bad decisions because of his covenant relationship with us. A God dream can bring peace to a very volatile life-threatening situation and can calm any storm.
The story of Jacob and Laban echoes and mirrors Abraham’s dream in which God said,
Your seed shall be a stranger in a land that
is not theirs, and shall serve them and
they shall afflict them, afterward they
shall come out with great wealth. [1]
Similarly Abraham’s grandson Jacob lived in the strange land of Paddam Aram as an indentured servant to Laban and was unjustly afflicted before leaving with great wealth on his return to the Promised Land.
So, symbolically Jacob’s trouble with Laban foreshadowed Israel’s future enslavement with Egypt.
This constant cycle of exile, persecution and return to the Promised Land is a recurrent motif impacting Israel until this very day.
1 Genesis 15:13