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Jacob was fleeing from his home, traveling to his Uncle Laban’s place in Haran. Officially, he was going to find a wife, but he was also fleeing from his brother’s anger. He stopped for the night under the stars, with a stone for a pillow, and as he slept, he had a dream. In his dream, he saw a ladder with angels going up and down. The Lord spoke to him in the dream, blessing him with many descendants and land. Jacob poured oil over the stone he had used and called that place Bethel.
Jacob made a vow with God, telling Him that he would give God a tenth of whatever he made if God would be with him on his journey to Haran and someday bring him back to his own people. Jacob had met God at Bethel, but when he left Bethel, he also left behind a string of broken relationships.
He reached the land where Laban and his daughters lived. He met Rachel there when she came to water her sheep, and then he met Laban and made a deal with Laban concerning Rachel. He would work seven years for Rachel. But when the time was up, Laban deceived Jacob and gave him Leah for a wife. Jacob had met a deceiver like himself. Jacob had been tricked by Laban, just as Jacob had tricked his own father.
His experience in PadanAram with Laban’s family wasn’t any better than it was in his home community. It is easy to think that our life may be different and better if we move to a new community or change churches, but we will face the same challenges no matter where we go. We are the same people.
The law of sowing and reaping is still in effect. Jacob sowed deception and reaped deception. God puts people in our paths that we need, not who we want. We can learn from them, and possibly they can learn something from us.
God is the master potter. How long will it take Him to get us molded the way He wants us?