Joash reigned 40 years. Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him. 3 The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.
Joash wanted the temple repaired, but it took 23 years because the priests did not repair the temple. Hazael king of Aram went up and attacked Gath and captured it and only left after Joash gave them sacred objects from the temples.
His officials conspired against him and assassinated him at Beth Millo, on the road down to Silla. Amaziah his son succeeded him as king.
Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned seventeen years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord. So the Lord’s anger burned against Israel, and for a long time he kept them under the power of Hazael king of Aram and Ben-Hadad his son.
Jehoahaz died and Jehoash his son succeeded him as king. He reigned sixteen years and did evil in the eyes of the Lord. Jehoash rested with his ancestors, and Jeroboam succeeded him on the throne.
Elisha died.
Hazael king of Aram died, and Ben-Hadad his son succeeded him as king.
Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah began to reign. He reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years and did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He executed the officials who had murdered his father the king.
Amaziah challenged Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, to battle. Judah was routed by Israel, and every man fled. Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah, at Beth Shemesh. Then Jehoash went to Jerusalem and took all the gold and silver and all the articles found in the temple of the Lord and in the treasuries of the royal palace and gave them to Hazael king of Aram who finally withdrew.
Jehoash died and Jeroboam his son succeeded him as king. The people conspired against him and killed him, and Azariah his son who was 16 took the throne.
Jeroboam (II) son of Jehoash king of Israel became king in Samaria, and he reigned forty-one years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord. Jeroboam rested and Zechariah his son succeeded him as king.
The workers rebuilt the temple of God according to its original design and reinforced it. The rest of the money was used to make articles for the Lord’s temple: articles for the service and for the burnt offerings, and also dishes and other objects of gold and silver. As long as Jehoiada lived, burnt offerings were presented continually in the temple of the Lord.
After the death of Jehoiada, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king, and he listened to them. 18 They abandoned the temple of the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and worshiped Asherah poles and idols. Because of their guilt, God’s anger came on Judah and Jerusalem.
The Spirit of God came on Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. “This is what God says: ‘Why do you disobey the Lord’s commands? You will not prosper. Because you have forsaken the Lord, he has forsaken you.’”
Joash was killed for murdering the son of Jehoiada the priest
Amaziah called the people of Judah together and assigned them according to their families to commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds for all Judah and Benjamin. He then mustered those twenty years old or more and found that there were three hundred thousand men fit for
When Amaziah returned from slaughtering the Edomites, he brought back the gods of the people of Seir. He set them up as his own gods, bowed down to them and burned sacrifices to them. The anger of the Lord burned against Amaziah, and he sent a prophet to him, who said, “Why do you consult this people’s gods, which could not save their own people from your hand?”
12a) Jehoiada guided his nephew Joash. He helped with the temple’s repairs and helped Israel to be faithful.
b) After the death of Jehoiada, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king, and he listened to them. They abandoned the temple of the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and worshiped Asherah poles and idols. Because of their guilt, God’s anger came on Judah and Jerusalem. Jehoash went to Jerusalem and took all the gold and silver and all the articles found in the temple of the Lord and in the treasuries of the royal palace and gave them to Hazael king of Aram who finally withdrew.
13) Jehoahaz King of Israel did evil in the eyes of the Lord. Israel did not turn away from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, which he had caused Israel to commit; they continued in them. Also, the Asherah pole remained standing in Samaria. Jehoash King of Israel did evil in the eyes of the Lord. He warred against against Amaziah king of Judah.
14) Elisha’s confidence in the fact that God always had his back.
15) Dear Lord, help me to live faithfully and give me the power to do so. Help me to be strong in the face of temptation and give me perseverance for you.
Long readings. Lots of redundancy. Lots of similar names. Keep at it. You’re growing closer to God!
I’m surprised no one took Elisha’s bones after the first miracle for other miracles. I would have!
The temple needed repairs because it was vandalized by Athaliah and her sons (2 Chronicles 24:7). The money coming into the temple was from the census, taxes, and offerings. The priest did get the repairs done. Remember building projects took a long time in ancient times.
The kingdom of Syria attacked Judah, and King Joash was wounded. 2 Chronicles 24:23-24 To get rid of Syria, he used the temple’s treasures rather than trusting God.
Joash began strong but strayed at the end, as did so many of Israel’s kings.
Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu became king over Israel according to God’s promise to Jehu 2 Kings 10:30.
God rescues his unbelieving people again when they cry out to Him.
We see a civil war between Israel and Judah.
Elisha dies. Elisha said these words to Elijah at the end of his life. 2 Kings 2:12
The arrows represented victories and Joash did not use them properly as Elisha’s last gift to him before he dies. Shooting an arrow in the direction of the enemy was an ancient custom.
Anytime God tells us to have faith, we must be bold, not timid like Joash here. Small actions can add up to a lot.
Fun Fact: This is the only time in the Bible that a miracle was performed by the bones of a dead guy. Yet, the entire relic idea pushed by the Catholic church began here.
Amaziah executed the servants who killed his dad. This is wise to protect himself and Biblical Genesis 9:5-7 as murderers were punished by execution but not the children (Deuteronomy 24:16) as God’s law says (but custom demanded).
Amaziah destroyed the Edomites with God’s help 2 Chronicles 25:5-16 but then turned from God afterward (2 Chronicles 25:14) and decided to attack Israel. 2 Chronicles 25:5-16
Amaziah was captured and turned into a prisoner in Israel. He lost all his wealth, too. Then he was assassinated (2 Kings 12:20-21).
The reign of Azariah is about to begin, and he’s the greatest king of Judah after David. Finally!
God let Jeroboam II enjoy great prosperity in Israel. He also helped to neutralize Syria, Israel’s great enemy, with the rise of Assyria. He died in 752 BC. His sone, Zechariah reigned next. He is the fourth generation of Jehu (2 Kings 10:30).
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When King Ahaziah died, his mother Athaliah killed all the princes except Joash who was saved by Jehosheba, a princess and sister to Ahaziah. He remained hidden for six years. In the seventh year, Jehoiada the priest commanded guards to kill anyone who tries to kill the king. Jehoiada anointed Joash king. Athaliah protested and was put to death.
Jehoiada then made a covenant between the Lord and the king and people that they would be the Lord’s people. He also made a covenant between the king and the people. All the people of the land went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols to pieces and killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars.
Joash took his place as king and everyone was calm now that Athaliah was gone. Joash was 7 years old when he began to reign.
Jehoiada said to the people, “The king’s son shall reign, as the Lord promised concerning the descendants of David. Then Jehoiada placed the oversight of the temple of the Lord in the hands of the Levitical priests, to whom David had made assignments in the temple, to present the burnt offerings of the Lord as written in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and singing, as David had ordered. He also stationed gatekeepers at the gates of the Lord’s temple so that no one who was in any way unclean might enter.
9) Athaliah was the mother of King Ahaziah of Judah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family.
10a) Joash was saved by Jehosheba, a princess and sister to Ahaziah. He remained hidden for six years.
b) I find it interesting how the people were calm after the death of Athaliah the kingdom was calm. It’s almost a sigh of relief when a bad person in power dies.
11) I still have my job. I have found (hopefully) someone who will help me reach my goals. That was God because I just wanted to quit and not deal with it.
I love how God always wins by sparing Joash so David’s line could continue. It’s encouraging when you are not winning in your life’s trials.
Remember that Ahaziah was executed by Jehu (2 Kings 9:27-29.)
Athaliah was the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, and was given to King Jehoram of Judah as a bride. She obviously was a bad influence on both her husband (Jehoram of Judah) and her son (King Ahaziah of Judah).
This was after Jehu killed all of Ahab’s line. Thus, Athaliah took it upon herself to enact revenge by killing all of David’s line.
Yet, God wins with Jehosheba saving Joash.
Jehoiada the priest chose the Sabbath for the day of the coup because that was the day when the guards changed their shifts. This allowed him to assemble two groups of guards at the temple at the same time without attracting attention. Jehoiada followed all the processes of declaring Joash king.
Athaliah had to know her game was over when she say Joash, her grandson. They killed her mercifully, and Joash took reign and began enacting reforms.
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Elisha foretells that Hazael, a servant of the king of Aram, will end up murdering the king of Aram (Ben-Hadad) and taking the throne.
Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat, reigned in Israel 8 years as the King of Judah. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord but was spared due to God’s promise to David. Edom rebelled against Judah during Jehoram’s reign.
Jehoram’s son, Ahaziah, reigned. He reigned in Jerusalem one year and did evil in the eyes of the Lord. Ahaziah went to war against the king of Aram.
Jehu is anointed King of Israel according to God’s wishes as conveyed by Elisha. He is to destroy the house of Ahab (Judah).
Jehu then kills Joram and Ahaziah. He then killed Jezebel. He then killed all of Ahab’s family in 2 Kings 10.
Jehu then kills the prophets of Baal, effectively ending Baal worship in Israel.
Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria 28 years. God promises him his descendents will rule over Israel to the 4th generation for his obedience. However, he did sin, and God began to reduce the size of Israel.
The Lord aroused against Jehoram the hostility of the Philistines and the Arabs near the Cushites. They attacked Judah and carried off the goods from the palace. The Lord afflicted Jehoram with an incurable, painful disease from which he died of.
All of Jehoram’s sons were killed except Ahaziah, the youngest, who then became king of Judah. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord and was killed by Jehu.
6) Kings in Aram: Hazael, a servant of the king of Aram, will end up murdering the king of Aram (Ben-Hadad) and taking the throne.
Kings in Judah:
Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat, reigned in Israel 8 years as the King of Judah. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord but was spared due to God’s promise to David. Edom rebelled against Judah during Jehoram’s reign.
Jehoram’s son, Ahaziah, reigned. He reigned in Jerusalem one year and did evil in the eyes of the Lord. Ahaziah went to war against the king of Aram.
Kings in Israel: Jehu is anointed King of Israel according to God’s wishes as conveyed by Elisha. He is to destroy the house of Ahab (Judah).
7) Jehu was previously anointed as a future king of Israel, who would overthrow the king of Ahab (1 Kings 19:16-18). God’s promise against Jezebel and the house of Ahab was exactly and righteously fulfilled (1 Kings 21:19, 21:23-25).
8 ) No. He did what God ordered, which was to destroy the house of Ahab and avenge the prophets killed by Ahab and Jezebel. However, his methods were not honoring to God. Hosea predicts that God will punish the house of Jehu for his murderous rampage and that he will put an end to the kingdom of Israel.
Very interesting how God uses others to enact His consequences of disobedience. Sometimes, it can be severe.
Sometimes God’s calling on your life is a burden, as Elisha experienced when he weeped at what he knew Hazael would do to the Israelites.
Was Elisha’s words to Hazael a self-fulfilling prophecy? No one makes anyone do anything. Everything is of their own accord.
Do note: King Jehoram of Judah in this passage should not be confused with the King Jehoram of Israel mentioned in 2 Kings 3. That Jehoram is called Joram in this passage and following.
The anointing of Jehu is kept secret so that Jehoram would not have time to oppose him.
Fun Fact: Jehu is the only king of the Northern Kingdom (Israel) to be anointed.
Jehu was God’s chosen one to enact judgment on the house of Ahab.
Jezreel is the city where Joram is recovering from his injury.
Jehu knew he was fulfilling God’s will with his murders. We know this by him throwing Joram’s body in Naboth’s vineyard, where Ahab had murdered Naboth.
Jehu was not commissioned to kill the king of Jusah (Ahaziah), but he did anyway. Technically, Ahaziah was a relative of Ahab.
Jezebel references Zimri (1 Kings 16:9-12) who assassinated King Baasha of Israel who was a commander in the army, too. When Jezebel was trampled, it was considered a desecration of the body and was worse than death. Yet, Jehu is not perturbed at all, eating and drinking afterward.
The sons of Ahab were definitely a threat to take Jehu’s throne, which is why he had them killed.
Jehu killed 42 members of Ahaziah’s family, which many Bible Scholars believe crossed a line. He then kills the remainder of Ahab’s family in Samaria.
Note the mention of the founder of the Rechabites, a reform movement that wants everyone to live a Godly life. Jeremiah 35
Jehu deceived the prophets of Baal to kill them. The destroys the prophets and their temple.
Jehu still promoted the false worship of idols of the true God.
Jehu did good (God’s work), but was still bad of the kings of Israel. He did the work still in sin.
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Elisha keeps telling the king of Israel where the Arameans are at, so they can avoid them. The King of Aram decides to go and try and capture Elisha who is at Dothan. The king surrounds the city, but the king is surrounded by an unseen army of God with chariots of fire. Elisha asks God to blind the Arameans, which He does. Elisha led the army of Arameans to Samaria where he fed them and sent them home. After this, the raids upon Israel stopped.
The king of Aram then laid seige to Samaria. There was a famine in the land, and the people were so hungry they were resorting to cannabalism. The king of Israel blamed God and Elisha for this. Elisha foretold that the seige would end. The Lord has scared the Aramean army by creating sounds of chariots, horses, and an army. They fled, leaving everything behind, including riches and food. Now, the people of Israel could eat once again.
Elisha has told the woman whose son he had restored that there would be a famine in the land for seven years and they should flee. They stayed in the land of the Philistines for seven years, and when they returned, they asked for their land back. The king granted them their request.
3a) Elisha keeps telling the king of Israel where the Arameans are at, so they can avoid them. The King of Aram decides to go and try and capture Elisha who is at Dothan. The king surrounds the city, but the king is surrounded by an unseen army of God with chariots of fire. Elisha asks God to blind the Arameans, which He does. Elisha led the army of Arameans to Samaria where he fed them and sent them home. After this, the raids upon Israel stopped.
Elisha made sure the army got sent away without anyone losing their lives, as God made noises to mimic an army. He used his unseen army to keep them safe.
b) I think I do this every day to be honest. I wish I could learn to do things His way, instead of mine.
4) There was a famine in Samaria and they were beseigned by the Arameans. The king of Israel blamed God and Elisha. The seige lifted in God’s timing, which Elisha foretold.
5) God is good. He teaches His people a lesson, but He ultimately provides them with everything they need.
I love how God has resources to help us that we can’t see. I wonder at the invisible chareiots of fire that surround and protect me each and every day.
Elisha saves Israel because they are God’s people, not because he approves of the kings of Israel.
God sends an invisible army to protect Elisha and his people.
Because Elisha met evil with good, the army left and did not invade again.
Cannabalism is something God never approves of. This seige was punishment because Israel disobeyed God, rejected Him, and rejected the covenant He had made with them.
Once again, in God’s wisdom, He would relent and turn the famine around for the kingdom of Israel. Elisha is allowed to foretell this.
The king’s officer doubted Elisha’s prophecy and, ultimately, God, which is why he paid the ultimate price of death.
The leprous men were probably going to die in their minds, so they decided to take their chances with the Syrians. They discovered that God has caused the Syrians to flee, and the Israelites were now free.
The lepers did the right thing: they nourished themselves, but then they told the Good News. This should be us today.
The doubting officer did, indeed, die as foretold by Elisha once the promise by God was realized to be true.
2 Kings 4 describes Elisha’s relationship with the woman who cared for him. Her land was restored.
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Jesus continues on, and two men follow him, asking Jesus to have mercy on them, and they call him the Son of David. Jesus goes indoors, and the blind men come to him. He asked them if they believed he could heal them. They answered yes. Jesus touched their eyes, and they could see. He told them not to tell others, but they went out and spread the news instead.
Citizens brought a demon-possessed man to Jesus. He could not talk. Jesus drove the demon out, and the man could speak. The people were amazed by this miracle, saying this has never been seen before. But the Pharisees said it was the prince of demons who drives out demons.
13a) They blind men called Jesus the Son of David. They asked him to have mercy on them.
b) Jesus asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” Then he touched their eyes and healed them. He asked them to tell no one of this miracle. They disobeyed.
14) Jesus came to save his people. He opened the eyes of the blind and unstopped the ears of the deaf.
15a) The miracle amazed the crowd. They said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.” The Pharisees said, “It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons.”
b) People don’t like authority. They don’t like to submit or be told what to do. People don’t want to give up autonomy or control.
c) Honestly, I’m not around people all that much. I work from home and don’t really go anywhere so I haven’t really ever had this occur to me. But I usually ignor people and pray for them.
It’s interesting to me how Jesus didn’t mind some of his miracles known, but that he asked others to be kept secret. It’s hard to fault the men for shouting their joy. Yet, this is a question of obedience. Jesus had compassion on others and healed them, but his primary mission was to bring forgiveness to sinners. He didn’t want his healings to overshadow his ministry. Plus, he knew the timeline he had for his ministry and did not want to draw undue attention to himself.
There were more infirmaries in ancient times simply due to their lack of medical knowledge. No one know about germs or infections and nor did they have a cure for them.
For blind people to follow others, they have to be determined to listen. These men were.
Fun Fact: This is the first time in the Bible that Jesus is called the “Son of David.” These men knew Jesus was the messiah. They appealed to mercy.
Fun Fact: No blind person was ever healed in the Old Testament.
Again, faith healed these men, and Matthew emphasizes that point.
Jewish priests believed that they could not help the demon-possessed man becuase they believed you had to know the demon’s name in order to exorcise it. Thus, if a demon made you mute so you couldn’t say their name, you were lost. Thus, Jesus’s miracle both showed this belief was not true and showed the power of Jesus.
However, the Pharisees, so used to absolute power, dismiss and reject Jesus as having the power from Satan.
These miracles prove Jesus’s authority and his divinity as the Son of God.
A ruler came to Jesus to ask him to raise his daughter from the dead. Jesus and his disciples went with the man. At this time, a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years came up to Jesus and touched his cloak, believing if she did this, she would be healed. Faith healed the woman.
At the ruler’s house, there were flute players and a noisy crowd. He told them to go away because the girl was only sleeping, not dead. The crowd laughed at Jesus, and they were kicked out. Jesus then went to the girl, took her hand, and she got up. This news spread.
9) Both are characterized by faith. The woman believed she only had to touch Jesus’s cloak to be healed. The ruler believed Jesus had to touch the girl to be healed. In both cases, what they believed is what happened.
10) How Jesus heals by faith and in different methods and ways: with touch or just by touching his clothes.
11) When accompanied by faith, Jesus can and often does anything, including miracles.
12) I have a lot of needs lately it seems. I’m very unhappy with my job, so I’m looking for a new one. I’m don’t like where I live, so I would like to move sooner rather than later. My kids all have dreams they need help fulfilling, as does my husband. We are all waiting on God to move. This draws all of us closer to Him.
I love how faith is the answer in all of Jesus’s healings. Someone has faith that Jesus is God and in his healing abilities. Jesus then responds. This is true for us today. Have faith; Jesus will respond.
Something light-hearted for your week, especially for coffee lovers!
The ruler worshipped Jesus, as is appropriate for God. Humans (Acts 10:25-26) or angels (Revelation 22:8-9), are not to be worshipped.
Note how the centurion in Matthew 8 believed Jesus could heal from afar and this ruller requests Jesus to come and touch his daughter. Thus, the centurion had greater faith.
The woman with blood has great faith Mark 5:21-43 and Luke 8:43-48 . Jews considered the woman unclean, so, odds are, she didn’t even think she could ask Jesus to touch her to heal her. However, her faith was big enough that a garment would suffice.
The garment that Jesus wore was like others in the time (he did not dress like a King). She touched a corner of his garment that had a tassel on it. These tassles of blue reminded those who wore it they belonged to God.
Note everyone who Jesus healed had faith in him, not in his clothes, his touch, or his words.
Jesus cured her immediately. He made sure people noticed the woman, although she didn’t want to be seen. Jesus wanted to make sure she knew:
The ruler paid the flute players and crowd to mourn, which was common in that day. The crowd did not deter Jesus. Obviously, they had no faith.
Jesus healed this girl out of mercy and compassion. The ruler had enough faith to warrant this, too. While Jesus did not raise everyone from the dead (he will some day) that he encountered, he healed/raised those out of God’s will and when faith was shown.
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Jesus arrived in Capernaum. Some brought to him a paralytic. Jesus told the man his sins were forgiven. Some teachers of the law took this as blaspheming God. Jesus said these words so that they would know that the Son of Man had power on earth to forgive sins. He then told the man to get up and walk, which he did. The crowd then praised God for such authority.
3) The men who brought the paralytic to Jesus. Mark adds the details that the men made a hole in the roof and lowered the man down to Jesus because the crowd was so thick they could not get through. God can help others through your faith alone.
4a) Jesus healed the paralytic first off. Then, he forgave the man’s sins, saying he is the Son of Man who has authority to do so.
b) The teachers of the law were offended. They thought Jesus was blaspheming God and they said only God has the power to forgive sins. The man who was healed did as Jesus instructed: he got up and walked out, carrying his mat. The watching crowd was absolutely amazed. They praised God for His goodness.
5) Everything. It gives me hope everyday despite my sins.
I love this story. So dramatic with the lowering of the roof. Now that would have been cool to see. It shows the faith of the men that they will do anything to get their friend help. It also shows the power of friendship. Do you have friends like this — who would do anything for you?
Great encouraging stories below!
We see Jesus as healer of the sick as prophesied by Isaiah. Isaiah 35:5-6
Note that Jesus heals for need, not show. Bible scholars speculate that there’s a lot of need at this time due to a lot of unfaithfulness. Exodus 15:26
Fun Fact: This is the first mention in the Bible of opposition to Jesus.
Note God gets the glory here. Jesus is not out for himself, which false prophets are.
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Laban’s sons were jealous of Jacob’s wealth. The Lord told Jacob it was time to return to his homeland. Jacob called Rachel and Leah to him and told them how he has worked for Laban despite the wages being constantly changed but God has been with him and has blessed him with their father’s livestock.
Jacob recounts a dream where God acknowledged Laban’s treachery and told Jacob to leave for home at once. Rachel and Leah agree and say all Jacob has gained from their father should be theirs anyways as an inheritance. Jacob and his family left Paddan Aram along with all of his livestock and goods for Canaan. Rachel stole all of her father’s household gods and Jacob left without telling Laban. They crossed the Euphrates.
Laban found out after three days that Jacob had fled. He pursued him and caught up with him in Gilead. God came to Laban in a dream, warning him not to speak to Jacob. Laban, in his infinite wisdom, speaks to Jacob anyways, and asks him why he had fled without saying good bye and why he has stolen the idols.
Jacob replies that he was afraid Laban would take his daughters from him (can’t blame him here) and that if someone has stolen the idols, may they die.
Laban searched and found nothing for Rachel was sitting on them and said she was having her period so she couldn’t stand to greet him. Laban found nothing.
Jacob is mad at Laban for accusing him of stealing. He points out how he has worked 20 years for him, 14 for his daughters and 6 for his flocks even though Laban has changed his wages on him 10 times, and God Himself even rebuked Laban for his behavior.
So Laban and Jacob made a covenant, asking Jacob not to mistreat his daughters or take any more wives and neither will cross the other’s “side” to harm each other. They offered a sacrifice, spent the night, and the next day Laban bid his daughters farewell and left.
The Lord disciplines those He loves and punishes everyone He accepts as a son. Endure hardship as discipline for God is treating you as a son. For if you are not disciplines then you are not sons of God. Everyone is disciplined. God disciplines us for our good so we may share in His holiness.
Discipline is never pleasant, but it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace. Make every effort to live in peace and be holy; without holiness, no one sees the Lord. Do not be bitter.
11) Jacob had noticed that Laban’s sons believed he had stolen Laban’s wealth, and Laban’s attitude towards Jacob had changed, too. But it was God who told Jacob to return.
12a) ) Verse 7 “God has not allowed him (Laban) to harm me.” verse 9 “God has taken away your father’s livestock and has given them to me.” Verse 11-13 “I am the God of Bethel” and God made the animals born spotted. verse 42 “If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, you (Laban) would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands, and last night he rebuked you.” They made a covenant together that resolved the bitterness.
b) Pray and thank God.
13) Verse 3 “And I will be with you.” Verse 42: But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands, and last night he rebuked you. It encourages me that all my work is worth it, and God is with me.
Unsure whey we read Hebrews here since we weren’t asked about it. Rachel is most definitely smart in hiding the idols. However, taking them? Not so smart. She has God. She needs nothing else.
Just as Rachel is jealous of Leah, Laban’s sons are jealous of Jacob’s wealth. Love does not envy (1 Corinthians 13:4). Envy is bad; it killed Jesus. (Matthew 27:18).
God is nudging Jacob back home (Genesis 30:25) and encouraging him, too.
God reminds Jacob of his Bethel (Genesis 28:10), where God has spurred him on to find Rachel. It’s good for all of us to remember times and places where God has shown up. This strengthens us and encourages us in times we feel God is far away.
It was important for Jacob to have the support of his wives. After all, they would be leaving their family for the first time ever, taking their kids with them, to an unknown land. Both women agreed for once and were ready to help in any way they could.
One cool detail you might have missed is that Jacob’s entire family road camels. This is like saying everyone drove their own car here in the US. It’s a sign of Jacob’s immense wealth.
Jacob snuck away when he did not need to. God had already told him to go. It’s evident he would be protected. Perhaps Jacob is so mad at Laban at this point he just wanted to leave.
We are not told why Rachel stole the idols. Obviously, you should not steal, especially from your mother and father (she broke two of God’s ten commandments here yet to be given to Moses). Scholars debate the reasons:
The reason didn’t matter. She stole; this is wrong.
They left Paddan Aram and Haran for Gilead, which is about 300 miles away and close to the sea of Galilee. Since it took 3 days for Laban to notice, the families must have lived a considerable distance away from one another. Note that God cautions Laban to deal fairly with Jacob. Laban was probably angry and did intend to harm him. God’s warning meant “you touch him and you will pay.”
Jacob is close to home when Laban catches up. It took Laban 7 days to catch up to Jacob who is now near the Jordan River and very close to home. Laban tried to shame him with a celebration and a chance to say good bye to his family. He threatens harm as well. Jacob fervently denies he stole the idols, not knowing Rachel had.
Jacob let Laban have it, citing all he had done for him in 20 years and showing him how ungrateful he was being. He was angry over it all, maybe even remembering the trickery of Leah. He helped Laban. Jacob replaced any lost animal of Laban’s with his own and tells him that God sent him away.
Note that Jacob does not claim God as his own, only Abraham and Isaac’s.
Mizpah meant God is watching and He will repay you if you sin. Laban still claims everything is his, but says he’ll let Jacob have it. The pillar was a sign of their separation. It appears they still left with much animosity between them. From here on out, Jacob’s family will be separated from everyone else.
Laban will never see his daughters or grandchildren again. He now disappears from Bible history, presumably returning home and living out his life as he always had. The separation between Laban and Jacob had to happen. Like this example shows us, it is not always pretty.
