(Genesis) Genesis 31:14-19

Now will you notice verse 14, "...and Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet any portion of inheritance for us in our father's house?" In other words, they're saying, well, certainly as the daughters of our father, we should receive some inheritance and that ought not to cause him to be so antagonistic. And verse 15, "...are we not counted of him strangers? For he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money." Old Laban can't be trusted, friends. And you know that today, unfortunately, there are many Christians that the way they handle money, their own and others, reveals the fact they can't be trusted either.

That is, I think, maybe a real test of an individual today. I could tell you some stories that would make your hair stand on end, things that Christians do, Christian leaders do. They ought not to do.

Now will you notice verse 16, "...for all the riches which God hath taken from our father, that is ours, and our children. Now then, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do." I admire these two women. They say, whatever you want to do, Jacob, you go ahead.

We're with you. And our father has apparently robbed us. Let me read verse 17, "...then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon camels.

He carried away all his cattle, all his goods which he had gotten, the cattle of his getting which he had gotten in Padan Aram, for to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan. And Laban went to shear his sheep, and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father's." Let's just stop there a moment because there's a revelation here of something that's quite interesting. Now Jacob rises up and leaves post haste again.

You remember that's the way he had to leave his home. Now he leaves his uncle Laban the same way. And actually it's not all his fault here, but it was his fault when he had to leave his own home.

But he's prepared for this. After all, he's had practice in leaving overnight. And so he has all the cattle and everything ready to march, ready to get out of that land.

And his wives apparently didn't have a chance to even get many of the things that were theirs. But notice what happened. Rachel stole the images that were her father's.

I told you we were in the home of idolatry. God didn't want the boys brought up there. But you see, Rachel has been brought up in a home of idolatry.

And she felt like she wanted to take her gods with her. What a primitive, heathen notion she had. Poor Jacob thought he ran away from God when he went to Bethel.

God appeared to him there. And he found out you can't run away from God. In fact, David wrote about that.

David said, Though I make my bed in Sheol, why, I don't get away from God. Death won't separate you. Though you go to the height of heaven, you'll never get away from Him.

And you can't get away from Him by going to the moon. You just don't get away from God. That's all.

She, though, wanted to take these images that had been in the home.