Come, and let us return to the LORD;
For He has torn, but He will heal us;
He has stricken, but He will bind us up.
After two days He will revive us;
On the third day, He will raise us up,
That we may live in His sight. Hosea 6:1-2
As our present world comes to an end, we are told that there will be a seven-year tribulation called “Jacob’s trouble.” In Jeremiah 30, we can read about Jacob’s distress. But starting at verse 10, we are told that YHWH will save Jacob out of a distant land. In Jeremiah 30:22, Hosea 6:1-2 and Zechariah 12:10, we learn that the purpose of Jacob’s trouble is to bring the heart of Israel back to YHWH.
So, when and if we are about to enter a period called Jacob’s trouble, shouldn’t we begin to understand the troubles in Jacob’s life? By doing so, I believe we will begin to recognize not only Jacob’s troubles but our troubles as well. This week’s study, called VaYetze or “As he went out”, will help us get started.
Here are a few troubling highlights Jacob faced in VaYetze:
> Running for his life away from a jealous brother
> Living in a foreign land and working for an unrighteous relative
> Deceived by Laban’s treachery to not marry his first love
> Not allowed to leave Laban’s household
> Faces jealousy from Laban’s family and starts to fear for his life
> Denied wages and cheated by Laban 10 times
Does any of Jacob’s troubles start to sound like our troubles? Are we living in a land that is “jealous” of our spiritual birthright? Are Bible believers fearing for their lives, reputations, or careers? Has our first love been taken from us? Do we serve governments run by unrighteous relatives? Have we been deceived in voting for our marriages (alignments)? Are our wages denied through government overreach and are we even able to leave the current banking, medical, and educational systems? Sounds a little troubling right?
If we are facing Jacob’s trouble, what are our options? We find the answer towards the end of VaYetze, where Jacob receives a dream to give him direction.
“Then the angel of YHWH said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Here I am.’ Genesis 31:11.
In Hebrew, the phrase “here I am” is Hineni or ‘behold I am’ which takes on the picture of complete availability. Not only do we see Jacob making this statement, but Abraham made this statement to YHWH when tested in Gen. 22. The prophet Isaiah also made this proclamation to Elohim when asked, “Whom shall I send and who will go for us? Then I said, “here I am (hineni) send me.” (Isaiah 6:8)
Before Jacob leaves Laban, he convinces Rachel and Leah that it is time to go. He does this by sharing a vision of provisions and blessings given to him by YHWH. (Gen. 31:4-11) Why does Jacob do this? I believe he speaks to his wives to assure them that YHWH not only provided and protected him while with Laban, but that YHWH is the One now directing him to move away from someone who is unequally yoked with him. His statement of “here I am” lets Rachel and Leah know that he has given a vow to Elohim, which must now be followed.
How often have we found ourselves unequally yoked to people or systems that are not righteous? How has this affected our decisions, our families, and our lives? Are we ready to say, “Here I Am?” In the book of John, chapter 1 we read about men who were willing to say, “Here I am” to Yeshua. Like Jacob, they were not only willing to go but went out.
As Laban catches up with Jacob, YHWH again makes His Mighty Hand known to this person of little character through a dream stating, “Be careful that you do not speak to Jacob either good or bad.” (Genesis 31:24). Of course, this was a warning similar to what Abimelech received when dealing with Abraham and Isaac. Interesting right?
As the two men air their differences with each other, I think it is important to note, that Jacob still has a few DNA tendencies from his father and grandfather. Rather than conveying to Laban that YHWH told him to leave, he tells Laban that He was “afraid” his wives would be taken back. How often do we use excuses when separating from the unrighteous? I wonder what would happen if we stated that we “fear Yahweh more than man?”
Later in the story, we see Laban exclaiming that everything is “his.” He declares the idols (money), the daughters, the flocks, the children are all his–that everything Jacob has belongs to him. What a contrast between Jacob and Laban. Jacob gives glory to YHWH for what he has been blessed with, while Laban does not acknowledge YHWH for physical blessings. In our world, how often do we see our rulers and those who follow them give praise to YHWH for what He has done?
This finally leads us to a covenant (Genesis 31:44-47) made between Jacob and Laban to not interact with each other. This covenant is made with a pile of stones, but Laban uses a Chaldean word (Jegarshadutha) to describe “a heap of witness” while Jacob uses a Hebrew definition (Galeed). This description is again a clear distinction of whom these two gentlemen serve and how they thought of themselves.
Scripture also tells us that Jacob and his men built the “witness” monument, but Laban seized credit for it, saying, “See this pile of stones . . . and see this monument I have set between us.” They stand between us as witnesses of our vows. I will never pass this pile of stones to harm you, and you must never pass these stones or this monument to harm me” (Genesis 31:51-52).
Laban uses the word Mizpah meaning “watchtower” when he makes the statement, “May the Lord watch between you and me.” This was a statement motivated by wariness and distrust. Laban did not trust Jacob, so he called on the Lord to be on the lookout for him. His petition was not a prayer for God to take care of the two men while they were separated, as believers sometimes pray. Instead, it was a desperate plea for YHWH to remain vigilant and catch the one who might be planning to harm the other. Does the misuse of “separation between church and state” sound familiar to you in our timeline?”
I am wondering if “Jacob’s Trouble” rests in the concept of learning to make a clear distinction between Yah’s calling and man’s calling. Laban seeks to draw Jacob back into the bondage of servitude so that he can benefit from Jacob’s work. But YHWH seeks to draw Jacob away from man’s rule into a Greater Kingdom. The challenge or trouble for Jacob is to begin the first steps of “unyoking” himself from unrighteousness and walking in the statement of “here I am.”
Are you ready to step away from a cart that is unequally yoked to a burden pulling you down? Are you ready to go out? Are you ready to draw a clear distinction between “woke” and “awakened?” We are called to “come out of her my people.” What does that look like for you and your family?
Be blessed this Sabbath,
Rollyn