The shepherd’s life of care-taking and compassion for the helpless creatures illustrates some precious truths of the gospel. Christ is compared to a shepherd, and He saw His sheep doomed to die in the dark ways of sin. To save these wandering ones He left the honors and glories of His Father’s house. He says, “I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick.” I will “save My flock, and they shall no longer be a prey. ... Nor shall the beasts of the land devour them” (Ezekiel 34:16, 22, 28). His voice is heard calling them to His fold, “a shade in the daytime from the heat, for a place of refuge, and for a shelter from storm and rain” (Isaiah 4:6). He strengthens the weak, relieves the suffering, gathers the lambs in His arms, and carries them next to His heart. His sheep love Him. “They will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers” (see John 10:1-15).
The church of Christ has been purchased with His blood, and every shepherd who has the spirit of Christ will imitate His self-denying example, constantly working for the good of his charge, and the flock will prosper under his care. “When the Chief Shepherd appears,” says the apostle, “you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away” (1 Peter 5:4).
Jacob, growing weary of working for Laban, proposed to return to Canaan. He said to his father-in-law, “Send me away, that I may go to my own place and to my country. Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, and let me go; for you know my service which I have done for you.” But Laban urged him to stay, declaring, “I have learned by experience that the Lord has blessed me for your sake.”
Said Jacob, “What you had before I came was little, and it has increased to a great amount.” But as time passed, Laban became envious of the greater prosperity of Jacob, who “became exceedingly prosperous.” Laban’s sons shared their father’s jealousy, and their malicious speeches came to Laban’s ears. He “‘has taken away all that was our father’s, and from what was our father’s he has acquired all this wealth.’ And Jacob saw the countenance of Laban, and indeed it was not favorable toward him as before.”
Jacob would have left his scheming relative long before except for the fear of meeting up with Esau. Now he felt that he was in danger from the sons of Laban, who, looking on his wealth as their own, might try to get it by violence. He was in great perplexity and distress, but he remembered the gracious promise at Bethel, and he carried his case to God. In a dream his prayer was answered: “Return to the land of your fathers and to your family, and I will be with you.”
The flocks and herds were speedily gathered and sent forward, and with his wives, children, and servants, Jacob crossed the Euphrates River, hurrying on toward Gilead, on the borders of Canaan. After three days, Laban set out in pursuit, overtaking the company on the seventh day of their journey. He was hot with anger and determined to force them to return. The fugitives were indeed in great danger.
God himself intervened to protect His servant. “It is in my power to do you harm,” said Laban, “‘but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, “Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.” That is, he should not force him to return, or urge him by flattering promises.
Laban had withheld the marriage dowry of his daughters and treated Jacob with cunning and harshness, but he now reproved him for his secret departure which had given the father no opportunity to make a feast or even say goodbye to his daughters and their children.
In reply, Jacob plainly set forth Laban’s selfish and grasping conduct and appealed to him as a witness to his own faithfulness and honesty. “Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the fear of Isaac, had been with me,” said Jacob, “surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you last night.”
Laban could not deny the facts and now proposed a covenant of peace. Jacob consented, and a pile of stones was erected to represent the agreement. Laban named this pillar Mizpah, which means “Watchtower,” saying, “‘May the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent one from another. ... The God of Abraham, the God of Nahor, and the God of their father judge between us.’ And Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac.”
To confirm the treaty, the parties held a feast. The night was spent in friendly fellowship, and at dawn Laban and his company departed. With this separation all connection between the children of Abraham and the dwellers in Mesopotamia ended.
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