The Fraud or The Truth

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

THE FRAUD OR THE TRUTH

Gen 31:19-30

19 When Laban had gone to shear his sheep, Rachel stole her father's household gods. 20 Moreover, Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him he was running away. 21 So he fled with all he had, and crossing the River, he headed for the hill country of Gilead. 22 On the third day Laban was told that Jacob had fled. 23 Taking his relatives with him, he pursued Jacob for seven days and caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead. 24 Then God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and said to him, "Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad." 25 Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead when Laban overtook him, and Laban and his relatives camped there too. 26 Then Laban said to Jacob, "What have you done? You've deceived me, and you've carried off my daughters like captives in war. 27 Why did you run off secretly and deceive me? Why didn't you tell me, so I could send you away with joy and singing to the music of tambourines and harps? 28 You didn't even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters good-by. You have done a foolish thing. 29 I have the power to harm you; but last night the God of your father said to me, 'Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.' 30 Now you have gone off because you longed to return to your father's house. But why did you steal my gods?"

NIV

Laban accused Jacob of deceiving him by leaving without telling him. That is like the pot calling the kettle black, as Laban had deceived Jacob many times, starting with giving him Leah instead of Rachel that first night. We do not think Jacob was seeking revenge, yet he told his wives that their father had changed his wages ten times, so he may not have felt guilty about leaving while Laban was out shearing his sheep. However, our story is about this dichotomy in Laban. He had household gods, yet heard from God, Elohiym, about how he is to talk with Jacob. How it is a man who has household gods, which in Hebrew means an image and is used as idol, or more correctly a fraud, can hear from God? Does that mean God talks to those who worship frauds, or false gods? God can do whatever he desires, for we cannot box him into the mold of our thinking. These are the two truths to ponder. First, Laban worshipped an image, an idol, a fraud, something that isn't real. Second, God spoke to him, but on behalf of his servant Jacob. We should be careful, because we profess to believe God, accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, not to have anything that would be considered a fraud, an idol. The question is what masters our lives. What do we allow to have control over us? We know we cannot serve two masters, yet is it possible we have allowed that to happen? Maybe the fraud isn't something physical like money, as Jesus used in the two-masters comparison, but the false idol we are trying to serve is ourselves. Then the question would be: can we serve our ‘self’ and serve God at the same time? Have we made the ‘self’ into an idol, while saying we worship the Lord God Almighty? Second, God spoke to Laban about how he should treat Jacob. God was protecting his servant Jacob. We also know that, as servants of God, we come under his divine protection. He can even speak to anyone who may want to harm us and turn them into a blessing, at least by not allowing them to harm us. Although Laban understood God, he still was concerned about his gods. Let us not be concerned about any fraud, or making anything, including ourselves, an idol, for there is only one true God. Let us worship Him and Him alone. It comes down to either the fraud or the truth.