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more crafty uncle laban

Further adventures : More Crafty Uncle Laban : Twins face off

1700-ISH BC.

So Laban’s after Jacob. How dare you leave without my permission?

Despite a stern warning from God to do his nephew no harm, there is great concern over what Laban will actually do if he catches up with Jacob. We’re at the point in the story now where we find out…

...he does. He does catch up. And he is still the opposite of happy. They argue and say really mean things to each other and finally Laban says:

“Everything you have now is because of me. You’re welcome. If I wanted to take it back, I could, and I might, but I won’t. You’re wrong and I’m right, but my daughters and grandchildren are with you, so let me do something for them.”

“Like what?” Jacob asks suspiciously.

“Let us make a vow to keep peace with one another. To never attack or harm one another’s families. And to ask God’s blessing on each other.”

This is a pretty magnanimous proposal, in some ways, and Jacob would be an idiot to say no to it. Because this is the Bible and not Game of Thrones, we know that both men have said what they mean and mean what they say - in this case - and will not go back on their word. So that is what they do. They part peacefully and with the promise to do one another no harm.

So Jacob’s off the hook. Off the hook with this particular nemesis. Everything should be easy from this point on. Except for...except for the tiny matter of his hairy twin brother Esau, who he has learned is en route with four hundred men. Uh-oh.

Genesis

Intro
Creation
The Garden of Eden
Cain and Abel
A Little Flood, part 1
A Little Flood, part 2
A Little Flood, part 3
Abram
Abraham
Abraham and Isaac
Isaac and Rebecca
Jacob and Esau
The further adventures of Jacob
Crafty Uncle Laban
Twins face off
Esau gets his revenge
Joseph the favourite
Joseph’s brothers
Joseph and Potiphar's wife
Joseph in prison
Joseph the dream interpreter
The brothers return
The thieves
The big reveal