311 Now Jacob heard the words of Laban's sons , saying , "Jacob has taken away all that was our father's , and from what belonged to our father he has made all this wealth ." 2 Jacob saw the attitude of Laban , and behold , it was not friendly toward him as formerly . 3 Then the Lord said to Jacob , " Return to the land of your fathers and to your relatives , and I will be with you." 4 So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to his flock in the field , 5 and said to them, " I see your father's attitude , that it is not friendly toward me as formerly , but the God of my father has been with me. 6 " You know that I have served your father with all my strength . 7 "Yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times ; however, God did not allow him to hurt me. 8 "If he spoke thus , 'The speckled shall be your wages ,' then all the flock brought forth speckled ; and if he spoke thus , 'The striped shall be your wages ,' then all the flock brought forth striped . 9 "Thus God has taken away your father's livestock and given them to me. 10 "And it came about at the time when the flock were mating that I lifted up my eyes and saw in a dream , and behold , the male goats which were mating were striped , speckled , and mottled . 11 "Then the angel of God said to me in the dream , 'Jacob ,' and I said , 'Here I am.' 12 "He said , 'Lift up now your eyes and see that all the male goats which are mating are striped , speckled , and mottled ; for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you. 13 'I am the God of Bethel , where e you anointed a pillar , where e you made a vow to Me; now arise , leave this land , and return to the land of your birth .' " 14 Rachel and Leah said to him, "Do we still have any portion or inheritance in our father's house ? 15 "Are we not reckoned by him as foreigners ? For he has sold us, and has also entirely consumed our purchase price . 16 "Surely all the wealth which God has taken away from our father belongs to us and our children ; now then, do whatever e God has said to you."
17 Then Jacob arose and put his children and his wives upon camels ; 18 and he drove away all his livestock and all his property which he had gathered , his acquired livestock which he had gathered in Paddan-aram , to go to the land of Canaan to his father Isaac . 19 When Laban had gone to shear his flock , then Rachel stole the household idols that were her father's . 20 And Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was fleeing . 21 So he fled with all that he had; and he arose and crossed the Euphrates River , and set his face toward the hill country of Gilead . 22 When it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled , 23 then he took his kinsmen with him and pursued him a distance of seven days' journey , and he overtook him in the hill country of Gilead . 24 God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream of the night and said to him, " Be careful that you do not speak to Jacob either good or bad ."
25 Laban caught up with Jacob . Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country , and Laban with his kinsmen camped in the hill country of Gilead . 26 Then Laban said to Jacob , "What have you done by deceiving me and carrying away my daughters like captives of the sword ? 27 "Why did you flee secretly and deceive me, and did not tell me so that I might have sent you away with joy and with songs , with timbrel and with lyre ; 28 and did not allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters ? Now you have done foolishly . 29 "It is in my power to do you harm , but the God of your father spoke to me last night , saying , ' Be careful not to speak either good or bad to Jacob .' 30 "Now you have indeed gone away because you longed greatly for your father's house ; but why did you steal my gods ?" 31 Then Jacob replied to Laban , "Because I was afraid , for I thought that you would take your daughters from me by force . 32 " The one with whom you find your gods shall not live ; in the presence of our kinsmen point out what is yours among my belongings and take it for yourself." For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them. 33 So Laban went into Jacob's tent and into Leah's tent and into the tent of the two maids , but he did not find them. Then he went out of Leah's tent and entered Rachel's tent . 34 Now Rachel had taken the household idols and put them in the camel's saddle , and she sat on them. And Laban felt through all the tent but did not find them. 35 She said to her father , "Let not my lord be angry that I cannot e rise before e you, for the manner of women is upon me." So he searched but did not find the household idols .
36 Then Jacob became angry and contended with Laban ; and Jacob said to Laban , "What is my transgression ? What is my sin that you have hotly pursued me? 37 "Though you have felt through all my goods , what have you found of all your household goods ? Set it here before my kinsmen and your kinsmen , that they may decide between us two . 38 "These twenty years I have been with you; your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried , nor have I eaten the rams of your flocks . 39 "That which was torn of beasts I did not bring to you; I bore the loss of it myself . You required it of my hand whether stolen by day or stolen by night . 40 "Thus I was: by day the heat consumed me and the frost by night , and my sleep fled from my eyes . 41 "These twenty years I have been in your house ; I served you fourteen e years for your two daughters and six years for your flock , and you changed my wages ten times . 42 "If the God of my father , the God of Abraham , and the fear of Isaac , had not been for me, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed . God has seen my affliction and the toil of my hands , so He rendered judgment last night ."
43 Then Laban replied to Jacob , "The daughters are my daughters , and the children are my children , and the flocks are my flocks , and all that you see is mine. But what can I do this day to these my daughters or to their children whom they have borne ? 44 "So now come , let us make a covenant , you and I, and let it be a witness between you and me." 45 Then Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar . 46 Jacob said to his kinsmen , "Gather stones ." So they took stones and made a heap , and they ate there by the heap . 47 Now Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha , but Jacob called it Galeed . 48 Laban said , " This heap is a witness between you and me this day ." Therefore e it was named e Galeed , 49 and Mizpah , for he said , "May the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent one from the other . 50 "If you mistreat my daughters , or if you take wives besides my daughters , although no man is with us, see , God is witness between you and me." 51 Laban said to Jacob , "Behold this heap and behold the pillar which I have set between you and me. 52 "This heap is a witness , and the pillar is a witness , that I will not pass by this heap to you for harm, and you will not pass by this heap and this pillar to me, for harm . 53 " The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor , the God of their father , judge between us." So Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac . 54 Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain , and called his kinsmen to the meal e ; and they ate the meal and spent the night on the mountain . 55 Early in the morning Laban arose , and kissed his sons and his daughters and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned to his place .
321 Now as Jacob went on his way , the angels of God met him. 2 Jacob said when he saw them, "This is God's camp ." So he named e that place Mahanaim .
3 Then Jacob sent messengers before him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir , the country of Edom . 4 He also commanded them saying , "Thus you shall say to my lord Esau : 'Thus says your servant Jacob , "I have sojourned with Laban , and stayed until now ; 5 I have oxen and donkeys and flocks and male and female servants e ; and I have sent to tell my lord , that I may find favor in your sight .""' 6 The messengers returned to Jacob , saying , "We came to your brother Esau , and furthermore he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him." 7 Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed ; and he divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and the herds and the camels , into two companies ; 8 for he said , "If Esau comes to the one company and attacks it, then the company which is left will escape ."
9 Jacob said , "O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac , O Lord , who said to me, ' Return to your country and to your relatives , and I will prosper you,' 10 I am unworthy of all the lovingkindness and of all the faithfulness which You have shown to Your servant ; for with my staff only I crossed this Jordan , and now I have become two companies . 11 " Deliver me, I pray , from the hand of my brother , from the hand of Esau ; for I fear him, that he will come and attack me and the mothers with the children . 12 "For You said , ' I will surely prosper you and make your descendants as the sand of the sea , which is too great to be numbered .' "
13 So he spent the night there . Then he selected from what he had with him a present for his brother Esau : 14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats , two hundred ewes and twenty rams , 15 thirty milking camels and their colts , forty cows and ten bulls , twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys . 16 He delivered them into the hand of his servants , every drove by itself , and said to his servants , "Pass on before me, and put a space between droves ." 17 He commanded the one in front , saying , "When my brother Esau meets you and asks you, saying , 'To whom do you belong, and where are you going , and to whom do these animals in front of you belong?' 18 then you shall say , 'These belong to your servant Jacob ; it is a present sent to my lord Esau . And behold , he also is behind us.' " 19 Then he commanded also the second and the third , and all those who followed e the droves , saying , "After this manner you shall speak to Esau when you find him; 20 and you shall say , 'Behold , your servant Jacob also is behind us.' " For he said , "I will appease e him with the present that goes before me. Then afterward e I will see his face ; perhaps he will accept e me." 21 So the present passed on before e him, while he himself spent that night in the camp .
22 Now he arose that same night and took his two wives and his two maids and his eleven e children , and crossed the ford of the Jabbok . 23 He took them and sent them across the stream . And he sent across whatever he had.
24 Then Jacob was left alone , and a man wrestled with him until daybreak . 25 When he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he touched the socket of his thigh ; so the socket of Jacob's thigh was dislocated while he wrestled with him. 26 Then he said , "Let me go , for the dawn is breaking ." But he said , " I will not let you go unless e you bless me." 27 So he said to him, "What is your name ?" And he said , "Jacob ." 28 He said , "Your name shall no longer be Jacob , but Israel ; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed ." 29 Then Jacob asked him and said , "Please tell me your name ." But he said , "Why is it that you ask my name ?" And he blessed him there . 30 So Jacob named e the place Peniel , for he said, " I have seen God face to face , yet my life has been preserved ." 31 Now the sun rose upon him just as he crossed over Penuel , and he was limping on his thigh . 32 Therefore e , to this day the sons of Israel do not eat the sinew of the hip which is on the socket of the thigh , because he touched the socket of Jacob's thigh in the sinew of the hip .
18 While He was saying these things to them, a synagogue official came and bowed down before Him, and said , "My daughter has just died ; but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will live ." 19 Jesus got up and began to follow him, and so did His disciples . 20 And a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years , came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak ; 21 for she was saying to herself , "If I only touch His garment , I will get well ." 22 But Jesus turning and seeing her said , "Daughter , take courage ; your faith has made you well ." At once e the woman was made well . 23 When Jesus came into the official's house , and saw the flute-players and the crowd in noisy disorder , 24 He said , "Leave ; for the girl has not died , but is asleep ." And they began laughing at Him. 25 But when the crowd had been sent out, He entered and took her by the hand , and the girl got up. 26 This news spread throughout all that land .
27 As Jesus went on from there , two blind men followed Him, crying out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David !" 28 When He entered the house , the blind men came up to Him, and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this ?" They said to Him, "Yes , Lord ." 29 Then He touched their eyes , saying , "It shall be done to you according to your faith ." 30 And their eyes were opened . And Jesus sternly warned them: "See that no one knows about this!" 31 But they went out and spread the news about Him throughout all that land .
32 As they were going out, a mute , demon-possessed man was brought to Him. 33 After the demon was cast out, the mute man spoke ; and the crowds were amazed , and were saying , " Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel ." 34 But the Pharisees were saying , "He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons ."
35 Jesus was going through all the cities and villages , teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom , and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness . 36 Seeing the people , He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without e a shepherd . 37 Then He said to His disciples , " The harvest is plentiful , but the workers are few . 38 "Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest ."
(Read Matthew 9:18-26)
The death of our relations should drive us to Christ, who is our life. And it is high honour to the greatest rulers to attend on the Lord Jesus; and those who would receive mercy from Christ, must honour him. The variety of methods Christ took in working his miracles, perhaps was because of the different frames and tempers of mind, which those were in who came to him, and which He who searches the heart perfectly knew. A poor woman applied herself to Christ, and received mercy from him by the way. If we do but touch, as it were, the hem of Christ's garment by living faith, our worst evils will be healed; there is no other real cure, nor need we fear his knowing things which are a grief and burden to us, but which we would not tell to any earthly friend. When Christ entered the ruler's house, he said, Give place. Sometimes, when the sorrow of the world prevails, it is difficult for Christ and his comforts to enter. The ruler's daughter was really dead, but not so to Christ. The death of the righteous is in a special manner to be looked on as only a sleep. The words and works of Christ may not at first be understood, yet they are not therefore to be despised. The people were put forth. Scorners who laugh at what they do not understand, are not proper witnesses of the wonderful works of Christ. Dead souls are not raised to spiritual life, unless Christ take them by the hand: it is done in the day of his power. If this single instance of Christ's raising one newly dead so increased his fame, what will be his glory when all that are in their graves shall hear his voice, and come forth; those that have done good to the resurrection of life, and those that have done evil to the resurrection of damnation!
(Read Matthew 9:27-31)
At this time the Jews expected Messiah would appear; these blind men knew and proclaimed in the streets of Capernaum that he was come, and that Jesus was he. Those who, by the providence of God, have lost their bodily sight, may, by the grace of God, have the eyes of their understanding fully enlightened. And whatever our wants and burdens are, we need no more for supply and support, than to share in the mercy of our Lord Jesus. In Christ is enough for all. They followed him crying aloud. He would try their faith, and would teach us always to pray, and not to faint, though the answer does not come at once. They followed Christ, and followed him crying; but the great question is, Do ye believe? Nature may make us earnest, but it is only grace that can work faith. Christ touched their eyes. He gives sight to blind souls by the power of his grace going with his word, and he puts the cure upon their faith. Those who apply to Jesus Christ, shall be dealt with, not according to their fancies, nor according to their profession, but according to their faith. Christ sometimes concealed his miracles, because he would not indulge the conceit which prevailed among the Jews, that their Messiah should be a temporal prince, and so give occasion to the people to attempt tumults and seditions.
(Read Matthew 9:32-34)
Of the two, better a dumb devil than a blaspheming one. Christ's cures strike at the root, and remove the effect by taking away the cause; they open the lips, by breaking Satan's power in the soul. Nothing can convince those who are under the power of pride. They will believe anything, however false or absurd, rather than the Holy Scriptures; thus they show the enmity of their hearts against a holy God.
(Read Matthew 9:35-38)
Jesus visited not only the great and wealthy cities, but the poor, obscure villages; and there he preached, there he healed. The souls of the meanest in the world are as precious to Christ, and should be so to us, as the souls of those who make the greatest figure. There were priests, Levites, and scribes, all over the land; but they were idol shepherds, Zechariah 11:17; therefore Christ had compassion on the people as sheep scattered, as men perishing for lack of knowledge. To this day vast multitudes are as sheep not having a shepherd, and we should have compassion and do all we can to help them. The multitudes desirous of spiritual instruction formed a plenteous harvest, needing many active labourers; but few deserved that character. Christ is the Lord of the harvest. Let us pray that many may be raised up and sent forth, who will labour in bringing souls to Christ. It is a sign that God is about to bestow some special mercy upon a people, when he stirs them up to pray for it. And commissions given to labourers in answer to prayer, are most likely to be successful.
