BRAGADAYJAH 106

Jacob and his wives, his children and all his household, departed post-haste, taking with them all of Jacob’s possessions and set out for his father’s house. It took three days before Laban found out. We may remember that on the day of the last agreement with Laban when the reward for his labor was set, Jacob had wisely set three days separation between his holding and that of Laban’s. So now little wonder that it took Laban about the same number of days before he found out that Jacob had gone. Be that as it may, as soon as Laban found out, with blood in his eye, he gathered unto himself a small army of men and set out in hot pursuit after Jacob, no doubt with every intention of doing him harm, probably even to kill him and take away all his livestock and all his possessions. Pursuing after Jacob, he finally caught up with him after seven days; but before doing so, the Lord appeared unto him in a dream and warned him and said, “See that you have nothing whatsoever to do with Jacob; don’t even speak to him or say neither good nor evil to him.” But it came to pass that when Laban caught up with Jacob he did speak to him and said, “Why did you steal away like a thief in the night? You stole away my daughters, and my grandchildren, and took them away like a thief at the edge of a sword. You also took personal things which belonged to me. Tell me why you think you had to steal away secretly. If you had come to me and told me you wanted to leave, I would have given you permission; but first I would have had a going away celebration with feasting and music and dancing. I would have been able to kiss my daughters goodbye, and we would have parted like friends and family. Why did you have to do it this way?” Even now, I have the power to hurt you; but your God came to me in a dream and warned me to have nothing to do with you; not even to speak to you, and to say neither good nor bad. But even so, there is still the matter of the things stolen from me, and I feel obliged to search your wagons.”