Laban the Loser
Say to those who have an anxious heart, Be strong, fear not! Behold your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you (Isaiah 35: 4) Common perception is that Jacob suffered and slogged under a cunning Laban, remained underpaid and finally fled from his presence penniless, after a prolonged period of betrayal spanning 14 years. This is yet another misplaced belief from Biblical history which warrants immediate correction. Jacob vs Laban Jacob was a covenantal man by nature. While Esau preferred a bowl of red stew to his birthright, Jacob judged its supreme significance and grabbed it. When his mother shared a devious scheme to grab the blessings of Isaac, he responded to her and took hold of it. When Isaac his father instructed him to find a wife from the plains of Aram (Paddan-aram) he travelled all the way from Canaan to meet his mother’s brother Laban only to be in the covenant. Though his impulsive conduct landed him in ...