Genesis 31:1–21
The Bible4Jesus.com Podcast
About this episode
One of the paradoxes of living in a fallen world is that God's blessing frequently creates friction. When God decides to prosper one of His saints, it is often taken as a personal offense by the ungodly who are standing nearby. The rain of God's favor on one man's field feels like a drought on another's. This is not a bug in the system; it is a feature. David's victories for Saul provoked the king to a murderous jealousy. And the fruitfulness of the Church provokes the rage of a barren world. Here in Genesis 31, we see this principle worked out in the life of Jacob. After twenty years of hard service under a deceitful and manipulative father-in-law, God has blessed Jacob immensely. But this blessing has not created a happy, blended family. It has created a toxic environment of envy, suspicion, and resentment.