Page images
PDF
EPUB

at once across the Euphrates and toward the southwest. It was not till the third day afterward that Laban, in the midst of his sheep-shearing, was informed of this abandonment of their home by his son-in-law and family. An examination of the circumstances made the truth, at last, flash upon his mind; a further investigation, probably an effort to consult his teraphim, led also to the discovery that his gods were missing. We may imagine the explosions of wrath which followed; but there was little time for the indulgence of such feelings. He dropped all work at home, and having gathered a company of friends sufficient for aggressive movements, started in pursuit. The flying party had, however, used all possible expedition, and when on the seventh day of his endeavor to overtake them, he reached the outskirts of their flocks, they were already across the sandy wastes, and in the hilly country of the fertile region of Bashan. But, although he had the offenders now before him and their rich possessions were a most tempting sight, his hands were stayed. Just previous to this meeting, "God came to Laban, the Syrian, in a dream by night, and said unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob, either good or bad."

Whatever violence he may have meditated; for he had come with a retinue of his people sufficient for such purpose, he was now restrained from any such action; but he let his fierce wrath take words. The scene is characteristic; the selfish man feeling himself despoiled, and glaring at the large flocks of Jacob with greedy eyes, but restrained by his dream; his rage about the loss of his gods, who, stolen and concealed by these people, seemed to invite him to violence; his vacillation between fear and anger;-the son-inlaw cautious, but at last giving way to his long pent-up feelings, in which he felt that under the heavenly shelter he might now indulge.

"What hast thou done," said the despoiled man, "that

thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters, as captives taken with the sword? Wherefore didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away from me, and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away with mirth, and with songs, with tabret and with harp? and hast not suffered me to kiss my sons, and my daughters? Thou hast now done foolishly in so doing. It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt; but-" and he then mentioned how he had been warned by the dream. "And now," he continued, "though thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longest after thy father's house, yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods?"

Jacob briefly answered, "Because I was afraid; for I said, peradventure, thou wouldest take by force thy daughters from me," and then in his feeling of conscious innocence, said, "With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live;" and invited him to a search. They were at this time encamped, each woman having her separate tent, and Laban searched those of Leah and the two concubines without success. Rachel had concealed the images beneath the couch on which she was reclining, and she gave reasons of delicacy for not rising, which he admitted; and therefore the search in this tent was also futile.

There had been a time of trepidation and great excitement, with wrath on both sides, held in but not subdued; Jacob now let his burst forth. "What is my trespass?" he sharply said; "what is my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me? Whereas thou hast searched all my stuff, what hast thou found of all thy household stuff? Set it here before my brethren, that they may judge betwixt us both. This twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy shegoats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten. That which was torn of beasts, I brought not unto thee; I bore the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night. Thus

I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes. Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle, and thou hast changed my wages ten times. Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the Fear of Isaac had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction, and the labor of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight."

Laban replied, "These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and these cattle are my cattle, and all that thou seest is mine;" but, mortified, foiled, and, though deeply vexed, yet afraid of the supernatural protection and aid which he acknowledged to be about Jacob, he proposed a covenant between the latter and himself. It was made, and a pile of stones thrown up was to be the future boundary beyond which neither was ever aggressively to pass, and also a witness against them should there. be any future unrighteous dealing. Laban took care that these latter specifications should be altogether in his own favor; but doubtless Jacob was quite content to escape so well. He offered sacrifice there, and made the company a feast; and on the morrow his father-in-law and party started toward their own home. To Laban, that return journey must have been a very gloomy one,-his goods, his children and grand-children, his profitable son-in-law, flocks, and much of his consequential position at Padan Aram, all stolen away.

CHAPTER XVII.

THE CRITICAL MEETING.

THIS danger safely over, and the hill of stones erected as

a boundary beyond which Laban's resentment might not pass, Jacob could now advance more leisurely, as was indeed made necessary by the great fatigues of the recent flight. He was in a very fertile country, abounding in water as well as grass; and if his mind had been easy, he could now have gazed with very great satisfaction upon his flocks and herds and family, and the rich possessions of the man who had, when escaping from home, travelled this road alone, his worldly goods consisting then of only his staff and scrip.

But his mind was not at ease. There was another danger, perhaps much worse than the other, still to be met. Inquiries made during the time in which he was delaying, perhaps for months, in this region, and indeed was advancing reluctantly enough, had made him aware that Esau was now in Edom, and was a powerful man, with retainers enough to do great mischief to the younger brother and his party, if he should be so disposed. To this day a fondness for making raids for plunder, or for captives to be carried into slavery, is common among nomads, and we have seen that it was so in the days of Abraham. Esau and his men would now have a ready excuse for such an attack on Jacob and his company.

It was a very anxious time with the latter. What Esau's feelings now were it was impossible for them to say. He had, twenty years before, been rash and impulsive and reckless; time might have softened him, but he had then considered himself as having a grievous wrong to avenge, and feuds among pastoral tribes are proverbially lasting as well as bit

ter.

At Beersheba, if the two brothers should again meet there, every object would be adapted to awaken old resentments. Jacob saw now that it would be better to meet his brother at once and know the worst, inasmuch as here he would be in a condition to fly with at least a part of his household and possessions, if threatened by any very serious danger.

But he chose, first, the very judicious measure of sending messengers to his brother, with a frank statement respecting his residence during these twenty years, and the success attending his labors. He made it manifest that he was not coming home as an unfortunate, needy adventurer, ready to swallow up what was remaining there; but that he had abundant possessions of his own. The message ended with conciliatory language couched in the usual courteous style belonging to the time and place; "I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight."

Edom was about seventy miles south of the place where Jacob was now staying, which was along the banks of the Jabbok, one of the two large tributaries of the Jordan on the west. At this spot angels appeared to him; how, is not mentioned, but he named the place after them, Mahanaim, "hosts."

His messengers went, saw Esau, and returned. The account they brought to Jacob was astounding; Esau was coming to meet him, attended by four hundred men!

It seemed evident to every one that only violence could be intended by such a large retinue as this. There was universal alarm. All were looking to Jacob; and he was carrying in his heart the knowledge of a deception practised by him against this brother, by which Esau might feel himself justified in any acts of revenge. The whole company must be resistlessly in the power of the approaching host. deed, if there were no other punishment coming, the twentyfour intervening hours of such feelings as he had now while looking at the helpless beings under his care, and who

In

« PreviousContinue »