1. God's revelations of Himself, of His love and purposes, are incentives to action and encouragements to duty.

2. Notice the similarity and difference between Eliezer's arrival at Haran and reception by Laban, and Jacob's.(1) Both met the object of their quest as well.(2) Laban welcomed Eliezer because of his presents, and sent Rebekah away with him. He welcomed Jacob as a kinsman, but, with keen foresight that he should not be a loser, practically enslaved the heir of Isaac.

II. THE LESSONS OF JACOB'S SERVITUDE AND PROSPERITY AT HARAN

1. Even a wise custom is no justification of untruth or deceit (Genesis 29:26).

2. There is a law of retribution and of compensation in life. Jacob's love for Rachel sweetened his servitude.

3. The danger of taking narrow views of life.

4. Faith is proved by patience rather than by retaliation (Genesis 30:37-43).

5. The faithfulness of God is irrespective of man's desert.

III. JACOB'S FLIGHT FROM HARAN, LABAN'S PURSUIT OF HIM, AND THE COVENANT WITH WHICH THEY SEPARATED.

1. Mutual distrust produces estrangement.

2. Suspicion leads to angry accusation and recrimination.

3. The use and misuse of solemn words (vers. 47, 48).

(A. F. Joscelyne, B. A.)

2. It is no rare thing that the saints of God should hear ill of evil men for their best doings.

3. Slanderous tongues are usually to be found in the houses of the wicked.

4. Children are the natural heirs of parents' corruptions; Laban's sons have Laban's heart.

5. Covetousness is discontented at any good that passeth unto others.

6. Heat of wicked youth is apt to break forth into railing upon the most upright.

7. Covetous, envious spirits transfer the blessing of God on His to base reproaches (ver. 1)

8. Old subtle sinners keep their tongues and vent their hatred in their looks.

9. As God changeth His providences from one to another, so the wicked change their carriages.

10. It is Christian prudence to observe the discontented and angry faces of wicked rulers.

11. Carnal respects from the wicked to the righteous are but momentary (ver. 2).

12. God sometimes useth the unjust carriages of wicked men to move His saints unto respect of Him.

13. God calleth His saints at last in His set time out of bondage to the wicked.

14. God's call alone warrants souls as to leaving of their stations.

15. God's gracious presence is ever with them, who are obedient to His call (ver. 3).

(G. Hughes, B. D.)

2. It beseems godly husbands to communicate God's will to their wives about household affairs.

3. Prudence imparts counsel in fittest places.

4. Sedulity in men's calling will not suffer them to lose time (ver. 4).

(G. Hughes, B. D.)

2. Real and undeserved disrespects from men are justly to be complained of, though fathers.

3. The gracious presence of God with His innocent ones is enough to counterpoise the frowns of men.

4. It is rational to leave fathers with their unjust frowns, and follow God with His smiles (ver. 5).

(G. Hughes, B. D.)

2. Multiplied falsehoods and oppressions are usual with wicked men, to oppress the innocent and to help themselves.

3. The greatest service is of no account with wicked worldly men.

4. Safe are those faithful ones who are taken into God's charge.

5. Men may invent many ways to hurt the righteous, but God giveth them not up to their hand (ver. 7).

6. God's power and justice turneth the very purposes of the wicked to His saints' good and their evil.

7. The subtlety of man can never prevent the power and wisdom of God (ver. 8).

(G. Hughes, B. D.)

2. Saints must take their comforts in the way wherein God will impart them. In dreams, if God will.

3. The saints have real proof of God's care of them, and goodness in suiting to them their consolations (ver. 10).

4. God alone is the comforter of His people.

5. God calls by name to poor souls, in application of comfort, to prepare them thereunto.

6. God's servants answer at His call to receive His consolations (ver. 11).

7. God showeth His afflicted ones the way of His consolations for their support.

8. God's observation of the oppressions of men cannot but stir Him up to work His saints' relief (ver. 12).

(G. Hughes, B. D. .)

     5095   Jacob, life

Genesis 31:10-13

     1409   dream

Genesis 31:11-13

     4140   angel of the Lord

Appendix xvi. On the Jewish views About Demons' and the Demonised,' Together with Some Notes on the Intercourse Between Jews and Jewish Christians in the First Centuries.
IT is not, of course, our purpose here to attempt an exhaustive account of the Jewish views on demons' and the demonised.' A few preliminary strictures were, however, necessary on a work upon which writers on this subject have too implictly relied. I refer to Gfrörer's Jahrhundert des Heils (especially vol. i. pp. 378-424). Gfrörer sets out by quoting a passage in the Book of Enoch on which he lays great stress, but which critical inquiries of Dillmann and other scholars have shown to be …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

How the Rude in Sacred Learning, and those who are Learned but not Humble, are to be Admonished.
(Admonition 25.) Differently to be admonished are those who do not understand aright the words of the sacred Law, and those who understand them indeed aright, but speak them not humbly. For those who understand not aright the words of sacred Law are to be admonished to consider that they turn for themselves a most wholesome drought of wine into a cup of poison, and with a medicinal knife inflict on themselves a mortal wound, when they destroy in themselves what was sound by that whereby they ought, …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

Epistle Xlix. To Anastasius, Bishop of Antioch .
To Anastasius, Bishop of Antioch [35] . Gregory to Anastasius, &c. I received the letters of thy Fraternity, rightly holding fast the profession of the faith; and I returned great thanks to Almighty God, who, when the shepherds of His flock are changed, still, even after such change, guards the faith which He once delivered to the holy Fathers. Now the excellent preacher says, Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Christ Jesus (1 Cor. iii. 2). Whosoever, then, with love of …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

The Great Shepherd
He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. I t is not easy for those, whose habits of life are insensibly formed by the customs of modern times, to conceive any adequate idea of the pastoral life, as obtained in the eastern countries, before that simplicity of manners, which characterized the early ages, was corrupted, by the artificial and false refinements of luxury. Wealth, in those …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1

And He had Also this Favour Granted Him. ...
66. And he had also this favour granted him. For as he was sitting alone on the mountain, if ever he was in perplexity in his meditations, this was revealed to him by Providence in prayer. And the happy man, as it is written, was taught of God [1112] . After this, when he once had a discussion with certain men who had come to him concerning the state of the soul and of what nature its place will be after this life, the following night one from above called him, saying, Antony, rise, go out and look.' …
Athanasius—Select Works and Letters or Athanasius

A Treatise of the Fear of God;
SHOWING WHAT IT IS, AND HOW DISTINGUISHED FROM THAT WHICH IS NOT SO. ALSO, WHENCE IT COMES; WHO HAS IT; WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS; AND WHAT THE PRIVILEGES OF THOSE THAT HAVE IT IN THEIR HEARTS. London: Printed for N. Ponder, at the Peacock in the Poultry, over against the Stocks market: 1679. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," and "a fountain of life"--the foundation on which all wisdom rests, as well as the source from whence it emanates. Upon a principle …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Meditations for the Morning.
1. Almighty God can, in the resurrection, as easily raise up thy body out of the grave, from the sleep of death, as he hath this morning wakened thee in thy bed, out of the sleep of nature. At the dawning of which resurrection day, Christ shall come to be glorified in his saints; and every one of the bodies of the thousands of his saints, being fashioned like unto his glorious body, shall shine as bright as the sun (2 Thess. i. 10; Jude, ver. 14; Phil. iii. 21; Luke ix. 31;) all the angels shining …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

Genesis
The Old Testament opens very impressively. In measured and dignified language it introduces the story of Israel's origin and settlement upon the land of Canaan (Gen.--Josh.) by the story of creation, i.-ii. 4a, and thus suggests, at the very beginning, the far-reaching purpose and the world-wide significance of the people and religion of Israel. The narrative has not travelled far till it becomes apparent that its dominant interests are to be religious and moral; for, after a pictorial sketch of …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament