God called Himself “the God of Bethel.” He brought Jacob right back to the point where he had gone to sleep and when the sun had set upon him. If we wander away from the Lord, we have to go back to the point of departure before there can be restoration. Bethel means the house of God, and when we get away from the place where the Lord has placed His Name, there is sure to be failure come in. When David had sinned, he could say, “He [the Lord] restoreth my soul” (Psalm 23:33He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. (Psalm 23:3)), and this the Lord is willing to do for any of His erring children.
The Necessary Steps to Restoration
There are three things we should notice here, as they are the necessary steps to restoration. First, there must be an awakening in the conscience as to where we are, and this is the result of letting God speak to us as He did to Jacob, only that He now speaks to us through His Word.
Then the next thing was, “Get thee out of this land.” We that are children of God by faith in Christ Jesus should get out, and stay out, of anything that is not pleasing to the Lord. We have to “cease to do evil” before we can “learn to do well” (Isaiah 1:16-1716Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; 17Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. (Isaiah 1:16‑17)). If you are connected with something which you know to be displeasing to the Lord, then the word to Jacob is for you too, “Get thee out ... ”
The third step for Jacob was, “Return unto the land of thy kindred.” God was calling him to get out of Haran because He wanted to bring him to a better land — the land of Canaan, and so the reason He calls us to give up the things of this world is because we are going to a Better Land above. We who are saved are part of the family of faith, and we should choose their company (“our kindred”) even as we shall share it forever in the glory with Christ.
Strangers in This World
Rachel and Leah realized, like Jacob, that there was no part for them in Haran. They said, “Are we not counted ... as strangers?” It is a good thing when even young believers learn that we are strangers in this world. If we do not learn it by walking in the love of God, then He has to allow trials, and teach us the hard way. So here, after God had allowed a few difficulties to arise, then Rachel and Leah said, “Whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do.” It sometimes takes a long time for us to be made willing to obey the voice of God.
At last they started off on their journey, but it certainly was not the right thing for them to “steal away” without even saying “good-bye.” Sometimes we do a right thing, but we do it in the wrong way. If we have to part company with some friend who is hindering us from pleasing the Lord, we should be courteous about it, and tell them why we are doing it. These little things in the Christian’s life (which many of us forget) are very important and are honoring to the Lord. Rachel was very wrong in stealing the images from her father too, but our consciences can become very lax and careless about many things when we are away from the Lord in our souls.
Laban then pursued after Jacob, intending to do him harm, but the Lord overruled and told him not to. Laban told Jacob that he should not have gone away secretly, and Jacob admitted that he had the fear of man in his heart which made him afraid. How much better if he had had the fear of the Lord which is the beginning of wisdom!
Further Meditation
1. Why did God call Jacob out of Haran?
2. God is continually at work for our blessing. There is no moment of any day that He isn’t doing exactly what is needed for our true joy. How did the Lord use Laban’s pursuit of Jacob to do Jacob good?
3. The book God’s Restoring Grace by W. T. P. Wolston provides a simple and brief introduction to the wonderful subject of how the Lord reaches down and works to restore our souls when we have wandered away from the Good Shepherd.