Genesis-110-Tower (Mizpah)

The main text is from Genesis 31:43-49.

 

“Then Laban answered and said to Jacob, ‘The daughters are my daughters, the children are my children, the flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine. But what can I do this day for these my daughters or for their children whom they have borne? Come now, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it be a witness between you and me.’ So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar. And Jacob said to his relatives, ‘Gather stones.’ And they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there by the heap. Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed. Laban said, ‘This heap is a witness between you and me this day.’ Therefore he named it Galeed, and also Mizpah, for he said, ‘The Lord watch between you and me, when we are out of one another's sight.’” Amen.

 

God Is with Jacob in His Fear

Last time, we looked at Jacob, who was running away in great fear, trembling day and night. While he was fleeing for ten days, where was God? The Lord was meeting with his adversary, Laban. When we face fear, failure, and despair in our own lives, we often feel like we are running alone. We feel like we are the only ones busy trying to solve our problems. We think we are alone in our struggles with health, business, school, children, and our home life. But the Lord is meeting with our Laban. And this passage tells us what a great comfort and strength that is.

 

The first conversation between Laban and Jacob contains an interesting story that reveals how Laban's mind was working. It's like a modern "build-up," where the story gradually unfolds. First, Jacob scolds Laban. "Look, I haven't taken anything from you, so why are you chasing me and causing me trouble?" Then he recounts his twenty years of hardship. "Listen to what you've done to me, even though I haven't taken any of your possessions. Because you did that, God has rebuked you."

 

Laban doesn't immediately agree. Instead, he gives a rather absurd reply. Laban is quite clever at this point. Instead of saying, "That's not true" or "When did I ever do that?" he says this: "Whose daughters are the ones you married? They're my daughters. Whose children are the ones they've had? They're mine. All the possessions you have are actually mine. They're mine, and I can do what I want with them, so why are you complaining?" This sounds like it leaves Jacob speechless, but none of it is really true. However, this is not what Laban truly intended to say. Laban knew that Jacob had justly acquired his wealth and couldn't claim it as his own. So he says, "Even though all of this is mine and I can do whatever I want, would I really harm my own children and my daughters?" He's building up a narrative, acting as if everything belongs to him but he is generously yielding it. This build-up makes his next statement possible: "Now let's make a treaty. Let's set a boundary." That's the point he was trying to reach.

 

Laban’s Fearful State of Mind

Originally, Laban was driven by significant fear. Why did Laban chase Jacob? To take everything back. But when Laban met Jacob, he changed. Why did this stubborn Laban change? He met God. God appeared and said, "Leave Jacob alone. Do not touch him." Although the Bible only has one line, there were probably immense things said in that moment. Laban heard those words, and his hardened heart changed. He abandoned his plan and altered his actions. So, what a fearsome God he had encountered!

 

He had no choice but to change his mind. Now, what he fears is not anything else, but the thought that this God might take all of his possessions and give them to Jacob. After hearing the words, "Don't touch Jacob," Laban began to think about his own possessions. He no longer wanted to steal from Jacob; he wanted to make a non-aggression pact.

 

People who want to make a non-aggression pact are not the ones in power. Perhaps you've forgotten because it's been a long time since you experienced a war, but when a truce is made, it’s because both sides are exhausted. A non-aggression pact is what the country without a nuclear weapon wants with the one that has it. The one with a nuclear weapon thinks, "I can punish you anytime," so they have no reason to make a pact. At this moment, it is Laban, not Jacob, who is the weak one. Laban is the one who is afraid. He wants to draw a boundary out of fear that Jacob might take everything from him. He wanted to protect what was his.

 

Jacob must have known that Laban was afraid and timid, but instead of taking advantage of it, he went to set up a stone. What does Jacob setting up a stone symbolize? What does it bring to mind? Bethel. He set up a stone at Bethel and made a promise with God. By setting up a stone, Jacob is doing so silently, without any words. The scent of Bethel is very strong here. Something special is happening in Jacob's heart.

 

People came and built the heap of stones, and they ate by the heap. This is one of the things often done when making a covenant. By eating together, they show that they have been reconciled and are at peace. Laban named the heap of stones "Jegar-sahadutha," which is Aramaic for "heap of witness." You know Hebrew, right? You know "Abraham." You also know "Hallelujah." Now, you know an Aramaic word too. After hearing that name, Jacob named it "Galeed" in Hebrew, which means the same thing, "heap of witness." Then in verse 49, another name appears.

 

Verse 49 says, "and also Mizpah, for he said, ‘The Lord watch between you and me, when we are out of one another's sight.’" This verse may be familiar to you. It's very familiar to people in the United States. To Koreans, "Though your beginning was small, your latter days will be very great" is much more familiar. People even have it made into a plaque. But Americans often use the verse, "May the Lord watch between you and me when we are out of one another's sight," on Christmas cards. It's also often engraved inside wedding rings, with the romantic meaning, "May God watch over you and me even when we are apart."

 

True Faith and Misunderstood Truths

Just as the verse from Job, "Though your beginning was small, your latter days will be very great," has a different meaning than what we commonly understand, this verse is also one of the misunderstandings brought about by the King James Bible translation. The King James Bible is an excellent Bible, but it was translated by people and has its weaknesses. While many people today love and respect the authority of the King James Bible, going so far as to say that all other Bibles are wrong or inadequate is an overemphasis on one side.

 

The actual meaning of this verse is not "God, please watch over him and me." The context of this verse is the conversation between Laban and Jacob, who did not trust each other at all. The intended meaning is: "I can't even trust this person in front of my eyes, so how can I trust him when we can't see each other? When we are out of each other's sight, may God monitor your every move." The original meaning is, "I want God to watch over you." Is this something you would put on a wedding ring? "I want God to monitor everything you do" is the original meaning. It was because Laban was afraid and wanted to get a promise from Jacob. "Don't go back and have a different plan because God is watching you." He had been told by God, "Do not touch Jacob."

 

Laban proposes two clauses for the covenant. The first clause is truly astonishing. Laban keeps talking as if he is a wonderful father. This is the same Laban who said, "If you had told me you were leaving, I would have given you a magnificent farewell party," even though he had come to take everything and perhaps even kill Jacob. Here, it is the same. He tells Jacob, "Do not mistreat my two daughters or take other wives. If you do, God will not let you get away with it." It seems like he cares for his daughters, but we know Laban's heart. He is the man who stole the dowries that his daughters were supposed to receive. He is the father whom his daughters said treated them like strangers, yet he speaks as if he cares for them deeply.

 

When I read this verse, I wonder if we make the same mistake. His words are correct. He is speaking a factual truth. It is very biblical. But his heart, his life, and his attitude are not. This is a form of hypocrisy, but I think it's also one of the biggest problems many Christians face. We are not unable to speak the right truth, but when we do, our lives must also be aligned with that truth.

 

Let me say this again. We all know we cannot perfectly live according to the truth we speak. That is not what I am asking for. But at the very least, when we speak God's word to anyone, in any situation, we must remember that it is also our word. It is not a word meant only for them, but also a word that we need to change and repent of. If we forget this, we may make a big mistake like Laban. It is something we should be cautious about. However, what he said was correct. For married couples, even Christians, this verse is precious.

 

Getting married in Christ means we have made a covenant with God as our witness. Think about how significant that is. In our culture, we don't fully understand the meaning of a wedding ceremony. We just do it. For example, why does a minister ask, "Does anyone object to this marriage?" Or why does a father give his daughter away to the groom? We often don't understand the cultural significance behind these acts. This is why a wedding is not done like a church service.

 

A service is "worship" to God. It is directed toward God. There is no worship service done for two people. So, strictly speaking, it is more accurate to have a thanksgiving service and then the wedding vows, but usually, they are combined. However, just because there is an element of worship, it doesn't mean the sermon or the minister's words are the most important part of the wedding ceremony. The most important part of the wedding is the vows. The couple makes vows with God as their witness, which gives this marriage great significance. This is also why this verse is often cited in the book of Malachi.

 

In a wedding, God is the witness between the husband and the wife, establishing him as a covenant husband and her as a covenant wife. This is biblical and something we all must remember. We know how complicated and difficult married life can be, with each couple having different circumstances, pain, tears, and joy. But no matter what situation you are in, one of the greatest strengths of your marriage is that its foundation is not your love, your commitment, or your good character, but the presence of God as your witness. We must not forget that God will protect you and walk with you in that covenant. The fact that God is the witness in our marriage is not a light matter.

 

The Two Tables

However, the second clause Laban mentioned was for himself. It was a non-aggression pact. "You must not cross over, and I cannot cross over." This was Laban's true purpose. He wanted to prevent himself from losing anything. Laban was a man who truly knew God and even heard His voice. He also knew that he had prospered because God had blessed Jacob. He saw with his own eyes how God blessed Jacob for twenty years. That should have been enough to make him believe in God, right?

 

Laban was a man who knew that God existed. He couldn't deny it. In our terms, he was a theist. He believed in God. He also knew that this God had great power and could give blessings. But sadly, he was not satisfied with that God and did not rely on Him. He did not even cling to God. Why didn't he cling to such a powerful God? Because he created his own god for every problem he faced—a god that served him. This may sound simple, but it's a deep concept that we should think about, because most of us live that way.

 

Most of us believe in God, but we only believe as long as God is on our side. But what happens when God doesn't seem to be on our side? This God becomes an incomprehensible God, a sleeping God, a difficult God to follow. The Bible clearly says that God is with you, but because we start believing like that, we begin to create multiple gods. You will see how this unfolds later in this passage.

 

Let's move on from Laban and go to Jacob. What is happening in Jacob's life through this covenant? Most importantly, a holy separation is taking place. He is finally separated from the world. Laban wanted to protect his possessions, but through this treaty, God separated Jacob from the world. Just as Israel was separated from Egypt, Jacob is now separated from Haran and is moving toward the Kingdom of God, not the world. He is now following God, not idols. By setting up the stone, he remembers the God of Bethel, who had made a promise to him. What did the God of Bethel say? "I am with you. I will protect you wherever you go and will lead you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."

 

If I were to add my own emotions, Jacob must have looked back on the past twenty years as he built the stone heap again. After twenty years of what kids today call "brutal hardship," he was doing the same thing. I would have felt emotional. He thought he would go for a few days to get a wife, but it turned into twenty years of suffering. He was deceived and ended up with two wives, and there was not a single quiet day at home due to jealousy, envy, and competition. The story of Hannah we know is easy compared to this. Hannah was loved by her husband. "Am I not better to you than ten sons?" What great comfort that was. But Jacob said, "Am I in the place of God? Why do you complain to me?" The stress Jacob went through was completely different from what Hannah experienced. But in the midst of that, God created the nation of Israel.

 

The story of the twelve tribes began. God was fulfilling His promise, "I will make you prosperous." He was fulfilling the promise in the midst of that suffering. Jacob was in an incredible situation. Not only that, he left there with nothing. Isaac's servant went with countless things and camels, but Jacob went alone with nothing. He had no possessions for the first fourteen years. But the man who had nothing is now returning as a rich man.

 

The one who went with empty hands. I think people who have immigrated can understand this story well. The older generation says that they could only bring 200 dollars. They came with 200 dollars, and their jobs were decided by who they met at the airport. How much they must have suffered! But when they finally made it here and flew back to Korea, they brought a whole slab of ribs. I remember it vividly. When one relative from America came back, even our distant relatives came out to welcome them. That's a story from a long time ago. Isn't that like returning home in triumph? How proud those people must have felt! Many of them came here because they couldn't make it in Korea, so how happy they must have been to return after becoming successful here. That's what Jacob is doing now. He is going home for the first time in twenty years.

 

Imagine going back to your hometown for the first time in twenty years. How must Jacob have felt? He was able to get all those things. He left in fear, running away, but now Jacob scolds Laban. God did not let his escape end as a mere flight but turned it into a grand "Exodus," a grand "Exodus from Haran." Didn't God protect Jacob's honor? "You were with me, and you cannot return like this," God says, and an event where Laban is rebuked takes place. How amazing is that? Think about it. Jacob was in a life that seemed like a heap of waste. Nothing seemed to be working out, but God fulfilled all His promises. This is a very moving story.

 

Jacob’s Story, A Shadow of Jesus Christ

But as moving as that is, do you know that you are actually going through something far greater? Jacob was rescued from a heap of waste, became wealthy, and had his honor restored. But you and I have seen God fulfill the promise of making good out of all things in the midst of hell, death, all failures, and hopelessness. This is because the story of Jacob is a shadow of the story of Jesus Christ. There is no comparison.

 

You know what Paul says in Romans, so you don't need to look it up: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." This verse is so comforting. And that's what happened to Jacob. In the midst of what seemed like a heap of waste, he became rich, and his descendants formed the nation of Israel. But in Christ, something far more incomparable happened. To what extent? Romans 8:31 continues: "What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" Do you catch the idea that we are living an incomparably great life?

 

Money, poverty, camels, flocks, and children are all wonderful things and great blessings. But with whom are we comparing them now? "God gave up His Son," the verse says. Is there any comparison? When Jacob was chased by Laban, God said, "Who can be against you? What, not even Satan, can touch you?" Do you see that there is no comparison? If you thought, "Jacob, God blessed you, and you finally returned to Canaan after twenty years, returning in triumph," then think for a moment about how God has cared for you, how He loves you, and how He leads you. We are in the midst of God's grace, which is incomparable.

 

A Faith without Compromise

Finally, the way Laban invokes God as a witness is closely related to what we first explained. He says, "May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor judge between us." It sounds okay, as we are used to saying, "The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, watch over us." But here, he says, "May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor judge between us." In English, the tense and number are clearer. The verb "judge" is in the plural, meaning the subject is plural. In other words, Laban believes the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor are not the same God. Laban is a man who makes gods for himself. He doesn't serve one God, but says, "The God of Abraham is good," and "The God of Nahor is good." The gods of their ancestors are even more so.

 

Nahor and his ancestors are from the time when Abraham was in Ur of the Chaldeans. The Bible clearly states that they served foreign gods then. Laban is invoking those gods as well. So, the translation should probably be more accurate as "the gods of their ancestors." Laban is saying, "May they judge between you and me." Laban is serving not just the God of Abraham but many gods for his own sake.

 

But Jacob is different. Jacob swears by the one God, the Fear of his father Isaac. For Jacob, even though this covenant is between two people, the witness is only one. He has only the God of Bethel. What does a faith without compromise mean? It doesn't mean simply being stubborn. First, it means having an accurate knowledge of the God we believe in. To not compromise, we must know who the God we believe in is, not thinking that any god is fine.

 

The knowledge you have must also have weight. This means value. If you know the truth that "God is love," then you must be able to entrust your entire life to that truth. Because He is love, His love will not abandon you in any situation. It is a commitment that holds your entire life, knowing that His promise to be with you will never disappear. "God is almighty." Even ordinary theists know that God is almighty and powerful. Otherwise, He wouldn't be a god. But we know not just a powerful God, but an almighty God who can give up His own Son for our salvation. That is why we commit our lives to Him.

 

If it's not connected to your entire life, you may not know God but a god you have made. Every god you have made is fake. I will say it again. No matter how pure, honest, and morally upright you are, the god you have in mind is fake. The Bible says that we cannot find the true God not because we don't know Him, but because our hearts are twisted and separated from Him. That's why God sent His Son and gave us Abraham, Moses, and the Word, saying, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God."

 

When this is not the God who revealed Himself to us, we will misunderstand Him, and we cannot put our whole life on the line. He will only be a god we use as much as we need and acknowledge as much as we need. This is because we will always be at the center. If you hold to a faith without compromise and believe it is truly the truth, please reconsider whether God is guaranteeing it, whether you have gained the right knowledge through the Bible, or if you just thought, "I would believe in a god like this." The truth we put our lives on the line for is a commitment we make because He is God. Of course, that knowledge isn't perfect. It grows. And our commitment grows with it. The more we know God and get closer to Him, the more we open our hearts to the Lord and entrust our lives to Him. But our knowledge and our understanding of God must be clear, and that is where we must start.

 

The Two Tables, Our Choice

So Jacob confronts Laban with goodness instead of anger, but he doesn't join Laban's oath. We, too, should do good in the world as the Bible says. If the world asks us, "Why are you trying to live a good and conscientious life?" we must answer clearly and boldly. "This is not my merit, my ability, or my resolve. It does not come from me being more righteous or conscientious than others. All of this is God's grace and my confession of love for the God of truth. I serve God, not the world. I participate in God's love for the world, but my life is being lived this way because of God, not the world." This is how we confess.

 

Therefore, the story of Jacob offering a sacrifice and eating a meal after his conversation with Laban is a natural one. He prepares the Lord's table, not the world's table. And he invites them. Sadly, even though they ate together all night, Laban and his relatives are no longer mentioned in the Bible. We don't know their final outcome. We hope nothing bad happened, but it's possible that they participated in Jacob's meal but did not turn back to God, like a disciple who participated in the Lord's supper. That's why we read this story again with a sense of challenge and caution.

 

Old Testament scholar Maurice describes Laban this way: "Laban knew God and heard His word, and he even received a sign. But he could not give up his greed and only wanted the blessings given to Jacob, not the God of Jacob. He was a very religious person but self-centered and worshiped himself, which is a solemn warning from God to many people within our churches today." The world will prefer Laban and hate Jacob. But even though Jacob was a flawed person, he returned to the home that the Lord had prepared for him. Laban had the world and took his share. On the same day, Jacob was separated from the world and belonged to the Kingdom of God. Laban received the world's table, while Jacob participated in the table of Christ.

 

The table of the cross, the table of the resurrection, the table we share today. Which table will you sit at?

 

Let us pray.

 

Dear Lord, we will not forget your wonderful grace, and we remember you, the one who made a promise to us, just as we remember the God of Bethel. Lord, help us to reflect on ourselves and to have this precious time to once again realize what true faith is and who a true disciple of God is. Lord, we receive your table together today. As we receive this table, may we once again realize what you are truly telling us, where you are calling us, and what you are giving to us. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.