Jacob and Laban, son-in-law and father-in-law, were pretty well matched: they were both schemers, and neither trusted the other. Laban had tricked Jacob out of 14 years of labor as the bride-price when Jacob wanted to marry Rachel (29:18-30). There was ongoing maneuvering between the two, as each man tried to keep the best lambs from the flock for himself (30:25-43).

When Jacob decided to leave and return to his father’s house, he timed it so that he got a couple of days head start (31:17-22); but Laban and his sons, traveling light, were able to catch up. Laban was quite angry, but God had spoken to him in a dream, warning him not to take any action against Jacob (31:23-24).

After the two men got through yelling at each other, they made a covenant. The words they used are sometimes known as the Mizpah blessing: in the words of the King James Version, they say, “The Lord watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from the other” (Genesis 31:49).

That might sound like a pretty encouraging word to share with one another (and it has often been used that way); but it is actually an indication of the profound distrust between the two of them. If we look at it in the context of this narrative, we can see what it means: “I can’t be sure that you will do what’s right, unless someone is watching you at every moment: and when we’re not with each other, I can’t watch you. But God will be watching you, so you’d better behave.”

* * * * *

We frequently think others need watching to make them behave, O Lord, all the while supposing we ourselves don’t need any watching. Yet we are all sly enough to cut ourselves slack that we would not want others to have. Teach us again, Lord, that we all need your grace.