When silence is golden…(3)

Why did God tell Laban not to say anything good or bad to Jacob?

If Laban said something good,he would be wrong because what Jacob did was not right.Granted,God told Jacob to go to the land of Canaan but He didn’t say he should flee secretly!

“Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you.””-Gen 31:3

“Moreover, Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him he was running away”-Gen 31:20

So,Laban praising Jacob for his actions would be tantamount to cheering him on for his disobedience.

What about Laban saying something bad about Jacob?

Laban actually cheated Jacob.He hurt Jacob more than the latter hurt him.How?

Jacob worked for Laban 20 years because the latter kept changing the agreement.

He received inconsistent wages.Laban changed his salaries 10 times.

If any animals were torn by wild beasts,Jacob bore the loss himself.

For every stolen animal,Laban demanded Jacob paid for it.

With the stated facts above,what justification did Laban have to say something bad about Jacob?

So,when God told Laban to neither say anything good or bad to Jacob,He had considered the situations holistically.

If you find yourself in the same situation: Neither bless nor curse…Keep silent!