Justin Houtz

Genesis 31-33; Luke 13

DateVersionReading Plan
January 13, 2026ESV (2016)ESV Life Journal Plan – 2026

Genesis 31-33

Observation & Interpretation

Gen. 31:4-16 – Jacob presented Rachel and Leah with three reasons fr making a major move away from the only home they had ever known to a land they had never seen: (1) their father Laban had an unfavorable attitude toward Jacob; (2) Laban was unethical in business, having cheated Jacob and changed his wages ten times—almost every time a new generation of sheep and goats were born (there would have been about fourteen breeding cycles for sheep in six years); and (3) most important of all, the God who had taken their father’s herds and given them to Jacob had now ordered him to return to his native land … Rachel and Leah were agreeable to the idea since their father had treated them like “foreigners” (outsiders). (CSB Notes)

Gen. 31:19 – As part of their exit to go to the land of Canaan, Rachel stole her father Laban’s household gods while Laban was sheering sheep.

  • Before the secret departure, Rachel stole her father’s household idols and hid them in her camel’s saddle. Possession of these household gods implied leadership of the family, and, in the case of a married daughter, assured her husband the right of the father’s property. Since Laban had sons of his own when Jacob fled to Canaan, they alone had the right to their father’s teraphim. Rachel’s theft was therefore a serious matter, aimed at preserving for her husband the chief title to Laban’s estate. (BBC)

Gen. 31:32 – Jacob did not know that Rachel had stole Laban’s household gods.

Gen. 31:42 – In speaking to Laban, Jacob acknowledged that Laban would have sent him away empty-handed if it had not been for God’s protection.

  • This passage reveals that Jacob was a hard worker and that the blessing of the Lord was upon him in all that he did. Are we faithful to our employers? Does the blessing of God rest upon our work? (BBC)

Gen. 31:55 – Laban arose early in the morning, kissed his grandchildren and his daughters, blessed them and then returned home. This seems like a gracious allowance on the part of Jacob to allow Laban to have such an intimate engagement with his daughters and grandchildren before they continued their journey away from Laban.

Gen. 33:11 – Esau accepted the blessing brought to him by Jacob that God had graciously given Jacob. Jacob had previously taken Esau’s blessing from Isaac (Gen. 27:35), but here Jacob was giving Esau a blessing.

Luke 13

Observation & Interpretation

Luke 13:5 – In His response to being told that the blood of the Galileans had been mingled with their sacrifices by Pilate, Jesus told His disciples that they must repent or they would all likewise perish.

  • The point emphasized by the Lord was that this catastrophe should not be interpreted as a special judgment for gross wickedness. Rather, it should be seen as a warning to all the nation of Israel that unless they repented, a similar doom would come upon them. This doom came to pass in A.D. 70 when Titus invaded Jerusalem. (BBC)

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