LABAN- THE SELFISH MAN
We are all selfish, but some of us have a real corner on the market. Laban’s whole life was stamped by self-centeredness. His chief goal was to look out for himself. He made a profitable arrangement for his sister Rebekah’s marriage to Isaac and used his daughter’s life as bargaining chips. Jacob eventually outmaneuvered Laban, but the older man was unable to admit defeat. His hold on Jacob was broken, but he still tried to maintain some kind of control by getting Jacob to promise to be gone for good.
He realized that Jacob and Jacob’s God were more than he could handle. On the surface, we may find it difficult to identify with Laban. But his selfishness is one point we have in common. Like him, we often have a strong tendency to control people and events to our benefit. Our ‘’good’’ reasons for treating others the way we do may simply be a thin cover on our self-centered motives. We may not even recognize our own selfishness. One way to discover it is to examine our willingness to admit we are wrong. Laban could not bring himself to do this. If you ever amaze yourself by what you say and do to avoid facing up to wrong actions, you are getting a glimpse of your selfishness in action. Recognizing selfishness is painful, but it is the first step on the road back to God.
Strengths and Accomplishments:
- Controlled two generations of marriages in the Abrahamic family.
- Quick-witted
Weakness and mistakes:
- Manipulated others for his own benefits
- Unwilling to admit wrongdoing
- Benefited financially by using Jacob but never fully benefitted spiritually by knowing and worshipping Jacob’s God
Lessons from his life:
- Those who set out to use people will eventually find themselves used
- God’s plan cannot be blocked
Key verses: ‘’Except the God of my father, God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac had been with me, surely thou would have sent me away now empty. God hath seen my affliction and the labour of my hands and rebuked thee yesternight’’ (Genesis 31v 42).