舊約人物：逃命的雅各
創世記二十七章41節至二十八章5節
41以掃因他父親給雅各祝的福，就怨恨雅各，心裡說：為我父親居喪的日子近了，到那時候，我要殺我的兄弟雅各。
42有人把利百加大兒子以掃的話告訴利百加，他就打發人去，叫了他小兒子雅各來，對他說：你哥哥以掃想要殺你，報仇雪恨。
43現在，我兒，你要聽我的話：起來，逃往哈蘭、我哥哥拉班那裡去，
44同他住些日子，直等你哥哥的怒氣消了。
45你哥哥向你消了怒氣，忘了你向他所做的事，我便打發人去把你從那裡帶回來。為甚麼一日喪你們二人呢？
46利百加對以撒說：我因這赫人的女子連性命都厭煩了；倘若雅各也娶赫人的女子為妻，像這些一樣，我活著還有甚麼益處呢？
1以撒叫了雅各來，給他祝福，並囑咐他說：你不要娶迦南的女子為妻。
2你起身往巴旦亞蘭去，到你外祖彼土利家裡，在你母舅拉班的女兒中娶一女為妻。
3願全能的神賜福給你，使你生養眾多，成為多族，
4將應許亞伯拉罕的福賜給你和你的後裔，使你承受你所寄居的地為業，就是神賜給亞伯拉罕的地。
5以撒打發雅各走了，他就往巴旦亞蘭去，到亞蘭人彼土利的兒子拉班那裡。拉班是雅各、以掃的母舅。
信息分享
他的母親再次幫助他。利百加知道她所愛的兒子雅各必須離家避禍，可是如何說服丈夫以撒呢？
她向以撒說的話是極其沉重的：「以掃娶的女子，令我厭煩夠了。假如連雅各也娶了本地的外邦女子，我真不知道該怎樣了。我們為何不打發他到我舅父那裡去，讓他在那裡娶妻呢？」（46節）
她的話是不錯的，雖然背後利百加的動機仍是詭詐。屬神的人與不信者結婚，明顯有違神的吩咐。這種婚姻只會為未來製造很多問題。就如同信主的姊妹嫁給對屬靈事情毫無興趣的丈夫，那種孤獨感實在無法盡言。
以掃的悖逆更甚，他娶的是異教外邦女子。雅各後來娶的妻子，畢竟是來自一個認識真神的家庭。他倆一直彼此相愛，並生下約瑟和便雅憫。
利百加的謀劃，並未遮蓋神的恩手在雅各身上的作為。我們明天會讀到雅各怎樣遇見神。
雅各的故事提醒我們要將一生交在天父的手中，讓祂在我們身上成就祂的旨意，而不是努力為自己計劃和謀求利益。
OLD TESTAMENT HEROES: JACOB THE REFUGEE
Genesis 27:41 to 28:5
41 So Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father blessed him, and Esau said in his heart, “The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then I will kill my brother Jacob.”
42 And the words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah. So she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said to him, “Surely your brother Esau comforts himself concerning you by intending to kill you.
43 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice: arise, flee to my brother Laban in Haran.
44 And stay with him a few days, until your brother’s fury turns away,
45 until your brother’s anger turns away from you, and he forgets what you have done to him; then I will send and bring you from there. Why should I be bereaved also of you both in one day?”
46 And Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth; if Jacob takes a wife of the daughters of Heth, like these who are the daughters of the land, what good will my life be to me?”
1 Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him, and charged him, and said to him: “You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan.
2 Arise, go to Padan Aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father; and take yourself a wife from there of the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother.
3 “May God Almighty bless you,
And make you fruitful and multiply you,
That you may be an assembly of peoples;
4 And give you the blessing of Abraham,
To you and your descendants with you,
That you may inherit the land
In which you are a stranger,
Which God gave to Abraham.”
5 So Isaac sent Jacob away, and he went to Padan Aram, to Laban the son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.
Message
Again his mother helped him out. Rebekah knew her favourite, Jacob, would have to leave home. But how could she get her husband Isaac to approve?
Her words to him were very strong (v.46): 'I'm sick and tired of my daughters-in-law, Esau's wives. They make life miserable for me. If our other boy, Jacob, marries one of these local heathen girls, I don't know what I'll do. Why don't we send Jacob over to my brother's place and let him get a wife there?'
The plan had some good points, even if Rebekah was still manipulating and scheming. A believer in God marrying an unbeliever is going contrary to God's revealed word. Such a marriage will bring many problems in the years ahead. There is hardly anyone lonelier than a Christian wife whose husband is not interested in spiritual things.
Esau moved further out of God's will by his marriages to heathen women. Jacob eventually married a girl who came from a home which knew something of the true God. Their marriage was a love-match which lasted through many years and produced Joseph and Benjamin.
In spite of all Rebekah's planning, God still had His hand on Jacob. We will see tomorrow how God met him.
The whole story of Jacob is a reminder to place ourselves in the hands of our heavenly Father and let Him work out His will for us, rather than plan and push for ourselves.