旧约人物：逃命的雅各
创世记二十七章41节至二十八章5节
41以扫因他父亲给雅各祝的福，就怨恨雅各，心里说：为我父亲居丧的日子近了，到那时候，我要杀我的兄弟雅各。
42有人把利百加大儿子以扫的话告诉利百加，他就打发人去，叫了他小儿子雅各来，对他说：你哥哥以扫想要杀你，报仇雪恨。
43现在，我儿，你要听我的话：起来，逃往哈兰、我哥哥拉班那里去，
44同他住些日子，直等你哥哥的怒气消了。
45你哥哥向你消了怒气，忘了你向他所做的事，我便打发人去把你从那里带回来。为甚么一日丧你们二人呢？
46利百加对以撒说：我因这赫人的女子连性命都厌烦了；倘若雅各也娶赫人的女子为妻，像这些一样，我活着还有甚么益处呢？
1以撒叫了雅各来，给他祝福，并嘱咐他说：你不要娶迦南的女子为妻。
2你起身往巴旦亚兰去，到你外祖彼土利家里，在你母舅拉班的女儿中娶一女为妻。
3愿全能的神赐福给你，使你生养众多，成为多族，
4将应许亚伯拉罕的福赐给你和你的后裔，使你承受你所寄居的地为业，就是神赐给亚伯拉罕的地。
5以撒打发雅各走了，他就往巴旦亚兰去，到亚兰人彼土利的儿子拉班那里。拉班是雅各、以扫的母舅。
信息分享
他的母亲再次帮助他。利百加知道她所爱的儿子雅各必须离家避祸，可是如何说服丈夫以撒呢？
她向以撒说的话是极其沉重的：「以扫娶的女子，令我厌烦够了。假如连雅各也娶了本地的外邦女子，我真不知道该怎样了。我们为何不打发他到我舅父那里去，让他在那里娶妻呢？」（46节）
她的话是不错的，虽然背后利百加的动机仍是诡诈。属神的人与不信者结婚，明显有违神的吩咐。这种婚姻只会为未来制造很多问题。就如同信主的姊妹嫁给对属灵事情毫无兴趣的丈夫，那种孤独感实在无法尽言。
以扫的悖逆更甚，他娶的是异教外邦女子。雅各后来娶的妻子，毕竟是来自一个认识真神的家庭。他俩一直彼此相爱，并生下约瑟和便雅悯。
利百加的谋划，并未遮盖神的恩手在雅各身上的作为。我们明天会读到雅各怎样遇见神。
雅各的故事提醒我们要将一生交在天父的手中，让祂在我们身上成就祂的旨意，而不是努力为自己计划和谋求利益。
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.