In chapter thirty-one Jacob's circumstances suddenly changed. His cousins envied him (v. 1), and his uncle's countenance changed toward him (v. 2). This change was for Jacob's benefit. In this chapter, Jacob was in the middle of the process of transformation. God sovereignly prepares everything for our transformation. We must believe this. Nothing in Genesis 31 was accidental; everything was pre-planned. According to God's sovereignty, Laban had many sons. In the past, I thought that it would have been better for Jacob if Laban had had no sons and the two daughters. But Laban had several sons. Throughout the twenty years of Jacob's stay with Laban, Laban and his sons regarded Jacob as a profit to them. Laban admitted that Jacob's stay with him was a blessing (30:27). But 31:1 says, that Jacob "heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, Jacob hath taken away all that was our father's; and of that which was our father's hath he gotten all this glory." (Glory here means riches—v. 16.) This is a fact. According to Jacob's record, God revealed in a dream how He took the cattle from Laban and gave them to Jacob (31:11-12). Throughout the years, Laban's sons saw their father's flocks decreasing and Jacob's continually increasing. At a certain point, being envious of Jacob, they could not tolerate it any longer. This was not an accident. At the same time, "Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as before" (v. 2). During the past twenty years, Laban's countenance might have smiled upon Jacob because Jacob was a cause of his profit. But after Laban realized that Jacob was no longer a cause of his profit, his countenance changed toward him. When anyone sees that you are causing his profit to wane, his countenance will change toward you. Do not believe that people are really good to you. Everyone is selfish and lives for himself. After staying with Laban for fourteen years, Jacob told him that he was leaving (30:25-26). However, he might actually have had no heart to go. This was just his policy to gain something from Laban. Laban saw clearly that God's blessing was with Jacob and he did not want him to go. Therefore, they negotiated and agreed upon the terms according to which Jacob would remain with Laban for another period of time. But after several more years had passed, Laban realized that all the increase was on Jacob's side, and thus he changed his countenance toward Jacob. This also was pre-planned by God. Because it was time for Jacob to go back, God arranged for his cousins to express their attitude and for Laban to change his countenance.
Jacob must have been seriously exercised concerning whether he should stay or leave. At that juncture, God intervened and said to Jacob, "Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee" (v. 3). If Jacob had been a completely transformed person, he would have immediately praised the Lord and told the Lord that he was trusting Him for His clear guidance. But Jacob did not pray. Instead, he called his two wives to his flock, not daring to talk with them in his uncle's presence. After he talked with them about the change of circumstances, they consented to leave their father (vv. 4-16). These changes in Jacob's circumstances and environment were all prearranged by God.