Jacob seems to be the kind of guy that always needs to leave town in a hurry!
In Genesis 28, Jacob had to flee to escape Esau's wrath. Now, in Genesis 31, he is on the run from Laban.
Tensions had been steadily increasing between Jacob and Laban. It's bad enough that Laban pulled the old "bait-and-switch" on Jacob on his wedding night, exchanging his bride Rachel for her sister Leah. But then Laban tries to cheat Jacob ten times by changing his wages. Even so, Jacob grows richer to the consternation of his brothers-in-law/cousins.
Finally, when Jacob realizes that Laban no longer looks with favor upon him, he decides it's time to get out of Dodge. He hastily calls his wives to him and hatches a plan to escape while Laban is out of town for the sheep-shearing. He gets a three days head start in his journey home.
But it's hard to travel fast with a bunch of livestock, two wives and their two maids, and a dozen children. Laban is able to overtake Jacob. Were it not for a dream where God warns Laban not to harm Jacob, the story of God's covenant with Abraham might not have made it past the third generation!
As it is, Laban and Jacob growl at each other with hostility, finally erecting a pile of stones as a witness between them that they will leave the other alone. Jacob is free to return home - where his old nemesis, brother Esau, awaits...
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