24.#Jacob escaped

Genesis 31 : 17-18, 21
Size: 38×47cm
Material: silk thread

Jacob was homesick. So, he gathered up his wives and children, put them on camels, and they got ready to go back to Canaan where his father Isaac lived. Jacob also brought along all the animals and all the wealth he had accumulated in Paddan Aram.
Jacob brought along his entire family and all his belongings. He moved quickly because he was fleeing from Laban. Because of his hard work and God’s blessing, the Jacob who was returning to Canaan was no longer the poor guy who had left it years ago. No, Jacob was returning home in glory.
When this little band of people got to the Jabbok River, Jacob asked his family to cross the river first. He stayed behind and spent some time alone. He needed time alone to think. The memories of his youth and how he had fled home came rushing back. He could not forget how he had lied to his brother Esau. He could not forget how his uncle had bullied and pressured him. He had learned the hard way about the importance of honesty. However, he also could not forget that night at Bethel when he saw the angels on the ladder. God had comforted Jacob with divine promises.
That night near the Jabbok River, Jacob, who was so used to fleeing all the time, stopped running away. He stopped running away because he finally had an encounter with God. He had found God and in the process, he had found his true identity.