Cutting the Ties (Kids Connect)

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The Covenant of Mizpah (Genesis 31)

Reading with your child.....
After Jacob told Laban that God had been watching out for him, giving him what Laban would have taken away, Laban said to Jacob, "These are my daughters and children. These are my flocks. Everything here is mine. So, let's make a covenant between us." So Jacob set up a rock as a pillar and directed his children to place several stones around it and they created a pile of stone.

After the pillar had been set up, Laban said, "May the Lord watch between you and me when we are away from each other. If you harm my daughters or take other wives, the Lord will see. And, let this pillar and heap which I have set up be a witness that I will not pass by it to hurt you and you will not pass by this pillar to hurt me. May the God of Abraham and Nahor judge between us." Jacob agreed to this and offered a sacrifice on the mountain and called his family to eat and they spent the night there.

Early the next day Laban got up, kissed his children and blessed them. Then he left and went back to his home.

Your child's insights.....
- Do you really think everything was Laban's or Jacob's?
- Who took credit for building the pillar?
- What actually built the pillar?
- Abraham had 2 brothers, Nahor and Terah. Laban was Nahor's grandson. Jacob was Nahor's great-grandson. Who did Laban say his god was?
- Why do you think that Laban wanted to make the promise he did with Jacob?

Ideas for prayer with your child.....
- Pray that your child will treat others justly even when others don't do the same to them.
- Pray that your child will always have God as their God and no others.
- Pray that your children will have peaceful relationships and be able to deal with conflict when it arises in relationships in their lives.

Your considerings......
- Wow! Laban is so very arrogant! He says that everything Jacob has is his, not acknowledging Jacob's service or need for payment! Then he goes on to take credit for building the pillar even though Jacob and his children built it! I know that sounds like a little thing, but can you imagine how aggravated Jacob must have been?
- You'd think that after having a dream in which God spoke to him, Laban would have acknowledged his need for only One God, not continuing in his polytheistic lifestyle. I guess not.
- What do you think of this incident?