In this portion of story, Jacob is returning home after serving Laban for 20 years. It is a very rich passage. He flees in the night because of fear that Laban will take everything from him. Rachel his favorite wife steals the family idols and lies about it. Jacob makes a covenant with Laban. Jacob wrestles with God and is changed forever. In all of this the thing that sticks with me the most is how Jacob puts a value on the people in his life. It seems so cruel. He fears that his brother will exact revenge after all these years and he sends first his servants and then his wives maids and their children. His children, but somehow they mean less to him then his wives and their children. Next he sends his fist wife and her children, but he keeps his favorite, his dear Rachel with him. He clearly puts an order to hi value of his family. That is a hard thing to embrace. The texts shows later that he does care about all, as he begs his brother to let them come along at a slower pace for the sake of the children and livestock. But he clearly has those of his own flesh that he loves more deeply.
