In Genesis 31, Jacob notices that Laban and his sons were becoming increasingly hostile toward him. The Lord told Jacob to "Go back to the land of your father and your relatives ( Canaan) and I will be with you". So he took his family, household, livestock, and belongings, but left without telling Laban. When Laban learned of their departure, he pursued Jacob for seven days and caught up with him, but the Lord warned Laban in a dream, saying "Be careful not to say anything to Jacob , either good or bad". So, when Laban confronted Jacob about fleeing in secret, he said "It is in my power to do you harm, but the God of your father spoke to me last night and warned me to be careful not to harm you or speak anything to you". Rachel had taken Laban's household idols when they left, so Laban searched through their stuff looking for his stolen idols. Jacob became angry and lectured Laban about how he had served him in his house for twenty years, yet he still treated Jacob unfairly, Jacob said, "If the God of my father...had not been for me, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed, but God has seen my affliction and the toil of my hands, so He rendered judgment last night." Laban offered a covenant with Jacob , asking the Lord to "watch between you and me... God is witness between you and me... that I will not harm you .. and you will not harm me.. and the God of Abraham judge between us". Laban then departed and returned to his home.

Genesis 30 is about Jacob's family growing and becoming prosperous. Both Leah and Rachel have children with Jacob and also their maidservants have children with Jacob, eventually twelve sons in all ( ie. twelve tribes of Israel). We see in this chapter God faithfully continuing to bless the descendants of Abraham through Jacob, despite the dysfunctional mess of a family that resulted from his multiple wives. Once more we realize that it is only by God's sovereign will and purposes that history moves as it does, not because of man's control or wishes.

Genesis 29 begins with Jacob arriving in the eastern lands near Haran, where his uncle Laban lived. Jacob met Rachel, Laban's younger daughter, as she was shepherding flocks of sheep towards a well. He helped water the sheep and then kissed Rachel and wept. After he explained to Rachel who he was, she "ran quickly and told her father, Laban". When Laban heard the news, he "ran out to meet" Jacob, embracing and kissing him, exclaiming "You really are my own flesh and blood!". Jacob stayed and worked for Laban, so Laban finally told him , "Tell me how much your wages should be". He told Laban, "I'll work for you for seven years if you'll give me your longer daughter, Rachel, as my wife" . Laban agreed and Jacob worked for seven years to earn Rachel. But, on the day of his reward, Laban deceived Jacob and sent his older daughter, Leah, to sleep with Jacob on the night of the wedding feast. Jacob was enraged. Laban explained that "It's not our custom to marry off a younger daughter ahead of the firstborn", but he promised to give Rachel to him now also if Jacob agreed to stay and work another seven years. So, after the bridal week with Leah was over, Jacob took Rachel as his wife also. Because Leah was unloved, the Lord enabled her to have children, but Rachel could not conceive. Leah gave birth to many sons for Jacob ( Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah), yet Jacob loved Rachel much more than Leah.

In Genesis 28, Isaac tells Jacob to go away from Canaan to find and marry a woman in Haran, from the family of Abraham. Isaac blesses Jacob and sends him off to take a wife from among the daughters of his uncle Laban, saying “ May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and increase your numbers until you become a community of peoples. May He give you and your descendants the blessing given to Abraham.” As Jacob then journeyed toward Haran, he stopped to rest in Bethel and had a dream in which God spoke to him of the promises of blessings and the land of Canaan which would be given to Jacob and his descendants. God said also, “I am with you and will watch over your, wherever you go, and … I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Jacob awoke and realized that God was with him and he made a vow, saying “ (Since) God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father’s house, then the Lord will be my God” . Jacob models for us the proper response to God's promises that we claim--- our loyalty and commitment to Him as the Lord of our life.

Genesis 27 is the account of Jacob, with the help of his mother, deceiving his father into giving him the blessing that rightly belonged to his brother, Esau. His nearly blind father, Isaac, was in his last days and was planning to give his blessing to his firstborn son, Esau, as was customary. But, Jacob disguised himself with Esau's clothes and made his hands hairy like Esau with animal skin gloves. Isaac then blessed Jacob, saying "May God give you of heaven's dew and of earth's richness--an abundance of grain and new wine. May nations serve you and peoples bow down to you." When Isaac later realized it was not Esau, he trembled violently and said, "Who was it, then...that came and I blessed him?--and indeed he will be blessed!" Esau held a grudge against Jacob for stealing his blessing, saying "The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob", but their mother sent Jacob away to his uncle Laban in Haran. These events fulfilled the words of the Lord spoken to Rebekah when Jacob and Esau were still in her womb, "Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger."

Genesis 26 begins with a famine in the land and Isaac being directed by God to remain in Gerar and trust in Him for provision, rather than going down to Egypt. God reminds Isaac of the promises He made to his father to bless his descendants. So Isaac obeyed the Lord and stayed in Gerar, but he made the same mistake that Abraham twice made before. Rather than having faith in God, Isaac lies about his wife, saying she is his sister, in order to protect himself from any harm from other men in Gerar. The king, Abimelech, discovers the truth and becomes very angry and orders Isaac and his people to move away. Isaac had become very wealthy with his harvests, herds and flocks, so they moved away into the Valley of Gerar where they dug out and used the same water wells that Abraham had previously used. King Abimelech "saw clearly that the Lord was with Isaac" and made a treaty with him to avoid any future threats from Isaac's people.

Genesis 25 is the account of Abraham's death and the continuation of God's blessings and promises through his son, Isaac. Isaac's wife gave birth to twins, Jacob and Esau, whom the Lord had told her would become two separate nations. At the conclusion of the chapter, there is an account of Esau selling his birthright to Jacob for some food.