PROXIMITY IS NOT CONNECTIVITY

30 AND NOW YOU HAVE SURELY GONE BECAUSE YOU GREATLY LONG FOR YOUR FATHER'S HOUSE, BUT WHY DID YOU STEAL MY gods?”
31 THEN JACOB ANSWERED AND SAID TO LABAN, “Because I was afraid, for I said, ‘Perhaps you would take your daughters from me by force.’
32 WITH WHOMEVER YOU FIND YOUR gods, DO NOT LET HIM LIVE. In the presence of our brethren, identify what I have of yours and take it with you.” FOR JACOB DID NOT KNOW THAT RACHEL HAD STOLEN THEM."
Genesis 31:30-32 (NKJV)

• In our text, we could see that Rachel stole her father's household idols or gods (Genesis 31:32). And this was unknown to Jacob and others in the family. He, Jacob, did utter that whoever the idols or gods are found with should not live, without knowing that they were stolen by his most beloved wife, Rachel (Genesis 31:32).

One would think Jacob would have told the members of his household, family, about the God of his fathers; that of Abraham and Isaac. He would have told them about the encounter he had with that God on his way to Padan Aram (Genesis 28:10-22).
With all the goodnesses of that God which they—Jacob's family, wives and children—had experienced and witnessed in the family; Rachel could still not be able to put all her faith and trust in the God of her husband. She still had faith in the gods or idols of her father, Laban, which warranted her to steal some of the household idols.

Note:
It means you might be close to someone and still not be connected to his or her God; the anointing or grace on his life. Being a minister's wife, child, or associate does not mean you are connected with the God of the minister—his or her faith, anointing, or Grace—automatically.
I want to enjoin you, If you are close to a minister of God, do not allow familiarity to breed contempt. You might be a minister's spouse or child or associate or whatever, know that the person of him or her should not be looked upon or treated with contempt or despise: "SO STOP EVALUATING CHRISTIANS [ministers] BY WHAT THE WORLD THINKS ABOUT THEM OR BY WHAT THEY SEEM TO BE LIKE ON THE OUTSIDE. ONCE I [Paul] MISTAKENLY THOUGHT OF CHRIST THAT WAY, MERELY AS A HUMAN BEING LIKE MYSELF. HOW DIFFERENTLY I FEEL NOW!" (2 Corinthians 5:16 PHILLIPS).

Also, know that the fact that you are close to him or her does not mean you are automatically connected to the grace or anointing on his or her life. You had to consciously and deliberately covet or connect with the grace or anointing by faith, It is not automatically gotten.

This shows us what could be the reasons for some strange things that happened or took place in Rachel's life. Though, she was the most loved out of the Jacob's wives, but she could not connect or totally put her trust and faith in the God of her husband. She was leaving her father's house but wanted to go with the household gods or idols of her father, because her trust and faith was still in them.

These are some things that happened to her, Rachel:
a. She had a delay in child bearing (Genesis 30:1,2).
b. She had complications in child delivery which eventually claimed her life (Genesis 35:16-19).
c. She was the only wife of the Patriarchs—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—who was not buried in the family's burial place that was bought by Abraham, Cave of Machpelah (Genesis 49:29-32).

• What are the lessons that could be learnt from this:
a. If you are following someone and you claim to have made his or her God your own God also, do it with all your heart (Ruth 1:16). The God of heaven is not an idol that could be served or worshipped with several other gods, idols or deities. This God told the Israelites that they should not have any other god besides Him, for He is a jealous God (Exodus 20:3,23; 23:13).
God of heaven is a jealous God Who does not want anything, any other god, to be added to Him (Exodus 34:14). Thus, If you pledged allegiance to Him, you need to abide with the pledge.

In the new testament, It was reiterated by Jesus Christ when He was asked about the first commandment:
36 “TEACHER, WHICH IS THE GREAT COMMANDMENT IN THE LAW?” 37 JESUS SAID TO HIM, “‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ 38 THIS IS THE FIRST AND GREAT COMMANDMENT (Matthew 22:36-38 NKJV).

A believer in Christ Jesus should be loyal to God. The commitment of such should be topnotch—total, absolute, and unwavering.
Rachel was not committed to the God of her husband, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. She secretly in her heart reserved the place that ought to be given to that God of her husband, to other gods or idols of her father, Laban (Psalm 16:4). She, Rachel, died before her time, early, and in pain and agony: "THEIR SORROWS SHALL BE MULTIPLIED WHO HASTEN AFTER ANOTHER god; THEIR DRINK OFFERINGS OF BLOOD I WILL NOT OFFER, NOR TAKE UP THEIR NAMES ON MY LIPS" (Psalm 16:4 NKJV).
READ: Genesis 35:16-19;

If you claimed to have given your life to Christ Jesus, let it be with all your heart. Do not go back to join them in the worship of the idols or gods of your fathers in your village. Even if you are not there to worship and celebrate the festival with them physically, inasmuch that you are sending your money to support them for the festival, you are still part of them—you identify with them. The gods or deities and the demons behind them would still see you as their property or loyalist.
If you have pledged your allegiance to God through Jesus Christ, renounce every other idol or god or deity or whatever of worship:
18 AND MANY WHO HAD BELIEVED CAME CONFESSING AND TELLING THEIR DEEDS. 19 ALSO, MANY OF THOSE WHO HAD PRACTICED MAGIC BROUGHT THEIR BOOKS TOGETHER AND BURNED THEM IN THE SIGHT OF ALL. AND THEY COUNTED UP THE VALUE OF THEM, AND IT TOTALED FIFTY THOUSAND PIECES OF SILVER" (Acts 19:18-19 NKJV).

• If perhaps you still have any charm, armlet, talisman, juju, or whatever, given you by your parents, you would have to take it out and burn or destroy them as the people in the above passage of the Bible did.
Keeping an armlet, a talisman, juju, or any diabolical item in your house shows that your trust and faith is still in such things.
Doing so gives the devil and the assigned demons, that are working with such things, the right and opportunity to infiltrate and operate in your life and home; they would have access to whatever is yours because you have their property in your custody.

If Rachel had not taken her father's household idols, the pronouncement of her husband, Jacob, would not have affected her. Jacob said: "BUT AS FOR YOUR HOUSEHOLD IDOLS, A CURSE UPON ANYONE WHO TOOK THEM. LET HIM DIE" (Genesis 31:32 the Living Bible).

• If you wanted to be for the God of heaven, be for Him totally or completely or fully. Stop being a believer who put a leg of his or her in the Lord and another one leg in the world, idolatry, or whatever: "NO ONE CAN SERVE TWO MASTERS; FOR EITHER HE WILL HATE THE ONE AND LOVE THE OTHER, OR ELSE HE WILL BE LOYAL TO THE ONE AND DESPISE THE OTHER. YOU CANNOT SERVE GOD AND MAMMON" (Matthew 6:24 NKJV).
Peace.

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