LIFE SCRIPTS

43 Laban answered Jacob, “The women are my daughters, the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks. All you see is mine. Yet what can I do today about these daughters of mine, or about the children they have borne? 44 Come now, let’s make a covenant, you and I, and let it serve as a witness between us.” 45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar. 46 He said to his relatives, “Gather some stones.” So they took stones and piled them in a heap, and they ate there by the heap. 47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed. 48 Laban said, “This heap is a witness between you and me today.” That is why it was called Galeed. 49 It was also called Mizpah, because he said, “May the Lord keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other. 50 If you mistreat my daughters or if you take any wives besides my daughters, even though no one is with us, remember that God is a witness between you and me.” 51 Laban also said to Jacob, “Here is this heap, and here is this pillar I have set up between you and me. 52 This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not go past this heap to your side to harm you and that you will not go past this heap and pillar to my side to harm me. 53 May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” So Jacob took an oath in the name of the Fear of his father Isaac. 54 He offered a sacrifice there in the hill country and invited his relatives to a meal. After they had eaten, they spent the night there. 55 Early the next morning Laban kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them. Then he left and returned home.
Genesis 31:43‭-‬55 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/gen.31.43-55.NIV.

So Jacob and Laban made a covenant. And Laban named the place, Jegar Sahadutha. But Jacob named the place, Galeed. The place came to be known as Mizpah. Mizpah was a key place for the Israelites. It was a place where they gathered and united towards a goal in the honor of God. We see this especially in the book of Judges. But this agreement between Laban and Jacob was borne out of Laban’s insecurities. However, God changed all this and made the reason for agreement to be to His glory. To Laban, this was an agreement to treat each other well. However, the heap of remembrance was not so much about Jacob’s agreement with Laban but more about his commitment to God. A commitment to serve Him and honor Him. Whereas Laban made an oath to Jacob, Jacob offered a sacrifice to the Lord as mentioned in verse 54. He took it as an opportunity to serve and honor God. Do we exalt God in agreements we make with others? Do we see the hand of God even in situations that do not make sense to us? Do we use such situations to minister to others about God’s goodness? Laban had an opportunity to witness Jacob honouring his God. We also have an opportunity to point others in our lives towards God. Our neighbors, our family members, our associates and friends.