1 Now Jacob heard that the sons of Laban were saying, "Jacob has taken all that was our father's; and from what was our father's he has gained all this wealth."
2 And Jacob saw that Laban did not regard him with favor as before.
Laban and his family represent the pure natural in man, to which Jacob (Spiritual Illumination) brings expansion. Laban acknowledged that Jacob had brought him prosperity. But the spiritually illumined intellect (Jacob) reaps a share of the increase, and to this the natural man objects when his sons or "afterthoughts" call his attention to it.
3 Then YHVH said to Jacob, "Return to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you."
In his dream, YHVH showed Jacob (Illumined Intellect) that he had finished his work in Haran (a high exalted state of consciousness on the natural plane) and now must function in a more fertile, productive soil. He must return with his possessions to the land of his nativity.
4 So, Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah into the field where his flock was,
5 and said to them, "I see that your father does not regard me with favor as he did before. But the God of my father has been with me.
6 You know that I have served your father with all my strength;
7 yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times, but Gods did not permit him to harm me.
8 If he said, 'The spotted shall be your wages,' then all the flock bore spotted; and if he said, 'The striped shall be your wages,' then all the flock bore striped.
9 Thus, Gods have taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me.
10 In the mating season of the flock I lifted up my eyes, and saw in a dream that the he-goats which leaped upon the flock were striped, spotted, and mottled.
11 Then the angel of the Gods said to me in the dream, 'Jacob,' and I said, 'Here I am!'
12 And he said, 'Lift up your eyes and see, all the goats that leap upon the flock are striped, spotted, and mottled; for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you.
13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and made a vow to me. Now arise, go forth from this land, and return to the land of your birth.'"
14 Then Rachel and Leah answered him, "Is there any portion or inheritance left to us in our father's house?
15 Are we not regarded by him as foreigners? For he has sold us, and he has been using up the money given for us.
16 All the property which Gods have taken away from our father belongs to us and to our children; now then, whatever Gods have said to you, do."
The wives for whom Jacob had labored also had their substance share and inherited part of the increase. When the mind is spiritually quickened all the faculties respond, especially the imagination, as indicated by the "ring-streaked, speckled, and grizzled" progeny.
17 So Jacob arose, and set his sons and his wives on camels;
18 and he drove away all his cattle, all his livestock which he had gained, the cattle in his possession which he had acquired in Paddan-aram, to go to the land of Canaan to his father, Isaac.
Jacob was moving from Haran all the possessions he had acquired in Paddan-aram (the place of substance in the organism) to Canaan (the state of consciousness that, to the individual, is the Kingdom of Heaven). He took away with him a great wealth of substance, including camels, cattle, sheep, gold, and silver, and even the teraphim (highest thoughts) of that land.
We recall that Bethel, "house of God," symbolizes the consciousness in which Jacob dwelt when he beheld the ladder reaching to heaven and exclaimed, "Surely YHVH is in this place; and I knew it not."
19 Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole her father's household idols (teraphim).
20 And Jacob outwitted Laban the Aramean, in that he did not tell him that he intended to flee.
21 He fled with all that he had, and arose and crossed the Euphrates, and set his face toward the hill country of Gilead.
Gilead represents a high state of consciousness, where Spirit reveals its discerning, judging power. In this state of consciousness man refuses to allow his high ideals to become subject to incorrect reasoning. Thus, his spiritual discernment is not clouded by mortal thinking.
22 When it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled,
23 he took his kinsmen with him and pursued him for seven days and followed close after him into the hill country of Gilead.
24 But Gods came to Laban the Aramean in a dream by night, and said to him, "Take heed that you say not a word to Jacob, either good or bad."
25 And Laban overtook Jacob. Now, Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban with his kinsmen encamped in the hill country of Gilead.
26 And Laban said to Jacob, "What have you done, that you have cheated me, and carried away my daughters like captives of the sword?
27 Why did you flee secretly, and cheat me, and did not tell me, so that I might have sent you away with mirth and songs, with tambourine and lyre?
28 And why did you not permit me to kiss my sons and my daughters farewell? Now you have done foolishly.
29 It is in my power to do you harm; but the God of your Father spoke to me last night, saying, 'Take heed that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.'
30 And now you have gone away because you longed greatly for your father's house, but why did you steal my god?"