Now, will you note verse 1, chapter 29
of Genesis, "...then Jacob went on his journey,
and came into the land of the people
of the east."
Now, he leaves Bethel, goes on his journey,
and after a period of time, I do
not know how long, why he arrived in
the land of Haran, "...and he looked, and
behold, a whale in the field, and lo,
there were three flocks of sheep lying by
it.
For out of that well they watered the
flocks, and a great stone was upon the
whale's mouth.
And thither were all the flocks gathered, and
they rolled the stone from the whale's mouth,
and watered the sheep, and put the stone
again upon the whale's mouth in his plates."
You see, water is a very important item
in that country, and still is.
There's not too much of it in many
places, and it has to be husbanded, and
it has to be protected.
And so here was the well that they
watered the sheep and the people in that
area.
Now, a certain time during the day, the
stone that was on top of the whale
was removed, and everybody watered the sheep, everybody
got the water, and the top was put
back down.
Now, Jacob arrives there before they take the
stone away from the whale.
And here comes Jacob now, and believe me,
he's as cocky as ever.
Listen to him, verse 4, "...And Jacob said
unto them, My brethren, whence be ye?
And they said, Of Haran are we.
And he said unto them, Know ye Laban
the son of Nahar?
And they said, We know him.
And they did, I guess.
Jacob didn't, but he's going to get acquainted
with him."