Jacobs brother-in-laws were very angry and bitter about Jacob receiving the animals he was told he could take. They felt that he was robbing their father and Jacob could see that he was no longer favored by his father-in-law as well now that he wanted to leave. Rachel and Leah were fine leaving, their father hadn't treated them well and didn't honor them by giving them an inheritance that was custom in those times, he kept it for himself. Their fathers selfishness made it easier for them to support their husbands choice to leave. Rachel however, acted out in anger and chose to steal her fathers idols when they left in secret. She didn't tell Jacob she took them, probably because she knew he wouldn't approve. They left in secret when Laban was gone because Jacob had seen how poorly Laban had treated him over the last twenty years by deceiving/tricking him, cutting his wages ten times etc. Jacob was afraid that if he tried to say bye, Laban wouldn't allow him to take his daughters and trick him again, so he acted out of fear and fled to avoid confrontation. Confrontation is never fun, but acting in fear is never the best solution.

            Laban got home and found them gone and his idols missing and went after them in anger, intending to cause Jacob harm. That night, in Labans sleep, God visited him and told to be careful what he said to Jacob. God was protecting Jacob even when Jacob didn't even know he needed protection. When Laban found Jacob he first accused him of stealing the idols and said he wanted to cause him harm but he wouldn't because God told him not too. Jacob allowed Laban to search for what he claimed was stolen and Rachel took the idols, placed them under her camels sack and sat on top of it so that way her father wouldn't find them when he searched the tents, she also lied about why she couldn't get up to great her father. Jacob had no idea what his wife had done and when he saw that Laban didn't find the idols he yelled at Laban for accusing him of something that he was innocent of. Jacob and Laban made a covenant to get along and the next day went their separate ways, Jacob still unsure of what his wife had done.

            We need to learn from this to not act out in anger and to never try to take a situation in our own hands to make them right. Rachel clearly didn't understand this and chose to make things right in her own way out of anger and jealousy rather than go to God.  She made things worse for her by doing this. When we feel betrayed or taken advantage of don't do what Rachel did, do what Jacob did and go to God and honor your word and seek God to make things right. The situation might not be made right over night, Jacob had to live in a foreign land for twenty years before he was able to take his family to their home, but in Gods timing it was made right, sometimes we need to be extremely patient as Gods plan unfolds.