Crazy Love Story

 

Growing up I remember people giving each other Mizpah charms when they were going to be away from each other. As I grew up and read my Bible I realized this was a horrible thing to do. Give your sweetheart a Mispah charm in the Biblical sense was saying. "I love you, but I never plan on seeing your face again. You have been nothing but trouble for me and if we stayed together someone would end up dead."

Of course, if you said that to some young teenage girl, you might end up dead when their dad got a hold of you. 

Now I realize you might object and say that isn't what this charm says and in one way you would be right. Taken out of context the Mizpah sounds perfectly sappy for a couple in love to say to each other when they are going to be away from each other. 

However, this is not the context in scripture. In Genesis 34, Jacob is fleeing from his Father-in-law, Laben. Laben feels Jacob has robbed him but that is okay because Jacob felt that Laban has robbed him also. These two didn't like or trust each other. God stepped in and to make a long story short they agreed to stay away from one another for as long as they lived. 

The lessons from this; First - there are sometimes godly reasons to stay away from some people. Second - This is actually a horrible valentine's gift for anyone. Just saying.