Ever wondered why Rachel stole her father Laban’s household gods in Genesis 31? Was she really that devoted to these idols? Perhaps something else was going on. See this note from Gen 31:19.
household gods. One of the purposes of these idols was to obtain oracles (Ezek. 21:21). It may be that Rachel stole them to prevent Laban from using them to divine Jacob’s route of escape. In addition, possession of family gods symbolized title to family property in the ancient Near East, so Rachel may have stolen them to safeguard her inheritance rights.
ESV Archaeology Study Bible
This is another example of why it can be so helpful to understand the culture and context of biblical narratives. Here are two possibilities for Rachel’s motives in this story that I never would have known nor guessed without this background info. Divination or inheritance rights being tied to household gods is simply not self-apparent to me, given my own cultural and historical context. Interestingly, if the second possibility is what was going on here, then we see in Rachel an echo of her husband’s particular sin – seeking to wrest her inheritance rights in her own strength, rather than trusting in the promises of YHWH. As is usually the case, this backfires. And Rachel comes awfully close to losing her life because of her deception.
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Entrusted to the Dirt 
Great connection you make here – she is trying to “get what is hers” by deception, as her husband did/does. Thank you!
Will use this tomorrow when teaching on Phineas (a Levite) who violently kills a Simeonite who has joined his soul to idol worship through illicit sex-worship with a Midianite woman. Which points to Levi and Simeon violently destroying Shechem. Which leads to Jacob moving his family and burying the household gods under a terebinth tree. Which leads back to Genesis 31, where we first learn about these household gods 🙂
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Where does one find this story? I am confused about the timing. I’d appreciate it if you could steer me in the direction that I need to go.
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