Genesis 31: 45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar. 46 He said to his relatives, “Gather some stones.” So they took stones and piled them in a heap, and they ate there by the heap. 47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed 48 Laban said, “This heap is a witness between you and me today.” That is why it was called Galeed. 49 It was also called Mizpah, because he said, “May the Lord keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other.
I still fondly remember a neck charm, presented to me by my future wife, featuring a mizpah coin. It had the phrase “May the Lord keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other. ”
For Laban and Jacob, there was probably some distrust. The idea of their ‘witness heap’ was a way to provide an anchor point as a place of trust between them. For me and my bride, the focus was on having the blessing of God watching over us, while we were separated.
I love to have the sense that God is watching me. Also, having a personal goal focused on trust is critical for my well-being. If I take away the loyalty in my dealings, I enter a world of ‘its all about me/everyone for their self.’ I would be a selfish person.
Imagine a life in which there is ‘no one watching me’ (or you). There would be a sense that the only judge of my right or wrong would be oneself. In effect, right and wrong would be relative to what I think is appropriate. If I was overly selfish or limited in my perspective, I could easily be on the wrong side of goodness – most of the time. I could not be trusted, and I doubt I would trust others.
It is valuable to be mindful of the witness heap. Our anchor in doing whats right, and in being trusted, stems from our God. It should be a requirement to have an anchored view of God. Think about it.
