In Genesis 31, Rachel leaves her father Laban and takes his household idols. Through the Law of Assumption and Neville Goddard’s teaching, this moment shows how we mentally move away from an old self-concept while forming a new one.
Rachel: The Responsive Part of the Self
Rachel represents the responsive side of consciousness — the part of us that accepts and reacts to the assumptions we hold about ourselves.
This account shows someone who has lived under a previous identity. Laban has shaped how she has been treated and how she has viewed herself. When that identity no longer matches the desired assumption, a shift must happen.
Laban: The Old Thought System
Laban symbolises the old dominant mindset — the assumptions and mental patterns that previously defined a person’s behaviour. These are often inherited and unquestioned.
Rachel leaving Laban demonstrates a mental departure from outdated beliefs to form a new unity. This aligns with Genesis 2:24: we detach from an old identity in order to unite with the new “I AM”.
“Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” - Genesis 2:24
The Teraphim: Hidden Old Beliefs
The household idols represent old assumptions still operating within. Rachel taking and hiding them shows that:
- we may reject the old mindset outwardly
- yet still carry parts of it subconsciously
- change begins before old beliefs fully lose influence
These assumptions can remain active even while we move toward a new identity.
Menstruation: Old Patterns Still Present
Rachel tells Laban she cannot rise because she is menstruating. This shows that although she has left the old environment, the old cycle of thought is still present.
She has assumed a new direction internally, but still reacts based on previous beliefs and past treatment. Her shift is underway, not yet complete.
The Law of Assumption in Action
Neville Goddard taught that reality changes only when the new assumption becomes dominant. Rachel’s experience shows a common stage:
- A new identity is chosen
- Movement away from the old belief occurs
- The old belief still influences reactions
- Full embodiment of the new state has not yet happened
Her journey depicts the internal conflict of progressing beyond a former self-concept.
Laban Cannot Keep What Is Leaving
Laban searches but never recovers the idols. The message is clear:
- The old state cannot reclaim authority once the shift is real
- A new assumption, even early on, weakens the former mindset
- The separation from the old identity will complete
The new self-concept becomes dominant, and the former belief system loses its place.