SABBATH THOUGHTS FOR YOUR WEEK

Jacob and Rachel (# 1)

When he arrived far north of the land of Israel, in Paddan Aram, he inquired about Laban and then saw Rachel, Laban’s younger daughter. He fell in love right then and never fell out of love with her. He was a refugee from Esau with no rich gifts, no money and no land. So, he stayed with Laban and offered to work for Rachel for 7 years as a dowry. The seven years seemed like a few days because of the love he had for her (Gen. 29:20).

When the years were finished Jacob asked for his wife. But, following the celebration, in the pitch darkness, Laban sent his other daughter, Leah, into him. Leah was tender in her eyes. Perhaps a soft, sensitive woman while Rachel had a striking beauty that enraptured Jacob’s heart. When he woke up the next day, he realized he had been deceived. Laban explained that in their culture, the older sister had to be married first, then the younger. He told Jacob to spend a week with Leah and then he would give him Rachel too if Jacob would work another 7 years for her. Jacob agreed (Gen. 29).

When Jacob turned to Rachel and ignored Leah, God blessed Leah with children. She had four sons naming each according to her mistaken belief that having children would cause Jacob to love her. They were Reuben (see a son); Simeon (hearing); Levi (attached); and Judah (praise) (Gen. 29:31-35). It was after Leah’s four children that Rachel could no longer stand it and impulsively and thoughtlessly lashed out, “Give me children or I’ll die”(30:1). Jacob rebuked her for it (v. 2).

As Sarah did with Abraham, Rachel gave her handmaid to Jacob as a substitute wife to have Jacob’s children for her. Bilhah had two, Dan & Naphtali. Commenting on Bilhah’s second son, Rachel said, “I have had a great struggle with my sister and I have won” (30:7 NIV). But when Leah found that Rachel was using her handmaid, she used hers and urged Jacob to take Zilpah and have children from her. So were born Gad (good fortune) and Asher (happy).

Only after Leah had six sons and a daughter (Dinah) and her maid Zilpah had two sons and Rachel’s maid, Bilhah had two sons; only then, did God finally, remember “ Rachel and she bore a son and said, “May the LORD add to me another son"(Gen 30:24NIV). So she named him Joseph, which means, “adding.”

In one telling exchange, Leah’s first son, Reuben, had some mandrakes that were reputed to have fertility powers. Rachel asked for them and Leah said, “Isn’t it enough that you took my husband away. Will you take my son’s mandrakes too?” (30:15). Rachel replied, “Very well, he can sleep with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes” (NIV).

In our next Sabbath Thoughts we'll distill some lessons from this very telling account of Jacob and his two wives.

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