Old Testament - Genesis 29 - March 1, 2022

 3/1/2022 – Genesis 29

Rachel is the first of Laban’s family that Jacob meets. He helps her in watering her flock of sheep by removing the large stone that covered the well. He greets her with a kiss and emotion, telling her that they were of the same family. (v11-12)

Laban was happy to great Jacob, and was happy to have him for a month. (v 14) Jacob must have been quite helpful to Laban during that month: “And Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? Tell me, what shall thy wages be? (v 15). Laban had two daughters: “Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured.” (v 17) Jacob had loved Rachel from the moment he saw her. He now told Laban that he would work for him for “seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter.”  V 18 is concise and quite clear, and Laban agreed with that arrangement.

After working 7 years, Laban made a feast. I wonder if there was a lot of drinking going on during this celebration, for “in the evening, he [Laban] took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him ; and he went in unto her.” (v 23) Then in v 25 we learn that when morning came, Jacob saw that he had been married to Leah instead of Rachel. He accused Laban of not keeping their bargain. Laban simply said “…It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.”   (V 26) But if Jacob would work for Laban another seven years, then he would give Rachel to him for his wife, and that is what Jacob did.

V 30 tells us that Jacob “loved Rachel more than Leah”. V 31 tells us “Leah was hated”. Evidently, the Hebrew word ‘sahnay’ means “loved less”. 

Leah’s heart must have ached. At this time, in their culture, it was considered a great honor for a wife to bear a male child. Look at how Leah named her children: Reuben means “Look, a son!’; Simeon means “to be heard”; her third child was Levi which means “joined or pledged”. She had given Jacob three sons! Surely she and Jacob would be finally joined.  She named her next son Judah which means “Now will I praise the Lord”.  I hope that would mean that Leah had turned to the Lord for His help in this relationship, and that she might come to feel a greater acceptance and love. 

Rachel had her trials also, as she was barren. (v 31)

Both Leah and Rachel were struggling with deep problems. When we find we have problems that seem to have no solution, we must remember that looking to the Lord for love and acceptance can satisfy our souls in ways that nothing else can. The Lord works only through love for us, and when we open our hearts to truly feel His love for us, then is the time we find we can love those around us who have seemed so hard to love before. “Now will I praise the Lord.” (v 35)


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