April 24, 2024
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Genesis? Here’s today’s reading:
Genesis 29 (NIV)
Jacob Arrives in Paddan Aram
1 Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples. 2 There he saw a well in the open country, with three flocks of sheep lying near it because the flocks were watered from that well. The stone over the mouth of the well was large.……Continue Reading
Genesis 28-29
Jacob works very hard for seven years to marry Rachel and finds out the next morning that he has been tricked into marrying Leah the oldest daughter of Labon. He gets to marry Rachel after a week but now must work another seven years for her again. All this deceit and lies by Labon. So because of Labon`s lies and the jealously of Leah and Rachel of each other Jacob ends off having four wives. Leah bares 6 sons out of the 12 sons. They are Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. And also a daughter Dinah. Rachel can only bare two sons and dies giving birth to the second son. They are Joseph, and Benjamin. Rachel`s maid has two sons which are Dan, and Naphtali. Leah`s maid has two sons which are Gad, and Asher. Because of the jealously between the women and Jacob`s favoring Joseph and Benjamin over the other sons as we see latter the sons themselves are jealous of Joseph. Jacob loved Rachel so much that when she died having Benjamin his love was put onto her only sons. But he still should had loved his other sons. As we know latter Joseph was used by God to save his family. We continue to see God working all things out despite the foolishness of man. We don`t understand why God allowed Jacob to have so many wives and children through them all but we do know that God was keeping His promise to Abraham. If none of this happened the way it did; God still would had made it possible for one woman to have all those children even as there are women today that have that many children. Although it is rare today. God made it possible for Sarah to have a child at the age of 90. But mankind makes things complicated. Have a good night.
”So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.“
Genesis 29:20 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/gen.29.20.NIV
Imagine devoting 7 years of service just to marry someone you don’t know or didn’t want to. In that regard to Leah though it made me think while reading how she must have felt.
Maybe she wanted to be wedded or was waiting for that man to be in her life. So it is profound when the Lord opens her womb, and blesses her with children.
Every time I read this chapter I am always left so sad for the heartache endured by this twisted situation. Jacob gets a taste of his own medicine when he is decieved into marrying Leah instead of Rachel who he clearly loves a great deal if he was willing to be a servant for 7 years when we know he comes from wealth and this is not necessary for him to do. But imagine that next morning, Jacob is angry, Leah must be so hurt, and Rachel heartbroken…talk about the things that would come up in a family counseling session!
The only comfort after reading this is knowing God is still in control and He can bring comfort to the hurting and He will have His way in a whirlwind and this is a whirlwind!
Genesis 29
Genesis 29…humans keep doing human things…yet God’s plan advances.
So much carnality displayed in this chapter. I mean, wow. It must have been REALLY dark the night of Jacob’s wedding feast. God’s work makes it very clear that there was a significant difference in appearance between Leah and Rachel…and that Jacob had spent seven years of hard work, all the while pining over Rachel…the time seemed like nothing because of the love he had for her.
And yet, what does he say to Laban when his seven years are up? “Give me my wife so I may go into her for my time is completed.” I get it…marriages are consummated physically. But is it a coincidence that God takes the time to give us insight into Jacob’s primary focus at the end of seven years? I think not.
Again…it must have been REALLY dark. Like pitch black. Jacob has been waiting seven years for Rachel. Laban brings him Leah. We know that there is a significant difference between the two women. God made a point of telling us this. And yet…Laban brings Leah to Jacob, “and he went into her.” I mean shoot. No hello? I love you? I’ve wait so long for you? How are you? I can’t wait for our lives together? Rachel you are amazing!!! Wait, what? You’re not Rachel? Hey Laban! What gives??
Nope…Jacob just goes into her. And then, in the morning, SUPRISE! Sigh. Jacob the deceiver has now been deceived. No matter he says, I’m still going to marry Rachel…Laban says sure, and gets another seven years of labor out of him.
Just another chapter of human brokenness…we are told that Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah, and in fact, we’re told that Leah was “hated” in verse 31. So God shows her mercy and gives her children…but that just starts the next tale of sadness and pain in this newly formed family. Chapter 30 gets even harder.
God ultimately turns all of this for good, as we know. But so often, the Bible paints a picture of the grace of God being carried forth, despite the iniquity, brokenness, and sinfulness of man…and reminds us all that peace is ultimately found in obedience to God, in accordance with God’s commands. May God continually and unceasingly conform us to the image of His Son, as He has promised to do…and may we all surrender to His will for us, as shown to us in His Word!
Genesis 29
Jacob fell in love with Rachel right away daughter of Laban. Laban his mothers brother. Jacob worked 7 years to have Rachel. After 7 years Jacob was ready to marry Rachel but Laban tricked him and gave oldest daughter Leah saying oldest daughter had to go 1st
He then gave him Rachel and that Jacob would work 7 more years for Laban. God knew Leah was not loved so opened her womb and she gave Jacob 4 boys named Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah. Leah praised the Lord after Judah and then had no more children. 14 years in all. So much trickery. Rachel was Barren.
Genesis 29
Genesis 29
To say I feel dirty all over is an understatement, from Genesis 1! Evan, Kelly, Sean, Linda, I concur. Sean, this wedding night deception makes absolutely no logical or moral sense. Talk about lack of attention to detail! Or, talk about wanton lust without any concern… Not happy for any of them. -gy
Once again the sovereign hand of God is shown by leading Jacob to the well that Rachel, his cousin, would show up at with her sheep. And it is interesting that SHE was a shepherd. And it is funny that the deceiver gets deceived. Sin often seems worse to us when it is done to us rather than by us, but it is most important to see sin as the destructive thing it is under any circumstance. It always seemed strange to me that Jacob is fooled into sleeping with Leah. I had always attributed it to too much drinking at the feast..but how unaware Jacob was…overcome with desire that he didn’t even pay attention to who he was sleeping with. And our God is a God of consolation, seeing us in our broken states and meeting us where we are with many different provisions. And Leah finally gets the point. Her reference should not being getting Jacob to love her because of the sons she has, but praising the Lord for the sons she has. A good reminder not to think in terms of pleasing men, but always prioritizing pleasing God. We will be better off if we do.
The deceiver is deceived. I had many of the same thoughts as all of you regarding that wedding night! Did Leah keep her veil on or what?
Genesis 29