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Genesis 29b:

Reading #123  The deceiver deceived.

Let’s continue,

The seven years had gone by quickly for Jacob because of his love for Rachel, but the period was a long one for his mother who had expected only a few short months of separation.  (She never saw him again because she died before his return.)  It was also a long one for his God who had wanted him to carry out his task in Canaan, but He has infinite patience.

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Genesis 29:

21 And [when the seven years were up] Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in to her [he had to ask for her].” 22 And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast [the first day of the seven normally celebrated for marriages, Judges 14:12, 17].  23 And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in to her.

24 And Laban gave to his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid for a [personal] handmaid.

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Jacob was not aware of the switch because it was the custom of the time to lead the bride to the groom late in the evening when he had well celebrated. As well, the light was dim and she was veiled.  Only the men of the district attended the feast so he had not noted an absence of Rachel.

But Laban had a well-laid plan to keep Jacob for as long as possible. He knew that if he could get Jacob to agree to the first step he would be able to adopt him as his priest as well as worker and keep him on.  Although Laban worshipped a false god he did not see any distinction between his and Jacob’s God.  He couldn’t tell the difference between the LORD the Shepherd and the Lord the Boss, and thought of them as one.  Through his scheme his daughters and any resulting grandchildren would remain his “property”.  And as Jacob could only leave with his father-in-law’s permission so he would have a captive worker.  Genesis 30:25. 

In this way Satan tried to spoil the Son of God’s intention regarding Jacob and the Promised Land.

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Genesis 29:

25 And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah.  And he said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me?  Did not I serve with you for Rachel?  Why then have you beguiled [tricked] me?”

26 And Laban said, “It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. 27 Fulfil her week, and we will give you this also for the service which you shall serve with me yet seven other years.” [So he got twice the time!]

28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and [then] he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also. 29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her [personal] maid.

30 And he went in also to Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years.

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Seven years of faithful service Jacob had already given for Rachel, and those years that he served “seemed to him but a few days, for the love he had to her.” But the selfish and grasping Laban, desiring to retain so valuable a helper, practiced a cruel deception in substituting Leah for Rachel.  This part of the story he had made up for the occasion, because if it was a real local custom of the area, then he would have told Jacob of it when he first asked for Rachel.  Therefore only part of the story is correct.  It was common practise to test those who had nothing to pay for a wife.  They were permitted to labour for the father whose daughter they loved, the length of time being regulated by the value of the dowry required.  When the suitor was faithful in his services, and proved in other respects worthy, he obtained the daughter as his wife; and generally the dowry which the father had received was given her at her marriage.  In the case of both Rachel and Leah, however, Laban selfishly retained the dowry that should have been given them; they referred to this when they said, just before the removal from Mesopotamia, “He has sold us, and has quite devoured also our money”.  Genesis 31:15.

The fact that Leah herself was a party to the cheat, caused Jacob to feel that he could not love her.  Her agreement to participate, however, shows that she loved Jacob even though he had not asked for her.  His indignant rebuke to Laban was met with the offer of Rachel for another seven years' service. But the father insisted that Leah should not be discarded, since this would bring disgrace upon her and the family.

Jacob was thus placed in a most painful and trying position; he finally decided to retain Leah and marry Rachel also.  Rachel was ever the one he loved best but his preference for her caused envy and jealousy, and his life was forever embittered by the rivalry between the sister-wives and their handmaids.  However, justice had dealt him the hand he deserved.  Speaking of the great sinner, it is said, “For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.  Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double to her double according to her works: in the cup which she has filled fill to her double”.  And  “. . .  the way of transgressors is hard”.  Revelation 18:6 and Proverbs 13:15. 

Jacob was about 84 years old at this time having worked for seven years in Haran. (They lived longer and healthier than we do today!).  He was also absent from his place of duty in Canaan, under a weight of sin, and choosing his own way time after time – a “typical” Christian, far from what God intends us to be.

For twenty years altogether Jacob remained in Mesopotamia, labouring in the service of Laban, who, disregarding the ties of kinship, was bent upon securing to himself all the benefits of their connection.  Fourteen years of toil he had demanded for his two daughters; and during the remaining period, Jacob's wages were changed ten times.  Genesis 31:7.  Yet Jacob's service was diligent and faithful.  His words to Laban in their last interview vividly describe the untiring vigilance which he had given to the interests of his exacting master: “This twenty years have I been with you; your ewes and your she-goats have not cast their young, and the rams of your flock have I not eaten.  That which was torn of beasts I brought not to you; I bare the loss of it; of my hand did you require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night.  Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from my eyes”.  Genesis 31:38-40.  Although spoken in the singular, Jacob did have his sons and servants helping him during that time, and he became rich in flocks and goods.

The Son of God had no hand in any of these activities between Laban and Jacob.  He was in the background trying to arrange to fulfil His promises.  He did not sanction the bigamy or plurality of sister wives, in fact He later made a point of prohibiting it.  “Neither shall you take a wife to her sister, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her life time”.  Leviticus 18:18.  But at this time all He could do was simply overrule the machinations of the men and women and patiently bring about His will in other ways and at other times.

Why do we need to know all this?

In the providence of God the unerring pen of  Inspiration does not withhold from us the mistakes and sins of good men.  Their sins are unsparingly brought to light, and also the just judgment of God that we may learn from them.  Because of his transgression, Jacob became a fugitive from his home, compelled to serve a hard master for twenty years.  A cruel fraud was practiced upon him in his marriage with Leah, his ten sons deceived him as he had deceived his father, and for many years he mourned over the supposed death of Joseph.  All these years Jacob was a recipient of God's care as a Christian, yet he had sown a crop that he must reap; neither time nor repentance could change into golden grain the vile weed sown.  This view of the matter makes it of the highest consequence that in words and actions we move in conscious integrity, for “whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap”.  Galatians 6:7.

Lateral thought:

The Bible is always truthful in its record, but it is often showing us actions or speeches that God did not want, or approve of, so we should always check with the Spirit for the real truth.  We should “RIGHTLY divide” the word of truth. 

We are told:

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2 Timothy 2:

15 Study to show yourself approved to God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

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Now our story continues:

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Genesis 29:

31 And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated [less liked], He opened her womb [not that He had closed it, He has no favourites]: but Rachel was [or remained] barren [These conditions were the “results” of sins and tensions, not God’s will].

32 And Leah conceived, and bore a son, and she called his name “Reuben” [“See, a son”]: for she said, “Surely the LORD has looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me [because she was the mother of the firstborn who would normally carry on the priesthood].”

33 And she conceived again, and bore a son; and said, “Because the LORD has heard that I was hated [but she loved Jacob], He has therefore given me this son also”: and she called his name “Simeon” [i.e. “Hearing”].

34 And she conceived again, and bore a son; and said, “Now this time will my husband be joined [really attached] to me, because I have born him three sons”: therefore was his name called “Levi” [i.e. “Joined”]. 

35 And she conceived again, and bore a son: and she said, “Now will I praise the LORD”: therefore she called his name “Judah” [i.e. “Praise”]; and left bearing. 

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Four sons while her sister had none!  How Leah must have triumphed:  how Rachel been saddened.  Although from an idolatrous background, Leah had pronounced the name of the LORD (the Son of God) three times at the births of her sons which indicates that she had accepted the religion of her husband.  Rachel, on the other hand, always clung to her household idols as well as Jesus.  It is written, (“ . . . Rachel had stolen the images that were her father's”.  Genesis 31:19). 

Another lateral thought:

If we allow one year for each conception then Jacob is about 88 at this point. (If my maths is correct.)

How easy for all of them to believe that their God was doing all this to punish or reward them, as their cases might be.  Even today many professed Christians feel the same.  But the mighty picture of the Son of God hanging on a cross at Calvary shows us differently.  Rather than allow us to undergo the result of our sins, our God voluntarily suffered so that we should not.  There Jesus took the ultimate result (the wages) of sin, the second death, upon Himself.  However, even as Christians, because we often cling to our sins and therefore must suffer their results, He must work with that till we die the first death.

So it is written:

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John 3:

14  [Jesus told Nicodemus] And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.

16 For God so loved [the people of] the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish [in the second death], but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved

2 Corinthians 5:

18 And all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation [a part in the work of witnessing]; 19 to wit [that is], that God [the Father] was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them; and has committed to us the word of reconciliation [the stories of the Bible].

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For more on this see:   

          http://www.oocities.org/weprotest.geo/continui.html#top

Although Reuben was the firstborn, we will see later that it was through the line of the fourth son that the Messiah eventually came, and that the third son received the earthly priesthood. 

Till next time then,

Bye,

Ron

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