Read with Me
Genesis 29:21-30 (HCSB)
Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my time is completed. I want to sleep with her.” So Laban invited all the men of the place to a feast. That evening, Laban took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob, and he slept with her. And Laban gave his slave Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her slave.
When morning came, there was Leah! So he said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Wasn’t it for Rachel that I worked for you? Why have you deceived me?”
Laban answered, “It is not the custom in this place to give the younger daughter in marriage before the firstborn. Complete this week of wedding celebration, and we will also give you this younger one in return for working yet another seven years for me.”
And Jacob did just that. He finished the week of celebration, and Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife. And Laban gave his slave Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her slave. Jacob slept with Rachel also, and indeed, he loved Rachel more than Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years.
Listen with Me
Leah was far less attractive than Rachel, and Laban had not been able to find anyone to marry her. So, he came up with this plan to deceive Jacob (whose name actually means “Deceiver”), and have him marry Leah. It was the custom for brides in that part of the world to be heavily veiled when they were brought to their new husbands, there was no “kiss the bride” moment in the wedding ceremony, and the tents at night were dark. So, Laban was able to successfully pull off this scam.
Even though Jacob was understandably irate in the morning when the light of day revealed the ruse, Laban stayed cool and collected. His solution was simple: finish out the bridal week with Leah, and he could then have Rachel as planned – for another seven years of work.
Jacob was stuck. He had now had sexual relations with Leah, so, he couldn’t refuse to accept her as his legitimate wife. But he was completely in love with Rachel, and the thought of not being with her was completely out of the question.
So, he accepted Laban’s terms. If Rachel was worth seven years of labor, she was worth fourteen. And he wouldn’t have to wait the extra seven years to be with her – he would work for her after the marriage. It was a hard blow, but by now, Jacob had learned to be patient. He still wasn’t relying on God, but on his own skill and cleverness in handling people. Now he learned the hard lesson that his uncle was more adept at that than he was himself.
Pray with Me
Father, in this instance, it wasn’t his own dishonesty or deception that was Jacob’s downfall, it was his self-reliance and his self-confidence. He believed that he understood the situation. But he couldn’t see what lay below the surface of Laban’s cool, reasonable-seeming exterior. But Lord, You know the hearts of people, and if we follow You, You can help us to avoid traps like this one. Help me to never be self-sufficient, but completely subservient to Your guidance and Your will, as Jesus Himself was. Amen.