GENESIS 29
Jacob was seventy-seven when he left Beersheba for Haran. He would spend twenty years serving his uncle Laban, thirty-three years back in Canaan, and the last seventeen years of his life in Egypt. Now, he’s arriving in Paddan Aram, he was guided to the very field where some shepherds from Haran were tending their flocks. “So, perfect was God’s timing,” that Rachel was just arriving with her flock when Jacob was talking with the shepherds. Being a good shepherd himself, Jacob wondered why they were all waiting at the well when there was still daylight for feeding the sheep. They explained that they did not remove the cover from the well until all the herds had arrived. This is an emotion-packed moment for Jacob when he meets his cousin Rachel, and for Laban a short while later when he meets his nephew, Jacob.
But before we begin, I want to make a disclaimer. There are a couple of words in this and the next few chapters that describe explicit contact between a man and woman. Because we have younger minds and ears in our congregation (which I am very proud of). I’ve changed some words to simplify for understanding, but I believe this leaves a great opportunity for you as parents and I hope you take advantage of it. Open your Bibles with your children and go over these scriptures with them, explain to them the meanings of these words. The Bible gives us everything we need to direct to teach to lead our children on how we should live on this earth. If you’ve ever wondered how to start the TALK with your child, it’s right here in your Bible. Plus, we must remember, these characters in these stories, they didn’t have a Bible to teach them how to live. Their living the best they know how and God’s recording it all, to show us who we are. When we see this, we realize we need a Savior. Sometimes when I see these people in my mind, I see them like this: (picture)
- I’m not trying to make fun of them, it’s just when I place my morals into the story, I think they’ve lost their minds. My morals and thoughts on polygamy I have through my parents and the country we live in. They were doing what they were doing, and God was allowing it all to build a nation, a Nation called Isreal. God’s plan has always been and always will be: marriage is between one man and one woman.
Genesis 29 New King James Version
1 So, Jacob went on his journey and came to the land of the people of the East.
- Because the LORD blessed his trip, Jacob returned to the land his mother Rebekah came from, being also the land of his grandfather Abraham.
2 And he looked, and saw a well in the field; and behold, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks. A large stone was on the well’s mouth.
3 Now all the flocks would be gathered there; and they would roll the stone from the well’s mouth, water the sheep, and put the stone back in its place on the well’s mouth.
4 And Jacob said to them, “My brethren, where are you from?” And they said, “We are from Haran.”
- In an age before clearly marked roads and signs, Jacob didn’t know where he was until he asked some of the locals. Jacob then discovered he was at his destination.
5 Then he said to them, “Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?” And they said, “We know him.”
6 So he said to them, “Is he well?” And they said, “He is well. And look, his daughter Rachel is coming with the sheep.”
- Jacob knew to make contact with his uncle Laban, the brother of his mother. The shepherds not only knew Laban, they also told Jacob that Laban’s daughter Rachel was approaching.
7 Then he said, “Look, it is still high day; it is not time for the cattle to be gathered together. Water the sheep, and go and feed them.”
- Perhaps Jacob wanted the shepherd boys to leave, so he could speak more directly to Rachel.
GENESIS 29:8-16
8 But they said, “We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together, and they have rolled the stone from the well’s mouth; then we water the sheep.”
9 Now while he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess.
10 And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, that Jacob went near and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother.
- Jacob went near and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth: Jacob also knew he had come to marry one of the daughters of Laban (Genesis 28:2), so he was more than willing to show kindness (and perhaps his strength) to Laban’s daughter Rachel. The shepherd boys waited for someone to remove the stone, and Jacob did it in the presence of Rachel.
11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice and wept.
12 And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s relative and that he was Rebekah’s son. So she ran and told her father.
- Initially, Rachel must have been quite surprised when a man she never met before greeted her, kissed her, then cried out and wept.
13 Then it came to pass, when Laban heard the report about Jacob his sister’s son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him and kissed him, and brought him to his house. So, he told Laban all these things.
- Rachel had been told about her aunt Rebekah, who married a wealthy and distant relative to the family.
- Laban showed this great hospitality, not only because of custom, and not only because Jacob was his nephew; Laban also knew that Jacob would inherit a significant fortune from his father Isaac.
14 And Laban said to him, “Surely you are my bone and my flesh.” And he stayed with him for a month.
15 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what should your wages be?”
- This might sound like a nice offer, but really Laban let Jacob know if he wanted to remain among them, he must stay as a hired servant. Jacob was the son of a man of tremendous wealth. Certainly he was not lazy, but he wasn’t used to hard work. Servants did the hard work back home; now Jacob was the servant.
GENESIS 29:16-21
16 Now Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.
17 Leah’s eyes were delicate, but Rachel was beautiful of form and appearance.
- “Delicate” in Hebrew =Adina: Means delicate, gentle, refined, or soft
- Leah’s eyes were delicate: There is some dispute as to exactly what this phrase means. Some think it means her eyes were bad and she couldn’t see well. Others think it means her eyes were dull, not beautiful and full of life like her sister Rachel’s eyes. Praise God she’s not cross eyed as far as we know.
18 Now Jacob loved Rachel; so, he said, “I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter.”
- Jacob’s suggestion in this situation will reveal some of his character we have never seen. This demonstrates the principle that you never know what kind of servant you are, until others treat you like a servant.
- Not only was Rachel beautiful of form and appearance, but she was also the first friendly face Jacob met in the area. It is understandable why he had a love at first sight attraction to Rachel.
19 And Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to another man. Stay with me.”
20 So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed only a few days to him because of the love he had for her.
- Can you see the process of time here?
21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may marry her.” (words changed here)
- These words are clear enough. Even though Jacob waited and the time went quickly because of love, when the time was done, he was done waiting. He wanted to take Rachel as his wife. Laban responded by inviting guests and making a wedding (gathered together all the men of the place and made a feast).
- This is among the most romantic verses in the Bible. Certainly, it’s one of the most romantic in Genesis. Jacob was sent to this region to find a wife (Genesis 28:1–2), as well as to keep away from his vengeful twin brother (Genesis 27:41). He managed to locate his uncle, Laban, and fall in love with the younger of Laban’s two daughters, Rachel (Genesis 29:16–17). After a month of work, Laban had asked what wages Jacob expected, and Jacob offered much more than he needed to in order to secure Rachel’s hand in marriage. Laban, always looking for a bargain, quickly accepted Jacob’s proposal: seven years of free labor!
- Jacob doesn’t seem to have regretted it for a moment. He was so crazy in love with Rachel that seven years seemed to him to be only a few days. The years flew by. Love can do that to a man. Those years would quickly slow down, however.
- Jacob’s history is one of deception and fraud (Genesis 25:29–34; 27:33–36), and Laban is actually plotting a scheme using Jacob’s great love for Rachel
Genesis 29:22-23
22 And Laban gathered together all the men of the place and made a feast.
23 Now it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter and brought her to Jacob; and he married her. (Words changed)
- Wouldn’t you think he would know? Darkness could have had something to do with it. Genesis 29:23 says that, “when evening came,” Laban brought Leah “to Jacob, and Jacob made love to her.” As a wife, Laban could have purposefully waited until it was dark to bring Leah to Jacob because he wanted to make sure, they could not see each other. Or it may have been the custom for the consummation of marriage not to occur until after the feast or until late evening.
- Either way, it was dark, a fact that the Bible mentions. A heavy veil on Leah and ornate bridal clothing would also have aided the deception and may explain how Jacob did not notice that he married Leah instead of Rachel. It is also possible that Leah and Rachel looked similar and were generally the same size, and that this, in conjunction with it being dark and Leah being veiled, aided in the deception.
- Other possibilities are not explicitly found in the text but deserve consideration, too:
- One possibility is that Jacob might have been drinking, and that impacted his perception. It was customary for feasts, especially wedding feasts, to include alcohol. We do not know for certain if this feast had intoxicating drink, nor do we know if Jacob was inebriated. However, it is possible, and Jacob being drunk would have impacted his perception.
- Another possibility is that Jacob and Leah did not talk at all during their night together. Years earlier, when Jacob had tricked his father, Isaac recognized Jacob’s voice (Genesis 27:22). On Jacob’s wedding night, assuming Jacob had previously talked with Leah, he would have recognized her voice. Therefore, it is possible that Leah kept quiet or no words were exchanged that night.
- It is also possible that Jacob did not get to know either Rachel or Leah during those seven years(in a personal way). In that culture couples did not “date”; marriages were arranged, and Jacob had arranged for Rachel to be his wife. Getting to know her would come after the wedding. The Bible says that “Rachel had a lovely figure and was beautiful” (Genesis 29:17), but nothing else is mentioned as to why Jacob loved her. So, Jacob’s infatuation with Rachel may not have resulted in actually talking much to her—or to her sister—before the wedding.
- It is also possible that Jacob was not the only one Laban fooled. It could be that Leah and Rachel were fooled as well. Perhaps Laban did not tell his daughters about his arrangement with Jacob (Genesis 29:18), and Leah assumed that, according to custom, she (as the older daughter) was to marry Jacob that night (see verse 26).
- Imagine Leah’s shock and sadness when Jacob wakes up upset about having married her and then reveals to her that he had been working seven years for her sister! (Genesis 29:25)
- Jacob stayed married to Leah, but a week later he also took Rachel as his wife—working an additional seven years for her (Genesis 29:27–28). In the end, we cannot be certain of why Jacob failed to notice that he had married Leah. Scripture mentions only the darkness. We do know that Jacob did not have physical relations with either Leah or Rachel before that night. And we know that, just as Jacob had tricked his father, Isaac, so Laban tricked Jacob.
Genesis 29:24-30
24 And Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a maid.
25 So it came to pass in the morning, that behold, it was Leah. And he said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served you? Why then have you deceived me?”
26 And Laban said, “It must not be done so in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.
27 Fulfill her week, and we will give you this one also for the service which you will serve with me still another seven years.”
- Serve with me still another seven years: The second seven years made up Jacob’s post-graduate work in the school of difficult experience. Jacob’s main subject in the school of difficult experience was, “You Reap What You Sow.”
- And he served with Laban still another seven years: Laban was a perfect picture of a deceptive manipulator. He ended up getting exactly what he wanted (both his daughters married). Yet this would turn out badly for both himself and his daughters. Oftentimes, God will judge manipulators by giving them what they want in their sinful desires and methods, yet allowing it to be loss for them.
28 Then Jacob did so and fulfilled her week. So he gave him his daughter Rachel as wife also.
- Jacob did not have to wait another seven years to marry Rachel; he married her only one week after his marriage to Leah, and then worked another seven years.
- Laban required Jacob to complete the bridal week of celebration for Leah first, then permitted the marriage to Rachel in exchange for a commitment to seven more years of service.
29 And Laban gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as a maid.
30 Then Jacob also married Rachel, and he also loved Rachel more than Leah. And he served with Laban still another seven years.
- Polygamy, (having more than one wife at a time), is not widely practiced in western culture, (our culture) but we do practice serial marriage, meaning some people marry and divorce over and over again. When it comes to terminology, we think of polygamy as mass marriage in the same sense when we speak about mass murder: it’s just wrong, and we don’t even question that.
GENESIS 29:31-35
31 When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.
- God’s compassion on Leah is touching. She was truly the innocent party in all of this mess as far as we can tell through scripture. God can bring comfort and blessing to a wife and meet her needs even when the husband acts in an ungodly manner.
32 So Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben; for she said, “The Lord has surely looked on my affliction. Now therefore, my husband will love me.”
- God was good to Leah, even when her husband wasn’t, and her sister wasn’t either. Let’s look at Isaiah 54:5
Isaiah 54:5 New King James Version
5 For your Maker is your husband, The Lord of hosts is His name; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the whole earth.
- Husbands are responsible for caring for their wives. Yet when they do not, God can meet the needs of a hurting wife, needs that may be neglected by the husband.
33 Then she conceived again and bore a son, (he must have liked her a little bit) and said, “Because the Lord has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also.” And she called his name Simeon.
34 She conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore, his name was called Levi.
- I feel for Leah, Jacob even though he confesses he did not love Leah, still was willing to procreate with her. This demonstrates a principle that is still true, that a man will often be willing to have make love completely apart from love and marriage. It’s sad but true, man’s nature is as such. Ladies, that’s why we say we’re developing and becoming more like Christ.
35 And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now I will praise the Lord.” Therefore she called his name Judah. Then she stopped bearing.
- Leah, though she was neglected by Jacob and despised by Rachel, had a great purpose in God’s plan. The two greatest tribes came from Leah, not Rachel: Levi (the priestly tribe) and Judah (the royal tribe). And most importantly, the Messiah came from Leah, the less-attractive sister who was neglected and despised but learned to look to the LORD and praise Him.
To promote healthy marriages and families, the Jacob Plan introduced several key strategies in the 90s:
- Emphasize open communication between partners to strengthen relationships.
- Encourage shared responsibilities in parenting and household tasks.
- Promote regular family meetings to discuss issues and celebrate achievements.
- Advocate for conflict resolution techniques to handle disagreements constructively.
- Support the importance of quality time spent together as a family.