Title: Jacob's Marriage and the Podium
Contents
Jacob's Marriage and the Podium
<Genesis 29:16-30>
In order for Jacob to escape the threat of his brother Esau and to choose a wife from among the daughters of his maternal uncle Laban, Jacob went to Laban's house in the land of Haran. His maternal uncle welcomed Jacob. Jacob loved Rachel, the younger of Laban's two daughters. It was because Rachel was prettier than her sister Leah. In other words, Jacob liked Rachel because of her appearance.
Therefore, when his maternal uncle Laban offered Jacob a wage if he would tend his sheep, Jacob said, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel” (Genesis 29:18).
At this time, his maternal uncle Laban agreed, saying, “It is better to give him to you than to give him to others; stay with me” (Genesis 29:19). Laban was willing to accept Jacob's offer because, firstly, Jacob was good at shepherding, and secondly, because he was a relative. In those days, it seems that it was common for relatives to marry. Example: Abraham- His wife Sarah was his half-sister.
So Jacob tended Laban's sheep for 7 years to get Rachel. At that time, in the marriage culture of people in the Middle East, they had to pay a dowry to the parents of the wife they wanted, so they decided to pay seven years of labor. However, Jacob did not feel bored while shepherding his maternal uncle's sheep for seven years. It was because Jacob was in love with Rachel, whom he would marry. This is the power of love. When you fall in love, the heart of a person becomes warm, and if you live with a passionate heart, life becomes more enjoyable.
At the end of the seven years that Jacob had to tend his uncle Laban's sheep, Jacob said to his uncle Laban, "My time is fulfilled; give me my wife! I will come to him” (Genesis 29:21). After 7 years of service to get Rachel, it means that she wants to marry Rachel. Laban then invited all the villagers to a wedding feast.
But that night Laban did not marry Rachel, which Jacob had asked for, but Leah. Instead of Rachel, Leah was dressed as a bride. At that time, the bride's attire was to cover her face, so it seems that Jacob only knew that the woman was Rachel during the wedding ceremony. After the wedding feast, Laban let Leah enter Jacob's tent. Jacob mistook Leah for Rachel, who entered his tent that night. This may be because Leah and Rachel's voices were similar, or Leah's voice was deliberately Rachel's. Or maybe Jacob was so drunk he couldn't tell me apart at the wedding feast in a dark room.
But it was morning and it was dawn when Jacob found out that it was Leah, not Rachel, who had slept with him. How terrified was Jacob? Also, to marry Rachel, he worked hard for his maternal uncle Laban for 7 years, but how resentful Laban must have been for deceiving him and giving him Leah instead of Rachel. Jacob protested against his uncle Laban. “Why did your maternal uncle do this to me? Have I not served my uncle for Rachel? Why did my uncle deceive me?” (Genesis 29:25)
Then Laban replied calmly. “It is not done in our region to give the younger brother before the older sister. Fill seven days for this. We will give him also to you, and you shall serve me seven years.” (Genesis 29:26-27) Laban excused himself by using local customs as an excuse. But Laban asks Jacob that he will give Rachel as well when Leah and Leah are done for 7 days. Instead, they were told to shepherd Laban's sheep for another seven years. Instead of giving his daughters to Jacob, Laban wanted to get 14 years of labor from Jacob. This was because Laban's wealth increased greatly through Jacob's help, so he kept the local customs and aimed for the effect of obtaining Jacob's labor force.
Of course, Jacob was very angry, but he was unable to abandon Leah, who had already slept with him, and he said that he would give Rachel as his wife if he stayed with Leah for only 7 days. Since it was impossible to strike, Jacob accepted Laban's request. Therefore, Jacob was able to marry Rachel, whom he had longed for, as his wife after serving as Leah's husband for 7 days. Both Jacob and Rachel must have been deeply hurt.
When Jacob was deceived by his maternal uncle Laban, most readers say that this is 'cause and retribution.' Because he also deceived his blind father and took away his brother's blessing. If we face any injustice in the world, we should look back on whether we have acted unrighteously toward others in the past and repent.
In any case, Jacob was able to take care of Laban's sheep for another 7 years. It must have been a much more difficult time than the previous 7 years because it was the 7 years of being deceived. Also, the two wives competed with each other for Jacob's love, and the process of having children must have been very tiring.
In most democratic societies today, such a thing cannot be done in a monogamous society, but it seems that this was possible because it was a polygamous society at the time. But Laban's family was wealthy, and when the two daughters were married to Jacob, Laban gave them maids to help them. Therefore, I gave Leah a maidservant named Zilpah, and gave Rachel a maidservant named Bilhah as a maid.
However, looking at Leah's situation, it is believed that she liked Jacob even though she was forced into Jacob by her uncle's trick. So, how difficult it must have been for Jacob to turn away from himself and to draw closer and love Rachel. Because I also had a desire to receive my husband's love. After all, the two sisters were married to a man, and they became jealous and jealous of each other to get a husband. In the process, the two sisters competed to have children.
But God seems to be a just God. God blessed Leah, who was not loved by her husband, of fertility. Therefore, shortly after marrying Jacob, she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, and the first son was Reuben. Then they had three more sons (Simeon, Levi, and Judah). But while Leah bore four sons, Rachel bore none. Therefore, while holding onto Jacob, he wept and murmured, “Give me children, or I will die” (Genesis 30:1). But Rachel only had to listen to Jacob's rebuke, saying, "It is God who makes you barren, shall I take the place of God?" At this time, Rachel gave Bilhah, her servant, to Jacob, so that Bilhah could bear a son in her place. So Jacob gave birth to Dan and Naphtali through Rachel's servant Bilhah.
Then Leah gave her servant Zilpah to Jacob, and Zilpah also bore Jacob's two sons, Gad and Asher. Later Leah had two sons, Issachar and Zebulun, and a daughter, Dinah. And finally, Rachel also had sons, Joseph and Benjamin. But Rachel died giving birth to Benjamin.
In this way, Jacob had twelve sons. It was not at all intentional for Jacob to have four wives. It was caused by the deception of his maternal uncle Laban and the jealousy and rivalry of the two wives. However, God allowed the twelve sons thus obtained to grow into a nation that serves God.
Although Jacob had two wives that were too ungodly, God trained them well and refined them into a godly nation. Leah was no better than Rachel. Therefore, she did not receive enough love from her husband. Therefore, Leah sought God's grace with a poor heart, and whenever she had children, she thanked God and her faith became reverent. On the other hand, although Rachel received more love from her husband, unlike her sister Leah, Rachel was infinitely poor in her heart in a situation where she could not have children. In the process, Rachel's faith also became godly, and she was able to obtain two godly sons, Joseph and Benjamin.
It is foolish to think that man can live well without God. Only when a person is in God's grace can life and happiness be guaranteed. Leah is less beautiful than Rachel, what can she do with her own strength? Of course, it is said that there are plastic surgery beauties these days. But how do you fix your appearance at the time? Leah, who was in a situation beyond her control, looked to God. Therefore, God blessed Leah with children, and Leah thanked God whenever she gave birth to a son.
And so is Rachel. She had a pretty face, so she took the love of her husband, but she couldn't have children. Although Jacob loves Rachel more, he must go to Leah to see his children. How painful it must have been for Rachel to see Jacob and Leah rejoice over their sons. Then, at first, they swarmed Jacob. “Give me children, or I will die,” said Jacob. “It is God who prevents you from becoming pregnant; shall I replace you with God?”
Therefore, Rachel also began to pray before God. Therefore, after giving birth to a son, he named him Joseph, saying, “Give me one more God.” Joseph means “to increase”. But she died giving birth to her second son, Benjamin.
Rachel was more beautiful than her sister Leah, but she had many problems with her faith. When she and her husband Jacob escaped from their father Laban's house, they stole the teraphim idol that Laban had. In Jacob's family who served God, Rachel lived with idols. So it seems that God took Rachel's life early.
Several conditions are important for a person to live a blessed life. Many aspects such as appearance, family background, educational background, health, etc. are important, but you should know that the most important thing is faith (reverence). It was Leah who won the competition between Leah and Rachel. God thought there was a problem with Rachel's godliness, so after giving birth to Benjamin, she took her life.
You must know that the most precious thing in the kingdom of God is faith (godliness). God provided Jacob's family to make it a godly family and to make it a godly nation of Israel. Therefore, everything that happened in Jacob's family and everything that happened in the circumstances of Jacob's life was God's providence to lead Jacob into a godly family. Not a single thing happened by chance.
<Conclusion>
Just because a person is handsome doesn't mean they are happy. Having a lot of money doesn't make people happy. I am not happy because I have a family, and I am not happy that I graduated from a first-class university. When you fear and serve God, God will bless you.
Therefore, in order to live a truly blessed life, one must promote one's own faith, that is, a godly life. You must lead yourself and your family into a godly home. Blessings come when we have to accomplish the evangelization of the family and make it a family where we live godly. And not all believing families are blessed. We must live by the word. We must serve God well and practice love for our neighbors. You must not be swayed by the world. We must not imitate this lewd and rebellious generation. We must live by keeping the purity of faith, premarital purity, and marital purity. ◎