Jacob-What He Did For Love Series

Introduction: Jacob had arrived in Haran, the land of his mother and uncle Laban. He had assisted Rachel, Laban’s daughter, by watering her flock of sheep. Laban then ran out to meet Jacob, and they all returned to Laban’s house.

For Jacob, things were about to get interesting.

1 The wages

Text: Genesis 29:14-20, KJV: 14 And Laban said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him the space of a month. 15 And Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? tell me, what shall thy wages be? 16 And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured. 18 And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter. 19 And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with me. 20 And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.

Jacob had stayed with Laban, and his family, for a month now but what Jacob did during that time is never mentioned. Laban took note of this and, apparently realizing Jacob was going to stay for a while, made Jacob an offer (Laban hoped) he couldn’t refuse! Or, maybe, something else was in play here.

No matter what Jacob had done, or wasn’t doing, Laban gave him an offer. If Jacob had been working, he may have been doing so without pay or anything besides room and board! Another thought is that Jacob had not done much of anything—after all, he was a stranger in the land, even though a blood relative of Laban—and may not have known what to do or even offer. If that’s the case, Laban may have been dropping more than a hint for Jacob to get busy.

For either scenario or option, Laban was open to giving Jacob something in return. One wonders just how generous, though, Laban was willing to be! Even so, Jacob had been there long enough to know exactly what he wanted.

Jacob wanted Rachel!

This may have been love at first sight. Besides Rebekah, Jacob may not have known many other women besides his sisters-in-law or female servants, if any, in the household. There’s not one word about any romantic interest in Jacob’s life before he saw Rachel. Someone once observed that when Jacob saw Rachel, he was bitten by the love bug, and hard! Moses, in the text, observed that Rachel was “beautiful, and well favoured (sic)”, compared to Aunt Rebekah, of whom it was said, ‘(she) was very fair to look upon (Gen. 24:16)”

But Laban had another daughter, mentioned briefly here, and her name was Leah. Commentators have given many explanations for the phrase “tender eyed” and who knows, one or more of them may be right! The important thing here is that Jacob may have noticed Leah, but he was absolutely smitten with Rachel. And he wanted Rachel to be his wife.

Now, in those days, a father would not necessarily give a daughter away just for love. Seldom if ever in the Old Testament did anything like that happen (some exceptions, like Boaz and Ruth, did exist). The father would want some kind of proof, or dowry, that would show the prospective son-in-law was able to take care of the bride-to-be. Laban might well have remembered when Abraham’s servant had come years before, with ten camel’s loads of treasure (Gen 24) as evidence of Abraham’s wealth. Jacob, though, had nothing to offer but his labor and himself, as many commentators observed, and for Laban that was enough.

So then, as was the custom of the time, there was basically a contract that Jacob would serve Laban—his own uncle!—for seven years in exchange for Rachel. At first glance, all seemed to be fine, didn’t it? Laban would get seven years of Jacob’s service and Jacob would get the “girl of his dreams” except this was no dream! She was real!

Laban, though, had something else in mind, and Jacob didn’t know anything about it.

2 The wedding/s

Text: Genesis 29:21-27, KJV: 21 And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her. 22 And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast. 23 And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her. 24 And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid for an handmaid. 25 And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled 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 thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.