Our text today is a story within a story. We are studying Genesis 29-30, the story of the expansion of God’s promise through the descendants of Jacob. The STORY is the life of Jacob. But the story within the story is about dramatic way in which Jacob’s sons are born.
The bookmarks for this section center around the barrenness of Rachel. We begin in Genesis 29:31 where we read that “Rachel was barren.” We end in Genesis 30:22-24 where we read, “The Lord remembered Rachel, he listened to her and opened her womb.” Within the two folds of these markers we find an incredible, even a salacious account of four women, one husband and eleven children.
There are many interpretations on the births of the 12 sons.
Arthur Pink sees the life and ministry of Christ in the naming of the 12 sons.
Some commentators are quick to point out prophetic truths contained in the naming of the 12 sons.
Others use the text to highlight personality studies concerning Rachel and Leah.
But we want to see today the main application of this story.
Even though we sin, God blesses His children and shows compassion toward our broken hearts
This is an “R Rated Story!” Let’s review the essential elements of Jacob’s journey thus far.
Jacob arrives in Padan Aram and instantly falls in love with beautiful Rachel. Never mind that she is his first cousin, a matter far more offensive today than in Jacob’s time.
After a month of work for Rachel’s father - good ole’ uncle Laban, Jacob requests the hand of Rachel in marriage. He has to work 7 years tending sheep to earn this right, which he does gladly.
On their wedding night, Jacob is victim of a conspiracy between Laban and his oldest daughter Leah. Leah puts on Rachel’s wedding dress, covers up with a veil and sleeps with Jacob. Jacob wakes up and is horrified to discover that after seven years of patient waiting, he just spent his wedding night with the less desirable Leah!
In a bargain with Laban, Jacob works another seven years to “earn” the younger sister - 14 years of labor for 2 wives! During this time, the two sisters carry out a baby contest to win the favor of Jacob. He sleeps with both wives and both of their personal assistants and bears eleven sons and one daughter. Conflict is around every corner. This house is a mess!
If this were a movie today, with all the sex and betrayal, you would most tell people not to go and see it! It sounds more like a modern day Television show!
In fact, there are a couple of Television shows that might be usable to give us a title for Jacob’s story:
Instead of calling it “Two and a Half Men,” Jacob’s story could be called “Two Wives and Two Concubines.”
Or maybe Hollywood would base a series on this story and call it “How I Met Your Mothers.”
But the best contemporary twist to this story might be the story line from “Desperate Housewives.” The Genesis 29 version would be called “Desperate Sisters.”
Indeed, these are desperate women. Even Jacob shows signs of desperation.
Our first and most central character is Leah. She is Desperate for Jacob’s Love.
The text makes this very clear. We read,
Genesis 29:30 "Jacob lay with Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah."
God saw Leah’s desperate situation and looked favorably upon her. She is blessed with a pregnancy and then a son. The name she gives him reminds us of her desperation. Genesis 29:32 "Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, “It is because the LORD has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now.”"
Leah is a MISERABLE person.
She was BITTER for coming in second to her younger sister. It doesn’t take too much of an imagination to see that Jacob’s infatuation with her younger sister was probably not the first time Leah had been overlooked. The description of Rachel and Leah is brief, but poignant:
Genesis 29:16–17 "Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. " "Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was lovely in form, and beautiful."
Some have suggested that Leah’s “weak eyes” might have meant that she had some form of visual infirmity, or that she was gentle and quiet. Some have suggested that she was an ugly woman. We ought not build too much of a case from this unclear word, but we can be certain that by way of comparison, Rachel was the beauty queen and Leah the runner-up. Jacob was swept off of his feet by Rachel and we can be sure that Leah was not filled with laughter and happiness when her younger sister is given in marriage before she is.
Leah might have been She was JEALOUS for her sisters beauty.
Leah was FEARFUL of missing out on a husband.
But saddest of all, Leah had to live with a man whom she knew DID NOT LOVE HER!
I can just imagine Jacob saying to Leah, that he really liked her and that she was “special” on the inside. Those comments do little to soothe a woman who wants a man that is infatuated with another woman’s appearance.
Illus - a husband once said to his wife, Sweetheart, God made you so beautiful, but why did he make you so dumb? SHE REPLIED - God made me beautiful so that you would love me. He made me dumb so that I would love you!
The sadness of missing out on love is universally understood.
It is the theme of songs and stories
Rascal Flats sings, “To Make Her Love Me.” He sings about God’s creative power but and asks why God couldn’t make his girl love him.
You waved Your hand and it was done.
Said, “Let it be” and there was a mountain so high it broke through the sky.
A canyon so deep it’d bring a man to his knees.
I’ve seen what You can do.
I’ve seen you make miracles and hopeless dreams come true.
You made the heavens and the stars - everything - come on how hard could it be?
To make her love me?
(2006, Sony/ ATV Tree publishing)
Adele sings “I Can’t Make You Love Me”
The text in Genesis 29 gives us insight into Leah’s feelings and her growth.
I want to pay particular attention the names of her first four sons. God looks with compassion on Leah and opens her womb. At the same time, He is fulfilling his promise to bless Abraham’s descendants. The fact that this story is filled with failure, drama, intrigue and a mess of human relationships only reinforces the idea that God is the one who makes something good out of our lives. Jacob, Rachel and Leah are completely human in their failures and pains. They give us hope that God can use us just like he used other.
Leah’s first three children reflect her self pity. She names her first child
REUBEN. In Hebrew, his name means “Behold, a son!” (Gen 29:32). Leah’s thoughts on Reuben’s birth are reflected in her words, “Surely, now he will LOVE ME.”
It is sad that Leah thought that she could do something to change Jacob’s heart. She is like so many who think that they can manipulate someone else by doing something for that person. Their focus is not to bless the other person but to get what they want.
illus - A nervous young bride was instructed that she could overcome her wedding day fear of tripping down the wedding isle by simply focusing on three things as she walked The Isle, the Altar and Him. She kept repeating “Isle Altar Him” in her mind. Unfortunately, she kept the mantra as her goal in the marriage. “I’ll Alter Him!” It never works!
Her second son is SIMEON. His name means “God has Heard.” (Gen 29:33). Still hoping for the love of Jacob, she says “The Lord heard that I am not loved.”
She thinks to herself, surely there must be come mistake! Surely God cannot be allowing this to happen! But even after two sons, Jacob’s affections have not changed. In fact, his sympathy is even stronger for Rachel, and we can almost see the conflict in the home escalating at this point.
The third son is LEVI. His name means “Joined” (Gen 29:34). Still hoping for to impress Jacob, Leah says “Now at least my husband will be attached to me.” But even after three boys, the pride of any father, Jacob’s affections remain with Leah’s younger sister. Leah is living in a home with no love for her.
The name given to her fourth son reflect a change in her heart, and at least for the moment, a victory for Leah. She names her fourth son JUDAH, meaning “Praise.” (Gen 29:35). It seems now that Leah has learned that the only one that she can depend on is the Lord. She has learned that she cannot change Jacob’s heart, but she can submit her heart to the Lord. She says, “This time I will praise the Lord.”
Leah’s CHOICE was To Trust God. In a sermon on this text, Dean Rhine writes, “The most important step toward joy in a loveless marriage is to change out focus from what we don’t have to what we do have” Dean Rhine, “Leah, the Unloved One” (accessed on Sermoncentral.com)
As we continue in our theme of DESPERATE SISTERS, we come to Rachel, who was Desperate for a CHILD.
Her Anguish is reflected in Genesis 30:1 “Give me a child or I will die!’
In her frustration, Rachel gives her servant BILHAH to Jacob. This didn’t work out for Sarah and Abraham, and it will surely add to the conflict in this home.
Nevertheless, God has compassion on Rachel. After Bilhah and Zilpah provide additional children, God opens Rachel’s womb and sends her Joseph (Genesis 30:22-24). Although God has provided, the human drama and conflict continue. We will study more about that conflict in the weeks to come as we study Rachel and Leah and their fight over mandrakes, and as we see the conflict between the sons of Jacob because of his favoritism shown to Joseph.
JACOB is a man Desperate for PEACE.
Jacob’s failures:
Deceived Essau
Deceived Isaac
Whitelaw points out “Though indefensible on the part of Laban, the substitution of Leah for Rachel was a deserved punishment of Jacob. Having wronged Esau his brother, he is in turn wronged by ‘a brother’—Laban. Having substituted the younger (himself) for the older (Esau), he is recompensed by having the older put into the place of the younger. As Isaac knew not when he blessed Jacob, so Jacob knows not when he marries Leah. As Jacob acted at the instigation of his mother, Leah yields to the suggestion of her father. James E. Smith, The Pentateuch, 2nd ed., Old Testament Survey Series (Joplin, MO: College Press Pub. Co., 1993), Ge 29:15–30.
His Polygamy is a failure. Although not directly chastised by the Lord, Jacob’s home is a mess because of his choices. What should Jacob have done when Laban deceived him? Jacob understood the importance of sexual purity for marriage vows. He honors Rachel’s purity for seven years. He knew that the union of man and woman bound them together in marriage. Therefore, he should have recognized that just as he deceived others, just as he violated the rules of the older and the younger, he would now suffer for his actions. I think that the best - the most God honoring thing that Jacob could have done would have been to stay married to Leah and raise a family with her!
But Jacob would have nothing of that. He wanted his desires to be fulfilled and only Rachel could do that. But, as a price to pay, he would live in conflict for the rest of his life.
For the sake of PEACE - let’s Rachel and Leah name his sons! This was normally the man’s task, but we find the women naming all of the children, except for Benjamin.
Although Jacob met God at Bethel, he still struggles with trusting God!
Our Response:
Leah, Rachel and Jacob are much like US
Leah - looking for love in all the wrong places!
Rachel - looking for happiness in the one thing that she doesn’t have
Jacob - accomplishment through human effort.
We are DESPERATE for the wrong things.
We should be desperate for God!
John Piper accurately writes, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” John Piper. God blesses us with our heart’s contentment when we pursue him!
God blessed them, even though they sinned
God has compassion on them when they cried out.
Jeremiah 17:14 "Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise."
Psalm 145:18 "The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth."
God brings about good things in our lives when we trust Him.
Jacob is the Father of ISRAEL’S TWELVE TRIBES
JUDAH is the chosen line for JESUS
Are you in a loveless marriage?
Do you feel unloved?
Are you seeking to be fulfilled through something that is always out of your reach?
Learn to TRUST GOD completely.
