November 30, 2024
When we left Jacob last week, he had arrived in the land of his mother’s people - Mesopotamia. Yahweh had promised to go with him and he had also promised to bring him back to the land of Abraham and Isaac.
And so, the exile years begin.
Not knowing where he was, Jacob went to the local well and asked the shepherds where they were from. “Haran,” they replied.
“Do you know Laban, Nahor’s grandson?”
“Yes.”
“Is he well?”
“Yes, he is well and here comes his daughter now with her sheep. Her name is Rachel.”
Normally the shepherds would wait until all the sheep had gathered before rolling the stone from the mouth of the well, but Jacob couldn’t wait. He rolled the stone away to allow Rachel’s sheep to be watered. He was so overwhelmed with emotion that he kissed her and wept loudly. He told her who he was and she ran all the way home to tell her father. No doubt remembering the wealth that had accompanied the last person who came from Abraham’s family, Laban hurried to the well to meet Jacob. He embraced and kissed him and took him home.
Jacob had been at uncle Laban’s for a month - working for no pay. Laban, in a moment of generosity, stated that it was not right for Jacob to work for free, “even though he was family.”
“Name your wage,” he said.
Laban had two daughters; Leah – the older – had weak eyes. Rachel – the younger – was beautiful. Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, "I'll work for you 7 years in return for your daughter Rachel."
Normally, a “Bride-price” was paid to the father of the bride. However, allowances were made for those with no financial means – they were allowed to work for the father of bride. If the groom was industrious and proved worthy, he was allowed to marry. So, this arrangement between Jacob and Laban was not out of the ordinary culturally.
Laban agreed to Jacob’s terms.
When Jacob’s 7 years of service came to an end, he went to Laban.
“The 7 years are up. Give me my wife I want to lie with her.”
The community came together to celebrate the wedding feast. When evening came Laban took Leah and gave her to Jacob instead – and he lay with her. As a wedding present, Leah was given Zilpah to be her maidservant.
In the morning, Jacob looked over and there lay Leah! Wait, what?! Out the tent he went.
“What have you done and why have you deceived me?! I served you 7 years for Rachel!
“Listen, it is not our custom to marry off the younger daughter before the older daughter. It’s no big deal…. Finish out the week with Leah then you can have Rachel ---- for another 7 years of service.”
Laban had seen the value in Jacob’s service. If He had been allowed to marry Rachel, he would have returned home. Laban’s greed and desire to exploit Jacob were at the forefront of his decision to deceive Jacob into marrying Leah. The fact that she was yet unmarried was only the excuse. Laban got what he wanted – 7 more years of service.
Jacob was placed in a position that caused him great pain. He loved Rachel but could not send Leah away because of the disgrace it would bring to the family. He was stuck.
What should he have done?
Well, he didn’t do that. He married Rachel and she was given Bilhah to be her maidservant.
He now has 2 wives. One he loves and one he does not love. His preference for Rachel will lead to years of envy and jealousy and strife between the women and will eventually lead to a coat of many colors and a caravan bound for Egypt.
Even though Jacob did not love Leah, it did not stop him from sleeping with her. She became pregnant and named the child, Reuben, “Yahweh has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now."
She got pregnant again and named the child, Simeon, "Yahweh has heard that I am not loved, he gave me this son too."
She got pregnant again and named the child, Levi, "At last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons."
She got pregnant again and named the child, Judah. "This time I will praise the LORD," she said.
When Rachel saw that she was barren, she became jealous and went to Jacob, “Give me children or I’ll die!”
“What do you want me to do about it? I am not God!”
“Here is my maidservant, Bilhah. Sleep with her. She can bear children for me so that I too can have a family.”
Jacob married Bilhah and slept with her.
She became pregnant and Rachel named the child, Dan. "God has vindicated me; he has listened to my plea and given me a son."
She became pregnant again and Rachel named the child, Naphtali. "I have had a great struggle with my sister, and I have won."
Leah had stopped having children, so she gave her maidservant, Zilpah, to Jacob and he married her.
She became pregnant and Leah named the child, Gad. "What good fortune!"
She got pregnant again and Leah named the child, Asher. "How happy I am! The women will call me happy."
During wheat harvest, Reuben went out into the fields and found some mandrake plants, which he brought to his mother Leah.
Rachel: "Please give me some of your son's mandrakes."
Leah: "Wasn't it enough that you took away my husband? Will you take my son's mandrakes too?"
"I’ll let you sleep with Jacob tonight in exchange for your son's mandrakes."
When Jacob came in the from the fields, Leah went out to meet him. “You must sleep with me. I have hired you in exchange for my son’s mandrakes.”
“Oky-doky…..”
Leah became pregnant and named the child, Issachar. "God has rewarded me for giving my maidservant to my husband."
She got pregnant again and named the child, Zebulun. "God has presented me with a precious gift. This time my husband will treat me with honor, because I have borne him six sons."
Sometime later she also had a daughter and named her Dinah.
Jacob now has 10 sons:
• 6 by Leah
• 2 by Bilhah
• 2 by Zilpah
Finally, it’s Rachel’s turn. She became pregnant and named the child, Joseph. "God has taken away my disgrace. May Yahweh add to me another son."
After Joseph was born, Jacob went to Laban. “I want to go home. I have worked for you for 14 years give me my wives and children and I’ll be on my way.”
“Please stay. I have learned by divination that the LORD has blessed me because of you. Name your wages, and I will pay them."
Up to this point, all Jacob’s efforts had gone into making Laban wealthy, but now he had his own household to care for, so he came up with the following plan:
“I will continue to tend your flocks. I will go through all your flocks and remove every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb and every spotted or speckled goat. They will be my wages.”
“Agreed.”
But then, true to form, Laban dirtied on Jacob. He removed all the striped and spotted male goats and all the speckled and spotted female goats as well as all the dark-colored lambs, and placed them in the care of his sons. Then he moved 3 days journey away from Jacob – ensuring no cross breeding would occur.
For his part, Jacob began an interesting breeding program and over the next 6 years grew “exceedingly prosperous and came to own large flocks as well as maidservants and menservants, and camels and donkeys.”
As Jacob’s wealth increased, Laban and his sons grew increasingly jealous and hostile.
Then Yahweh said to Jacob, "Go back to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you."
Jacob sent for Rachel and Leah ---- “Your father’s attitude toward me has changed. You know how hard I have worked and that he has changed my wages 10 times, but Yahwe has been with me and has protected me. I have had a dream…. Yahweh said, 'Look up and see that all the male goats mating with the flock are streaked, speckled or spotted, for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you. I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and where you made a vow to me. Now leave this land at once and go back to your native land.'"
Rachel and Leah agreed and now Jacob moved quickly while Laban was out shearing sheep. He put his family on Camels and left (Rachel stole some of Laban’s household idols before leaving).
The family crossed the Euphrates River and headed for the hill country of Gilead where Laban finally caught up with them. In the night Laban had a dream, “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, good or bad.”
The next day Laban and Jacob met:
"You have deceived me. Why did you carry my daughters off in secret - like war captives? I would have sent you away with joy and singing. I didn't even get to kiss my grandchildren and daughters good-bye. I have the power to harm you, but last night the God of your father said to me, 'Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.' I understand that you long to return to your father's house. But why did you steal my gods?"
“I was afraid that you would take your daughters away from me. However, I did not take your idols. Search for yourself. If you find the idols, the person who has them will die.” (Jacob did not know that Rachel had the idols)
Laban searched the camp with no luck. He finally arrived at Rachel’s tent. She was sitting on the idols and declined to get up to greet her father because she said she was having her period. Laban searched the rest of the tent but could not find the idols.
Jacob was now really angry:
"What have I done that you hunt me down? You have found nothing that belongs to your household. I looked after your flocks and herds. I bore the loss when an animal was killed by wild beasts and you demanded payment from me for any animal that was lost or stolen. I endured heat, cold and loss of sleep ---- for 20 years! I worked 14 years for your daughters and 6 years for your flocks and you changed my wages 10 times. If Yahweh had not been with me, you would surely have sent me away empty-handed."
Laban seemed to be unimpressed by Jacob’s outburst:
"The women are my daughters, the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks. All you see is mine. But what am I going to do? Come now, let us make a covenant and let it serve as a witness between us."
They piled up stones as “witness” to the covenant. It would be a boundary marker between the two men. Laban called the place “Jegar Sahadutha” and Jacob called it “Galeed.”
It was also called Mizpah because Laban said, "May Yahweh keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other……. If you mistreat my daughters or if you take any wives besides my daughters, even though no one is with us, remember that God is a witness between you and me."
Early the next morning Laban kissed his daughters and grandchildren and returned home.
Joseph was 6 years old…..
Until next time
