The Battle Of The Brides Series

We are in our From Dust to Life series in the book of Genesis

and last week in chapter 29 we saw how Jacob worked for his uncle Laban for seven years as a dowry payment for his daughter Rachel, the woman he loved. Laban agreed to this but did the bait and switch and gave Jacob his older daughter Leah to marry instead. Even though he was tricked by his uncle, Jacob was willing to work an additional seven years for Rachel.

Both Leah and Rachael were barren but when the Lord saw that Leah was unloved as a bride, He showed compassion to her and opened her womb. In the next four years she gave birth to four boys (Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah) and Moses, the author of this account, came through the line of Levi. As Leah named her sons she was expressing the hope that by having children her husband would love her, hear her, draw near to her (exclusively). Unfortunately, Jacob didn’t love her more or obtain his exclusive affections but she named the fourth child Judah which means “Praise.” Because though she might never experience Jacob’s love the way she wanted, God had given her four sons, and she had to be thankful for that.

As the sermon prep team was working through Genesis 30, the men had a lot of great observations and input about the text which I will be incorporating in today’s sermon.

If you have your Bibles please turn to Genesis chapter 30. We’ll be looking at vv. 1-24. Daniel Jarnik will come up and read the text for us.

1 Now when Rachel saw that she had not borne Jacob any children, she became jealous of her sister; and she said to Jacob, “Give me children, or else I am going to die.” 2 Then Jacob’s anger burned against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?” 3 Then she said, “Here is my female slave Bilhah: have relations with her that she may give birth on my knees, so that by her I too may obtain a child.” 4 So she gave him her slave Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob had relations with her. 5 Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. 6 Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me, and has indeed heard my voice and has given me a son.” Therefore she named him Dan. 7 And Rachel’s slave Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. 8 So Rachel said, “With mighty wrestling I have wrestled with my sister, and I have indeed prevailed.” And she named him Naphtali.

9 When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she took her slave Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife. 10 And Leah’s slave Zilpah bore Jacob a son. 11Then Leah said, “How fortunate!” So she named him Gad. 12 And Leah’s slave Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. 13 Then Leah said, “Happy am I! For women will call me happy.” So she named him Asher.

14 Now in the days of wheat harvest Reuben went and found mandrake fruits in the field, and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.” 15 But she said to her, “Is it a small matter for you to take my husband? And would you take my son’s mandrakes also?” So Rachel said, “Therefore he may sleep with you tonight in return for your son’s mandrakes.” 16 When Jacob came in from the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must have relations with me, for I have indeed hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So he slept with her that night. 17 God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. 18 Then Leah said, “God has given me my reward, because I gave my slave to my husband.” So she named him Issachar. 19 And Leah conceived again and bore a sixth son to Jacob. 20 Then Leah said, “God has endowed me with a good gift; finally my husband will acknowledge me as his wife, because I have borne him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun. 21 Afterward she gave birth to a daughter, and named her Dinah.

22 Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb. 23 So she conceived and gave birth to a son, and said, “God has taken away my disgrace.” 24 And she named him Joseph, saying, “May the LORD give me another son.”

While I was reading through the text, we could see a few things:

1. Rachel’s desperation

2. Leah’s response, and