The Story Of Leah

-welcome everyone to NewSong on Memorial Day Weekend, or Race Day. Thanks for being here.

-I know it’s kind of an off day, so I thought we’d relax a little today and do something we’ve done the past few weeks at Drink Deep with the Sr. High’s. I thought we’d have story time. And before you ask, yes, there is a soundtrack.

-for today’s story, we are going to have a great story, a famous story, a love story. Some of you may have heard it before, but it’s a great story and we should hear it more than once in our lives.

-but I said, it’s a love story. It involves a man named Jacob and his search for love. Surprisingly, his search for love is kicked off by his mother. Before he has a chance to look for love, his mom gets involved. Typical.

-but anyway, Jacob’s mother Rebekah is talking with her husband Isaac and says that she is sick and tired of the Hittite women that live in the areas around them and that she would rather die than see her son marry one of them. Again, typical mom.

-so Isaac calls for his son Jacob and tells him he must not marry one of these Canaanite women, but instead Isaac is sending him back to the land of his grandfather where he will find his uncle Laban and there he must find a wife. Then Isaac places a blessing on Jacob that he would find a wife, have many children and come home to this land to become a great nation.

-Jacob goes on his way where some other things happen to him like seeing a ladder to heaven, but we won’t dwell on those today. After all, this is a love story, we’re looking at how Jacob found true love.

-eventually Jacob arrives in the land of Paddan-Aram where his grandfather’s family lives, but he doesn’t know it yet (there’s no sign, population 400). He arrives first at a well where the shepherds water their flocks. There were three flocks waiting by the well, but no one was getting water, there was a large heavy stone covering the well.

-Jacob strikes up a conversation with the shepherds and finds out it is a custom there that the well is only uncovered when everyone arrives. When everyone is there the shepherds remove the stone and everyone waters their flocks together.

-while they are waiting for the rest of the sheep and goats to get there, Jacob also starts asking the shepherds about themselves. He learns they are from the same area as his grandfather and asks if they know a man named Laban. Jacob asks if he is doing well and they tell him Laban’s doing great, in fact, here comes his daughter with the flocks. And then Jacob sees her. [JIMI HENDRIX'S FOXY]

-yes, that’s right, Rachel has got it going on. She is the hottie of the well and Jacob realizes that since she is Laban’s daughter, she is one of the women that his parents said he can marry. And he is stricken, twitter-pated. Jacob thinks she is the most beautiful woman he has ever seen.

-she is so beautiful and he is so taken with her that Jacob walks over to the well and removes the huge boulder on top all by himself, breaking with the local tradition, all so he can impress her. Then he walks up to her, kisses her on the mouth and starts to cry because he is so happy.

-for all you single guys, that is the Jacob three step approach to dating. Notice there’s no talking, it’s not necessary. When you see a girl that’s incredibly beautiful, simply give her water, kiss her, than cry like a little girl. 70% of the time it works every time.

-Rachel, after the Jacob three step approach, runs home to her father and tells him what has happened. He runs out to meet Jacob, hears his story, knows this is a good guy who is his flesh and blood and accepts Jacob into his home.

-so Jacob works for Laban, as a shepherd. He’s getting in good with dad and he’s managing to work with the girl he likes, Jacob’s got game after all. After a month of this Laban tells Jacob he shouldn’t work for free, how much does he want to be paid. Jacob says he will work for Laban for seven years in exchange for being able to marry Rachel, to which Laban says, “done!”

-so Jacob works for seven years for Laban, although he was so in love Scripture says it seemed as if it were only a few days (aww). When the seven years is up Jacob is all excited and goes to Laban saying “I’ve fulfilled my agreement, now give me my wife so I can marry her.” Laban invites the entire neighborhood to the wedding and has a huge feast and everyone parties. When it’s late and dark Jacob heads back to his tent with his new wife.