Genesis 29:15-30
Today's Scripture

The story of Rachel and Leah seems a bit odd to me. Why would Laban deceive Jacob, when he worked for seven years for his daughter Rachel, and then Laban gives Leah to him? He, at least, gave him Rachel as well (having two wives--especially who are sisters--doesn't seem a great idea...) after finishing out the bridal week with Leah.

You have to feel sorry for Leah, because she is not really loved by Jacob, and yet also for Rachel, who becomes the second wife to Jacob. Jacob doesn't get what he wants either (at least initially)--the only one who seems to make out like a bandit is Laban. It does, however, seem a bit ironic that Jacob (whose name means deceiver and who got his brother to give him his birthright and deceived his father into giving him the first-born's blessing) should be deceived in such a way.

The late Rich Mullins wrote about this Scripture in his song Jacob and 2 Women in his album This is the World As Best As I Can Remember It, Volume 1. The first lines of the song read:

"Jacob, he loved Rachel and Rachel, she loved him
And Leah was just there for dramatic effect
Well it's right there in the Bible, so it must not be a sin
But it sure does seem like an awful dirty trick. "

The Bible is the recorded history of his people--and it includes good and bad, since we are all fallen humans. The incredible part of the story is how God works--sometimes through major mess-ups on our part. The story in Scripture is fascinating--and God can weave his story through our lives and redeem even our failures for his purposes. Eventually, Rachel and Leah become the mothers of the tribes of Israel--but that we'll read more about that as we proceed in Genesis......
- posted by Suzi @ 9:37 AM