KEY SCRIPTURE: Genesis 29-35  (29:9-11)

9 And while he yet spake with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep; for she kept them.10 And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother.11 And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept.

RELEVANCE

"See how she leans her hand upon her cheek? O, that I were a glove upon that hand that I might touch that cheek!"

This quote from William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet aptly depicts Jacob's smitten heart for Rachel.  

How mesmerising is the nature of love upon the heart, mind and soul? Due to the power of love, we can overcome all obstacles—even death. Jesus told His disciples at the Samaritan Well, "I have food ye know not of"  He could live on the love of God.  

Here, we will see how Jacob could live for many years off his love for Rachel.  

As he was speaking to the locals, Rachel came into view. Genesis 29:9 says, And while he yet spake with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep; for she kept them.

At first sight of this farmer's daughter, dressed in work clothes but looking gorgeous, Jacob was immediately captivated. We've seen this scenario in a thousand movies, but here it is in real life. When he found out she was Rebekah's kin, Jacob wept, hugged and kissed her. It was a great relief for him. He thought his dreams were so quickly coming true. 

Rachel was a worker with responsibilities, not a fingernail-painting primrose. Most farm girls had responsibilities, and tending flocks was good for the soul. It gave the shepherd a nurse's heart and helped them understand people. It taught patience, self-sacrifice, leadership, tenderness, and love, which fitted Rachel's heart beautifully.

Rachel took Jacob home to meet the family. Unlike the brief exchange in his mother's case a generation before, where Abraham's servant offered the family some gold and trinkets in exchange for her. The Lord had different plans for Jacob and Rachel. They had to endure different events. We're all familiar with life events, each of which comes with its own emotional weight. 

After a month of working with Laban's family, Jacob was more in love with Rachel than ever. When Laban asked him what his wages should be, Jacob replied that he would work seven years as payment for Rachel. Why pay at all? In those days, suiters paid a bride-price as part of the marriage contract, but Jacob wasn't rich enough. 

The contract seemed clear, Jacob would work for free for those seven years for his beloved betrothed, who attracted him so magnetically. Gen 29:20, And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.

This love was deep, and asks a profound question—Is our life as Christians like that? Does our free work for the Lord feel like a few days or a lifetime of chores? 

How deep is our love for God? From the time Jacob laid eyes on Rachel, he loved only her until the day she died and beyond. Do we have that love for Jesus Christ? 

In this innocent courtship, was the wait worth it for Rachel? Rachel's own father struck her with a devastatingly cruel blow from behind. Like an alley thief sneaking up on a naive stroller, the swap with Leah happened on the wedding night. Finally, the father could rid himself of Leah, the unfortunate daughter. Leah's 'tender eyes' were noteworthy enough to be mentioned in scripture, and Laban thought of her as deficient.

After seven years of faithfulness and waiting for their special day, Rachel bore the shame of the marital crime of having her sister be the first to sleep with her betrothed. Genesis 2:24 says a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. But it was the wrong flesh. As per custom, Leah spent the entire week with him. That was the first time Rachel's future husband had been alone with any woman. What a long week that was for Rachel. How would you feel?

Her cur of a father so quickly dismissed the swap when he told Jacob,  It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. Jacob had not heard this saying in the past seven years of working and mixing with the local people, nor had any suggestion come from the mouths of the family, even Rachel's. 

Following that, Rachel suffered the humiliation of being almost destitute for years, living in poverty on her own father's farm, unlike before she was married, on Laban's payroll and an asset to be purchased by a suitable husband. 

When Laban reduced Jacob's wages ten times throughout his employment, little did he care that he was taking the food from the mouths of his own daughters and their children. When we hear of this level of abuse today, we are horrified and seek justice. Laban was blessed beyond his imagination after Jacob arrived. His mere presence made Laban a rich man, so strong was Jacob's relationship with God. And with the prolific births of all the grandchildren, Laban's labour force increased without increasing pay. 

I wonder if the words of Jacob's mother echoed in Jacob's mind from time to time. Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; arise, flee thou to Laban my brother in Haran; (Gen 27:43). 

He did precisely that, but now it was time to flee away just as quickly. As the Jacob-Laban relationship grew sour, God told Jacob to leave quickly. Rachel gave a parting gesture to her heartless father for all his deception and years of family abuse by stealing his idols. Perhaps a payback from a girl who had been hurt more times than we realise. Stealing the idols was so small compared to what she suffered.  

Like her mother-in-law, Rebekah, and grandmother-in-law, Sarah, Rachel had trouble conceiving, but God wrought it all for His purpose. Her barrenness brought about her jealousy of Leah's God-blessed ability to have so many children, ironically reversing Leah's childhood jealousy of Rachel's beauty and favour.

When Rachel finally conceived, she brought forth Joseph, whom Jacob loved. There was favouritism because he was Rachel's, however, some of that was because Joseph followed God like his father. Joseph's desire was more spiritual than his brothers, which was one reason they wanted to eliminate him.   

Then the tragedy struck. Upon giving birth to their second child, Benjamin, Rachel realised she was dying. The few words spoken were words of pain and disappointment, and then she passed away. Gen 35:18 says, And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni:(son of my sorrow) but his father called him Benjamin (son of my right hand).

This cherished woman lamented over dying far earlier than she thought she would. After so much difficulty getting pregnant, and now missing the chance to see her precious children grow up with her involvement was a tipping point. Many families experience similar devastating circumstances of death, forcing them to move on without husbands, wives and parents.

The tears and heartache were as deep as pain can be for Jacob, who buried the bride of his youth, his only love, near Bethlehem, the birthplace of our Lord. 

Jacob set up a pillar on Rachel's grave, which remained for hundreds of years. 

Rachel and Leah are immortalised in the Book of Ruth 4:11 by Boaz when speaking of Ruth said, The Lord make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem:  

Also, in Matthew 2:18, when Herod's Massacre of the Innocents occurred shortly after Christ's birth, Rachel is mentioned again, but this time in one of the saddest passages in the Bible. In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not. 

Both Rachel and Leah were hurt by their father and suffered in their own personal ways. We can get angry when we read this story of Jacob and Rachel's trials and Laban and Leah's involvement in their union, but we need to keep perspective. God ordained all this to bring about the twelve sons of Israel. Gen 29:31 implies that Jacob hated Leah. And when the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.

Jacob and Rachel displayed typical human responses to their situations, which they would need to work through if they were to continue being useful to the Lord. They did that.

There is a principal point in this: we cannot predict what God has in store for us in our walk of faith. Neither Jacob nor Rachel had any idea of the twists and turns life would take, yet they walked in faith one step after the next, one event after the next, following their Lord and Saviour. 

When we think about it, our walk is similar, with times of unpredictability, apparent negatives, and lives on hold. But we hang onto the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, who not only loves us through every trial and pain but has a pathway and plan we can only see in hindsight. Hang in there!

PRAYER

Dear Lord, people often criticise each other for not having the wisdom to see traps up ahead. Yet, here we have two Bible heroes of faith who couldn't either. More than that, their traps were more significant than most of ours. But for all the negatives in their story, God holds them up high as examples of faith. Please help us understand your ways.

Photo by Khadeeja Yasser