Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob
The Right Woman
Gtcotr/ws020823
Last week we discovered that Jacob was 77 years old when he left home at the direction of his mother and father, Isaac and Rebekah, headed for Haran in order to find a wife from among his mother’s relatives who lived there. We continue the account this week in Genesis 29 as we find Jacob arriving at a well just outside the city of Haran where he meets a young shepherdess girl named Rachael.
We believe this is the same well Jacob’s mother Rebekah had her famous encounter with the servant of Abraham and where she offered to draw water for all of his camels identifying herself as the wife chosen by God for Isaac.
I suppose if this were to be orchestrated by God in today’s world, Jacob would have stopped by the mall or maybe Wal-Mart. At any rate Jacob was quite taken with the beauty of this young shepherdess and when he found out they were first cousins, he knew he was in the right place.
When Rachael’s father, uncle Laban, heard that his sister’s son had come for a visit, Laban welcomed him into his house. Jacob helped out around the place for a week before Laban offered him a more permanent job.
Genesis 29 NKJV
15 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what should your wages be?”
16 Now Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger wasRachel.
17 Leah’s eyes were delicate, but Rachel was beautiful of form and appearance.
18 Now Jacob loved Rachel; so he said, “I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter.”
19 And Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to another man. Stay with me.”
20 So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed only a few days to him because of the love he had for her.
After seven years, when Jacob was 84 years old, hesaid to Laban: “Give me my wife, my days are fulfilled.” So Laban gathered all the men of the place, made a feast, but instead of giving his younger daughter Rachael to Isaac as his wife, he rather sent Leah, and the marriage was consummated that night.
I don’t know all the reasons why Jacob didn’t realize he was given the older sister for his wife until the morning, he had lived with them seven years by this time. Nonetheless it wasn’t until the next day that Jacob woke up the fact that his uncle, now father-in-law, had deceived him. When he angrily confronted Laban about this deception, Laban excused himself by saying it was the custom of the country that the older daughter be married before the younger. Laban said:
27 “Fulfill Leah’s week, and we will give you this one also for the service which you will serve with me still another seven years.”
And to this Jacob agreed. What else could he do. He loved Rachael and it appeared he had no choice but to act honorably and do whatever it took to get what he wanted. After fulfilling the wedding week with Leah, Jacob was given Rachael as his second wife, and he faithfully worked for Laban an additional 7 years to finish paying the dowry. Jacob loved Rachael more than Leah, and everyone knew it … even God!
Genesis 29 NKJV
31 ¶ When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.
32 So Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben; for she said, “The LORD has surely looked on my affliction. Now therefore, my husband will love me.”
33 Then she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Because the LORD has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also.” And she called his name Simeon.
34 She conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore his name was called Levi.
35 And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now I will praise the LORD.” Therefore she called his name Judah. Then she stopped bearing.
What are some truths we can learn from this Biblical account of life?
“The Lord has seen my affliction, now my husband will love me.”
“Because the Lord has heard I am unloved, He has given me this son.”
“Now this time my husband will become attached to me.”
“Now I will praise the Lord.”
When everything she could do didn’t get her what she wanted, she finally found her peace in the fact that God saw her, loved her, and knew exactly what she was going through and how she felt.
God gave Leah a lasting legacy and even though she lived much of her life feeling unloved and like she was the wrong woman, she will live all of eternity knowing she was the right woman.
The mistakes we make may not turn out to be mistakes at all. Our best hope is to have the good sense to realize that when we can’t do anything about what happened, it’s time to give it to the Lord and just praise Him … He is the one who will work all things together for the good of those who love Him and those who are called according to His purpose!
You are the absolute best person for your right now.
