While traveling south, close to the Jabbok River, Jacob came upon a stranger who challenged him to a struggle. This is where we meet Rachel, the beautiful second daughter of Laban, Jacobs relative in another land (Genesis 29). What are the things in your life you would consider of the greatest value? The median wage for a laborer is $14.47/hr. Real satisfaction can only be found in the Lord. At Jacobs request, they buried him next to Leah in the cave of Machpelah in Hebron beside Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Rebekah (Gen. 49:29-31; 50:13). He went straight to Laban and started asking him so many questions. We're not told exactly how long after they left Succoth that Benjamin was born, but it was likely in the first year or two. God, as a consolation to the unloved Leah, enabled Leah to become pregnant with four sons in quick successionReuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah. But a spirit of discontent that causes us to fuss, nag, bicker, quarrel, and complain is a great hindrance to happy marital relationships. She was a lovely girl, beautiful of form and face (Gen. 29:17). WOW! But when a man is enamored of a woman, he does not want to hear those things. 23 That night Laban took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob. What is the difference between a blessing and a birthright (Genesis 25)? And if he does not measure up to our mental image, then our so-called love turns to disillusionment and resentment, and sometimes to hatred. She cooperated willingly with her fathers scheme but found very little satisfaction in the husband she had gained by deceit. That is such a long time! There is an old saying that goes, True love never runs smoothly. Thats the way it was with Jacob and Rachel. 30 Jacob also married Rachel, since he loved her. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.. Glen : It is a very good answer +1, Seven years wages and most likely a 12 hour day, the then wages amounted to 50 shekels of silver. Yet he still kept on deceiving, until he ultimately repented and was welcomed and blessed by God. So Jacob served seven years for Rachel and they seemed to him but a few days because of his love for her (Gen. 29:20). New International Version (NIV). WebWe would like to show you a description here but the site wont allow us. We have seen Jacobs love at first sight and his love under great stress. The Cross And Our Response to Trials (1 Peter 4:12-19), 8. You're right, we're never given Benjamin's age so we can't link him to his brothers that way. 8. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. Unexpected uint64 behaviour 0xFFFF'FFFF'FFFF'FFFF - 1 = 0? As we are reminded in Romans 8:28, And we know that in all things God works for the goodof those who love him, who have been calledaccording to his purpose.. He arrived in the general vicinity of the city weary, footsore, homesick, and not exactly sure where to go. Is "I didn't think it was serious" usually a good defence against "duty to rescue"? 18 Jacob loved Rachel, so he made this offer to Laban: Ill serve you for seven years for Rachel, your younger daughter.. So if Jacob has already worked 7 years and then agrees to work another 7 years, how many years total did Jacob work for Laban in order to get Rachel as his wife??? It will not change as long as we think satisfaction can be found in any material possession or improved circumstance. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever laid eyes on, and he felt life without her would be worthless. The sin of discontentment has ruined countless relationships since Jacobs day. But the end is not yet. We go on to read, Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted his voice and wept (Gen. 29:11). After the bridal feast, Jacob thought he was consummating the marriage with Rachel, but when morning came he realized hed been fooled. seventeen years Web29 Jacob replied, You know how faithfully Ive served you through these many years, and how your flocks and herds have grown. Something else always looks better to them. True love requires thorough knowledge. Well Jacob knew he loved Rachel so much and he wanted to do everything in his power to marry her. And Jacob lost his cool, Then Jacobs anger burned against Rachel, and he said, Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb? (Gen. 30:2). (1958 More. And the marital misfortunes of the proverbial football hero and homecoming queen bear it out too. Jacob They whine and scold because the men dont pay enough attention to them, dont spend enough time with the children, wont do little jobs around the house, stay out too late, or think more of their jobs, their cars, their hobbies, television, or sports than they think of them. This marriage was to see hard times, but had it not been for this long engagement and Jacobs deepening and maturing love, it probably would not have survived at all. Thats right! The possessor of those images was accepted as the principal heir of the family, even if he was only a son-in-law. Little Reuben, Leahs firstborn, who may have been about four years old at the time, was out in the field following the reapers around picking some plants called mandrakes or love apples, as any little boy of that time might do. Laban warmly welcomed him to his family, but asked a steep price for Rachels hand in marriage: Jacob would first have to work as a shepherd for seven years, tending Labans flocks. There he met a beautiful woman named Rachel. Finding the distance from a corner of a cube to the midpoint of an edge, What are the arguments for/against anonymous authorship of the Gospels. Genesis 29:15-30. How could Jacob wrestle with God if no one can see God and live? Bible Lesson 3 Flashcards | Quizlet Technically, the children of that union would be Rachels children in their culture. 3. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and more. "Signpost" puzzle from Tatham's collection, Passing negative parameters to a wolframscript. 107:9). According to Gensis 29:16-18,He worked 7 years for Rachel, and was deceived and was given Leah. When Rachel was near, his heart pounded faster and a wonderful feeling swept over him. Maybe men should ask themselves this question periodically, especially in the middle of a disagreement, Is my wife conscious of my love right now? Isnt this a crazy story??? He loved her to the end of his life. Laban said it would be very good for Rachel to marry Jacob. When the midwife told her she had given birth to a son, she gasped out his name with her last breathBen-oni, which means Son of my sorrow. Jacob later changed it to Benjamin, Son of my right hand. But isnt it ironic? The answer may be simply that the seven years totaled up to a reasonable value of Jacob's labor which he was willing to "pay" eventually for Rachel and ultimately Jacob was so shocked! But tensions within the clan, particularly between Jacob and Labans sons, compelled Jacob to return to Canaan with his wives and handmaidens, who also served as Jacobs concubines. How can couples who married without it now compensate for it? No, it wasnt, not for Rachel. Some wives are discontented with their husbands. Several factors would have contributed to Jacobs desire to leave. Later still, the moved to Ephrath (Gen 35:16). Armed with that precious promise of Gods presence, Jacob headed for Haran, the land of his mothers family. God told them to go to Bethel (Genesis 35:1,5), The family repented, buried their idols and moved to Bethel. Since they are contrasted with her older sister Leahs, which had no brightness or sparkle, they must have been dark and lustrous, captivatingly beautiful. Laban promised to give Rachel to Jacob for the work he did. Why did you deceive me?, 26 But Laban responded, Its not the practice of our place to give the younger one in marriage before the firstborn. 25 The next morning, Jacob realized that it was Leah! If Jacob wanted to marry Rachel as well, he would owe Laban another seven years of labor. Jacob had stayed and worked for Laban for a month. But he had to work seven more years without pay after marrying her. Jacob worked for his uncle Laban 7 years, then married Leah & Rachel He worked another 7 years for Rachel Now they've been married 7 years. Both Jacob and Laban, Rachels father, were sheepherders. Let them ask God to continue to keep His promises. (F) 23But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah(G) and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob made love to her. Q. As a result I've always tried to guesstimate the length of their marriage from the age difference between Benjamin and his older brothers, but unless some details are hiding in the original Hebrew that are lost in translation, it doesn't seem to me that there are enough details in Genesis to have any real idea. Now Jacob had two wives, Leah and Rachel, both sisters, When Joseph was 17 years old, he went to check on his brothers, and they sold him into slavery. Tricking someone into marriage is dangerous business, but it is still being done today. Perhaps you can research and find todays values for a worker. He is going to have her, and nothing else matters. Genesis 30:26 Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served thee, and let me go: for thou knowest my service which I have done thee. By talking in whispered tones in the darkened tent, she made it through the night. At one point a decade passes between 2 verses (Genesis 33:17-18), then the narration continues forward without mentioning Joseph being sold by his brothers. God made one woman for one man (Gen. 2:24, cf. But that is a guess. And most of us have moments like that. May I suggest another alternative; Jacob could have accepted his marriage to Leah as the will of God for his life and learned to love her alone. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Is she feeling love, or is she feeling anger, hostility, and rejection? God made a wife with the need to rest secure in her husbands love at all times. Genesis 29:20 So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, yet it How this animal can survive is a mystery. Why the obscure but specific description of Jane Doe II in the original complaint for Westenbroek v. Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity? We know this because Benjamin was a father when they went into Egypt 22 years after leaving Succoth (Joseph 17 years old - 39 years old). I'm not sure if the exact value may be calculated today so that we may know if the value he was placing on Rachel was more than or equal to the standard rate that was expected for a bride. Again his heart must have leaped within him at the realization of Gods faithful direction. Think of someone that you love so much. Do you feel jealousy toward some other person? Article Images Copyright , How Jacob and Rachels Bible Story Show's us God's Love in Action. How could Jacob not notice he married Leah instead of Rachel? For husbands: Does your wife continually sense your love for her? 5:25). Now Jacob had two wives, Leah and Rachel, both sisters, one he loved and one he did not. How long was it before Adam and Eve sinned? It only takes a minute to sign up. Pray with your kids and have them thank God for His love for them. All rights reserved. Finally, after 7 long years, the time had come for Jacob to marry Rachel. He ran up to her and hugged and kissed her because he was so relieved to meet family. Made with clay, wire, and recycled paper, the characters come to life in frame-by-frame motion. Even though Jacob deceived his own family, he later embraced humility and was deceived himself. Laban told Jacob that in their family customs, the older daughter gets married before the younger daughter.