A Work in Progress….

Genesis 30:29 Jacob said to him, “You know how I have worked for you and how your livestock has fared under my care. 

Today has got me thinking about beginnings and endings, and today’s verses seem to indicate an ending and a new beginning for Jacob and his family as well. Coming to an end is Jacob’s indentured servitude to Laban. He has worked long enough to earn Leah and Rachel and his children.

Genesis 30:30 The little you had before I came has increased greatly, and the Lord has blessed you wherever I have been. But now, when may I do something for my own household?”

The new beginning is Jacob doing “something for my own household,” establishing a new path, setting new boundaries, carving out a new way. But change can be difficult, at least for me. It’s uncomfortable and often painful; however, change is absolutely necessary for growth.

Genesis 30:31 “What shall I give you?” he asked. “Don’t give me anything,” Jacob replied. “But if you will do this one thing for me, I will go on tending your flocks and watching over them: 

Precious Savior, Every day is a series of endings and new beginnings. Some are small, trivial, barely noticeable. Some are huge, earth-shattering, and change absolutely everything. Help us to remember that You are with us through it all. Help us as we adjust to change to hold on to Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” You’ve got us. Help us to trust You. Amen.

Genesis 30:32 Let me go through all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb and every spotted or speckled goat. They will be my wages.

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 30:25 After Rachel gave birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me on my way so I can go back to my own homeland. 

Since Jacob is requesting to go back to his homeland, I think it’s safe to assume that he has now worked for Laban for fourteen years–the original seven years that he worked for Rachel but was tricked into marrying Leah and the additional seven years that he worked to actually earn Rachel.

Genesis 30:26 Give me my wives and children, for whom I have served you, and I will be on my way. You know how much work I’ve done for you.”

I have problems with so much of this: the antiquated system that allows women to be earned as property, the trickery of Laban, the cattiness of Leah and Rachel, all those children and what they must be learning from the tension that must live in that household daily, Jacob who’s been wholly absent save for sleeping with wives and concubines to father all those children.

Genesis 30:27 But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please stay. I have learned by divination that the Lord has blessed me because of you.” 

Precious Savior, The one thing I know with certainty is that You are sovereign and good. You are on Your throne. Regardless of the trickery and infighting that goes on in life, You are aware, You are working all things–ALL things–to our good and Your glory. Even if we can’t see it and don’t understand it, we can trust You. Thank You. Amen.

Genesis 30:28 He added, “Name your wages, and I will pay them.”

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 30:19-20 Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son. Then Leah said, “God has presented me with a precious gift. This time my husband will treat me with honor, because I have borne him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun.

This entire competition between Leah and Rachel makes me tired and sad. What is gained besides a gaggle of children and a boatload of hurt? And where is Jacob in all of this? Did he ever say, “Seriously, you two. Cut it out. This is ridiculous.”?

Genesis 30:21 Some time later she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.

What are we supposed to learn from all of this? Rachel–the beautiful younger sister–”got hers” because after Jacob worked for seven years to “earn” her, Laban tricked him into marrying Leah. Then Leah had all the children (biologically). And when verse 22 says “then God remembered Rachel,” I don’t think He literally forgot her. But what do I do with all this?

Genesis 30:22-23 Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and enabled her to conceive. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son and said, “God has taken away my disgrace.” 

Precious Savior, I know Your ways are beyond anything I can imagine. I’ve seen it, read about it time and again. But I don’t know what to do with this story of Leah and Rachel. What do you want me to focus on, to learn? Is it that You are sovereign and I should trust You even when I don’t understand? Help me, Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 30:24 She named him Joseph, and said, “May the Lord add to me another son.”

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 30:14 During wheat harvest, Reuben went out into the fields and found some mandrake plants, which he brought to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”

First bit of information that is needed here is that mandrakes were thought to increase fertility. So, even now, this was about who had the most children as, surely, that showed who was the favored wife. We also see that Leah felt herself the original wife (and she was because of Laban’s trickery) and felt that Rachel, whom Jacob loved and worked seven years to obtain, had stolen Jacob from her.

Genesis 30:15 But she said to her, “Wasn’t it enough that you took away my husband? Will you take my son’s mandrakes too?” “Very well,” Rachel said, “he can sleep with you tonight in return for your son’s mandrakes.”

Additionally, we see that Rachel has the power in this relationship because she seems to have some say in who Jacob sleeps with when. Furthermore, we see that Leah and Rachel are still playing this “game” of who has more status, sway, and power within the home. My question is: to what end?

Genesis 30:16 So when Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him. “You must sleep with me,” she said. “I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So he slept with her that night.

Precious Savior, Forgive me when I forget that my purpose on this earth is to bring You praise and glory, to shine Your light. When I take my eyes off of You, I lose the thread of purpose in my life, just like Leah and Rachel. Help me to keep my eyes on You. Always. Amen.

Genesis 30:17-18 God listened to Leah, and she became pregnant and bore Jacob a fifth son. Then Leah said, “God has rewarded me for giving my servant to my husband.” So she named him Issachar.

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 30:10 Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a son. 

Again I say, this family is a hot mess. Leah, who found happiness with the Lord after her fourth son Judah, derived from the Hebrew for praise, has utterly lost the thread of that happiness. Once again, it’s about who has more children. Clearly that tells them who is the favored wife, and “favored wife” or “most blessed” seems to be the coveted role in all this.

Genesis 30:11 Then Leah said, “What good fortune!” So she named him Gad.

And what is Jacob doing through all of this? Does he seek God at all? Does he just sleep with any warm body presented to him? Does he ever wonder what in the world he’s supposed to be doing? Do any of them think of the children at all and how their messed up dynamic will affect all those lives?

Genesis 30:12 Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son.

Precious Savior, Forgive us when we get so caught up in trying to accomplish our will that we forget to think of the cost, to ourselves and to others. Help us to align ourselves so completely with Your will for our lives that Your will for us becomes our will for ourselves. Help us, Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 30:13 Then Leah said, “How happy I am! The women will call me happy.” So she named him Asher.

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 30:6 Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me; he has listened to my plea and given me a son.” Because of this she named him Dan.

I wonder what Rachel and Leah’s relationship was like before the marriage and baby debacle. Were they friends? Were they confidants? Did Rachel perceive herself as superior to Leah because of her beauty? Did Rachel always think she was better?

Genesis 30:7 Rachel’s servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. 

Was the behavior we are seeing here–Rachel’s jealousy of Leah’s children–part of their relationship before or had they devolved? I find it interesting that, yet again, we have a family–in the line of Jesus, no less–that is incredibly dysfunctional. Yet God still uses them in a mighty way.

Genesis 30:8 Then Rachel said, “I have had a great struggle with my sister, and I have won.” So she named him Naphtali.

Precious Savior, We tend to think that our dysfunction disqualifies us for Your use. Yet You show us again and again and again that You can use anyone for Your Kingdom work. Thank You–that You can use us, warts and all, that You will use us, that You do use us. Help us to shine Your light for all to see. Amen.

Genesis 30:9 When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she took her servant Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife.

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 29:33 She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Because the Lord heard that I am not loved, he gave me this one too.” So she named him Simeon.

Commentary says Leah was rejected by Jacob and despised by Rachel. We can tell with the naming of her first three sons that Leah was struggling with Jacob’s betrayal particularly. However, the naming of the fourth child, Judah, Hebrew for praise, shows that by the last child, Leah had turned her eyes toward God.

Genesis 29:34 Again she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” So he was named Levi.

Romans 8:28 says that God can use all things for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose. Leah, who was plain and unloved, was used by God to bring forth the line of Jesus. Leah, the plain sister, the wronged sister. I find that fascinating. Leah’s “consolation” is to be the matriarch of the line of Jesus? That’s big.

Genesis 29:35a She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” So she named him Judah. 

Precious Savior, Thank You for the reminder that even when life doesn’t go as we planned, it can still be beautiful and impactful. Help us to focus on You, to shine for You, to be Your hands and feet. Use us according to Your purpose. Work all things for our good and Your glory. Amen.

Genesis 29:35b Then she stopped having children.

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 29:30 Jacob made love to Rachel also, and his love for Rachel was greater than his love for Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years.

This situation is a gigantic mess. The only one who comes out of it completely happy is Laban because he now has two married daughters. Leah, who may be happy that she is no longer an “old maid” is definitely not happy at the fact that she is obviously not the beloved wife. Jacob and Rachel don’t seem to try to hide that fact at all.

Genesis 29:31 When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved, he enabled her to conceive, but Rachel remained childless. 

I would need a lot of therapy to move past the bitterness and anger of this entire situation. Honestly, if I were Leah, Rachel, or Jacob, I think I would struggle mightily as this mess could have so easily been avoided. I think my propensity towards anger and bitterness, towards blame and frustration is what God wants me to pay attention to in today’s scripture.

Genesis 29:32a Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben,

Precious Savior, I know that anger and bitterness are not the right way to react. Those emotions have the potential to corrode every good thing in my life, yet they are so often default emotions. Help me to change my default in situations that make me angry and bitter. Help me to be more like You. Amen.

Genesis 29:32b …for she said, “It is because the Lord has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now.”

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 29:26 Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one. 

Once again I dip into petty territory. My instinct is to say, “Serves Jacob right.” He tricked his father. He was tricked by his uncle. However, my heart hurts for the collateral damage–Leah and Rachel both. And if I’m honest, my heart hurts a little for Jacob, too, who worked for seven years only to end up married to the wrong sister.

Genesis 29:27 Finish this daughter’s bridal week; then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work.”

Romans 12:19 says, “Vengeance is mine,” declares the Lord. I have learned firsthand that it’s best to leave vengeance to God. Honestly, I don’t have the heart for it. Even when someone “gets what they deserve,” I’ve found that it does not make me feel better. It hurts my heart for them because I’ve been hurt and know how bad that feels.

Genesis 29:28 And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. 

Precious Savior, Thank You that I do not have the heart for vengeance. Help me to move past the petty reaction of “Serves them right” when folks get what they “deserve.” Thank You that You don’t treat me as I deserve. Help me to give others the same compassion and grace that You lavish upon me, even if they don’t “deserve” it. Help me, Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 29:29 Laban gave his servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her attendant.

Have a blessed day.