Genesis 29

Genesis 29:1

3. Jacob, His Wives, and His Offspring (29:130:24) 29:1-14 Jacob was seventy-seven when he left Beersheba for Haran. He would spend twenty years serving his uncle Laban, thirty-three years back in Canaan, and the last seventeen years of his life in Egypt. Arriving in Paddan Aram, he was guided to the very field where some shepherds from Haran were tending their flocks. So perfect was God’s timing that Rachel was just arriving with her flock when Jacob was talking with the shepherds. Being a good shepherd, Jacob wondered why they were all waiting at the well when there was still daylight for feeding the sheep. They explained that they did not remove the cover from the well until all the herds had arrived. It was an emotion-packed moment for Jacob when he met his cousin Rachel, and for Laban a short while later when he met his nephew Jacob. 29:15-35 Laban agreed to give Rachel to Jacob in exchange for seven years of service. The years seemed to Jacob but a few days because of the love he had for her. That is how it should be in our service for the Lord. Leah was weak-eyed and not attractive. Rachel was beautiful. According to custom, it was arranged that the bride should go in to the groom on the wedding night, veiled and perhaps when the room was in darkness. You can imagine how irate Jacob was in the morning when he found that his bride was Leah! Laban had tricked him, but excused the trick on the ground that the older daughter should be married first according to the local custom. Then Laban said, “Fulfill her week (that is, carry through on the marriage to Leah) and we will give you this one also (Rachel) for the service which you will serve with me still another seven years.” At the end of the week-long wedding feast, Jacob also married Rachel, then served seven more years for her. Jacob had sown deceit, and now he was reaping it! When the Lord saw that Leah was hated (that is, loved less than Rachel) He compensated for this by giving her children.

This law of divine compensation still operates: People who lack in one area are given extra in another. Leah acknowledged the Lord when she named her children (vv. 32, 33, 35). From her comes the priesthood (Levi), the royal line (Judah), and ultimately the Christ. In this chapter we have the first four of the sons of Jacob. The complete list of Jacob’s sons is as follows: The sons born to Leah: Reuben (see, a son) (29:32) Simeon (hearing) (29:33) Levi (joined) (29:34) Judah (praise) (29:35) Issachar (hire) (30:18) Zebulun (dwelling) (30:20) The sons born to Bilhah, the handmaid of Rachel: Dan (judge) (30:6) Naphtali (wrestling) (30:8) The sons born to Zilpah, handmaid of Leah: Gad (a troop or good fortune) (30:11) Asher (happy) (30:13) The sons born to Rachel: Joseph (adding) (30:24) Benjamin (son of the right hand) (35:18)