In this Bible Story, Jacob marries Leah and Rachel and has 12 sons and 1 daughter. Jacob, in search of a new beginning with his family, leaves Laban and ventures back to Canaan. This story is inspired by Genesis 29-31. Go to https://www.BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.
Today's Bible verse is Genesis 30:4 from the King James Version.
Episode 21: After working seven years for Laban, in exchange for the privilege of marrying Rachel, Jacob is given her older sister Leah instead. Tricked and taken advantage of, Jacob agrees to work another seven years for Rachel. During these years of service, strife arises between the two sisters and their maids. Their lives become a competition of who can get the love of their husband and who can bear the most children for him.
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Let us pray, and she gave him Bilhah, her handmaid to wife, and Jacob went in unto her Genesis thirty four. Dear Heavenly Father, when I am close to my dreams, I will stay mindful that I don't jump the gun and settle for a counterfeit like Jacob. Instead, I will stay diligent and focused so that the dream you have for me will be the authentic dream and not a second hand blessing. Thank you, Holy Spirit, that as I step into this new season of blessing and abundance, I will keep my heart from falling into the same trap that Leah and Rachael fell into. I decree and declare that greed, jealousy, and envy will not have a place in my future. I will rejoice and be glad with the dreams You've allowed me to birth in my life. I will honor and appreciate what I have for I know that as I live to honor You, God, you will uphold my life and my future. In Jesus' name, Amen, Listening to these daily prayers strengthens your relationship with God. Continue hearing from the Lord by listening to Today's Bible. In a year brought to you by Bible Ineyear dot com Jacob's family.
Before this story, we learned about Jacob's journey to labor. Jacob was affirmed by the Lord that he would be blessed as his father Isaac was and his father Jacob. Upon arrival, Jacob met Rachel and immediately fell in love. In exchange for being able to marry Rachel, Jacob agreed to work for Labon for seven years. Now we will learn about Jacob marrying Laban's older daughter Leah first before marrying Rachel, and the web of jealousy that bore an entire nation inspired by the Book of Genesis.
Hello, I'm pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of the Bible in a Year podcast. In our previous episode, we learned that Jacob had fallen deeply in love with Rachel, the younger daughter of his uncle Laban, and because of his love for Rachel, he cuts the deal with Laban to work seven years in exchange for Rachel's hand in marriage. Today, we pick up as his seven years of hard labor are coming to an end, but what seems to be heading toward a very happy ending takes a sharp turn into deceited dishonesty, rivalry, and resentment. Jacob, who is the consummate cheater himself, is going to get a dose of his own medicine and learn that what goes around comes around. As the cheater is now cheated, his own father in law, Laban is going to get the best of him, trapping Jacob in a marriage to his older daughter Leah. Jacob will choose to marry both sisters, but only after Laban makes him agree to another seven years of hard labor. And just as Jacob experienced the affection of his mother yet the rejection of his father, we'll see how he'll now love one wife and despise the other. Spite and favoritism will poison the whole family and bring about a decade long feud. In many ways, Jacob is not even the central character of today's story, but a sad pawn in a war between sisters. It's a messy story, and yet in all of this you are going to see God's compassion and grace towards Leah, Rachel, and Jacob. So let's listen now to today's reading.
Jacob had toiled the ground of Laban for seven years, counted the months until he could finally be united with Rachel as husband and wife. Daily he saw her tending the sheep and pined after her. Their love and desire for one another burned deeply even before marriage, and as the time approached, Jacob's countenance grew brighter. Finally it was time. Jacob, with his head held high, approach to Laban. Seven years has passed and I have worked faithfully for you, Jacob said, Now give me my wife so that we can make love and build a life together. Laban wasted no time and gathered together all the people for a great feast. Jacob's dream to be with Rachel was finally becoming a reality. Yet Jacob's wedding would not end the way he thought it would, nor would his marriage be the dream come true he expected. Late into the night before the wedding was going to commence, Laban took his oldest daughter, Leah and dressed her in a wedding gown and veil to cover her face. For back then, it was custom for the bride to be covered. Lea was not adorned with the same beauty as her sister. Rather, she carried herself plainly and did not draw the same attention as Rachel. In Jacob's excitement and revelry with wedding music and wine. He took Leah as his wife. The two of them were one, and Jacob went into Leah for the first time, thinking it was Rachel. Jacob, the man who had tricked his own brother and father into giving up their birthrights and blessings, found himself in a wedding bed with the wrong woman, tricked by his father in law. The next morning, as the sun just began to rise above the peaks in the horizon, Jacob awoke the night before he had hardly remembered, but he did remember that he was finally married to Rachel after seven years of labor. He turned to his wife and was bewildered to find Leah lying next to him, inconsolable. Jacob bolted out of his tent in a fit of rage, arms flailing and heart pounding. Jacob pinned Laban to the wall of his tent. What have you done to me, Jacob shouted, Did I not serve you faithfully for Rachel? Why have you deceived me like this? Laban, knowing he had gotten away with his plan, grinned. It is not custom for the younger daughter to be married before the oldest daughter. He said nonchalantly, you can marry Rachel, of course, but only if you have served me another seven years. Jacob was distraught. The trickster had been outplayed at his own game. Jacob agreed to Laban's terms. He had no choice if he wanted to be with Rachel. He married Rachel a week later, and then served Laban for another seven years. Jacob and Leah had sex for children, but Jacob and Rachel made love for passion. This would send Leah into a spiral of insecurity and spite, a spiral that would ultimately lead to a feud that lasted years. God saw that Leah was despised by Jacob and Rachel and had compassion on her. He opened her womb and made her fruitful. Though Rachel was barren and left childless. La conceived in Bora's son and called his name Reuben. In her heart of hearts, she truly believed that if she bore a son, Jacob would love her. So began Leah's desperate mission to fill a void in her life left by her husband. She conceived again and bore a son and named him Simon. She believed Simon was a gift from God. Because her husband hated her, Leah bore another son, Levi. After three sons, she truly believed that Jacob would love her. Yet Jacobob continued to love Rachel, and Leiah fell deeper into depression. For a fourth time, Leah conceived in Boora's son. His name was Judah, and this time, instead of hoping that another son would make Jacob love her, Leiah praised God, thanking him for his faithfulness. After Judah was born, Leah ceased bearing children. Rachel knew that she was barren and hated her sister for giving Jacob's sons when she could not. Rachel's jealousy towards Leah caused her to lash out at Jacob, give me children or I shall die. Jacob's anger boiled up towards Rachel, for he too was angry that they could not have children together. Am I in the place of God, I cannot open and close your womb. So Rachel devised a plan, a plan that hearkened back to Sarah in the wilderness of Canaan. Here is my servant Bilhah, Rachel said, go into her and she will have a child on my behalf. So she gave Jacob her servant, and Jacob gladly slept with her, repeating the sins of his grandfather Abraham. Jacob and bil Ha conceived and BoA's son named Dan. Rachel was pleased, but wanted more, not because she truly wanted children, but because she could not bear the thought of her sister having more than her. Jacob and bil Hah continued, and bil Ha had another son on Rachel's behalf. With great struggle, I have triumphed over my sister, so she named her second son, Naftalai. The cycle of jealousy did not cease.
Leah.
To spite Rachel and gain the love of Jacob, gave her servant to be with Jacob so they might have more children. Her servant, nil Pah, and Jacob slept together and bore gad. Yet Leah was not satisfied. She gave Zilpah to Jacob again, and the two you bore asher. Jacob, caught in the middle of a civil war, made no protests. He sat by and enjoyed the fruit of his wives insecurities. He refused to care for their hearts or reassure them of his love. No, Jacob had no such integrity, a quality he would soon be forced to possess. In the days of the wheat harvest, Reuben went out and found some man drakes, a rare plant used for various medical and recreational uses. They were rare and valuable. Reuben brought them to his mother, Leah. Rachel wanted some of his man drakes and asked Leah if she could have some. Lea was in no mood to be generous with Rachel. Isn't it enough that you have stolen my husband away from me? Now you want my son's mandrakes. Leah protested. In exchange for your man drakes, you can lie with Jacob tonight. Will that satisfy you? Rachel said at this Jacob was a tool for Leah and Rachel's war against one another. No more love and no more dreams. Only spite marked Jacob's household. When Jacob was returning from the field, Leia came out to meet him. I have given my son's mandrakes to Rachel so that you might lie with me. So Jacob slept with Leah that night, and Leah conceived a fifth son. They named him Isaka. The whirlwind of Leah and Rachel did not cease. Leaah bore Jacob another son and named him Zebulun. Now my husband must honor me, Leah said. Leia was certain that six sons would prove to be enough for Jacob's love. Yet again she came back empty handed. Afterwards, Leah bore a daughter and named her Dinah. God turned his eyes toward Rachel. He listened to her honest cries for a son of her own. Under the moon and blessings of God, Jacob and Rachel made love, and from that love came Joseph, a miracle from God. Even though Rachel had conceived this miracle from God, she still got caught up in the trap all humans get stuck in, wanting more. Jacob was fruitful, and his sons were growing to be strong and ready to begin lives of their own. He decided it would be best to return to the land of his father Isaac. He approached Laban and said, I have served you, I have given you grandchildren, and I have cared for your land and daughters. Allow me to leave and return home. Laban enjoyed having Jacob by his side. Jacob carried with him the blessings of God, and everything Jacob did he did with excellence. I will pay whatever it takes to have you stay here, for I am blessed because you are here, he replied. Jacob grew tired of Laban and greatly desired to leave his presence. I have given you everything you have given me to take care of I have increased. Allow me please to depart with my own family. Laban agreed, and the two set up arrangements for Jacob to leave with a part of Laban's flocks. The agreement was that Jacob would take the blemest sheep while Laban kept the pure white sheep. Laban tried first to trick Jacob and hid the speckled sheep so they would not breed and increase in number. However, Jacob, over dozens of years serving under Laban, had honed the craft of breeding and sheep herding animals. Jacob specifically bred the pure sheep to produce more speckled and blemished sheep. Jacob was able to produce stronger and healthier sheep for himself in great number. Laban had tricked Jacob once, for Jacob was the ultimate trickster and would not be outdone again. So Jacob increased in wealth and influence with his wives, children, and new found freedom, Jacob ventured back to Canaan. Yet Laban would not let Jacob go unpunished.
Jacob works hard for seven more years. Rachel is anxious to marry the man of her dreams. Jacob comes to Laban and reminds him of the deal. It's time to pay up. He does not want to wait another moment to marry Rachel. At first, everything seems to be heading in the right direction, a storybook ending for the young couple. Laban quickly throws a great feast with lots of food and lots of wine, of which Jacob freely partook, no doubt, needless to say, he was fired up, perhaps in his haste and with the fuzzy head of one who celebrated too much. Jacob fails to realize that his bride that Laban brings to him is not Rachel, but his older sister Leah. Still, he unites with her, marries her, and seals his fate with her, a fact he realizes with horror and anger. The following morning, he forcefully confronts Laban and only then realized that he, the master of deception, has been tricked. The trickster has been tricked. Leah is now his wife, but he really loves Rachel, so Laban agrees to let him marry her as well if Jacob agrees to another seven years of hard work. Well, Jacob agrees. Rachel and Leah become bitter rivals, but God sees Leah's rejection and has compassion on her. He blesses her with a fertile wound. She bears four sons with Jacob and then stops conceiving, and with each child she holds out hope that this new son will cause Jacob to love her, but it never happens. Rachel, for her part, grows increasingly bitter and demands Jacob give her a child lest she die. Listen to Jacob's response, found in Genesis thirty verse two. Jacob became angry with her and said, am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children. This may seem at first to be an appropriate answer, acknowledging God as the giver of life, but if you look at it closely, Jacob is simply denying any responsibility, even blaming God for Rachel's inability to conceive, rather than pursuing God and asking for the blessing of a child with Rachel. He simply says, is not on me, This is not my fault. Rachel offers her servant to Jacob, and he accepts, just as his grandfather did, and produces two sons outside of his marriage. Leiah fallows suits and offers her servant. Jacob again accepts. Like his father Isaac, he seems nothing more than a pon and a bitter war between siblings. The Lord then looks on Rachel with a tender heart of compassion and grants to the son which she so desperately desired, This son, Joseph. He will grow into a man who will help save many nations one day, but not before the ugly consequences of this rivalry between sisters and Jacob's lack of leadership rips this fractured family apart. In life, there are many betrayals and setbacks, as in the case of Jacob and his family, and the question becomes, how will you handle setbacks in your life? How will you handle the mess ups that you have made? Do you keep your eyes upon God and trust in Him and repentance and faith as Jacob could have done, should have done. It is at this point in our story that Jacob seems to wake up and realize he needs to leave Laban's land and it is time to return to Canaan, the land of Promise. Next time we'll learn how Jacob escapes his entanglement with Laban. Dear God, there are many times that things don't turn out like we had hoped or expected. Sometimes it's our own fault. We can be cheated or cheat others, taken advantage of, or disappoint others, and be disappointed by others. Help us to continue to trust You and act with integrity, not dishonesty. Thank you for this lesson in your Holy Word. Amen, Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast. I'm pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download thepray dot Com app and make prayer a priority in your life. If you enjoyed this podcast, share it with someone you love. By sharing this podcast, you can make a difference in someone's life. And if you want more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living, be sure to visit Jackraham dot org. God bless