Gen. 29:16-30:816And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favored. 18And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter. 19And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with me. 20And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her. 21And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her. 22And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast. 23And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her. 24And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid for an handmaid. 25And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me? 26And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. 27Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years. 28And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also. 29And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid. 30And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years. 31And when the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren. 32And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the Lord hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me. 33And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the Lord hath heard that I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon. 34And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi. 35And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the Lord: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing. 1And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die. 2And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God's stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb? 3And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her. 4And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went in unto her. 5And Bilhah conceived, and bare Jacob a son. 6And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore called she his name Dan. 7And Bilhah Rachel's maid conceived again, and bare Jacob a second son. 8And Rachel said, With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called his name Naphtali. (Genesis 29:16‑30:8)
“AND LABAN had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah was teer eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well-favored. And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter.” vv. 16-18. Jacob had found an object for his heart’s affection in Rachel. With her as a reward, the labor of seven years seemed a fair enough bargain, to which Laban readily agreed, concealing the deceitful purpose concerning his part of the contract.
“And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her. And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled.” vv. 20,21. On the wedding night Laban arranged a feast, with all the men of the place in attendance. But it was then that Laban’s deceitfulness came into play, for in the darkness of night he craftily brought Leah to Jacob, rather than Rachel, and it was not until morning light that Jacob learned he had been the victim of his uncle’s guile. “And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? Did not I serve with thee for Rachel? Wherefore then hast thou beguiled me? And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.” vv. 25,26.
Following this, a second “bargain” was struck between the two — La-ban giving him also Rachel to wife, with the understanding that he would serve an additional seven years for her. Thus did Jacob reap the bitter fruit of what he had sown in earlier years, finding himself the husband of the elder daughter, for whom he had no love, as well as the younger, on whom his heart was set.
In the early years of his marriage there was a real trial experience by Jacob in respect to this dual marriage. Four sons were born to him through Leah in the first years of his marriage — Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah. But Rachel, whom he loved, bore him no children, which was a matter of great concern to her, for she envied her sister. In reality it was God’s hand on Jacob and Rachel, because of the favoritism he showed the younger sister and the unconcealed hatred toward the elder. It would be happy to learn at this time of crisis that Jacob and Rachel went to the Lord about it, but Jacob had not yet learned to meet his problems this way, nor does it appear that Rachel at this point had learned to trust in God.
Taking matters into their own hands, there followed a period when she determined she would present Jacob with children at any price and accordingly arranged for him to take Bilhah, her maid, to wife, with the understanding that she would claim any children to whom Bilhah would give birth. Through this marriage two additional sons were brought into the family — Dan and Naphtali. How displeased God must have been to see this resort to the flesh instead of waiting on Him.
ML-10/09/1966