Genesis Part 046

It is often thought that Jacob worked for seven years and was tricked into marrying Leah and then had to work another seven years before marrying Rachel. This was not the case. Jacob married Rachel at the end of one week (the marriage feast/week). Then, after marrying Rachel, he worked an additional seven years for her. We previously looked at the great difficulty of barrenness, but also how Leah viewed the love that having children would gain her with Jacob. Both women’s trials are sad and difficult. 

Jacob’s arrival in Padan Aram gives us a revealing look at his character. From his conversation with the shepherds gathered at the well, we may observe that Jacob was polite, sociable, and knowledgeable of the business of herding. Jacob’s life “in tents” was not cloistered—he was civilized and refined, and skilled in the family business. Moreover, Jacob was not a pampered weakling. When he saw Rachel, he went and rolled the stone off the mouth of the well. Well stones were massive circular stones of considerable weight.  

Notice in Genesis 29:10 there is a triple reference to “Laban, his mother’s brother.” Some commentators have taken this pointed emphasis to indicate that Jacob’s mind at this point may have been more on attempting to ingratiate himself into the favor of Laban through a favorable report from Rachel, and less on the woman herself. Of course, the tenderness of Jacob’s weeping in verse 11 should demonstrate a genuineness of his feeling regarding meeting up with close relatives. That is only natural and was a part of the culture. Putting all the evidence together, it appears as though Jacob is a cultured, sociable, business-savvy, and physically capable man who, though capable of genuine feeling, is not always genuine in his dealings with others. He is often looking for a way to further his own ends. 

God is about to embark on a long course of working with Jacob toward a humbler self-appraisal—using Laban as a significant tool in the process. Jacob may have been a smooth operator in Canaan, able to run the family business and outwit his elder brother, but he has unknowingly met his match with Laban. When Rachel brought her father the news of Jacob’s arrival, Laban ran to meet him. He was happy to see a visiting relative (verses 13–14) but also, knowing the type of person Laban is, surely thinking back on the gifts that were given for his sister Rebekah (Genesis 24:30). Jacob stayed with Laban for a month, and during that month two things happened: Jacob fell in love with the beautiful Rachel, and Laban observed it. Laban seized the opportunity to get Jacob into his service. He may have even begun planning something when Jacob “told Laban all these things” (verse 13), which no doubt included the reason for his journey to Haran. 

Sensing his opportunity, Laban asked an apparently magnanimous question, 

“Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what should your wages be?” (verse 15). 

Jacob asked for Rachel, as Laban had no doubt anticipated. Laban set Rachel’s bride price at seven years’ service, which Jacob happily rendered. But on the wedding night, Laban substituted Leah for Rachel. Jacob’s senses and wits may have been dulled by festive drinking. Jacob was further blinded by the darkness of the nuptial tent—darkness probably arranged as part of Laban’s conspiracy, which appears to have involved Zilpah (verse 24). Jacob did not realize he had slept with the wrong woman until the morning (verse 25). Laban’s reply when an angry Jacob confronted him was, “It must not be done so in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.” The word “firstborn” must have been a dagger in Jacob’s ears. In his own family, as we read earlier, Jacob had contrived to gain for himself the birthright and blessings that normally would have gone to his own fraternal twin brother, Esau, the firstborn. Jacob’s deviousness was now coming back to haunt him. For committing to another seven years’ service, Jacob obtained Rachel the following week. This sets the stage for a divided, unhappy household. Jacob was reaping what he had sown. 

UYA Team | uya@ucg.org  

United Young Adults (UYA) primarily serves the 18–32-year age group for the United Church of God. There are three main areas of contribution to the lives of the young adults: Promoting Spiritual Growth, Developing Meaningful Relationships, and Making the Most of Your Talents. The Know Your Sword series is a daily expository message introducing God’s Word from a trusted perspective.