Love~ Rachel & Leah

As I read though the word, I find it so fascinating to read about family and relationship dynamics, how hard they were back then, just as they are today. Consider Cain and Abel, Joseph and his brothers and the sister relationship between Rachel and Leah.

Rachel and Leah. It starts off with Jacob who had a fight with his brother about their inheritance. His mother, Rebekah, told Jacob to leave and go visit her brother, Laban, who lived far away.

Jacob left and came to a well (It seems a lot of things happen at a well in the Bible). He started asking shepherds about Laban’s family. The shepherds showed him Rachel (Labans daughter, Jacobs cousin) coming with her sheep. She was a shepherdess.

He approached her and watered her flock… then he kissed her and wept over finding family. She took him home and he met his uncle Laban and everyone was happy.

Jacob stayed and worked for Laban for one month. Laban wanted to pay Jacob and asked him what payment he wanted.

Laban had 2 daughters:

Leah, the oldest. The Bible says she had eyes that did not sparkle.

Rachel, the younger sister and the Bible says she was beautiful and had a lovely face.

Now Jacob was in love with Rachel… so he told Laban he will work for him for 7 years if after that time he would be allowed to marry Rachel. And Laban agree’d.

Now Jacob’s love for Rachel was so strong that the Bible says the 7 years only seemed a few days to Jacob.

Then the wedding and the wedding feast came. But, Laban switched the sisters and gave Leah to Jacob instead of Rachel.

Now I’m not sure how this happened but the Bible says it was dark and Jacob had no idea until the next day that the girls had been switched. He approached Laban and Laban said it was not custom to marry the younger daughter before the older daughter.

So Laban made a deal with Jacob. He told Jacob to wait one week after the bridal week was over and then Jacob could marry Rachel if he promises to work 7 more years for Laban.

Can you imagine what these sisters must have felt? One was loved by their husband and the other wasn’t. One was wanted, the other wasn’t. This most likely caused all kinds of problems and the Bible has a beautiful way of showing us…

The Lord saw that Leah was unloved and so he let her have children. She gave birth to a son and named him Reuben (which means- He has seen my misery).

Then she gave birth to another son, Simeon (which means- One who hears).

And then she gave birth to another son, Levi (which means-feelings of affection).

Once again she Leah had another son, Judah (meaning Praise).

When you hear what Leah named her sons, we can see her feelings and emotions she must have felt. Miserable, unheard, desiring to be loved… and we see how God met her in those feelings, by hearing and loving her.

At this point Rachel couldn’t conceive and she became very jealous. So she asked her servant to give birth to a child.

The first son from Rachel’s servant was name Dan (which means- vindicated).

Then the servant had another son, and he is named Naphtali (which means- my struggle).

At this point we see how Rachel is feeling… I have struggled with my sister and I have been liberated!

When Leah heard of Rachel’s servant having children, she asked her servant to give birth as well.

The first son from Leah’s servant was named Gad (which means-good fortune).

And then another son came from the servant and Leah names him Asher (which means-happy).

At one point Rachel asks her sister to share some mandrakes that her son Reuben had picked (mandrakes taste like a lemon and is meant for fertility purposes). Her sister, Leah, says… “Wasn’t it enough that you stole my husband, now you’re going to steal my son’s mandrakes?”

Do you see what I see? Sibling rivalry at its best.

Leah has another son of her own and names him Issachar (which means-reward) and then another, Zebulon (which means-honor).

All this time though, Rachel was unable to have a baby and then the Lord finally remembered her and she gave birth to a son and named him Joseph (which means-may He add).

As I watch these sisters hearts as they make their way through life it makes me wonder if they ever did end up getting along and loving each other? Did they ever really see one another and try to understand each other? How often in our own lives do we this way feel as we walk in relationships with our own family and friends. I know I have often felt unseen, sometimes miserable in my own struggles with others.

But God tells us how to love and act towards our family and others…

1 Corinthians 13:4-6 “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.”

Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”

1 Thessalonians 5:15 ”Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.”

Romans 12:21

“Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.”

It wasn’t the sister’s fault they ended up marrying Jacob. Their father made that happen. If only they could of seen each other… and how each other felt.

Leah felt alone and unloved

Rachel felt wronged and betrayed.

Let’s pray we can do it differently…be different in our relationships with others. Let’s love and let love lead the way. Let’s be world changers.

The coolest part about this story and our own story is that God is always in control and He will take any situation and work it for good, especially for those who Love Him and have been called according to His purpose. He took this sibling rivalry and worked it for good. These sons eventually became the 12 tribes of Israel… and from the line Judah… came Jesus.

Romans 8:28

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

Blooming Challenge: Let’s love just like Jesus and make it how we do life. Let’s be world changers!

Read

Genesis 29

1 Corinthians 13:4-6

Ephesians 4:32

1 Thessalonians 5:15

Romans 12:21