Leah and Rachel

If you grew up in a Jewish family and had at least three sisters, then two of your sisters would have been named Leah and Rachel. The importance of these two women in Jewish history cannot be understated. Together they would bear the 12 children who would one day make up the twelve tribes of Israel. After leaving Bethel, Jacob comes upon Rachel and sees her for the first time as she is herding her father’s sheep towards the community well. Remember, Jacob was on the run, fleeing from his home because he had tricked his father and brother out of his birthright and Esau was bent on revenge. Rebekah, Jacob’s mother, sends him to live with her brother Laban in Haran. As Rachel is herding the sheep towards Jacob he is literally overwhelmed with her beauty; her form and appearance.

We read in Genesis 29:20 “So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed only a few days to him because of the love he had for her.” Seven years seems to be quite a chunk of time to work for your future wife but when the time had been fulfilled, Jacob discovers Laban has tricked him and secretly given him his oldest daughter Leah. At wedding ceremonies in those days, the bride would have been heavily veiled so she couldn’t be seen by anyone. Jacob must have got quite a surprise when he wakes up the next morning and finds Leah sleeping next to him.  

Jacob, the deceiver, is getting his just reward as his Uncle Laban is dishing out the same type of deception that Jacob himself dealt out to Isaac and Esau for the family’s birthright.  In the book of Galatians 6:7, 8 Paul’s words remind us “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to the flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the spirit will of the spirit reap everlasting life”. So let’s not give up doing what is right. Let us all continue to sow good seed, watering it so that God may bring in His harvest at the appointed time.

Jacob, upset with Laban but still consumed with Rachel’s beauty, agrees to work an additional seven years for her. As Leah and Rachel begin to have children, the family is growing and so is Jacob’s desire to leave Laban’s household. Now, before we move on in the story let’s take a quick look at the children born to each of Jacob’s wives and their maids.  Leah was the first to bear children; their names were Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun and Dinah. Her maid, Zilpah, bore Gad and Asher.  Rachel had two sons, Joseph and Benjamin while her maid, Bilhah, also conceived two sons Dan, and Naphtali. 

These children not only represent the very beginning of the twelve tribes but are also the living foundation stones holding up the nation of Israel. One interesting note is found in Genesis 29:30, 31 “Then Jacob also went in to Rachel, and he also loved Rachel more than Leah. When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb;” God honored Leah by allowing her to bear Jacob’s first seven children. He also blessed Leah with being the mother of both the kingly line of Judah and the priestly line of Levi. One day not only would king David, but more importantly Jesus our Messiah, would come from the tribe of Judah.

Genesis 31:17 describes Jacob’s departure from his father-in-law, Laban. One day as Laban is out in his pastures shearing sheep, Jacob gathers all his belongings, wives and children and leaves without saying a good bye. Rachel also goes into her father’s belongings and steals the family’s idols. Interestingly, even Jacob’s household was not fully committed to the Lord, the One True and Living God but they were still worshipping gods of wood and stone. In a way it’s both funny and tragic that Laban’s gods could be gathered up by Rachel, hidden away in saddle bags and stolen.

The scriptures never try and “whitewash” the integrity of its characters. It always lays the truth out for all to see.  God is patiently trying to reveal Himself to the world through this faith filled remnant, the children of Abraham. Remember His promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that through their seed all the families of the earth would be blessed. Thousands of years later, God’s own Son, Jesus, would be born through their family line as predicted through prophecy.

There is, and only ever has been, one God. He chose to reveal Himself to the world through His dealings with one small family clan. This remnant, while not being perfect, still did manage to offer up worship to God through faith. And to this day that is all God requires from each man, woman and child living on the face of the earth: to have faith in Him. By trusting in His provisions for redemption through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus, the entire world is invited to one day live in His presence. Salvation is a free gift from God.