Scripture and Observation:
Jacob makes it to his uncle’s house and agrees to work for him for seven years in exchange for Laben’s second daughter Rachel. When the time was due, Laben switched daughters on Jacob at the wedding and offered up his older daughter Leah. Jacob came out in the morning and asked what had happened. Laban said the oldest must marry before the younger, and that after a week Jacob could have Rachel if Jacob agreed to serve another seven years. The deal was struck and so Jacob had two wives, each with a maidservant.
Seeing how unloved Leah was, God allowed her to have the first four sons. Rachel got jealous and offered up her maid to Jacob, so that she might bear sons ‘through’ her. Bilhah had two sons. Then Leah threw her own made in the mix who had two more sons. There is a mirroring of the events surrounding Esau selling his birthright to Jacob for stew when Rachel sells a night with Jacob to Leah for mandrakes. Leah bears two more sons. Then she had a daughter, Dinah. Finally Rachel has Joseph, her first born son.
After the 11th son, Jacob asks Laban to be released from servanthood, since the full fourteen years had passed. Laban isn’t interested is letting Jacob go, since he’s grown rich on his labor. Jacob can’t be dissuaded from wanting to go, asking when will he ever be able to work to provide for his own family. They strike a new deal to separate the flocks according to striped and spotted versus solid colors. Jacob carefully mated the flock to make the strong animals flecked and the weak animals solid, building up his own heard.
Jesus just finished giving some straight talk to the Pharisees and experts in the law. Now he gives some straight talk to everyone. We are to avoid the teaching of hypocrisy. We are loved! We are valuable! he knows us and have nothing to fear. Unless of course we deny Jesus. If so, he will deny us. We do not even need to worry about how to defend ourselves. The Holy Spirit will supply our every need.
Then someone calls out to Jesus to make his brother to divide the family inheritance with him. Jesus says that is not his job and tells people to avoid all forms of greed. Even when one has everything, all they have is everything. The teaching that follows echoes Matt 6. We don’t need to worry, and we don’t need to store things up here. God will take care of our material needs and we need to seek our spiritual treasure.
Next Jesus tells the people to be on guard. We must live aware that we know not the hour He will return. Peter asks who Jesus is addressing and Jesus answers that the one put in charge of the slaves and treats them well will be entrusted with more. But the master who beats the slaves, is in woe.
Jesus speaks about his own impending death and that families will be divided over His name. We must open our eyes and see Truth just as we are able to see coming weather. The chapter ends with Jesus warning against using powers of this earth to settle disagreements, or will be held to the laws of the land.
Application And Prayer
It is interesting how often momentous things happen at a well. Rebekah and Zipporah were discovered as wives. Jesus met the Samaritan, and here, Jacob meets Rachel. I suppose considering the well is a rather regular destination, it only stands to reason that SOME eventful things occur on occasion. I suppose it is akin to a Laundromat or grocery store today.
The passages in Genesis with the competitive birthing between Leah and Rachel are at once funny in their ridiculousness and heartbreaking in its seriousness. Because of the back and forthing and one upmanship attitude between the sisters, it is easy to forget that people and lives are at the heart of the matter. Names of children, servants sleeping with the master, selling sex… It is so petty and difficult to imagine life within this family wasn’t full of unbearable tension. And, by the way, where was Jacob? It seems he allowed for jealousy and selfishness rule the home. He is not much better in his dealings with his uncle. These two men only see one another as a means to an end. A relationship of convenience.
How easy it is to get involved in this type of pettiness. How easy it is to see other human beings as pawns in your own private game of chess. When we allow a foothold to Satan, we allow him far more than we fool ourselves to believe. Lord, please reveal to me where I have gotten small and silly. Open my eyes and change my heart so that I might see the Truth and worship you with my every breath and every relationship!
The Luke chapter is a healing one. It is so easy to get caught up in the need to keep up with the demands of life in our own strength. Right now our van and washing machine are broken. We didn’t make the mortgage this month, either. My husband needs to go spend at least a week in Sacramento to be with his brother through a risky surgery. That means I am without transportation for that stretch of time, my husband isn’t working overtime, and buying most of his meals at restaurants. It is SO easy for the list to pile onto my shoulders. It is so easy to forget about relationships when I am calculating expenses. Father, be patient with me as you continue to remind me how faithful and complete a provider You are.
Luke 12:9 I pray for forgiveness on behalf of my in-laws here. I pray they will confess the name of Jesus before time runs out.
Notes: I like the condensing! It fits my brain.
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Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts!