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Sunday School
A Bride Worth Waiting For (Genesis 29:15–30)
caught Jacob’s eye. Rachel was described as having a lovely figure and was beautiful. Jacob was smit- ten. Jacob was in love with Rachel. One of the most ro- mantic verses in the Bible says, So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.
There was one problem though for the relationship between Jacob and Rachel to be defined. That problem was Rachel’s older sister, Leah. She had not yet mar- ried (a cultural issue) and she had a droopy eye.
Jacob served seven years for Rachel. He was ready to consummate the marriage (v. 21). Laban’s family sent out “save the date” cards and prepared for the big day. The wedding came, the entire village showed up, and the feast was no doubt elaborate.
But Laban deceived the
deceiver. Laban took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob made love to her. In an additional cultural act, Laban gave Leah’s atten- dant, Zilpah, to Jacob as well. Genesis 29:21-25a.
One can appreciate the shocking phrase, When morning came, there was Leah. Why would Jacob not have known? We have our guesses, but we don’t truly know how her identity was hidden. All we know is that Jacob was tricked.
“Oh, what a tangled web we weave, When first we practice to deceive!” Simi- lar words must have echoed in Jacob’s conscience, “Why have you deceived me?” Laban had deceived Jacob, but Laban dismissed it due to culture and made a new arrangement with Jacob—an additional seven years of work. Genesis 29:25b-30
Jacob complied. He ful-
filled the bridal week with Leah, took Rachel as his wife, and began the next seven years of work. He also received Bilhah, Rachel’s attendant. What goes around comes around. What a man sows that will he also reap (Galatians 6:7).
Regardless of all the bizarre circumstances in this story (and how morally compromised it makes us feel), Jacob really loved Rachel and thought she was worth waiting for—this is the first level of under- standing the story. Jacob had his name changed from deceiver to striver (Israel) and became the head of the Israelite nation—this is the second level of understand- ing the story.
Finally, Leah, who did not feel loved, ended up bearing Judah from whom Jesus descended. And Jesus also thinks there is a bride still worth waiting for.
Proverbs 13:12 says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire ful- filled is a tree of life”
The new year starts in Genesis with the Jacob nar- rative. Jacob is the 3rd patri- arch (following Abraham and Isaac). Due to a major deception, Jacob found himself estranged from his parents, Isaac and Re- bekah, and alienated from his brother, Esau. He was staying in Haran with his mother’s brother, who was Jacob’s equal in trickery.
Laban wanted to define his relationship with Jacob,
and Jacob wanted to define his relationship with Rachel. Genesis 29:15- 20. Laban went first. “Tell me what your wages should be.” Because Jacob had to “get out of Dodge” (Beersheba) hurriedly, he had left home with next to nothing. His only bargain- ing chip was work. But Laban had something Jacob desired: “I’ll work for you seven years in return for your youngest daugh- ter Rachel.” Laban was de- lighted and signed on the dotted line.
Rachel had more than
FRIDAY, JANUARY 1, 2016 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 9-A