Jacob and Rachel: Genesis 29-30:25

Have you ever heard of the word “providence”? Providence is a special word. Nothing happens apart from God’s providence. Some people use other words instead. They’ll say, “I was lucky,” or “it just happened by chance.” But we should not use those words. Things do not happen because of luck but because of providence.

Sometimes a person will miss a train, and then the train will get in a serious accident. Or a man’s car accident will happen right in front of a doctor’s house! We can say that it was God’s providence that saved those people’s lives! God cares for His people so much that He makes even bad things turn out for their good!

It was providence that brought Jacob right to the well where his Uncle Laban’s sheep were brought. Jacob began talking to some men at the well and found out that they knew his uncle!

“Look,” said one shepherd, pointing. “Here comes his daughter Rachel right now.”

I think you can see that it was through providence that Rachel had come to the well just at the time when Jacob was there. Jacob felt very humble and thankful. He kissed his cousin Rachel, which was his way of saying “hello.” Then he helped her to give her sheep some water.

Rachel was excited to find out who this stranger was! Quickly she hurried home to tell her father Laban. When Laban invited Jacob to stay at their house, he did so. He helped his uncle with the fields, the sheep, and other chores.

Jacob didn’t want Laban to pay him for all his help because he felt like part of the family. But one day Laban said, “Jacob, I really should pay you for all this work you have done! What would you like?”

Jacob thought about this. His uncle had two daughters who were very nice. Leah was kind and loved God, but it was Rachel who was really special to Jacob. He loved her and wanted to marry her.

“I love your daughter Rachel,” Jacob told his uncle. “I will work seven more years if I can then marry her.” Laban liked this idea. So for seven more years Jacob helped his uncle. Seven years is really a long time! Just think how long it takes a baby before he becomes seven years old! That’s quite a while, isn’t it? But for Jacob the time went quickly.

Finally the day came. Laban had a big wedding for Jacob! Jacob was happy to finally marry Rachel. The girls in those days wore a veil over their face until they were married, so it wasn’t until the next morning that Jacob found out that Laban had tricked him. Laban had given him the wrong daughter as his wife. His new wife was not Rachel but Leah!

Jacob was quite angry at his uncle. He asked Laban, “Why did you do this to me? Didn’t I work seven years for Rachel? Why did you trick me?”

“Oh,” said Laban, “that’s the way we always do it here. The oldest girl must be married first.”

I’m sure that suddenly Jacob remembered how he had tricked his own father. We may forget but God doesn’t forget. The Bible tells us, “Be sure that your sins will find you out.” This means that God sees every one of the bad things that we do. The Lord hates and punishes sins; we too will be punished somehow, maybe even by our own children, for our sins, unless the Lord Jesus was punished in our place.

Laban gave Rachel to Jacob, but he still had to work another seven years in order to have her! This was mean of Laban, wasn’t it? But finally the seven years were over. Both Rachel and Leah were his wives.

But — there was one problem. Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah and let her know it. He was nicer to Rachel, did more things for her, and ignored Leah.

Leah was very sad that her husband didn’t love her. She prayed and cried to God, and He heard her. He blessed her by giving her children but He did not give any to Rachel. That made Rachel very jealous of Leah.

One day she became angry at Jacob. “Give me children,” she cried, “or I will die!” This was wrong for her to say, wasn’t it?

Jacob became angry as well. “Is it my fault? I’m not the one to give you children!”

Poor Rachel. She could only pray to God and ask Him for His help. And God answered her prayers. Soon Rachel was blessed with two little boys, Joseph and Benjamin.

Now Rachel was happy even though Leah still had more children. Rachel found out that the only place she could go for help was to God in prayer. The Bible tells us that we should go to God when we need help. Always remember this.

—SW

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