Genesis 29 has a lot of intriguing events. First, there is Jacob at the well where the shepherds gather to water their sheep. Jacob chides the lazy shepherds who are there for not continuing to graze their sheep. He tells them, “Water the sheep and take them back out to pasture.” They complain that they can’t because the stone is too heavy and they have to wait on the others to move the stone. It is interesting that when pretty Rachel comes with her sheep that Jacob moves the stone by himself. Could possibly Jacob have been showing off for Rachel? This account shows that Jacob is both a man of strength and authority. He is not afraid to challenge the customs and apparently has great physical strength.
Laban tricking Jacob is very ironic. The trickster gets tricked. Jacob thinking he is working seven years for beautiful Rachel gets the less attractive older sister Leah. And then gets stuck with working another seven years for Rachel as well. The bearing of the twelve sons and founders of the twelve tribes of Israel is surprising. They are born out of envy, strife and chaos. God blesses Leah with having the first three sons. Through their names and reactions you can see the growth of Leah. Her first son she named Reuben (the Lord has looked upon my misery) she surmised that the Lord saw her misery and through the birth of her son that her husband would love her. Then the second son she named Simeon (the Lord has heard that I am hated) and she believes this son was given to make up for the love she didn’t receive from her husband. Her third child was named Judah (I will praise the Lord) in which she finally gets it that children are a gift from God. This is how life and the gift of children are to be viewed. They are all a gift from God. God is to be praised at the birth of a child.
“O Lord of life and love, I praise You for the gift of life. Help us to remember that every one is a precious gift from You. I pray this in the precious name of Jesus. Amen.”
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4 comments:
How was Jacob a trickster, or being deceitful?
when jacob and rebecca tricked issac for blessing
ohh. ok.
Surely, Rachel was the one chosen by God for Jacob, but he has to be patient and wait on God's timing for it to come true.
In our hectic lives of instantaneous happenings, we are often discouraged when we do not see God blessing us in the way we have prayed or our efforts seem to be working against us, instead of for us. In these times, we must be reminded that God is not slack and His hand is not shortened and He will do all He says He will do. I believe that is the true meaning of trust - keeping on even when what you are experiencing does not bear out what you have prayed for and what you felt that God had led to you to do.
I have heard of ministers and missionaries who worked all their lives without seeing the results their hearts had desired but kept on working and doing what they felt led to do and the results sometimes came after their lives had ended.
Father, Help me to trust You and not look at circumstances."
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