God told them to go to Bethel (Genesis 35:1,5), The family repented, buried their idols and moved to Bethel. It was during the move to Ephrath that Benjamin was born and Rachel died. Even though Laban didnt set a good example of keeping a promise, God does. 18 Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, Ill work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel..
Genesis 29:20 So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, yet it He had nothing to offer Laban for his daughter, so his labor was promised in lieu of a dowry. Unexpected uint64 behaviour 0xFFFF'FFFF'FFFF'FFFF - 1 = 0? 18:18; 1 Tim. He is the one who is responsible for your barrenness. What were the most popular text editors for MS-DOS in the 1980s? If Jacob wanted to marry Rachel as well, he would owe Laban another seven years of labor. Dinah is also 17). Look, finally, at love through deep sorrow. So Jacob gathered his wives and children and his belongings and he slipped away while Laban was out shearing his sheep. Jacob worked a total of 20 years for Laban (Gen 31:38). And Jacob lost his cool, Then Jacobs anger burned against Rachel, and he said, Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb? (Gen. 30:2). But they buried Rachel by the side of the road leading from Bethlehem to Jerusalem. WebRachel Jacobs (October 3, 1975 May 12, 2015) [1] [2] was an American businesswoman and social entrepreneur. After stealing his older brother's inheritance, Jacob feared his brother's wrath and fled to Harran. And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her. Genesis 30:26 Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served thee, and let me go: for thou knowest my service which I have done thee. We first meet Jacob in Genesis 25, when he is born as the second of twin boys who comes from the womb grasping his older brothers heel. Only one ancient account mentions the existence of Xerxes Canal, long thought to be a tall tale. You're right, we're never given Benjamin's age so we can't link him to his brothers that way. One great test of true love, therefore, is the ability to wait. At the top stood God, reaffirming his covenant with Abraham that now passed to Jacob: The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring (Genesis 28:13). Finding the distance from a corner of a cube to the midpoint of an edge, What are the arguments for/against anonymous authorship of the Gospels. But what good did it do her? 4:11). He was made to work for seven years for Rachel and another seven years for Leah. What is the difference between a blessing and a birthright (Genesis 25)? The assent on the part of Laban cannot be accounted for from the custom of selling daughters to husbands, for it cannot be shown that the purchase of wives was a general custom at that time; but is to be explained solely on the ground of Laban's selfishness and avarice, which came out still more plainly afterwards.
(g) Meaning after the years were accomplished. Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! So if Jacob has already worked 7 years and then agrees to work another 7 years, how many years total did Jacob work for Laban in order to get Rachel as his wife??? Just as Jacob reminded Laban that it was time to take his wife (29:21), so he must seek his release so that he might return to his homeland and family. Jacob's flocks grazed as far south as Hebron, because. Eventually, his mother helps him steal Esaus birthright and blessing, and Jacob flees his brothers wrath. Im ready to consummate my marriage. Laban invited everyone around and threw a big feast. Jacob built an altar and called it betel or Bethel (the house of God). Unauthorized use is prohibited. Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular, Seven, seven times, a week, an indefinite number, Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular, Preposition-b | Noun - cdc | third person masculine singular, Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular, Direct object marker | third person feminine singular, Untranslatable mark of the accusative case. Rachel was never completely happy with what she had. Laban had tricked Jacob and gave him his older daughter, Leah. Jacob waited, and his romantic love at first sight grew to become a deep bond of spirit and a total commitment of soul. Laban had given Leah to Jacob. But the end is not yet. Jacob worked with Labans large flock of sheep for the entirety of those seven years. She had to have everything she wanted or life was not worth living. Their story comprises a large portion of the Old Testament, and while on the surface it might not be easy to understand the deeper truth behind their complicated romance, it teaches us much about the vast and merciful love God has for each of us. (I), 25When morning came, there was Leah! We know this because Benjamin was a father when they went into Egypt 22 years after leaving Succoth (Joseph 17 years old - 39 years old). What could Rachel have done to overcome her jealous discontentment? If the null hypothesis is never really true, is there a point to using a statistical test without a priori power analysis? 17 Leah looked rather plain, but Rachel was lovely in form and appearance. WebJacob is 84 years old. So one day Jacob went to Laban and told him that the 7 years is up and he was ready to marry his daughter. I don't know why I didn't think of running through the chronology myself! Rachel's death (shortly after giving birth to Benjamin) is record in Genesis 35:16-18. Entries in this series are excerpts from the National Geographic special issue, The little-known history of the Florida panther. But do you know what? Finish the following statement as you might have done before reading this chapter: I could be happy if only . Now that shows a lot of love! She was killed at age 39 in the 2015 Philadelphia train Gen 30 describes the birth of the first 11 sons (and 1 daughter, Dinah) of Jacob born in the that second 7 year period. As a result I've always tried to guesstimate the length of their marriage from the age difference between Benjamin and his older brothers, but unless some details are hiding in the original Hebrew that are lost in translation, it doesn't seem to me that there are enough details in Genesis to have any real idea. Is it well with him? he questioned. This means that it was a minimum of 13 years in Paddan-aram plus at least 2 more years that Jacob was married to Rachel. What do I do about calling a priest father at my Catholic University? Too many couples marry in haste and repent at leisure. She wanted her husband rather than her brothers to have the largest share of the family inheritance so she could benefit from it too. How to reconcile the number of people that went down to Egypt with Jacob? Let them ask God to continue to keep His promises. His death is recorded in Genesis 49roughly half of the Book of Genesis. Jacob was so upset. When you get a chance, please take the, from your pastor, priest, or other trustworthy counselor, New blog post from our CEO Prashanth: Community is the future of AI, Improving the copy in the close modal and post notices - 2023 edition. And the events that follow should be evidence enough that bigamy was never part of Gods plan for the human race. Laban said it would be very good for Rachel to marry Jacob. How to Have Joy in Your Golden Years Despite These 10 Life A God-Centered Life: 10 Faith-Based Practices When Youre Feeling Anxious, Grumpy, or Stressed, California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Genesis: Baker Commentary on the Old Testament Pentateuch by John Goldingay. God always keeps His promises no matter what. One month is hardly sufficient time for us to get to know someone well enough to make a lifelong commitment, and it surely is not enough time to learn whether or not we are in love. She said, With mighty wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister, and I have indeed prevailed (Gen. 30:8).
NIV, Biblical Theology Study Bible, Comfort Print: Follow Gods Redemptive Plan as It Unfolds throughout Scripture, NIV, Lucado Encouraging Word Bible, Comfort Print: Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV, Story of Jesus: Experience the Life of Jesus as One Seamless Story, NIV, Beautiful Word Bible Journal, Galatians, Paperback, Comfort Print, NIV, The Story: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People, NIV, Verse Mapping Bible, Comfort Print: Find Connections in Scripture Using a Unique 5-Step Process. Leah, not to be outdone, realized she had stopped bearing children, so she gave over her servant, Zilpah, to Jacob, and Zilpah bore two sins: Gad and Asher (v. 11-13). It isolated her in a grim world of loneliness. But archaeology is confirming that Persia's engineering triumph was real. The possessor of those images was accepted as the principal heir of the family, even if he was only a son-in-law. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. Some of these things are important and need to be talked out. They get upset because they sleep too late, eat too much, waste too much time, or spend too much money. Jacob, by now humbled after his treachery and desperate for family ties and a place to call home, falls madly in love with Rachel. In the pressure of that bigamous relationship, Rachels true character began to surface. 6. And they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her. See. How could Jacob wrestle with God if no one can see God and live? When we last saw Jacob he was running from Beersheba for his life, fleeing the vengeance of his brother Esau. This lovely little Rachel seems to have been a shrew! We have seen Jacobs love at first sight and his love under great stress. and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her; for though to lovers time seems long ere they enjoy the object beloved; yet Jacob here respects not so much the time as the toil and labour of service he endured in it; he thought that seven years' service was a trifle, like the service of so many days, in comparison of the lovely and worthy person he obtained thereby; all that he endured was nothing in comparison of her, and through the love he bore to her: besides, the many pleasant hours he spent in conversation with her made the time slide on insensibly, so that it seemed to be quickly gone; which shows that his love was pure and constant. Jacobs overt favoritism toward Rachel had prompted God to keep Rachels womb closed, but Rachels love was ultimately redeemed when she gave birth to a boy named Joseph, Jacobs favorite (Genesis 30:24-25). Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. God loves you so much that He would do anything to help you. I'm not sure if the exact value may be calculated today so that we may know if the value he was placing on Rachel was more than or equal to the standard rate that was expected for a bride. When Laban heard that his nephew had come, he ran out to meet Jacob. But we get another glimpse into Rachels selfish nature when Bilhahs second son is born. Jacob had two wives, they were the daughters of Laban, their names were rachel and Leah. 2124 Then Jacob said to Laban, Give me my wife; Ive completed what we agreed Id do. Pray with your kids and have them thank God for His love for them. Some couples get angry with God for not giving them children, while others who do have children look forward to the day when the kids will be grown and gone and they can have some peace and quiet. And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him. How Can I Recognize and Understand the Holy Spirit Better? It was only one month after Jacob arrived in Haran that Uncle Laban approached him to see if they could work out a mutually acceptable wage arrangement. She was saying essentially, if I cant have my own way, Id rather be dead. Here was a woman who had almost everything in lifegreat physical beauty, all the material things she needed, and the adoring devotion of a loving husband. Why did you deceive me?, 26 But Laban responded, Its not the practice of our place to give the younger one in marriage before the firstborn. What could Jacob have done to help her? How many years did Jacob serve laban? By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. Rachel, in Genesis, the first book of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), one of the two wives of the patriarch Jacob. What characteristics bother you the most? So Jacob went in to Jacob stayed married to Leah, but a week later he also took Rachel as his wifeworking an additional seven years for her ( Genesis 29:2728 ). 2 Jacob flew into a rage. Following his deception of Esau, Jacob left Beersheba (Gen 28:9) and went to Paddan-aram (Gen 29) and worked for his uncle Laban for 7 years (Gen 29:20) for the hand of Rachel but ended up having to marry Leah as well as Rachel (v27). When he brought them home and presented them to his mother, Rachel saw them and decided she wanted some too. After these 11 sons and a daughter, Jacob took his family and returned to his homelandafter still more trickery, deception, and conflict with his cousin and father-in-law, Laban. Some wives are discontented with their husbands. How do the interferometers on the drag-free satellite LISA receive power without altering their geodesic trajectory? Seven years is a long time to wait, and I think Jacob really did grow to love Rachel during those years. So now they've been married 24 years. Tricking someone into marriage is dangerous business, but it is still being done today. My time is completed, and I want to make love to her. also Lev. Since they are contrasted with her older sister Leahs, which had no brightness or sparkle, they must have been dark and lustrous, captivatingly beautiful. Benjamin was born, but Rachel didn't survive. Soon after his arrival in Harran, Jacob fell in love with the beautiful and lovely Rachel, daughter of his cousin Laban (Genesis 29:17). In spite of their complicated courtship and marriage, Jacob and Rachel had a deep and passionate love for each other. Do you feel jealousy toward some other person? This site is a proud member of the Salem Web Network, a subsidiary of, Copyright 2023, Crosswalk.com. But from the beginning we are a little dubious about the match.