Happy Monday, to each of you! Hope you found the tale of Jacob and Esau interesting! As I mentioned, Esau married outside Judism, while Jacob was sent back to Rebekah's original home in Haran to seek a wife from the daughters of Rebekah's brother, Laban. Also, remember, Jacob was running for his life; Esau might have murdered him, because of Jacob's deceitfulness in gaining the blessing of his father, which gave Jacob the right of inheritance.
On the trail, Jacob stopped for the night, lying on stony ground. He put one of the larger stones under his head and lay down to sleep. He had a dream of a stairway which began on earth, rising to heaven. God's angels were ascending and descending on the stairway, looking up. Above the stairs stood the Lord, who said, "I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham, the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out in all directions. All people will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go."
When Jacob awakened, he took the stone he had used as a pillow, set it up as a pillar and poured oil over it. He called that place Bethel(earlier Luz). There he made a vow, "As the Lord has promised His welfare to me, this that I have set up "will be God's house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth."
As Jacob moved on, he entered the land of the eastern people. There he saw a well in the field and nearby, a flock of sheep. A very large stone covered the mouth of the well which would be rolled away by shepherds watering their sheep, and would be returned to the well before their leaving.
Joseph spoke to the shepherds, asking where they were from. "Haran," they answered, and Joseph then asked, "Do you know Laban?" 'Yes, we know Laban. And here comes his daughter, Rachel, with their sheep."
Jacob, filled with delight by the beauty of the girl, rolled away the stone from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle's sheep. Then, smitten with the idea that she might be his bride, he kissed Rachel and began to weep with deep sobs, thrilled to be at the place of his people.
Rachel had run to tell her father, Laban, that Jacob had come. And Laban remembered Isaac, Jacob's father, and warmed to Jacob, saying, "You are my own flesh and blood. Welcome!" Jacob was made part of the family and worked along side of Laban's sons. After a month, Laban spoke to Jacob, "Just because you are a relative of mine, should you work for me for nothing?" Tell me what you want in wages."
Now Laban had two daughters. the oldest was Leah, who had weak eyes, and the younger was Rachel. Jacob, who already loved Rachel, said, "I'll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter, Rachel." Laban answered indirectly, "It's better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me." So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, but because of his love for her, it only seemed like a few days.
Then, Jacob said to Laban seven years later, "Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to be with her." Laban, still full of trickery, took his daughter, Leah, and gave her to Jacob along with a servant girl for Leah, named Zilpah, as was the custom when affordable in that day.
When morning came, Jacob saw Leah and knew he had been deceived. Livid, he stormed out of the tent, and asked why the deception! And Laban justified his actions, "It is not our custom to give the younger daughter in marriage before the elder. Finish this daughter's bridal week; then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work for me."
And Jacob did just that. When he had finished the bridal week for Leah, Laban gave him Rachel to be his wife, also. Laban also gave a servant, Bildad, to his daughter, Rachel.
Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah. And he worked for Laban seven more years. (End of today's story.)
Poor man! What must it have been like to have four women to care for and care about? More of this tomorrow. You might just try and put yourself in the place of Jacob, Rachel, or Leah. Laban, the clever one, is getting paid back at Jacob for the trickery Jacob played on his brother Esau in yesterday's story. Maybe God believes in what goes around, comes around. What do you think?
Magnificent Mess, I'd say. But God loves Jacob as imperfect as he is and He even loves Laban, although I wonder if Laban believes it! But, anyway, Thanks be to God, he loves me, too.
And the same for you!
Jo INMN
No comments:
Post a Comment