Gen 29:15-30 · Read 10 min · think and write 15 min
In the last lesson, Jacob met God at Bethel. He went on his way, “and came to the land of the children of the east” (Gen 29:1).
At the well outside Haran he met Rachel, the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother. He rolled the stone from the well’s mouth and watered the flock for her (Gen 29:10). “Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept” (Gen 29:11). When Laban heard, “he ran to meet Jacob, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house” (Gen 29:13), and said to him, “Surely you are my bone and my flesh” (Gen 29:14).
Jacob stayed with Laban for a month. This lesson begins when Laban asks Jacob what his wages should be.
15Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what will your wages be?”
16Laban had two daughters. The name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.
17Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and attractive.
18Jacob loved Rachel. He said, “I will serve you seven years for Rachel, your younger daughter.”
19Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you, than that I should give her to another man. Stay with me.”
20Jacob served seven years for Rachel. They seemed to him but a few days, for the love he had for her.
21Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in to her.”
22Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast.
23In the evening, he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to Jacob. He went in to her.
24Laban gave Zilpah his servant to his daughter Leah for a servant.
25In the morning, behold, it was Leah! He said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Didn’t I serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?”
26Laban said, “It is not done so in our place, to give the younger before the firstborn.
27Fulfill the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which you will serve with me for seven more years.”
28Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week. He gave him Rachel his daughter as wife.
29Laban gave Bilhah, his servant, to his daughter Rachel to be her servant.
30He went in also to Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him seven more years.
Wages. After Jacob had stayed with him a month, Laban said: “Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what will your wages be?” (v. 15). The passage then tells us: “Laban had two daughters. The name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel” (v. 16).
But a few days. “Jacob loved Rachel. He said, ‘I will serve you seven years for Rachel, your younger daughter’” (v. 18). Laban said: “It is better that I give her to you, than that I should give her to another man. Stay with me” (v. 19). “Jacob served seven years for Rachel. They seemed to him but a few days, for the love he had for her” (v. 20).
In the morning. When the seven years were done, “Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast” (v. 22). “In the evening, he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to Jacob” (v. 23). “In the morning, behold, it was Leah!” and Jacob said to Laban: “What is this you have done to me? Didn’t I serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?” (v. 25).
The custom of the place. Laban said: “It is not done so in our place, to give the younger before the firstborn” (v. 26). And he said: “Fulfill the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which you will serve with me for seven more years” (v. 27). “Jacob did so” (v. 28); he married Rachel, “and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him seven more years” (v. 30).
The LORD saw Leah. After this, the passage turns to Leah: “The LORD saw that Leah was hated, and he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren” (v. 31). Leah bore four sons, and each time she named one, she said something. At Reuben: “Because the LORD has looked at my affliction; for now my husband will love me” (v. 32). At Simeon: “Because the LORD has heard that I am hated, he has therefore given me this son also” (v. 33). At Levi: “Now this time my husband will be joined to me, because I have borne him three sons” (v. 34). At Judah: “This time I will praise the LORD” (v. 35).
Two sayings. In the morning, Jacob said: “Why then have you deceived me?” (v. 25). Before, Isaac had said to Esau: “Your brother came with deceit, and has taken away your blessing” (Gen 27:35). The passage records both, and does not connect them to say anything.
Many generations later, at the gate of Bethlehem, the elders and the people blessed Boaz as he married Ruth: “May the LORD make the woman who has come into your house like Rachel and like Leah, which both built the house of Israel” (Ruth 4:11).
Readers can see this: what later Israelites remembered was Rachel and Leah — the two of them together built the house of Israel.
Perhaps you, too, have given many years to something; perhaps only in the ‘morning’ did you find it was not what you thought. Perhaps, like Leah, you feel you always come second in your own home.
This lesson does not speak for anyone in this family, and it does not say who was right or wrong. What it shows you is this: Jacob served seven years for the one he loved, and “They seemed to him but a few days” (v. 20); deceived, he served seven more (v. 30). And the passage sees Leah too: “The LORD saw that Leah was hated, and he opened her womb” (v. 31). A psalm says: “I will be glad and rejoice in your loving kindness, for you have seen my affliction” (Ps 31:7).
This week: Think of someone near you who may feel they ‘come second’ — at home, at church, or at work. This week, go and talk with them, and let them know someone has noticed them.
Scripture: World English Bible.