… Don't take the first step …
1 And Isaac called Jacob, and
blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of
the daughters of Canaan. 2 Arise, go to Padanaram, to
the house of Bethuel thy mother's father; and take thee a wife from thence of
the daughters of Laban thy mother's brother. 3 And God Almighty bless thee, and
make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of
people; 4 And give thee the blessing of
Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land
wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham. 5 And Isaac sent away Jacob: and
he went to Padanaram unto Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of
Rebekah, Jacob's and Esau's mother. (Gen 28:1-5)
Sarai was the precious, God-given wife of Abram in Ur of the Chaldees. She was
such a perfect mate for Abraham (Abram) that Abraham desired his son, Isaac,
would have such a wife; so, he sent to the remnant of his family for Rebekah. Rebekah was the wife God intended for
Isaac. She was wise and diligent. As the old adage goes, “The apple does not
fall far from the tree.” So now, Isaac sends his son Jacob to take a wife
from the House of Laban (Laban being Rebekah’s brother). He solemnly counsels
Jacob to take no wife from among the unbelieving Canaanites. May this be a
lesson to those young Christian men and ladies who are attracted to unbelievers
– never strike that match for it will burn your whole house down. It is easier
to extinguish a fire while it is only a spark rather than wait until the flames
engulf premises. That means: do not allow temptation in the wrong direction to
grow. Stifle them while they are tender twigs. Lydia Sigourney describes this
best in her poem, The Camel’s Nose. Though this is one of the most oft
quoted poems, it appears in only one published work, “The Posey Ring – Poems
for Children”. It would benefit every child in America to learn this poem
and it’s moral:
The Camel’s Nose
Once in his shop a workman
wrought
With languid hand, and listless
thought,
When through the open window's
space
Behold!-a Camel thrust his face.
"My nose is cold," he
meekly cried,
"Oh, let me warm it by thy
side."
Since no denial word was said,
In came the nose, in came the
head,
As sure as sermon follows text
The long, excursive neck came
next,
And then, as falls the
threatening storm
In leap'd the whole ungainly form
Aghast the owner gazed around,
And on the rude invader frown'd,
Convinc'd as closer still he
prest,
There was no room for such a
guest,
Yet more astonish'd, heard him
say,
"If incommoded, go your way,
For in this place I choose to
stay."
Oh,
youthful hearts, to gladness born,
Treat
not this Arab lore with scorn.
To
evil habit's earliest wile
Lend
neither ear, nor glance, nor smile,
Choke
the dark fountain ere it flows,
Nor
even admit the Camel's Nose.
Well, our friend, Isaac, was a good and well-trained father. He wanted the best
for his son, Jacob, and the best was a mate of his own interests and values –
more importantly, one who was Godly. Should parents prepare their own sons and
daughters for anything less! If you do not, your faith is in question.
So Jacob embarks on the way to Haran by way of Padanaram. His obedience to
Isaac may also have been motivated by his fear of his brother, Esau, who
considered himself defrauded by Jacob. In resentment of the birthright blessing
passing down to Jacob, Esau went out to Ishmael and took a daughter of his
people. This reveals a bit more of Esau’s rebellious character.
Before nuptial love comes the love owed to God by His elect. On the way to
Haran, Jacob stops at Bethel and has his dream of the heavens opening and a
ladder leading up thereto with the Angels of God ascending and descending. God
promises the same promise He had given to Abraham that Jacob would be the
father of so many as the dust of the earth. He sets up an altar there and calls
the place the “gate of heaven.”
Proceeding onward to Haran, Jacob came to a stone-closed well where many flocks
of sheep were gathered. These are very much like the Wells of Living Water that
God has providentially placed in our way that are opened in understanding only
to those who are of the true seed of Abraham by faith. Jacob was the man to
open that well and water the flocks of Laban that were ‘coincidentally’ brought
at that moment to the well by Rachel.
Romanticists speak of “love at first sight,” and in Jacob’s case, this was a
reality when he feasted his eyes upon Rachel. This was a love that would not
find an end in the many disappointments and shortcomings placed before it. From
that instant, Jacob loved Rachel with a sacrificial love; and it was a love
that endured to the end. Rachel’s first son would be a great blessing to Jacob
and all of his brothers. That first son of Rachel was Joseph whom Jacob loved
dearly as well. But before these blessings came to pass, there were many
difficulties for Jacob to cross. It is so often true with such a heartfelt and
tender love. However, Rachel was not the first wife of Jacob – it was her
sister, Leah.
15 And
Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore
serve me for nought? tell me, what shall thy wages be? 16 And Laban had two daughters: the
name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel
was beautiful and well favoured. 18 And Jacob loved Rachel; and
said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter. 19 And Laban said, It is better
that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with
me. 20 And Jacob served seven years for
Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her. (Gen 29:15-20) Jacob labored for Laban, the
father of Leah and Rachel, for seven years in order to marry the beautiful
Rachel. He was promised Rachel for that sacrificial labor. But justice is
circular (what goes around, comes around) and Jacob was swindled into
marrying the older sister, Leah. Leah was a good woman, but it was Rachel that
Jacob loved. That fraud which Jacob had performed against Isaac in blessing him
comes to haunt him.
21 And Jacob said unto Laban, Give
me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her. 22 And Laban gathered together all
the men of the place, and made a feast. 23 And it came to pass in the
evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in
unto her. 24 And Laban gave unto his daughter
Leah Zilpah his maid for an handmaid. 25 And it came to pass, that in the
morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done
unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou
beguiled me? (Gen
29:21-25)
Laban responded: 26 And Laban said, It must not be
so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. 27 Fulfil her week, and we will
give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven
other years. 28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled
her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also. 29 And Laban gave to Rachel his
daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid. 30 And he went in also unto Rachel,
and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other
years. (Gen 29:26-30) As with most of chosen seed of
Abraham, Rachel was barren, but God gave Leah conception to soften the pain of
Jacob’s rejection. But God can transform even our sinful misadventures into a
means of fulfilling His promise and will. Leah would bear children to Jacob who
would be a part of the seed of promise – including Judah. My old high school
French professor used to love to quote Sir Walter Scott’s Marmion: “Oh! what
a tangled web we weave When first we practise to deceive!” Webs are strong
and intricate for Jacob.
The custom of which Laban spoke in marrying the oldest daughter first is still
current in Asia. It is a humiliation to the older for the younger to be wed
first in places such as China, Korea, and Japan.
22 And
God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb. 23 And she conceived, and bare a
son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach: 24 And she called his name Joseph;
and said, The LORD shall add to me another son. (Gen
30:22-24) The
favored wife, Rachel, gave him a bounty for his undying love – JOSEPH! Unusual
marriages often produce unusual fruit, and Joseph was Jacob’s everlasting
blessing both in youth and in old age. May every Christian marriage be so
blessed as this between Rachel and Jacob sans Leah.
