Genesis 29
Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples. 2 There he saw a well in the open country, with three flocks of sheep lying near it because the flocks were watered from that well. The stone over the mouth of the well was large. 3 When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone away from the well’s mouth and water the sheep. Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well.
4 Jacob asked the shepherds, “My brothers, where are you from?”
“We’re from Harran,” they replied.
5 He said to them, “Do you know Laban, Nahor’s grandson?”
“Yes, we know him,” they answered.
6 Then Jacob asked them, “Is he well?”
“Yes, he is,” they said, “and here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep.”
7 “Look,” he said, “the sun is still high; it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. Water the sheep and take them back to pasture.”
8 “We can’t,” they replied, “until all the flocks are gathered and the stone has been rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we will water the sheep.”
9 While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherd. 10 When Jacob saw Rachel daughter of his uncle Laban, and Laban’s sheep, he went over and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle’s sheep. 11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep aloud. 12 He had told Rachel that he was a relative of her father and a son of Rebekah. So she ran and told her father.
13 As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he hurried to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his home, and there Jacob told him all these things. 14 Then Laban said to him, “You are my own flesh and blood.”
Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel
After Jacob had stayed with him for a whole month, 15 Laban said to him, “Just because you are a relative of mine, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be.”
16 Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 Leah had weak[a] eyes, but Rachel had a lovely figure and was beautiful. 18 Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, “I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.”
19 Laban said, “It’s better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me.” 20 So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.
21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to make love to her.”
22 So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast. 23 But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob made love to her. 24 And Laban gave his servant Zilpah to his daughter as her attendant.
25 When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn’t I? Why have you deceived me?”
26 Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one. 27 Finish this daughter’s bridal week; then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work.”
28 And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. 29 Laban gave his servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her attendant. 30 Jacob made love to Rachel also, and his love for Rachel was greater than his love for Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years.
Jacob’s Children
31 When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved, he enabled her to conceive, but Rachel remained childless. 32 Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben,[b] for she said, “It is because the Lord has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now.”
33 She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Because the Lord heard that I am not loved, he gave me this one too.” So she named him Simeon.[c]
34 Again she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” So he was named Levi.[d]
35 She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” So she named him Judah.[e] Then she stopped having children.
Footnotes
- Genesis 29:17 Or delicate
- Genesis 29:32 Reuben sounds like the Hebrew for he has seen my misery; the name means see, a son.
- Genesis 29:33 Simeon probably means one who hears.
- Genesis 29:34 Levi sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for attached.
- Genesis 29:35 Judah sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for praise.
Rolling the Stone Away… Watering the Sheep
Genesis 29:2-3, 10
There Jacob saw a well in the open country, with three flocks of sheep lying near it because the flocks were watered from that well. The stone over the mouth of the well was large. When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone away from the well’s mouth and water the sheep. Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well…When Jacob saw Rachel daughter of his uncle Laban, and Laban’s sheep, he went over and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle’s sheep.
This story catches my attention because it talks about a stone being rolled away. We know when another stone was rolled away, don’t we? And the detail of three flocks being gathered at the well gives us another clue that this story is about more than Jacob meeting Rachel. It points us to the resurrection of Jesus happening three days after His death.
But how are we, the sheep, watered when the stone in front of Jesus’ tomb was rolled away? Jesus said that after He died, rose, and ascended to Heaven, He would send the Holy Spirit, the “living water” to flow from within each believer. And only the Lord God could roll the stone away from in front of Jesus’ tomb and send His Spirit to us, just like Jacob singlehandedly rolled this heavy stone away from the well.
Today, let us give thanks to the Lord, our Good Shepherd, who sustains us with nothing less than His Own Presence!
Motivated and Strengthened
Genesis 29:10-11
When Jacob saw Rachel daughter of his uncle Laban, and Laban’s sheep, he went over and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle’s sheep. Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep aloud.
Earlier in the story, we read about how all the shepherds would bring their flocks, and then they would roll the stone away from the well. It sounds like the stone was so heavy, it took all of the shepherds working together to move it. But here I get the impression that Jacob moved the stone himself. It’s like he was given supernatural strength at that moment.
How could Jacob move the stone by himself? And why did he start crying? He was moved and motivated by the sight of Rachel. We read later about how much he loved this woman. His love for her and his motivation to impress her moved him to do more than a person normally would have been able to.
So, the question is, what motivates you? If you love the Lord, you’ll be motivated to do more for Him than you ever thought possible. You’ll do things out of your comfort zone. You’ll find you have the strength to do things you never could have done before.
Pray and ask the Lord to fill you with passion for Him, then see what He will give you the strength to do.
Welcoming Family
Genesis 29:13-14
As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he hurried to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his home, and there Jacob told him all these things. Then Laban said to him, “You are my own flesh and blood.”
We know that neither Laban nor Jacob are examples of righteous people at this point, but I can’t help but see a picture here of how we are to welcome other Christians as family members.
Laban doesn’t know Jacob in this passage. They’ve never met. Yet Laban greets him affectionately and welcomes him into his home. He even counts Jacob as his own flesh and blood!
Do we treat other Christians our flesh and blood, as part of our Body? Do we welcome them simply because they’re Family – and not because we like them personally? Jesus said the world would know us by our love for one another, not our like for another.
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)
This week, let’s think about how we can show affection for and be more welcoming to other Christians.
Do You Make ‘Em Work for It?
Genesis 29:14-30
After Jacob had stayed with him for a whole month, Laban said to him, “Just because you are a relative of mine, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be.”
Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel had a lovely figure and was beautiful. Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, “I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.”
Laban said, “It’s better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me.” So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.
Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to make love to her.”
So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast. But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob made love to her. And Laban gave his servant Zilpah to his daughter as her attendant.
When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn’t I? Why have you deceived me?”
Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one. Finish this daughter’s bridal week; then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work.”
And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. Laban gave his servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her attendant. Jacob made love to Rachel also, and his love for Rachel was greater than his love for Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years.
Jacob was willing to work seven years, and then another seven years, for Rachel. But that doesn’t mean Laban had to make him work that long. Laban could have heard Jacob’s request and granted it right then, no trickery, no strings attached. It was only Laban’s greediness for free labor that kept him from giving his daughter to Jacob in a timely manner.
What do you have that someone else wants? Is your time? Your attention? Your resources?
How much would it hurt you to give it to them? In Laban’s case, he could have given Rachel to Jacob and been no worse off. He didn’t have free labor before Jacob came to him, and he didn’t need free labor after Jacob came to him. He could have been open-handed with Jacob and not suffered a thing. In many cases, you can give a portion of your time or money or belongings away and never miss it. The Lord has given you an abundance to be able to share with others.
Let’s not think about what we can gain from others but what we can give.
The Lord Sees… Do You?
Genesis 29:31-35
When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved, he enabled her to conceive, but Rachel remained childless. Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, “It is because the Lord has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now.”
She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Because the Lord heard that I am not loved, he gave me this one too.” So she named him Simeon.
Again she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” So he was named Levi.
She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” So she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children.
What hardship are you going through right now?
Leah was experiencing the heartbreak of being unloved. She wanted so badly for her husband to feel for her what he felt for her sister. But it wasn’t to be. It wasn’t her lot in life to have the relationship she wanted. Does that mean her life was over, that it was pointless, that she should give up?
Not at all. The Lord saw her heartache and gave her the richness of having children, of being blessed to have a loving relationship with her sons. What has the Lord given you in the place of what you originally wanted? What doors has He opened when others closed?
I love how Leah goes from pining over her husband at the beginning of this passage to not even mentioning her husband and simply praising the Lord.
Can we do the same? Can we set aside the relationships, the dreams, the goals that didn’t work out in our lives and focus on what the Lord has given us? Having a relationship with our God is something that will never fail, never get old, never not be enough to satisfy us. He is all we need.
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