King James Bible Study – [And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. – Mark 8:34]
Date: Wednesday, January 22, 2025
Chapters: Genesis 29-30
Message: Genesis: Jacob’s Children
Hello My Friend,
As we continue in the reading of Genesis we learn of how God used Jacob to form the twelve tribes of Jacob also known as Hebrews or Israelites, then later on Jews. You cannot read the chapters for today without understanding one; why God meant for a mankind to have only one spouse. Two; you reap what you sew, and three; God, is Jealous, and four, God is a very merciful and patient God, [Psalms 103:8-11 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. 9 He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever. 10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.]
Jacob, fleeing from his brother Esau, headed to Padanaram where his mother Rebekah’s brother lived to hide out there for a while and also find a wife. When he arrived he noticed a well in the middle of a field and some men with their flocks gathering by it.
[Genesis 29:1-2,4-6 Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east. 2 And he looked, and behold a well in the field, and, lo, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks: and a great stone was upon the well’s mouth. 4 And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence be ye? And they said, Of Haran are we. 5 And he said unto them, Know ye Laban the son of Nahor? And they said, We know him. 6 And he said unto them, Is he well? And they said, He is well: and, behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep.]
Remember, Jacob was the one who cooked, kept up the garden, and the things at the house, he never took care of any livestock. As soon as he saw Rachel it was love at first sight, he ran over to her, rolled that by rock away from the well, and even kissed her. I can picture that high pitched, lump in the throat kind of voice as he not only realized that Rachel was Laban’s daughter, but she was beautiful too.
[Genesis 29:9-11,14-15 And while he yet spake with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep: for she kept them. 10 And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother. 11 And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept. 14 And Laban said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him the space of a month. 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?]
Jacob, stayed with Laban for a month, working in the fields, and apparently doing very well, during that time he fell deeply in love with Rachel. However, she had a sister named Leah who was quite taken with him as well. Well, Laban saw that both of his daughters loved him and decided to use it to his advantage. Leah, was your average looking woman, one in which the men wanted to be friends, but not marry while everyone wanted Rachel because she was so beautiful. Nevertheless Jacob, did not want money in exchange for his labor, he was willing to work for Laban for seven years to be able to marry Rachel.
[Genesis 29:17-20 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.]
When we truly love someone we are willing to do anything for them, no matter how long it takes, with the hope of knowing that they will be ours. God loves every soul that He created, which is why He sent His Son. He holds on to the hope of all believing in and receiving Him, but knows that not all do. When God did send His Son it had to be at the precise time, but those who truly loved Him had faith even back then that if they did not see Him in their lifetime, they would see Him, [Job 19:25-26 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: 26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:]
While God did promise Jacob that He was going to use him to fulfill the promise that He made to Abraham, He did not promise that there would not be any consequences for all his schemes that he never repented of. Now, the seven years have come, Jacob, eagerly asks for his bride, there was a ceremony and feast to celebrate, but Laban had other plans.
[Genesis 29:22-25 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?]
I know what you are thinking, “How was it possible that he did not know that it was Leah?” There were two reasons why, one; she had a veil over her face until they went into the tent and two; it was dark in the tent. This man was awe struck, waited seven years to be able to do more than just kiss Rachel, so you could imagine that he would be quite angry only to learn that it was Leah. However, Leah, was not innocent either, she became part of the deception too as she led him to believe that she was Rachel the whole time. Again, Laban saw this as an opportunity and talked Jacob into serving him another seven years for Rachel.
[Genesis 29:27-31 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. 31 And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.]
Even though Jacob agreed to work another seven years to marry Rachel, he could not see past the deception of Leah and came to have a hated toward her. However, that did not stop him from having relations with her, and as a result had four children with her. We thought that the sibling rivalry between Jacob and Esau was bad, well, Rachel and Leah take the cake.
[Genesis 29:32-35 And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me. 33 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the LORD hath heard that I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon. 34 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi. 35 And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing.]
God, sees everything and while Leah was wrong in deceiving Jacob there would come a point that he would need to forgive her since he had no problem feeding his flesh with her, that is how I see it anyway. It takes two to tango and he was no saint, so we all need to learn to forgive one another, [Matthew 6:14-15 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.]
Think about the names that Leah gave to their sons, [Reuben; Behold a Son; Simeon; Heard; Levi; Joined; Judah; Praised, Celebrated.] Leah, honestly believed that Jacob would come to love her because she gave him four sons. She also appeared to have had a lot of faith in God and believed that they were answered prayers. I always say and am a witness to this, that God sends His greatest blessings through our biggest mishaps. I am not going to encourage anyone to sin, but those who are repentant tend to see God’s hand and protections as well, [2 Corinthians 7:11 For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.]
This love triangle caused the sisters to be envious of each other, Leah, envied Rachel because even after four children Jacob continued to live with Rachel. Rachel envied Leah because she could not have children, she literally begged Jacob to give her children, of which he definitely had no control over. Then Rachel did the unthinkable, she hands her maid over to him and tells him to have relations with her.
[Genesis 30:1-3,5-8 And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die. 2 And Jacob’s anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God’s stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb? 3 And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her. 5 And Bilhah conceived, and bare Jacob a son. 6 And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore called she his name Dan. 7 And Bilhah Rachel’s maid conceived again, and bare Jacob a second son. 8 And Rachel said, With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called his name Naphtali.]
As someone who has been unable to keep a child full term I can understand how Rachel felt, but to allow my husband to be with another woman in order to have a child is out of the question. Nevertheless, Jacob actually had two sons with this woman, Rachel believing that it was God answering her prayers of giving her children through Bilhah and perhaps it was. When you stop to think about it, this is a perfect example of surrogacy, Rachel still considered them her children even though she did not bare them. We do not need to be biologically connected with a child to be their parent, even though I will never have any children God has made me a mother of many, [Psalms 113:9 He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD.]
It is interesting to learn what their names mean, [Dan; A judge; Naphtali; Wrestling.] Rachel really thought that she was in a competition with Leah. It actually did become a competition as Leah was not having anymore children and gave Jacob her maid to have children with, in which he had two sons with.
[Genesis 30:9-13 When Leah saw that she had left bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife. 10 And Zilpah Leah’s maid bare Jacob a son. 11 And Leah said, A troop cometh: and she called his name Gad. 12 And Zilpah Leah’s maid bare Jacob a second son. 13 And Leah said, Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed: and she called his name Asher.]
[Gad; A troop. Asher; Blessed.] Leah was proud of the fact that she gave Jacob two more sons. I can also understand Leah’s side of things, but she still had some deception in her, and took every opportunity she could to get Jacob to spend the night with her, even to go as far as drugging him. Now, after some time had passed, Reuben was a teenager, while out harvesting he found some mandrakes, which are plants with fruit on them, often called the devil’s apple because they not only stimulated the body sexually they caused people to fall asleep, and were also said to help with conception.
[Genesis 30:14-16 And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son’s mandrakes. 15 And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son’s mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy son’s mandrakes. 16 And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have hired thee with my son’s mandrakes. And he lay with her that night.]
At this point, Jacob must have only felt like a piece of meat, the tension between the three of these people must have been pretty intense as it appears that Jacob was not staying with either of the women. They all knew what these flowers could do, Leah, considering them a very good price to pay for a night with her husband, desperately wanting another child, and Rachel, hoping to conceive herself. Nevertheless, Leah won the company of Jacob and then some as she was blessed with two more sons and a daughter.
[Genesis 30:17-21 And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son. 18 And Leah said, God hath given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband: and she called his name Issachar. 19 And Leah conceived again, and bare Jacob the sixth son. 20 And Leah said, God hath endued me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have born him six sons: and she called his name Zebulun. 21 And afterwards she bare a daughter, and called her name Dinah.]
[Issachar; Reward. Zebulun; A Habitation.] Leah, loved Jacob so much, and yet he could never fully give his heart to her. Every time I read this it reminds me of why it is so important to one; follow God’s way, two; stop helping Him out, and three; lean not on our own understanding, [Isaiah 55:8-9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.]
Neither of these women really wanted to be put in the position that they were in, and I do not believe that Jacob did either. As far as God was concerned, it was not ideal, but He did use this entire situation to fulfill His promise to not only Abraham, but Isaac, and Jacob as well. One way or another God will bring everything to pass as He says He will, we just need to step back and let His do His work. Finally, after all the fighting and scheming, the praying came and God blessed Rachel with a son that she bore.
[Genesis 30:22-24 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.]
God taking away from Rachel the reproach of her bareness, she now had the hope that He would give her another son. In the thirteen years that Jacob was married to these women both of them did some crazy and ungodly things to vie for his attention. Jacob, was now about ninety-one years old if you can image that. Between four women, Jacob would go on to have twelve sons and one daughter, while God certainly did not condone any of this nor did He need four women to fulfill His promise, He was still doing what He said He was going to do. Now, after Rachel had Joseph, Jacob decided that it was time to move on, surely Esau had let things things go, after all it had been over twenty-one years since Jacob left home.
[Genesis 30:25-28 And it came to pass, when Rachel had born Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban, Send me away, that I may go unto mine own place, and to my country. 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. 27 And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favour in thine eyes, tarry: for I have learned by experience that the LORD hath blessed me for thy sake. 28 And he said, Appoint me thy wages, and I will give it.]
Laban, was no fool, he knew that the only reason he was prosperous was not because of Jacob was there, but God was there with him. Laban, was willing pay him to stay, but he would not have it. It was time for them to leave, Jacob, seeing this as an opportunity to do some conniving of his own to get all of his father-in-law’s cattle before heading back to Canaan.
[Genesis 30:31-33,41-42 And he said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob said, Thou shalt not give me any thing: if thou wilt do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep thy flock: 32 I will pass through all thy flock to day, removing from thence all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats: and of such shall be my hire. 33 So shall my righteousness answer for me in time to come, when it shall come for my hire before thy face: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the sheep, that shall be counted stolen with me. 41 And it came to pass, whensoever the stronger cattle did conceive, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the cattle in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods. 42 But when the cattle were feeble, he put them not in: so the feebler were Laban’s, and the stronger Jacob’s.]
Jacob, had done this long enough to know what to feed the sheep so that his flock would be stronger, and even what to put in the water so they would populate quickly. Jacob’s, personal history is the sad tale of deceit and wrong done to him as a result of the wrong that he had done to others. A part from God telling Jacob that He was going to fulfill His promise to Abraham through him, none of this was God’s will for Jacob, yet God used it for His purpose as He does all of His children, [2 Timothy 1:8-9 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; 9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,]
Jesus Christ Revealed/Magnified: [Genesis 30:24 And she called his name Joseph; and said, The LORD shall add to me another son.]
Today’s Prayer: God, There is no greater love than what You have done for us in sending Your only begotten Son to not only save our soul, but live with You forever. We truly love You because You first loved us. Now, the life we live after we are saved, it is not actually obedience that gets Your attention, for You know we are sinners, it is repentance, and our faithfulness in coming to You confessing our sin with all our heart. Lord, Lead us and guide us, give us Your mercy, grace, long suffering, and let us not lean on our own understanding, or trust in our own flesh to get through this life, just trust You, Your Word, and follow it so that we can show Your love to the world. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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