Genesis 29:15-28
Then Laban said to Jacob, ‘Because you are my kinsman, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?’ Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah’s eyes were lovely, and Rachel was graceful and beautiful. Jacob loved Rachel; so he said, ‘I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.’ Laban said, ‘It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to any other man; stay with me.’ So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her.
Then Jacob said to Laban, ‘Give me my wife that I may go in to her, for my time is completed.’ So Laban gathered together all the people of the place, and made a feast. But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob; and he went in to her. (Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her maid.) When morning came, it was Leah! And Jacob said to Laban, ‘What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?’ Laban said, ‘This is not done in our country—giving the younger before the firstborn. Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me for another seven years.’ Jacob did so, and completed her week; then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as a wife.
Reflection
When we serve out of love it seems that the time flies by. Jacob was serving seven years to have Laban's daughter Rachel as his wife. Yet at the end of the seven years, Laban pulled a switch on Jacob unknown to Jacob. Laban gave his oldest daughter Leah to Jacob instead of Rachel. Kind of like a bait and switch.
It's complicated to understand how Jacob must have felt but how did the sisters feel? Jacob was a trickster himself and now he was at the other end of the deception. You could play this one out yourself but in this situation, I wonder how the sisters felt.
As this story unfolds beyond the passage above, it seems we are into another wrestling match. Jacob wrestled with with his brother Esau for the birthright and blessing and he wrestled with an angel now his wives will wrestle with one another. So... here we go!
But once again I go back to the thought of how the sisters must have felt. They were pawns in a marriage bargain. This was common at the time, but how would they have felt. It's no wonder they were placed opposite one another in a wrestling match. It's no wonder that marriage and childbearing turned into a competition. Nor was the marriage to sisters legal at the time. This was not marriages set up by the rules from the start.
Jacob loved Rachel very much. So much that he continued to serve another seven years. How would you feel if your were Leah to all of this? Relationships seem to get so complicated when deception is involved. Then throw on top of all of this the fertility of Leah and the infertility of Rachel. Let the wrestling match continue. Was there hate between the sisters? Did Rachel and Leah despise one another? Did Leah laugh at Rachel's infertility? Did Leah feel ugly compared to Rachel? Did Rachel make fun of Leah's looks?
How did the sisters feel? Yet, it seems that God has some humor in all of this too. Out of this grand wrestling match between Jacob, Esau, an angel, God, Laban, Rachel and Leah... God draws forth his Chosen People. And through his Chosen People all the people of the world will be saved from sin, death and the devil by the coming of God in Christ Jesus to live, teach, suffer, die and rise again for all the people of this world.
I guess we all have the same question. How did the sisters feel? In the end... I think they were amazed with what God can make out of things. Truly amazed...
Yes, out of a wrestling match God will eventually save all the people of the world.
It doesn't surprise me that when I'm in the midst of a life struggle that seems to never end that God makes something out of it that I would never expect. God takes the flawed of this world and creates something new and wonderful. God does this with me and with you as well.
Are you ready to wrestle? Let's get ready to rumble!
Something Dumb
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsy33p2Ir1w
Prayer
Lord, take me and use me that I may glorify you and all you have planned for me through those people and situations with which I wrestle... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen
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