Today I read Genesis 29 and 30, about the desires and interactions of Jacob, Rachel, and Leah. Jacob loved Rachel working 14 years for her. Rachel’s lack of a child while seeing the birth of Jacob’s other children hurt her. Leah desired Jacob’s love but was not able to earn it. Today I considered how God blessed Jacob, that we sometimes need patience in obtaining God’s blessings, and we can’t always earn someone’s love.
Jacob
God gave Jacob the desire of his heart, and even the provisions to provide for his family. Jacob obeyed his parents, and upon his arrival met the beautiful Rachel working with the sheep. Jacob followed the agreement with Laban to marry Rachel. Jacob even worked double the number of agreed years to have the woman he loved. Throughout the 14 years, Laban’s herd increased under Jacob’s care. Laban would have given Jacob nothing for his labor, but Jacob agreed to tend the flock a little longer for a portion of the flock. Jacob used his knowledge of breeding to greatly increase his portion of the herd. Sometimes we have to take the step or put in the work to receive God giving us the desires of our heart and the ability to care for them.
Rachel
God blessing someone with beauty and favor does not mean life is always easy and the person has the desires of their heart. The beautiful Rachel was the favored of Jacob’s wives and greatly loved. She had everything but a child, and Rachel was desperate for a child (Genesis 30:1). Rachel even gave her maid to Jacob so she could call the maid’s child hers (Genesis 30:3). God later answered Rachel’s pleas and gave her a child. Sometimes we need to be patient because God will bless us in the other areas of our lives.
Leah
God blessing a person with a child does not mean that God changed the heart of that child’s parent. Jacob loved Rachel and they had waited seven years to marry. Leah stole her sister Rachel’s husband. Leah considered it her right stating Jacob was her husband (Genesis 30:15). Leah repeatedly tried to make Jacob love her through the birth of her children from the first son (Genesis 29:32) until the sixth son (Genesis 30:20). We cannot make someone love us and treat us as we desire, which is a reason to be careful in our choice of a spouse.
Questions and Thoughts for Today
There are happily married couples in the media and in everyday life in which the wife or the husband is beautiful and the other spouse is not. They found love not only in the outward appearance but within the person. Jacob and Rachel’s love was about more than beauty as they had 14 years to look beyond the surface and still Jacob was passionate about Rachel.
What long-term couples (together over 10 years) have you seen in which their love was deeper than surface beauty?