“Love and Lies (Genesis 29:1-35)” | 5/30/2021
Genesis 29:1-35 | 5/30/21 | Thad Yessa
This morning we are going to pick back up with our friend Jacob. For quick recap Jacob is the son of Isaac and Rebekah. He is on a mission to from his father to, “take a wife from one of the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother.” So Jacob leave Beersheba and starts making his trek towards Haran where Uncle Laban lives, along the way he comes to a point of complete desperation and discouragement, it is at this moment as Pastor Will preached two weeks ago that Jacob has his first interaction with the God of Abraham and Isaac and now becomes the God of Jacob. It is this interaction where God says,
“Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” (Genesis 28:15)
This is where we pick up with Jacob, who now has a new spring in his step because God is on his side, he feels confident; he is off to find love in the land of Haran but he ends up find much more than just that.
We are going to see three things this morning:
God graciously leads sinners. (vv 1-20)
God sovereignly uses sinners. (vv 21-30)
God lovingly blesses sinners. (vv 31-35)
Genesis 29:1–35
29 Then Jacob went on his journey and came to the land of the people of the east. 2 As he looked, he saw a well in the field, and behold, three flocks of sheep lying beside it, for out of that well the flocks were watered. The stone on the well’s mouth was large, 3 and when all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep, and put the stone back in its place over the mouth of the well.
4 Jacob said to them, “My brothers, where do you come from?” They said, l“We are from Haran.” 5 He said to them, “Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?” They said, “We know him.” 6 He said to them, “Is it well with him?” They said, “It is well; and see, Rachel his daughter is coming with the sheep!” 7 He said, “Behold, it is still high day; it is not time for the livestock to be gathered together. Water the sheep and go, pasture them.” 8 But they said, “We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together and the stone is rolled from the mouth of the well; then we water the sheep.”
9 While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess. 10 Now as soon as Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, Jacob came near and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother. 11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud. 12 And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s kinsman, and that he was Rebekah’s son, and she ran and told her father.
13 As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he ran to meet him and embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Jacob told Laban all these things, 14 and Laban said to him, “Surely you are my bone and my flesh!” And he stayed with him a month.
15 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my kinsman, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?” 16 Now Laban had two daughters. The name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance. 18 Jacob loved Rachel. And he said, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.” 19 Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to any other man; stay with me.” 20 So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her.
21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife that I may go into her, for my time is completed.” 22 So Laban gathered together all the people of the place and made a feast. 23 But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and he went into her. 24 (Laban gave his female servant Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her servant.) 25 And in the morning, behold, 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?” 26 Laban said, “It is not so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. 27 Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years.” 28 Jacob did so, and completed her week. Then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. 29 (Laban gave his female servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her servant.) 30 So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah, and served Laban for another seven years.
Jacob’s Children
31 When the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. 32 And Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben,3 for she said, “Because the Lord has looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me.” 33 She conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Because the Lord has heard that I am hated, he has given me this son also.” And she called his name Simeon. 34 Again she conceived and bore a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will be attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore his name was called Levi. 35 And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” Therefore she called his name Judah. Then she ceased bearing.
Lets Pray
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This probably sounds like some weird twisted soap opera, and you might have found yourself asking the question where is God in all of this? If we were to take this chapter out of the Bible and have strangers read it they might wonder what kind of person would write such a horrible story. But the reality is that this is a very true story and in fact, God is working throughout the whole of it. This is a love story we don’t have to search too terribly hard to see that it is about Jacob’s love for Rachel, but it also a story of lies of Laban tricking Jacob. Jacob is now getting a taste of his own medicine, he is the great deceiver in his family stealing his older brother’s blessing by fooling his aging father. But more important than the love and lies is the workings of God through such sinful people to carry out his plan, no matter what mistake, deceptions, the sinfulness of the people whom God chose to make His name great through with thwart His plan.
We see first that:
God graciously leads sinners. (vv 1-20)
As Jacob comes to the end of what would have been a 500-mile journey from Beersheba he (v2)” saw a well in the field” and came up to the shepherds there and asks, (v4) “Do you know Laban the son of Nahor, they respond ‘We do’”. What luck Jacob must be thinking! Wrong! If that isn’t lucky enough after Jacob asks about good ole Uncle Laban the shepherds point out that Rachel, Labans, daughter “happened” to be bringing her sheep to the well at the exact moment that Jacob arrived.
Rachel must have been a sight to behold because Jacob makes it very clear to the shepherds that he wants them gone, (v7) “Behold, it is still high day; it is not time for the livestock to be gathered together. Water the sheep and go, pasture them.” Which was Jacob’s way of saying you are being lazy and need to get to work so I can talk to this beauty who is coming. He then finds the strength of many men to open and move the well stone which was so heavy that multiple men were needed to move it which is why the shepherds were gathering. We need to put ourselves in the mind of Jacob to really understand what is going on. We need to recall the story that Jacob would have been very familiar with of his own parent’s love story we read in Genesis 24 Isaac’s servant came to Haran and also stopped at a well. There he prayed for God to lead him to the one Isaac would marry, and sure enough, God did. The first woman Isaac’s servant encountered at the well was Rebekah. Similarly, Jacob encounters a beautiful woman at the well, who just happens to come from the same family.
When Rachel comes, Jacob moves the stone from the well, and waters her flock, ladies first. He ignores the three flocks that were there first. After watering Rachel’s flock, he immediately kisses Rachel, weeps uncontrollably, and then introduces himself. Now it was normal for family members to greet one another with a kiss, but what made this strange was the fact that Jacob didn’t introduce himself first. He kissed her and then wept uncontrollably.
Just as a quick reminder for students that this is not the prescription for finding a wife, do not just go kiss some beauty and expect things to turn out well.
Maybe, this was why he was trying to get rid of the shepherds. He knew that his emotions were about to spill out. He had been running for his life, encountered God on the way, and the Lord guided him right to his family and a woman he might potentially marry. It was too much for Jacob. He was experiencing God’s sovereign leading. God would surely be with him wherever he went and complete the promises made to him.
Now certainly, God is never mentioned in this passage. Unlike with Isaac’s servant, Jacob doesn’t stop at the well and pray for God’s guidance. However, God was clearly there—guiding his circumstances.
Ephesians 1:11 says God “accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will.”
Certainly, we see this throughout Scripture. When Moses’ mother put him in the river, Pharaoh’s daughter just “happened” to be at the river that day, and she felt pity for Moses and took him as her child (Ex 2). Similarly, when the king of Persia had set a decree for the genocide of the Jews, it just so “happened” that the woman he married was a Jew named Esther. When Ruth, the Moabitess, left her home and family to come to Israel, she just “happened” to pick grain in a relative’s field, who eventually marries her and cares for both Ruth and her mother-in-law.
God graciously and sovereignly guides the circumstances of his people for his glory and despite their being sinners, remember Jacob is not the example of someone you would want your children to be like. Again, God does the same with us. As imperfect as our situations may seem, the city we live in, the family we were born into, the school that we attended, and the job that we work at, are all part of God’s beautiful tapestry for our lives.
In Psalm 139:16, David said:
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.
God uses the good, the bad, the mundane, the great, and the supernatural to shape and guide His people. All are meant to draw us to Himself and help us trust him more. Don’t miss God’s sovereign hand over your circumstances! Let them teach, shape, and encourage you that God is always working, even if we don’t see or understand!
Jacob now after what I would consider unwise dating tactics get to meet the rest of the family in verses 13-20. Uncle Laban meets his nephew hears about Jacob’s life, journey, and his puppy dog love towards Rachel. Laban being smart and cunning recognizes Jacob’s love for Rachel and asks, (v15) “What shall your wage be?” We also get introduced to Rachel’s older sister Leah, whose (v17) “eyes were weak.” Many commentators have debated about what weak eyes mean saying it could be she couldn’t see well, she was crossed eyed, her appearance made her difficult to look at, regardless we will learn whatever it is made here not marriage material, and because of that fact most likely will be burden on her family her whole life and compared to Rachel who was (v17) “ beautiful in form and appearance” meaning she had all the right curves in all the right places. The two men come to an agreement that since Jacob has no wealth for a dowry he would work for 7 years which commentators speculate would have been the equivalent of two dowries just because he wants to prove his love and because he is so in love with Rachel the Bible tells us (v20) it feels like just a few days.
This is where everyone goes awww.
God sovereignly uses sinners. (vv 21-30)
21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife that I may go into her, for my time is completed.” 22 So Laban gathered together all the people of the place and made a feast. 23 But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and he went into her. 24 (Laban gave his female servant Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her servant.) 25 And in the morning, behold, 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?” 26 Laban said, “It is not so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.
You might be wondering the obvious question of, “How could Jacob be so surprised?” Jacob was drunk, Laban probably made sure of it. He throws a large party and the festivities went well into the evening, the bride according to tradition would have worn a veil, but you think there would have been some sort of communication between the two right? All is fair in love and war they say but Uncle Laban takes it one step further not only trying to trick Jacob but using Leah as though she has no value.
It must have occurred to Jacob that Laban had only done to him what he had done to his father. In the dark, he thought he was touching Rachel, as his father in the dark of his blindness had thought he was touching Esau.
Robert Alter quotes an ancient rabbinical commentator who imagines the conversation the next day between Jacob and Leah. Jacob says to Leah: “I called out ‘Rachel’ in the dark and you answered. Why did you do that to me?” And Leah says to him, “Your father called out ‘Esau’ in the dark and you answered. Why did you do that to him?”
Even further connection is Uncle Laban claims nothing is wrong, “It is not so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.” Yet again further parallelism that Jacob the younger took Esau’s the olders blessing which was the typical tradition.
Jacob then sees and feels what it is like to be manipulated and deceived. This is why many commenting on this passage title it the deceiver deceived. Some could look at this passage and say well that is just Kharma, but friends it is something more than that. You reap what you sow.
Galatians 6:7-8
7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption,
Uncle Laban doesn’t stop there he then offers to make it right by giving Jacob Rachel for another seven years of service. Now he willingly throwing his family into polygamy and doesn’t even blink. What kind of father would do something like this. Laban’s life is one of greed, selfishness, and abuse.
The fact is human history is full of Labans maybe your history has Labans, those who use others to get ahead. They lie, they cheat, they steal, they take advantage to get ahead they call it good business, aggressive leadership, good politics, or survival of the fittest. Some of them could bear the title of King, President, Dictator, or Pastor, or Father or Husband. But God’s purposes are not threatened even by the most powerful of mankind. Psalm 2 we read that while the nations rage that God sits on His throne and laughs. We can look through the history of the Bible of the wicked and see God using them to accomplish His plan. We see God hardening Pharoh’s heart, humbles Nebecanezzer, strikes down Herod with worms, Satan inspires Judas to betray Christ, Pilate decided to appease the Jews by crucifying Christ, but God before the foundation of the world had decided it would be this way, that Christ would die on the cross for the sins of mankind, that wicked men would be the instruments of God to provide salvation. That Christ’s death and resurrection at the hands of sinners would provide salvation for those great wicked men, for Laban, for you, and for me, because no one's sinfulness can thwart God’s plan. He sovereignly uses sinners, this doesn’t sanction sin but it means that mankind's sin and abuse of power can not stand in the way of an Almighty God to redeem the human race. We can see that history is really HIS story, all have a divine part to play in the Authors drama.
God lovingly blesses sinners. (vv 31-35)
31 When the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. 32 And Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben,3 for she said, “Because the Lord has looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me.” 33 She conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Because the Lord has heard that I am hated, he has given me this son also.” And she called his name Simeon. 34 Again she conceived and bore a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will be attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore his name was called Levi. 35 And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” Therefore she called his name Judah. Then she ceased bearing.
By the time we get to verse 31, we finally get a mention of God! “When the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb.” We don’t know how the conversation went down between Laban and Leah for her to go in and sleep with Jacob, whether or not she was against it or saw this as an opportunity to find satisfaction in the relationship, but she was hated, unloved, uncared for, and married but alone. We will read in the coming chapters that Leah is not as innocent as she might be made out to be but in this moment of aloneness, Yahweh sees her. He is the God who is close, who rescues, who enters into a covenant relationship with those who do not deserve it. He is the Good Shepherd and the Gentle Savior. He ministers to the heartbroken, even those whose hearts are broken because of their own sin. God knows Leah’s pain, she has been given an impossible role to play and God knows and He cares, and He responds to her pain by opening her womb.
Leah seems to be the only one in this chapter who is God conscious, she is the only one who talks about God. She has hopes that her husband will love her because she has a child. “Now this time my husband will be attached to me because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore his name was called Levi. 35 And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” Therefore she called his name Judah. Then she ceased bearing.” After her fourth son is born she focuses on the one person who has continually loved her, who will not disappoint her, God alone. Judah will be a reason for praise for the descendants who will come, not David, not Solomon, but Jesus. God loved the rejected and neglected wife of Jacob and made her the ancestral mother of God’s only Son, Jesus. The Jesus who will save his people from their sins, and what sinners they are. Liars and cheats. Haters and hated. Broken and brokenhearted. Weary and heavy laden. And God will rescue them and in Christ, they will find rest for their souls. God has been working throughout history to bring that to pass. Genesis 29 is more than just about love and lies this is human history that a gracious God is working out his saving plan for sinners like Jacob and like us. You can lean on a God like that, a God who calls sinners like you and me to Him, and changes us for His glory. You need him and I need him, and isn’t it obvious that He loves us.