Joel M Bradshaw

15Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my kinsman, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?” 16Now Laban had two daughters. The name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance. 18Jacob loved Rachel. And he said, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.” 19Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to any other man; stay with me.” 20So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her.

21Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife that I may go in to her, for my time is completed.”22So Laban gathered together all the people of the place and made a feast. 23But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and he went in to her. 24(Laban gave his female servant Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her servant.) 25And 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?” 26Laban said, “It is not so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. 27Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years.” 28Jacob 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.) 30So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah, and served Laban for another seven years.–Genesis 29

Jacob once manipulated and deceived family members regarding a birthright and blessing. And here he was manipulated and deceived by a family member regarding years of labor and the woman he wanted to marry. We of course do not condone this kind of activity, but we might marvel at the balance and symmetry of Jacob’s story. The deceiver got deceived. If Esau ever heard this story there might have been a selfish part of him that laughed or was comforted.

It’s wasn’t Rachel’s fault that Jacob desired her over Leah. And it wasn’t Leah’s fault that her father deceived Jacob using her. We want to blame Jacob for loving one wife more than the other. I guess drama like that comes with being married to two different people! It wasn’t his initial choice to marry Leah, so we might cut his emotions a little slack at first. Some of us land in situations that are difficult and we didn’t have much to do with it. Others of us have made our messy beds and now are sleeping in them. All we can do is in humility own what we can, show grace when we can, and move forward honoring God.–JMB