We studied in the previous lesson that Jacob arrived in Haran, to the brother of his mother to get a wife. Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed only a few days to him because of the love he had for her. Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in to her.” And Laban gathered together all the men of the place and made a feast. Now it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter and brought her to Jacob; and he went in to her. And Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a maid. So it came to pass in the morning, that behold, it was Leah. And he said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served you? Why then have you deceived me?” (Genesis 29:20-25)
And Laban said, “It must not be done so in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. Fulfill her week, and we will give you this one also for the service which you will serve with me still another seven years.” Then Jacob did so and fulfilled her week. So he gave him his daughter Rachel as wife also. And Laban gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as a maid. Then Jacob also went in to Rachel, and he also loved Rachel more than Leah. And he served with Laban still another seven years. (Genesis 29:26-30)
Now Jacob had two wives, each having their own maid servant; one wife he loved more than the other, either because Leah’s eyes were delicate [unattractive], but Rachel was beautiful of form and appearance. (Genesis 29:17) Or maybe Jacob loved Rachel more because he met her first, when he first arrived to the area, and he immediately felt a love towards her. Either way, it's not God's Will that he have more than one wife. When his father blessed him, and charged him, and said to him: “You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan. Arise, go to Padan Aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father; and take yourself a wife from there of the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother. (Genesis 28:1-2)
When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. So Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben [meaning, see a son]; for she said, “The Lord has surely looked on my affliction. Now therefore, my husband will love me.” Then she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Because the Lord has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also.” And she called his name Simeon [meaning, heard]. She conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore his name was called Levi [meaning, attached]. And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now I will praise the Lord.” Therefore she called his name *Judah [meaning, praise]. Then she stopped bearing. (Genesis 29:31-35)
Now when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister, and said to Jacob, “Give me children, or else I die!” And Jacob’s anger was aroused against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?” So she said, “Here is my maid Bilhah; go in to her, and she will bear a child on my knees, that I also may have children by her.” Then she gave him Bilhah her maid as wife, and Jacob went in to her. And Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. Then Rachel said, “God has judged my case; and He has also heard my voice and given me a son.” Therefore she called his name Dan [meaning, judge]. And Rachel’s maid Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. Then Rachel said, “With great wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister, and indeed I have prevailed.” So she called his name Naphtali [meaning, my wrestling]. (Genesis 30:1-8)
When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing, she took Zilpah her maid and gave her to Jacob as wife. And Leah’s maid Zilpah bore Jacob a son. Then Leah said, “A troop comes!” So she called his name Gad [meaning, troop or fortune]. And Leah’s maid Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. Then Leah said, “I am happy, for the daughters will call me blessed.” So she called his name Asher [meaning, happy]. (Genesis 30:9-13) These women did the same thing that Sarah did, when she thought she couldn't conceive a child for Abraham, And she had an Egyptian maidservant whose name was Hagar. So Sarai said to Abram, “See now, the Lord has restrained me from bearing children. Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai. Then Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan. So he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress became despised in her eyes. (Genesis 16:1-4)
It wasn't a good idea when Sarah told Abraham to do it, and it wasn't a good idea when Rachel and Leah told Jacob to do it. So why did the men do what their wives said? It goes back to Adam and Eve. So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. (Genesis 3:6) And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. (I Timothy 2:14) By nature, men are logical and women are emotional. Men in general act based on the circumstances. Abraham and Jacob wanted children so they did what their wives said in order to conceive children. Women in general act based on feelings, so since they felt like they couldn't conceive, even though in Sarah's case God promised that she would, she, Rachel and Leah thought is was a good idea to have their maid servants conceive for their husbands.
Logical vs. emotional, different reasoning, but in these cases, not according to God's Will. However, And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28) God made a promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and He was going to fulfill, in spite of how Abraham and Jacob went outside of His Will. If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself. (II Timothy 2:13)
Now Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.” But she said to her, “Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son’s mandrakes also?” And Rachel said, “Therefore he will lie with you tonight for your son’s mandrakes.” When Jacob came out of the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must come in to me, for I have surely hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” And he lay with her that night. (Genesis 30:14-16)
Mandrakes were a Mediterranean plant of the nightshade family, with white or purple flowers and large yellow berries. It has a forked fleshy root that supposedly resembles the human form and was formerly widely used in medicine and magic, allegedly shrieking when pulled from the ground. It was used as an aphrodisiac, as described in the Song of Solomon: Come, my beloved,Let us go forth to the field; let us lodge in the villages. Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine has budded, whether the grape blossoms are open, and the pomegranates are in bloom. There I will give you my love. The mandrakes give off a fragrance, and at our gates are pleasant fruits, all manner, new and old, which I have laid up for you, my beloved. (Song of Solomon 7:11-13)
How sad, Leah had to buy her husband's affections, regardless of the number of children she had for him, because he loved Rachel more. And God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. Leah said, “God has given me my wages, because I have given my maid to my husband.” So she called his name Issachar [meaning, wages]. Then Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son. And Leah said, “God has endowed me with a good endowment; now my husband will dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons.” So she called his name Zebulun [meaning, dwelling]. Afterward she bore a daughter, and called her name Dinah. (Genesis 30:17-21)
Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb. And she conceived and bore a son, and said, “God has taken away my reproach.” So she called his name Joseph [meaning, he will add], and said, “The Lord shall add to me another son.” (Genesis 30:22-24) Eleven sons and one daughter, over a period of seven years! God indeed had begun fulfilling His promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; even though Rachel was the wife Jacob loved, it would be through Leah's son, Judah that in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. For it is evident that our Lord [Christ Jesus] arose from Judah,... (Hebrews 7:14)
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