01-78 Jacob’s Sons Are Born

Genesis 29:31-30:24

Every family has unique dynamics and some are very noteworthy.

Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 3314 What a Tie-Up!

Aberdeen, South Dakota, Virgil Schense became his father’s brother-in-law and the uncle of his three brothers and sisters. His three sisters became nieces of his wife and also her sisters-in-law. His wife became her sister’s daughter-in-law’s sister-in-law and also her husband’s aunt.

Now how did things get that way? In case you can’t figure it out, here’s what happened. Virgil Schense, son of his fathers’ first wife, married the sister of his father’s second wife.

It sort of makes your mind numb trying to figure that out (I’m My Own Grandpa).

Marriage is intended by God to be a blessing to all humanity. But sometimes, marriage(s) can bring tremendous hardship upon those who enter that sacred union.

In Gen 2 the account is explicit that God created one wife for Adam and in following chapters He makes it abundantly clear that anyone who takes an extra wife is going beyond what God created for man’s good (marriage). God declared:

Genesis 2:24 NASB95

24 For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.

Polygamy invites painful hardship which is noteworthy in the biblical examples that we have encountered already in Gen.

Lamech composed a song about his open rebellion against God and bigamy

Abraham listened to the voice of his wife and took Hagar to be his 2nd wife bring bitterness into his family (for generations)

Esau married 2 Hittite women and when he saw they were a disgrace to his parents he took a 3rd wife (daughter of Ishmael).

The account of Jacob’s polygamy would also court disaster as a bitter rivalry would develop b/t his 2 wives—who happen to also be sisters. Later kings would bring scandal and catastrophe to the nation of Israel.

God’s purpose for marriage was clearly intended to be monogamous. In fact, the blessing of marriage would be used to illustrate the covenantal faithfulness that God demanded of His bride—Israel. Israel too often however, played the harlot as the the book of Hosea portrays. There is also the final word that God speaks in His Son who called His people to a joyful, monogamous, faithful love that was emblematic of His love for His bride—the church.

Polygamy was not God design and whenever man goes against God’s design, it will go badly. Later on thru Moses God would declare:

Leviticus 18:18 NASB95

18 ‘You shall not marry a woman in addition to her sister as a rival while she is alive, to uncover her nakedness.

I’ve read several commentators who have softened Jacob’s polygamy saying “strictly speaking, it was not his fault.” Strictly speaking it was his fault. Not being deceived and having his bride substituted for her sister—for that falls on Laban and Leah. But Jacob took it upon himself to marry the 2nd woman (and to consummate that marriage) after the 1st marriage was consummated that 1st night of the wedding feast. So polygamy was his fault. It was his choice—to ultimately marry the woman he loved. In our day and age, the mindset would be “well, doesn’t Jacob deserve to be happy?” “Doesn’t he deserve to marry the woman he loves?” I would ask this, “Is God design a suggestion?” This is what happens when God’s people try to take matters into their own hand.

Proverbs 3:5–6 NASB95

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.

B/c Jacob lean’s on his own understanding, he invites disaster into his home. That’s what we encounter in the the account of the birth of Jacob’s sons. As we go thru our vv, I have 5 headings for you (I’ve actually trimmed it down from 7).

1. The Unloved Is Fruitful

vv 31-34

29:30 Rachel is loved more than Leah. The words “loved” and “unloved” (31—lit “hated”) are comparative terms. From Jacob’s perspective, he tolerated Leah but didn’t have the affection for her that he had for Rachel, for he preferred her above Leah. Something I find tremendously encouraging is that YHWH saw Leah was unloved. The Lord is moved by the family hardship that she is encountering. Even though this family is brought together out of sinful choices…there is compassion on the Lord’s part. It is encouraging b/c the Lord is not absent, unmoved, isolated, distant and unconcerned. All that you are facing (for better or worse) God sees this and His plan incorporates your hardship (even if it has come upon yourself thru sinful choices) and He will bring His purposes about in your life.

He is moved by Leah’s distress and as a result He opens her womb, while Rachel remained barren. This power is held in the sovereign hand of the Creator. He alone opens and closes the womb. This is what Abraham and Sarah had experienced even though they tried to take matters into their own hand. If anyone has children—it is b/c the Lord grants them.

This is the fine line b/t the sinful choices of Laban and Leah, and Jacob to take a 2nd wife…and the blessing of the Lord when He grants children. That’s what children are:

Psalm 127:3 NASB95

3 Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward.

Leah becomes fruitful as YHWH opens her womb. vv 32-35 reveal 4 sons that Jacob has thru Leah. And her hope of being loved is enshrined in the naming of the 4 boys:

Reuben (lit “see, a son”). Leah explains the reason—vs 32b. She is hopeful that a son will bring Jacob to finally love her as she deserved to be loved as a wife. Leah credits YHWH with the birth and she had no doubt in her mind what God was doing in and thru her.

Simeon (“Has heard”) and we read…If the 1st son did not melt Jacob’s hatred, perhaps this 2nd son would. And how many wives today have thought that a pregnancy would repair a fractured marriage when all too often it only adds to the hardship?

Levi (to be attached/joined)…again we read 34b. You can sense Leah’s frustration with winning the affection of her husband. She is not giving up on Jacob and Jacob keeps having marital relations with her but not giving her his love. Instead of love, maybe this son would bring attachment.

Judah (“May YHWH be praised”) Something has changed in Leah’s heart, where she is no longer obsessed with winning Jacob’s love and turns to worship. So she exalts the Lord in the birth of the 4th son. She may never encounter Jacob’s love but she knows God deserves to be praised. And what is truly remarkable about these births, the last 2 represent the priestly and kingly tribes of Israel. Leah is directly tied to Moses, Aaron (priesthood) and David and Christ/Messiah (throne of JC).

Leah experienced what many women have thru the ages—a loveless marriage. Another famous wife who was unloved was Sophia Tolstoy—wife of the Russian author, Leo. Their marriage was anything but a fairytale: “It is painful and humiliating.… I am nothing but … a useless creature with morning sickness, and a big belly, two rotten teeth, and a bad temper, a battered sense of dignity, and a love which nobody wants and which nearly drives me insane.” But God is faithful!

2. The Home Is Forlorn

1-13

There’s something about Jacob’s home that reveals all was not well. Everyone was pitifully sad. Leah was sad b/c she was unloved. Now that Jacob has sons, the wife he loved is also sad b/c she is barren—vs 1. This terribly upsets Jacob who knows the only one responsible for opening the womb is the Lord—vs 2. Instead of trusting fully in the plans and purposes of God, Rachel, who knew that God opens the womb, takes matters into her own hand (just like Sarah). She offers her maid (slave-girl), Bilhah to Jacob to be a surrogate mother “bear on my knees” (the idea of laying a child on her knees).

In rapid succession we see the fruit of this terribly unwise ordeal: 2 more sons. Rachel is going to follow in the steps of her sister in naming these boys.

Dan (he has judged, vindicated) Rachel believed there was vindication at last. She that God has judged her (during time of barrenness) and now has given a son. She too knows that God is the giver of children.

Naphtali (struggle, wrestle) and Rachel explains—vs 8 (lit. “with the wrestlings of God”) indicating the intense, mighty wrestling of the sisters in this home. Rachel believes she is getting the upper hand, hence the name of the 2nd son thru Bilhah.

Of course, this doesn’t sit well with Leah so she too strikes back and gives her own maid (slave-girl) to Jacob and he will father 2 more sons thru Zilpah.

Gad (good fortune) Leah responds vs 11. What is striking is the total absence of the mention of God in connection with this birth and instead seems to associate the blessing of this child to fortune—total pagan ideology.

Asher (happy, blessed) All this jealousy is taking its toll on the sisters and the one-up-man-ship is becoming painful. Leah’s desire for community prestige is why she calls this son “Asher.” There is also no mention of God in this name as it is associated closely with the Assyrian deity Ashur or a form of the Canaanite goddess Asherah.

Polygamy has stressed this family to the core and there seems to be no end in sight. What a life of misery that belongs to those who don’t walk in the way of the Lord. They forgot that true happiness is found only in the Lord.

3. The Myth of Fertility

14-16

The competition is fully underway and not yet settled. A young Reuben was out in the field during wheat harvest and found “mandrakes” in the field which he brings to his mother Leah. Mandrakes grow all over Israel. There is no stalk but large leaves fan out from the root at ground level. The dark root resembles the lower part of the human torso and helped the mandrake to be known as a plant with magical and sensual powers. Hebrew Scholar Gordon Wenham writes: “The mandrake (Mandragora autumnalis) is a perennial Mediterranean plant that bears bluish flowers in winter and yellowish plum-sized fruit in summer. In ancient times, mandrakes were famed for arousing sexual desire (cf. Song of Solomon 7:13) and for helping barren women to conceive.” Arabs refered to mandrakes as “devil’s apples” and the greeks nicknamed them “love apples” b/c it was reputed to be an aphrodisiac.

It appears that the whole family bought into this myth of its power of fertility. Leah’s oldest son brought these to her. Rachel so much desired her own child that she barters for some of the mandrakes. There is no fear of God among these women. Derek Kidner: “It is a further example, in this family, of trading in things that should be above trade, and resorting in trouble only half-heartedly to God.”

14b-16

Leah, knowing she has the upper hand in every way, calls Jacob “my husband.” It seems also that Rachel controls which wife or slave-girl sleeps with Jacob and when and that Rachel has managed to keep Leah away from Jacob for some considerable time.

The deal is struck as both women are desperate for children—Leah gets her night with Jacob and Rachel gets the fertility drug. The Bible gives no credence to the old myth that mandrakes would help with infertility. In fact, Leah (who gives up the mandrakes) has 2 more sons and a daughter. Rachel who is in possession of the mandrakes will remain barren for about 3 more years. It shows us that God truly is the one who opens the womb. Even today, with fertility treatments, if they “work” it is b/c God himself is at work.

4. The Home Flourishes

17-21

More children are on the way. Leah has 3 more:

Issachar (man of hire) Remember, Leah told Jacob you must come in to me (vs 16) b/c she hired him with the mandrakes. Leah interprets this birth (play on words) that God has given wages/reward for supplying a surrogate to Jacob—as if she thinks God is looking favorably upon her for giving her maid to Jacob. This is twisted.

Zebulun (endowed) vs 20. Leah is certain that she is the favored one and Jacob will make her the primary wife and “dwell with her”

Dinah (unclear) the only daughter in this family.

Leah and her maid Zilpah have given Jacob 8 sons and 1 daughter.

5. The Lord Shows Favor

22-24

“Then God remembered…” In our deepest moments of sorrow, in our greatest hardships, in the enduring trials of life, we come very near to our own breaking point but it is here that we must take note: and God remembered. To be sure, God didn’t forget. God didn’t overlook. God wasn’t preoccupied. He is not like us with our feebleness of mind that we constantly need a “reminder app” to keep our to do lists in order.

God remembered Rachel. For years she remained barren, while everyone around her was having children (Leah, Zilpah, even her own maid Bilhah). Rachel needed to come to the end of herself and leaning on her own understanding. Why did God wait so long? Maybe to get this truth across to us…everything was of God. He opened her womb. And she conceived and bore a son. That was pretty simple. There were no mandrakes, no surrogates, no competition…God moved and Rachel was blessed.

She acknowledged this—vs 23b: reproach/disgrace—the social stigma of barrenness and subjected to public ridicule b/c she could have no children.

The joy of a barren woman giving birth was expressed in Isaiah.

Isaiah 54:1 NASB95

1 “Shout for joy, O barren one, you who have borne no child; Break forth into joyful shouting and cry aloud, you who have not travailed; For the sons of the desolate one will be more numerous Than the sons of the married woman,” says the Lord.

Because of her abiding faith in the generosity of God Rachel names her son Joseph (may He add) vs 24 “add another son.” And God will do just that by giving Benjamin in ch 35.

What God wants us to learn, the point He would bring each one of us is to recognize that God is God. Now, is that a profound truth? He is mighty one, the sovereign ruler, the Lord of heaven and earth. We are not to compete for the affection of one another but all we do is to be done for the glory of God.

Robert Candlish

Who are these poor worms of the dust, Laban, Leah, Rachel, Jacob himself, and all the rest of them, that they should go about plotting and planning, after so vile a fashion, for the building of the house or family in which the God of Abraham is to record his name, and out of which the Son and Lord of Abraham is to spring, for the saving of the nations? What mean these wretched bickerings and jarrings in that ill-assorted miserable game of rivalry, defiling honorable marriage—this pitiable trade and traffic of mandrakes—and all the other incidents which so offend us—enacted beneath the roof of a professed man of God? Does the Lord stand in need of such devices and doings as these for the raising up of a seed for Abraham?

He does not need you to lean on your own understanding to bring about His purposes. What He wants is your heart and life fully surrendered to Him…what a joyful blessing it is to see Him work His plan out in our lives, homes, families, spouses, children.