An Old Love Story

Introduction

Last week we saw Jacob leaving to go to Laban his unc for safety from his brother Esau. On the way he was met by God and he heard from God for the first time and the covenant was promised to him. He told God that if these things were so he would be his God.

Now tonight he arrives at the land in which Laban lives in and there is a love story that plays out but not in the way that you would expect, this is no hallmark movie that we are about to see.

Tonight's story will start with him seeing the girl and falling for her right away. After this he does whatever it takes to make her his wife. After doing all that he has to he is tricked and has to do it all over again. This is leading to even more and more brokenness within this family but God is working through all of this brokenness.

Lets pray and then we will begin to dive into this crazy love story.

Love at First Sight

Genesis 29:1–14 ESV

Then Jacob went on his journey and came to the land of the people of the east. 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, 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. Jacob said to them, “My brothers, where do you come from?” They said, “We are from Haran.” He said to them, “Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?” They said, “We know him.” He said to them, “Is it well with him?” They said, “It is well; and see, Rachel his daughter is coming with the sheep!” 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.” 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.” While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess. 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. Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud. 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. 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, and Laban said to him, “Surely you are my bone and my flesh!” And he stayed with him a month.

Jacob comes to the land and sees a well with some shepherds around it. These are lazy shepherds who are just waiting for water instead of doing something more productive such as looking for more pasture. There is a stone over the mouth of the well and once all of the local shepherds arrive they all go together and roll it off of the well to water. Jacob ask them where they are from and when they say Haran he quickly ask if they know Laban and he ask if it is well with him. They say that they know him and all is well. No sooner than when they say this his daughter appears. She is the only shepherdess mentioned in the Bible. As soon as he saw her he says that they need to uncover the well and they refuse because that is not what they do so to show off he does it all by himself and then goes and greets her and tells her who he is. She then runs and tells Laban and they are very happy and Laban quotes Adam as he sees him calling him his bone and his flesh.

Right out the gate he sees her and knows who she is and he is in love. He shows off his strength as he meets her and the stage is set.

Jacob is not a guy that has been moved by love very much in what we have seen. He has tricked and deceived people in his own family, now that he has fallen in love though he is willing to not cheat his way to marrying her but he is willing to do the work that is necessary to have her as a wife. This sets us up for the next several years of Jacobs life.

Loves Labor

Genesis 29:15–20 ESV

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

Jacob has now been with him working for a month and Laban says that he wants to pay him for his work, this is the moment that he has been waiting for. The story then takes a aside to tell us that Rachel was the younger and pretty daughter while the older Leah was not very good looking. As you may have noticed earlier with the details about the stone over the well that this information is going to come into play later. After this aside Jacob says that he will work seven years to get to marry Rachel. Laban says that this sounds good and he begins to work these seven years and they fly by like nothing all because of the love that he has for her, awww.

I think that this is a point in the story where we can say good for him. He has cheated his way to everything in life thus far but not here. He sees love and is willing to put in the work. Can I tell you that love and marriage are things that require a lot of work, I think that this is something that much of our culture misses. I think that this is why the divorce rate is so high in our country, because there are so many people who refuse to work for love.

notice in this too that all of those years flew by because of the love that he had for her, this is the true hallmark moment right there. It does not continue this way though as we will see next.

Loves Disappointment

Genesis 29:21–30 ESV

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

At the end of the seven years he tells Laban that is it time. Laban then prepares the wedding feast but in the evening he gave Jacob Leah! The old swichero! This sounds like a familiar tactic. There is then the aside about the servant that will come into play next week. In the morning when he woke up he was confused and in shock because that was not the woman that he thought he married. Now in this moment I just need to say that I do not know exactly how this happened and yes it is shocking, every time I read this I ask how can you not tell but whatever happened he didn’t realize it until the deed had been done. He is of course furious with Laban and goes to him and he says that they can’t give away the younger first but then says that he can marry Rachel after the wedding week with Leah in exchange for seven more years of work. Taken advantage of again. Jacob takes this deal and marries Rachel, now having two wives which is a recipe for disaster. We also see that he is now showing favoritism just like his parents did.

This love story comes to a bumpy ending and we see that Jacob was on the receiving end of the deception this time. It says in Galatians 6.7

Galatians 6:7 ESV

Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.

Jacob’s time in this land is a time of exile just like Israel will go through in Egypt. This time God works on the heart and brings change, here he is giving Jacob back some of what he was sowing and is showing him the pitfalls of sin.

Often times we do things and do not think about how exactly they affect those around us but what we need to realize is what we do affects more than just us. Jacob has tore apart his family and now he is seeing what that feels like from the other side. I think that there are times where we are put in the same situation by God and it is all him working in our lives.

Conclusion

So this is a love story with a crazy unexpected ending. He loves her and he does the work it takes to get her and then there is the unexpected ending but he finally does get her.

This story begins to show us some of the change in Jacob’s life and it sets the stage for further division and conflict. God will use this though to bring about the nation of Israel. It will go from this one man to twelve men who become twelve tribes. God is on the move through unusual love stories.

In our own lives we need to think about how we love, not just towards a single person but towards everyone. Jacobs love story got messed up just like how he messed up other peoples lives because of a lack of love. Because of all of that God is giving him his just punishment.

The greatest act of love that we have ever received was seen in the life of Jesus and his death for our sins, he is also the perfect example of what living a loving life looks like.