Genesis 29.1-30-Physical Attraction Blinds Jacob as to the True Identity of His Right Woman
Thursday June 29, 2006
Genesis: Genesis 29:1-30-Physical Attraction to Rachel Blinds Jacob as to the True Identity of His Right Woman, Leah
Lesson # 171
Please turn in your Bibles to Genesis 29:1.
This evening we will continue with our studies of Genesis 29.
Thus far we have noted the following:
Genesis 29:1-12 records Jacob finally arriving in Paddan Aram and meeting the shepherds from Haran and the daughter of his uncle Laban and future wife, Rachel.
In Genesis 29:13-14, we noted Jacob meeting Laban for the first time and staying with Laban for a month.
Genesis 29:15-20 gives us the record of Jacob agreeing to work for Laban for seven years in exchange for being betrothed to Rachel.
In Genesis 29:21-24, we saw Laban deceiving Jacob on his wedding night by sending into his tent Leah and not Rachel whom he desired to marry.
Genesis 29:25-30 records Jacob discovering the next morning that he has been deceived by Laban and is trapped by him into agreeing to another seven years of service as the bride-price for marrying Rachel.
The fact that Jacob is trapped into another seven years of service was a manifestation of divine discipline in the life of Jacob for his deception of his father Isaac and cheating Esau.
Last evening we noted that this divine discipline in the form of service to a tyrant such as Laban was to prepare Jacob to be a leader of God’s people.
This evening we will look at Genesis 29 from the perspective that Jacob’s romanticism blinded him as to the true identity of his right woman.
As we have noted in the past and we will develop further this evening, Jacob’s physical attraction to Rachel blinded him to the fact that Leah was his right woman and not Rachel.
Genesis 29:1, “Then Jacob went on his journey, and came to the land of the sons of the east.”
Genesis 29:2, “He looked, and saw a well in the field, and behold, three flocks of sheep were lying there beside it, for from that well they watered the flocks. Now the stone on the mouth of the well was large.”
Genesis 29:3, “When all the flocks were gathered there, they would then roll the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep, and put the stone back in its place on the mouth of the well.”
Genesis 29:4, “Jacob said to them, ‘My brothers, where are you from?’ And they said, ‘We are from Haran.’”
Genesis 29:5, “He said to them, ‘Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?’ And they said, ‘We know him.’”
Genesis 29:6, “And he said to them, ‘Is it well with him?’ And they said, ‘It is well, and here is Rachel his daughter coming with the sheep.’”
Genesis 29:7, “He said, ‘Behold, it is still high day; it is not time for the livestock to be gathered. Water the sheep, and go, pasture them.’”
Genesis 29:8, “But they said, ‘We cannot, until all the flocks are gathered, and they roll the stone from the mouth of the well; then we water the sheep.’”
Genesis 29:9, “While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she was a shepherdess.”
“Rachel” is the proper noun rachel (lj@r*) (raw-khale) and in the Hebrew means, “ewe” meaning the female of the sheep, especially of the mature.
Genesis 29:10, “When Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother, Jacob went up and rolled the stone from the mouth of the well and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother.”
Genesis 29:11, “Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted his voice and wept.”
Genesis 29:12, “Jacob told Rachel that he was a relative of her father and that he was Rebekah's son, and she ran and told her father.”
Genesis 29:13, “So when Laban heard the news of Jacob his sister's son, he ran to meet him, and embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Then he related to Laban all these things.”
Genesis 29:14, “Laban said to him, ‘Surely you are my bone and my flesh.’ And he stayed with him a month.”
Genesis 29:15, “Then Laban said to Jacob, ‘Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?’”
Genesis 29:16, “Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.”
Genesis 29:17, “And Leah's eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful of form and face.”
“Leah” (le’ah) (hal@) (lay-aw), which means, “cow” and “Rachel” (rachel) (lj@r) (raw-khale) means, “ewe” meaning the female of the sheep, especially of the mature.
The statement “Leah’s eyes were weak” does “not” refer to the fact that she had poor eyesight but rather that her eyes were dull in color meaning they were probably light blue or gray and not deep dark brown, which was the preferable color for standard of beauty in the Middle East.
The statement “Leah’s eyes were weak” implies that Rachel’s eyes were a deep dark brown in color, which men of the Middle East prized and this is confirmed by the description of her as being “beautiful in face.”
The expression “beautiful in face” refers to the appearance of Rachel’s face with emphasis upon her eyes since the noun mar’eh, “face” is related to anything having to do with seeing, including not only the act of seeing but the eyes themselves.
The statement “Leah’s eyes were weak” does “not” mean that she was homely looking since her sister Rachel was beautiful but rather it means it was her only specific weakness in the eyes of men in Middle East in that day.
Rachel is described as being “beautiful in form” refers to the fact that she had a beautiful “figure” and does “not” imply that Leah did not have a nice figure but that Rachel’s was outstanding and superior to her sister’s.
Genesis 29:17 describes Rachel as being beautiful in both form and face.
Unlike Abraham’s servant Eliezer who tested the character of Rebekah, Jacob does not do so.
From what is related to us concerning her character there does not seem much to claim any high degree of admiration and esteem.
In a marked manner Rachel's character shows the traits of her family, cunning and covetousness, so evident in Laban, Rebekah and Jacob.
Though a believer in the true God (30:6, 8, 22), she was yet given to the superstitions of her country, the worshipping of the teraphim, etc. (31:19).
The futility of her efforts in resorting to self-help and superstitious expedients, the love and stronger faith of her husband (35:2-4), were the providential means of purifying her character.
Although Rachel was Jacob's favorite wife, the line of David and the Messianic line passed through Rachel’s sister, Leah and her son Judah and not Rachel.
Leah bore Jacob six sons, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulon and one daughter Dinah (See Genesis 29:32-35; 30:17-21) whereas Rachel bore only two children, Joseph and Benjamin and she died giving in Bethlehem giving birth to the latter.
Amazingly, the grace of God was manifested by Laban sending Leah in to the tent Jacob rather than Rachel.
Jacob did not recognize it at the time but Leah was in reality a gift from the Lord to him and was in fact his right woman and not Rachel.
The Word of God indicates that Leah and not Rachel was Jacob’s right woman as indicating by the following.
First of all, when we take into consideration the providence of God, which expresses the fact that the world and our lives are not ruled by chance or fate but by God, we must acknowledge that, in spite of the deceptiveness of Laban, Leah was Jacob’s wife.
Furthermore, it was Leah, not Rachel, who became the mother of Judah, who was to be the heir through whom the Messiah would come (cf. 49:8 12) and it was Levi, a son of Leah, who provided the priestly line in later years.
It seems noteworthy that both Leah and her handmaid had at least twice the number of children as compared to Rachel and her maid (cf. 29:31 30:24; 46:15, 18, 22, 25).
The firstborn was always to have a double portion and so it would seem Leah did, so far as children are concerned.
Also, the superiority of Leah to Rachel is also revealed in that Rachel died at an early age, yet she was the younger sister and when she died, she was buried on the way to Bethlehem (35:19) and yet when Leah died later, she was buried with Jacob in the cave at Machpelah (49:31).
Another thing to consider is that the Word of God reveals that Jacob chose Rachel based solely upon looks and did not take into consideration her character as Abraham’s servant Eliezer did when selecting Rebekah for Isaac.
Lastly, when choosing Rachel, Jacob never prays for guidance from the Lord in order to discern if Rachel was his right woman as Abraham’s servant Eliezer did when choosing Rebekah and neither did he test the character of Rachel as Eliezer did with Rebekah!
Leah was not a curse to Jacob but a blessing.
Genesis 29:18, “Now Jacob loved Rachel, so he said, ‘I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.’”
Genesis 29:19, “Laban said, ‘It is better that I give her to you than to give her to another man; stay with me.’”
Genesis 29:20, “So Jacob served seven years for Rachel and they seemed to him but a few days because of his love for her.”
Genesis 29:21, “Then Jacob said to Laban, ‘Give me my wife, for my time is completed, that I may go in to her.’”
Genesis 29:22, “Laban gathered all the men of the place and made a feast.”
Genesis 29:23, “Now in the evening he took his daughter Leah, and brought her to him; and Jacob went in to her.”
Genesis 29:24, “Laban also gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a maid.”
Genesis 29:25, “So it came about 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 with you? Why then have you deceived me?’”
Genesis 29:26, “But Laban said, ‘It is not the practice in our place to marry off the younger before the firstborn.’”
Genesis 29:27, “Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which you shall serve with me for another seven years.”
Genesis 29:28, “Jacob did so and completed her week, and he gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife.”
Genesis 29:29, “Laban also gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maid.”
Genesis 29:30, “So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and indeed he loved Rachel more than Leah, and he served with Laban for another seven years.”
It is interesting to note how different was the process by which Isaac obtained Rebekah as a wife from that means through which Jacob acquired Rachel.
Isaac was subject to his father, and it was through the wisdom of his father and his servant Eliezer, through the financial means of Abraham and through prayer that she was obtained.
Jacob went off on his own with none of his father’s resources.
He chose the woman with the greatest beauty and bargained with Laban for her.
To me there is no doubt that Jacob was guided more by his physical attraction for Rachel and his sex drive than any other factor.
Unlike Abraham’s servant Eliezer, Jacob did not pray about this matter, so far as we are told.
Unlike Abraham’s servant Eliezer, Jacob did not give any consideration to matters of character.
He did not seek coun¬sel.
In fact, he sought to overturn the customs of the day and the preferences of Laban.
We live in a very sex driven, romance oriented day.
We find ourselves cheering for Rachel and booing Leah.
God seems to have been on the other side.
What is romantic is not always right and in fact is often it is wrong.
Just because you are in love with someone does not mean that God approves!
Jacob’s physical attraction towards Rachel caused him to use the well when and how he saw fit, regardless of the rules set by the owner.
Romanticism led Jacob to choose Rachel, not Leah.
We must be¬ware of those decisions which are determined by romantic impressions or feelings or physical attraction.
Few things are as important to women today as beauty.
Perhaps nothing is more important to men today than beauty.
Rachel was a wonderfully-endowed woman and there is nothing wrong with that.
Sarah was beautiful, and so was Rebekah but outward beauty must always be considered a secondary consideration.
Jacob looked at Rachel’s exterior and investigated no further into her character.
The writer, King Lemuel, was not in error when he gave this counsel: Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised (Proverbs 31:30).
This same theme is prominent in the New Testament (cf. I Timothy 2:9 10; I Peter 3:1 6).
Men and boys, we all want to be seen with the beautiful girls and we all have dreamed of dating them.
Some have made great sac¬rifices to marry a showpiece but let us look first for character, and if we find it, let us look no further.
If we find character with charm and beauty, let us consider ourselves fortunate and blessed by the Lord.
Proverbs 12:4, “A wife of noble character is her husband's crown, but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones.”
Proverbs 31:10, “A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.”
Ladies, I realize that our society has placed a premium on glamour and beauty.
I understand that much of your sense of self worth is based upon your outward attractiveness and “sex appeal.”
However, that is wrong.
Our ultimate worth is that estimation which comes from God.
God was not impressed with Rachel’s good looks.
After all, He gave that to her in the first place.
God looked upon the heart and blessed Leah.
Her worth, while never fully realized by her husband, was great in the eyes of God.
Remember the principle the Lord taught the prophet Samuel when selecting a king over Israel.
1 Samuel 16:7, “Do not look at his appearance, or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as men sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”