The Guy Who Wanted a Wife but Got a Nation
There was a guy by the name of Jacob in the Bible who had a mother by
the name of Rebekah and a father by the name of Isaac. Rebekah wanted her
son Jacob to get married. She asked Jacob to go where her relatives were in
what we would call Syria today. So off he went to his mother's homeland to
find a wife. Along the way, God kept giving Jacob the same promises that He
gave his grandfather Abraham; that he would become a 'company of peoples.'
Finally, he arrived at the destination where his uncle was supposed to
be. All of a sudden the most beautiful girl in the world arrived on the
scene with a herd of thirsty sheep. Well, eligible bachelor #1 Jacob strutted
up to the young lady, watered the sheep and then gave her a big kiss. Her
name was Rachel. She was the daughter of his mother's brother Laban.
Jacob and Rachel immediately went to Uncle Laban to work out a deal
for marriage. Laban, being an opportunistic guy with a very desirable asset in
a high demand-low supply situation, worked out a deal with Jacob. If Jacob
worked for him seven years, then he would give Jacob his daughter in
marriage.
Well, marriage day finally arrived and there was a great celebration.
The next morning after Jacob woke up after his marriage, he looked over at
who was with him and the Bible says that, "Behold, it was Leah." Who was
Leah? That was Rachel's older sister and she was, dare I say it,
beauty-challenged.
Jacob went straight to Uncle Laban and demanded Rachel. Uncle Laban
then gave him a lesson in Syrian culture. It was not the custom in Syria to
marry the younger sister before the older sister. It was a gotcha! So, Jacob
and Laban work out another deal. Jacob can marry Rachel in one week but he
has to work another seven years for Laban.
Now, this is getting interesting. You have one beautiful, desirable
younger sister, one beauty-challenged, undesirable older sister and one
husband with quite an investment in both. Oh, also you have one happy uncle too!
Well, it's not long and Leah, the undesirable one, is having children. In
fact, she had four boys in a row. That was very important in those days.
Meanwhile, Rachel is not conceiving and pretty upset about it.
Let me stop here and make an observation or two. First of all, we all
have 'Rachel's' and 'Leah's.' Rachel's appear great on the outside but
inwardly are unfruitful or barren. Leah's are undesirable on the outside but
inwardly are fruitful. Rachel's are a type of our desire. Leah's are a type of
God's desire. We tend to fall in love with our desires and then end up
disliking them. Why? Our desires are not God's best for us and become unfruitful.
Let me illustrate. Forgiveness too many is undesirable. "No way!" we
say. Yet, when you forgive, it doesn't free the other person as much as it
frees you. It's fruitful on the inside. Waiting for God's timing in your life
might seem ugly on the outside but it is fruitful on the inside.
You see, Jacob wanted a wife, but God wanted a nation. God was doing
something bigger, better and more far reaching than Jacob could ever imagine
for both God's and Jacob's benefit. He does the same thing for us too. Just
watch and see.
Next week, the rest of this story!
Ed Delph