We’ve now arrived at the third Biblical patriarch: Jacob.
Recall Jacob had to flee from his family’s house because of his treachery toward his brother Esau.
After a long journey, Jacob arrives at a well in Haran and there instantly falls head over heels for one of the young girls drawing water.
The girl’s name is Rachel.
She was one of the daughters of Laban who was Jacob’s uncle (or his mother’s brother).
Since Jacob was now a homeless runaway with no material goods to offer, he agrees to work for Laban for seven years in return for the right to marry Rachel.
Seven years come and go and during the marriage ceremony which during Bible times was concluded in the bedroom, unbeknownst to Jacob, the older sister Leah is switched for Rachel.
When Jacob finds out, it’s too late and and he is forced to accept Leah as his new wife.
Understand Jacob reaped what he had sowed here.
Just as he had duped his father into giving him the blessing by pretending to be Esau, so was he duped by Laban who secretly sent Leah to Jacob’s wedding bed knowing full well he would think she was Rachel.
In spite of what happened, Jacob’s love and desire for Rachel remained as passionate as ever and he agrees to another seven years of servitude to Laban in exchange for her.
Understand this would not have been an easy decision for Jacob to make.
A lot of folks have this idea that Jacob was an impulsive and foolish young man when he married Leah and then Rachel.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Jacob was 84 years old at this time.
That’s right folks.
He had to think really hard about exchanging another 14 years of his life for his two wives and looking back I’m sure he wondered if he had made the best decision.
His two wives who were also sisters were constantly fighting among each other.
On top of that, tension began to grow between Jacob and his father-in-law Laban.
In total, Jacob had worked a total of 20 years for Laban.
14 of those years were for Rachel and Leah and another six years to acquire more livestock.
During this whole time, the Lord had blessed Jacob to the point where Laban was becoming more and more jealous and hostile towards him.
Sensing the time was ripe to move on, Jacob gathered up his family and fled once again.
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