Reading for January 10
Are you beginning to see some familial patterns here?!!! Just as Jacob deceived his father and brother to get what he wanted, Laban resorts to the same methodology in his dealings with his future son-in-law. The saying "what goes around comes around" seems to apply. Jacob is tricked into marrying the less desirable Leah before he is able to wed his true love, Rachel. So as in the home of his father, and his father before him, favoritism abounds with all the ensuing dysfunction. With Abraham and Isaac, the favoritism concerned the children (and that is to come with Jacob as well), but initially the family drama here revolves around the two sisters. Leah knows that she is not loved by her husband and feels understandably insecure. Rachel is unable to produce children, and also feels understandably insecure. It is interesting to note that the first three of Leah's children are named according to her quest for Jacob's love. Her fourth son, however, is named Judah, meaning "Now I will praise the Lord!" And it is into the tribe of Judah that Jesus will be born. At this point, hand-maidens (concubines) get in on the child-production competition (sound familiar?). Finally, Rachel gives birth to Joseph, who will become his father's favorite. That is another story for another time, but one we will all recall from Sunday school. It is the classic illustration of favoritism gone bad.
Something else I found interesting was that the wives of all three of the patriarchs experienced infertility. Was it so that the patriarchs themselves would not be able to take any credit for the lineage they were producing? Was it so that the formation of the nation of Israel would be totally dependent on God and not man? Was it because they needed to trust him to carry out this most basic function of building a family/nation? I don't know, but I do think it has to be more than coincidence that all three of these families went through almost identical struggles.
Tomorrow's reading: Genesis 30:25-31
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I have always loved this story bc I can relate to Leah-placing motherhood/being a wife as her idol/identity and finally finding freedom when she places God in the throne of her heart...not family. And as you said, this is the child God chooses to bring Jesus through. I also am enouraged to see her human side when she once again desires worth from Jacob not God, because that is me...knowing where my worth should come from, but settling for "lesser" idols. Idols which are good (like family,children, etc) but not best (Jesus).
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