Read: Genesis 27-29
Focus Verse: “Now Easu learned that Isaac had blessed Jacob and had sent him to Paddan Aram to take a wife from there, and that when he blessed him he commanded him, ‘Do not marry a Canaanite woman,’ and that Jacob had obeyed his father and mother and had gone to Paddan Aram.” (Genesis 28:6-7).
Devotion: The story of Jacob and his wives is a little odd for our western eyes. On the surface Jacob goes seeking a wife. However we know that his initial and primary motive is running from Easu, as he is fearful Easu want’s to kill him. While he is journeying under the guise of finding a wife, Jacob falls in love. However, he is tricked into marrying the older sister even though he loved the younger, then he is tricked into working 14 years total to get both sisters as wives, then loves them unequally. To help this story make sense in context we must look to the parallels of this story as help. The scene of Jacob searching for a wife and finding the family at a watering hole, then watering the sheep is a reversed mirror scene of Isaac’s search for a wife in Ch 24 when he finds Rebekah, and here Jacob finds Rachel. The son who seemed to be opposite his dad and loved less is now following in the footsteps of his father. Then the ‘trick’ to marry Leah instead of Rachel is reasoned that it is not customary for the younger to marry before the older. Deception based on birth order. Jacob’s dad loved the older brother more and Jacob tricked his dad (Ch 27) to steal the blessing that was due his older brother. Jacobs dad unequally loved his sons and conversely Jacob now unequally loves the younger sister, Rachel, as the wife he loves. He is tricked much in the way he tricked his father. Poetic justice so to speak. So I see Ch 27-29 as one literary unit, a small chunk in the larger story, but as one whole unit. I find it fascinating the way this story is crafted and all the opposite parallelism. It almost does seem to suggest Jacob got what he deserved after stealing his brothers birth right. The deceiver gets deceived. So I guess the life lesson could be, don’t be a trickster lest ye be tricked. NOT karma, rather like father like son.
Pray: LORD you are not a God who pays us back what we deserve, but help us live with wisdom and love so that we will be careful not to hurt anyone or be hurt because of a lack of love. Amen.
Additional scripture: “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)