If you’ve ever had the wonderful experience of falling in love, surely you know that there is no better feeling. I recently read in a book that if you are going to be a fool, be a fool for love. I wonder if the writer of the song, “When a Man Loves a Woman” gave any thought to Jacob and Rachel before writing that song because that is a song that will sing. It has several verses, but only one chorus, Jacob loved Rachel!
Below are some questions to ponder. Feel free to asnswer one or all of the questions. Additional comments are also welcomed.
From Genesis 29:30; 30:1
1. How do you think most women would respond to the situation in which Rachel found herself (29:30)? With love and concern for her unlove sister? Or with a spirit of superiority and pride?
2. Discontentment is an insidious thing, trapping us into thinking that which was enough is no longer enough, and that which was satisfying is no longer satisfying. Do you ever feel discontent because you don't "have it all"? What can you do to resist such sentiments?
3. It's one of the paradoxes of life, revealed here in this tragic story of Rachel's death, that what we most want from life we often can only gain by giving up something else that's equally important to us. Can you think of an instance in your own life in which gaining something you wanted required giving up something else?
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Giving up something to gain something? For me, that was hard to do. I thought I had a pretty good life, great job, friends and family, and the partying like there was no tomorrow. All in all there was still something missing. I wasn't totally happy. I went to numerous denominational churches even though I was raised in a baptist church. I wasn't learning anything, I was only going to check out all the cute guys there anyway. One day I ended up in the hospital almost on my death bed because of partying real heavy the night before. To sum it up, I was told that if I didn't stop drinking the way I was I would not see my 22nd birthday. A couple weeks after this happened I met Dave, who told me about the gospel of Christ, I was very excited, I was baptized the same day!! But I continued to be with my friends and family, We celebrated the fact that I was baptized by throwing a neighborhood BBQ. Here I was drinking to celebrate the fact that I was baptized! How sick was that? Life was really good to me until some of the brothers and sisters were telling me now that I made the decision to be a christian, I had to give up my lifestyle, even if it meant losing friends and family. I wasn't going to let that happen, these were the people who were always there for me. Give them up? I don't think so. During this time, the more I went to church and continuing my lifestyle, (Party Saturday, Church on Sunday) I started feeling confused. I wasn't sure where I was supposed to be, I didn't "fit in" so I thought. I continued to go to worship service whenever the doors were opened. Doing this, my friends and family members who I just knew would always be there for me started treating me as if I had the plague. They would say I was part of a cult and I was no longer invited to the family outings, parties or even reunions. That was really hard for me, I cried like a baby because I didn't understand why the people I grew up around all of the sudden didn't want anything to do with me. I felt lonely, and unwanted. I didn't feel that I could turn to anyone not even the church of christ. At first I blamed the church for taking me away from my family. Today I know that my love for Christ is what took me away from people who didn't mean me well. They know something is different about me because after everthing I have been through in my life, I am still here smiling every step of the way!!! Giving up "friends and family" was the best choice I could have made to gain all the blessings that God keeps giving me on a daily basis!!
We all know Rachel was taunted by her sister Leah, who bore many sons for Jacob. Perhaps the teasing was from knowing deep down in her heart that Jacob truly loved Rachel from first sight and despite the ability to bare him numerous sons there was nothing she could do to change it. Leah and her father, Laban's deception of trickery towards Jacob was terrible however Jacob found it a willing sacrafice to serve for an additional 7 years to wed the woman of his heart. Later to find his love baren, he without hesitation loved her regardless. This was probably because Jacob knew that God had already blessed him abundantly with many sons and having been blessed with the woman he worked so hard for after 14 years was blessing enough for him. Although he having many sons with Leah and the maidens, what he shared with Rachel was nothing in comparison.
I think that's the sort of love every woman seeks and desires. But for some reason that was not enough for Rachel, she desired strongly to give Jacob a child. Her cries and pleas were great and the sorrows were heard by her husband and God. Jacob prayed that Rachel would bare a child (to please her) although expressing to her repeatedly that her love was enough and made him content.
Rachel's desire to bare a son came as a result of being taunted and teased. This distracted her from remembering what she knew in her heart; as we all do sometime. She failed to see that her husband had a love so strong for her that the others used the teasing as their only weapon of intimidation. This great burden unfortunately lead to her death as she died while giving birth. Jacob lost his love in death while baring his child.
The real irony in this story, think back to when Jacob stole his brothers birthright. First by requesting that Esau sell it at a time of despair, weakness and ultimately near his death. Secondly he and his mother, Rebekah used trickery by switching places at the time of granting the blessing to the eldest son. This resulted in Jacob having to flea and never seeing his mother alive again.
Then to find love and be deceived twice by Laban to wed Leah instead of the bride of his choice Rachel, then to have the burden of 7 additional years of service in exchange to wed his rightful bride. Deception, lies and trickery somehow found there way back to Jacob. God sees and knows all things and we will all pay for our deception and sins one way or another . . .
It is unfortunate that Rachel was unable to see the forest for the trees in that she let herself be distracted by her sister, Leah. Rachel could not focus on the fact that she had Jacob’s love, she wanted to dwell on what she felt “she” needed—a child.
Her story shows that even during those times, people seemed to always want what they could not have or did not need. This analogy can be applied to what we term today as, “Keeping up with the Joneses.” We have a car, house, husband, etc.; however, we want a bigger and better one, instead of being content with what God has blessed us with.
I believe that when God sees that we are content with what he has given us, and we put him first, he blesses us more than what we could ever imagine. When we loose sight of this, we sometimes find ourselves in a bind. Once we acquire bigger and better, now we have to figure out how to pay for these things which might require us to work longer and harder, which in turn causes us to take time away from God and our family.
Ecclesiastes 7:8 states: The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.
Trust me, pride will get you in trouble every time. Pride causes us to be selfish and only think of ourselves and that’s what Rachel was doing, only thinking about herself.
In closing, we must always remember to keep things in perspective and wait on the Lord for our blessing. In Rachel’s case, this oversight caused her to loose her life and that, my sisters was a pity.
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