Four Wives

Read Genesis 31-33
 
Genesis 33:1-3 Then Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming with his 400 men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and his two servant wives. 2 He put the servant wives and their children at the front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last. 3 Then Jacob went on ahead. As he approached his brother, he bowed to the ground seven times before him.
 
Genesis 29-33 - yesterday’s and today’s readings - can be summarized in two ways: 1) This is the story of Jacob’s heart gradually transforming to become a new man, chosen by God. 2) This is the story of Israel’s physical beginning. Both stories are struggles of transformation.
   Jacob was about 40 years old when he left his home to escape Esau’s wrath and to find a wife (notice the singular “wife”) among his mother’s people. In the beginning, we have learned that one central theme in the Bible is God’s commands for one man, one woman marriage between people of faith. Jacob was obeying Isaac’s instructions not to marry daughters of Ishmael as Esau had done. But as he obeyed Isaac, he is deceived by Rebekah’s brother, Uncle Laban! The Deceiver Jacob is deceived. And Leah, Rachel’s older sister, becomes his first wife. And then Laban allows Jacob to marry his desire, Rachel. Leah birthed six sons and one daughter. Rachel had two sons. Their two servant women, Bilhah and Zilpah, each had two sons. The 12 sons are the 12 men who are the fathers of the 12 Tribes of Israel. It is fascinating to note that while Jacob favored Rachel, God favored Leah above Rachel. Not only did Leah have more children, Leah’s son Levi was the father – the founder – of the tribe of Israel’s great lawgiver, Moses, and the priestly line. Out of Judah would come David and then the Savior.
   This is a difficult account to read, isn’t it? Do you wonder why God moved matters in such a complex process? But then we have already read how sin has caused great division, death and destruction in the human race. God’s perfectly created world is a mess because mankind has turned from being God’s ambassadors to be his enemies.
   Jacob’s life demonstrates this battle. God’s chosen man disputes with his uncle Laban, who worships idols. Leah and Rachel have manipulated him in a jealous contest for children. Superstitions and cultural values rule their lives. What is God doing here?
   We can only conjecture an answer because we do not know God’s mind. But one reason for this pattern of deceit could be to show Jacob his own sin. Sometimes God shows us our sins through people who use the same sins against us. For his own reasons, God has set the stage for the nation Israel in ways we wouldn’t expect.
   We learn, too, how to respond to people and circumstances that come against us. We should never give up or say, “There is no hope.” God will often permit or even cause adversity to show us what we must know about ourselves and about him. Instead of asking God, “Why, God?” perhaps we should confess, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24b)
  
Good to Know: What God did with Jacob he wants to do with you.