Jacob Serves 14 Years for Rachel

Gen. 29:21 “And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her. 22 And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast. 23 And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her. 24 And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid for an handmaid. 25 And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me? 26 And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. 27 Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years. 28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also. 29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid. 30 And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years.”

The scriptures teach us “that whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”  Jacob had deceived his father, Isaac; had lied to him; and had taken a blessing that was intended for his brother, Esau; and had taken advantage of the fact that his father was practically blind.  In the above passage we see what Laban did unto his nephew Jacob.  Laban and Jacob had an agreement that Jacob would work seven years for Laban and then Laban would give to Jacob his daughter Rachel.  The time had come for Laban to fulfill the promise and give Jacob his daughter Rachel to wife.  Instead, Laban gathered the men of the place to gather and had a wedding feast.  No doubt there was much drinking of wine at the wedding feast so that Jacob would not have the sharpest of senses when Laban pulled his shenanigan.  Moreover, it was night when Laban gave to Jacob Leah instead of Rachel.  My guess is that Laban probably thought he would have a hard time marrying off Leah, so he made the switch. 

As Jacob lay with Leah that night, I am sure that he thought he was laying with Rachel.  When the morning came and with it the light of day Jacob discovered that it was Leah and not Rachel.  Jacob was not pleased and he rebuked Laban: “What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?”  Jacob had been lied to, deceived, and taken advantage of during the night when he could not see and had been give the first born and not the second.  See how this almost matches the deception Jacob had practiced upon his father, Isaac?  Moreover, Laban answered Jacob thusly: “It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.”  Jacob had promoted himself before his firstborn brother Esau.  Jacob had reaped what he had previously sowed. 

Laban now shows his true colors and what he had intended all along when he said “Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.”  Thus for a week Jacob was to know Leah only and then at the end of the week, he was given Rachel to wife also.  However, to get Rachel, Jacob was to serve Laban for seven more years.  So by Laban’s deception, he accomplished the marrying off of his older daughter Leah and got twice as much service from his nephew Jacob than what they had originally bargained for.  However, we must remember that God is not mocked, but whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap.  Laban purposed to increase his wealth by deceiving Jacob and for a good while this plan seemed to work.  However, as we will see God will take the wealth of Laban and give it to Jacob and his family. 

Of significance in the above account, we see that Laban had given to each of his daughters when they were married a handmaid to serve them.  These two maids will become tools to the two sisters as they battle for the affection of their husband Jacob.

Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah.  There are many biblical arguments against polygamy.  Jacobs love for Rachel more than he loved Leah is a great practical lesson against polygamy.  This set off a reaction of bitterness, strife, and hatred between the two wives of Jacob. 

Elder Vernon Johnson