“And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.” (Gen 30:1)
A tale of envy and jealousy. Of course, you can go back to Cain and Able, but the wives of Jacob create a picture of greed, envy, and jealousy.
It begins with Jacob at the well of Haran. Jacob met Rachel, the daughter of Laban Jacob’s uncle. It was love at first sight for Jacob. Jacob agrees to work 7 years for Laban to marry Rachel. Time flies by for Jacob and the time comes to wed Rachel.
Laban deceived Jacob on his wedding night (see part I). Instead of marrying Rachel, he married Leah. Jacob agrees to work another 7 years for Laban so he may marry Rachel.
God watched and saw how hated Leah was. So, God gave Jacob his first son, born to Leah. Reuben, which means “See a Son”. Leah believed that now my husband will love me.
Leah gives birth to three more sons. Levi, which means “joined”, Leah believed that now Jacob and Leah would be joined in flesh and spirit. Leah’s fourth son is called Judah, which means “praise”. Leah said I will now Praise God. Leah bears four children, while Rachel remains barren.
There was no express command from, God that a man could not marry more than one wife. Lesson’s from God are much more powerful.
Rachel wanted a child. Either from Jacob to her, or from Jacob by Rachel’s handmaid. Rachel’s handmaid bore two son’s to Jacob, and Rachel proclaimed, “And Rachel said, With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed…”(Gen 30:8)
It is obvious that there is a cat-fight based on greed and jealousy. As is the way of the world. A love triangle exists when two people fight each other over the love of another. Jacob is caught between his love for Rachel, and his responsibility to Leah. Rachel uses children that are not hers as a weapon against Leah. Even at this point it is complicated. It gets worse.
Leah considered herself barren and following Rachel’s lead she gave her own handmaid to conceive for her. The handmaid provided Jacob two more son’s. Consequently, Jacob has four wives to deal with.
Reuben, Leah’s first son was working in the wheat harvest and found mandrakes. Mandrakes were extremely important in ancient times, it is a plant. Mandrake is used as topical ointments. Reuben gave his mandrakes to his mother Leah.
Rachel badly wanted some of the mandrakes, she offered the services of Jacob to Leah in exchange for the mandrakes. Rachel was willing to exchange the love of her husband for some mandrake. Leah willingly accepted. Leah has three more son’s, for a total of six son’s.
Look at how wickedly they competed with each other. Leah and Rachel fought each other to the point of bringing their handmaidens into the fight. All for control of Jacob’s heart. Yet God continued to bless Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and through Judah by Joshua the seed of Jesus continues.
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