Story 49 Jacob Arrives at Uncle Laban’s Estate
Jacob continued on his journey. His trek led him away from the Land of Promise where his family faithfully waited on the LORD. He was heading back to the region that Abraham, his great and honorable grandfather, had left over a hundred years before when he was called by God into the wilderness.
Morning after morning, Jacob rose to continue on his journey alone. One day, as Jacob plodded on, he came across a well of water. There were three flocks of sheep lying around, waiting their turn to drink. The shepherds would roll a heavy stone out of the way so the water would flow out into a large basin where the sheep could drink. Jacob went up to them to ask some questions;
“‘My brothers,’” he said in the friendliest way possible, “‘where are you from?’
“‘We’re from Haran,’ they replied.
“He said to them, ‘do you know Laban, Nahor’s grandson?’”
“‘Yes, we know him,’ they answered.
“Then Jacob asked, ‘Is he well?’
“‘Yes, he is,’ they said, ‘and here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep.’”
Genesis 29:4-6
Jacob looked up and saw Rachel walking towards him across the field. He got up and rolled the stone away for her so her sheep could drink. Then he went up to her and embraced her, kissing her and declaring that he was the son of Rebekah. Then he began to weep out loud. What a relief it was to have found family after so many days alone in the wild!
Now, it is very interesting. God had richly provided for Jacob, yet we do not hear Jacob give praise. Where was the worship we saw when the servant of Abraham came to the house of Abraham’s brother? Where was the prayer seeking God’s will? These silent absences were signs of trouble on the horizon. Jacob was not operating in faith.
When Rachel heard that this enthusiastic man was her own relative, she ran to get her father. Laban came immediately to meet his nephew. How many years had passed since that remarkable day when Rebekah gave water to the camels of Abraham’s servant? When Laban saw the son of his beloved sister, he grabbed him in a huge embrace and kissed him with the welcome of an enthusiastic elder. Then he brought him into his home. They had hours to fill each other in on all the things that had gone on in their families over the years, and Laban accepted Jacob as his own flesh and blood.
A month went by and Jacob had labored alongside his uncle, tending to the hard work of caring for a large household. Finally, Laban looked at his nephew and said, “‘Just because you are a relative of mine, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be.’”
Now, to most of us who read this story, this may seem like a generous offer. But it wasn’t. Laban was moving Jacob down a peg. Jacob should have been treated like an honored member of Laban’s family. A family member is someone who willingly serves to build up the family. They don’t demand pay for their work because they can assume that the head of the household will take good care of them. They can assume that they have a share in the wealth of the family.
Laban didn’t want to give that honor to Jacob or take that responsibility. It was too costly. Laban was greedy, and he figured he would get more out of Jacob if he treated him like he was hired help. He shifted their relationship so that he was now more Jacob’s boss than his uncle. The same pattern of trickery that Jacob had used against Isaac and Esau was turning on him.
Jacob knew the exact desires of his own heart. Perhaps it helped him overlook the games of his uncle. He did not want his wages to come in the form of silver and gold. He had a far greater treasure in sight. His Uncle Laban’s daughter Rachel was a beautiful girl. Her shape was lovely to look at, and her charming face made his heart throb with delight. Jacob was devastatingly in love. He told his uncle that he would work for him for seven years if his uncle would let him marry his youngest daughter. He had no dowry or bride-price to give his uncle, which was the custom of their day. He did not have the golden bracelets and nose rings that Abraham’s servant offered to Rebekah. He would have to serve with grit and labor for his bride.
Laban was happy to promise his girl to a man who was part of his own family heritage. He said, “‘It’s better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me.’”
And here is what the Bible says: “So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her” (Gen. 29:20). At the end of those seven years, Jacob went to his uncle and asked to be married. How he longed to be with her! What beautiful gifts the Lord has given humanity in the power of romantic love!
Laban held a great feast and invited people from all over the land for the festive occasion. Everyone from all over came to celebrate the wedding and enjoy the glory of love. But when the evening came, and it was time for Jacob and his new wife to be alone, Laban did a terribly sneaky thing. You see, he had an older daughter named Leah. An important and unchangeable tradition of that time was to marry the oldest daughter first, yet no husband had been found for her. Her eyes were weak, and she did not have the stunning beauty of her younger sister. What deep pain that must have brought to Leah’s heart.
Laban was mindful of tradition and his desire to see both his daughters married. So when it came time to bring Jacob his wife, he brought his nephew Leah instead of Rachel. It was a cruel deception to play on all three of them. In the darkness of the night, Jacob did not know that he had been tricked, and he lay with Leah the way a man lies with his wife. Their marital connection was complete. But when he woke up the next morning, he found out his uncle’s game, and he was enraged.
Isn’t it interesting that Laban deceived Jacob through his inability to see? That was exactly how Jacob had deceived his father! I wonder if Jacob saw how much he was like his uncle. I wonder if he saw that he was reaping what he had sowed. I wonder if it made him want to change now that he was on the other side of the lie.
He stormed over to Laban and said, “‘What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn’t I? Why have you deceived me?’”
Imagine Leah’s pain and humiliation. The whole household would hear of this terrible rejection. Imagine Jacob’s frustration and anger at being deceived after faithfully serving for seven years. Imagine Rachel’s heart, longing to be with the man that she loved and knowing his desire to be with her. Imagine the heart of Laban, the father, wanting both of his girls to receive a full life of marriage and family.
Laban spoke calmly to his nephew. “‘It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one. Finish this daughter’s bridal week; then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years work.’”
Wow. What a sneaky man. Now both of his daughters were taken care of and he had Jacob, clever and hard working, for another seven years.
Jacob did as his uncle said. He honored Leah with another week as his bride, and then Laban gave him Rachel to be his wife. How Jacob loved Rachel. In the beauty and intoxication of this wonderful gift, he could have chosen to expand the blessing out. He could have shown Leah his kindness and grace, even when his feelings were not the same for her. But he didn’t. He was cruel. He made it clear that he love Rachel far more than he loved Leah. In fact, the word the Bible uses to describe his feelings towards Leah was that he hated her. It must have been obvious to everyone.
The pain for Leah was great. God created marriage to be between one man and one woman. Their love for one another was meant to be a magnificent reflection of God’s love. The damage of the curse continued, deeply imbedded in the ways of humanity, even in the family of God. Leah’s life was broken and her heart was crushed because of the twisted power of evil in every heart. But dear Leah mattered to the Lord, so much so that her grief was recorded in Scripture. He would protect her, provide for her, and bless her in ways far beyond what she could ask or imagine.
Laban gave each of his daughters a special servant girl to tend to them as they began their lives as wives to Jacob. Rachel’s servant was named Bilhah, and Leah’s was Zilpah, and they, too, would play important roles in building the family of God.