(4)
As we read Jacob's record in the book of Genesis, we need to remember that the whole Bible is the word of life. The Bible contains teachings, stories, prophecies, and types, most of which apparently are unrelated to life. But since the whole Bible is the word of God as life, we should not consider the stories in the Bible as mere stories. We must look to the Lord that He might show us the life in all the stories. Most Christians have considered the stories in the book of Genesis merely as stories, neglecting the life found in them. When we were young, many of us enjoyed hearing the stories in the Bible. Undoubtedly, the stories in the Bible are the best. May the Lord give us a way to receive the nourishment of life in all the stories in the Bible.
We have pointed out that as far as the experience of life is concerned, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph should not be considered as four separate individuals. In the experience of life, these four persons are one complete unit. In Abraham, we see God's calling, justification by faith, living by faith in God, and living in fellowship with God. But in the experience of God there are not only God's calling, justification, faith, and fellowship; we also have been selected and predestinated. In Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob we see various aspects of the experience of life. Only by putting these three people together with Joseph do we see the completion of the experience of life. We have seen that Jacob needs Joseph to complete him. The New Testament reveals clearly that we have been predestinated to be the sons of God (Eph. 1:5), even the royal sons of God. All God's sons shall be kings. In the book of Revelation we are told that the saints will even be co-kings with Christ to rule over the nations in the kingdom (Rev. 2:26-27; 20:4, 6). We do not see the kingship in either Abraham or Isaac. Even if we look at Jacob himself we cannot see the kingship. It is clearly revealed in Joseph. During the time of the last chapters of Genesis, the whole world was under the reign of Pharaoh. Pharaoh, however, was merely a figurehead. The real ruler on earth at that time was Joseph. Since Joseph represented Jacob, the ruler over the earth was actually Jacob. Jacob ruled through his son Joseph who was the ruling aspect of Jacob's life. Therefore, the experiences of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph constitute one complete experience of life. This experience of God begins with selection and consummates with kingship.
Genesis 1:26 reveals that God's goal in His creation of man was for man to express Him in His image and to represent Him with His dominion. Although we see something of God in Abraham, we do not see in him very much of the image of God. Furthermore, in neither Abraham nor Isaac do we see God's dominion. Even in Jacob himself we can barely see God's dominion. God's dominion is seen in Joseph. In Jacob with Joseph God's image and dominion are clearly revealed. Eventually, Jacob was called Israel, the prince of God. His name includes God's name. In the transformed name of Jacob we have the name of God. Because Jacob had truly been transformed into God's image, in his being there was the expression of God. While Jacob had the expression, Joseph had the dominion. Hence, as one complete unit, they expressed God and represented Him. If we would see this, we must have spiritual enlightenment. We need to pray, saying, "Lord, open our eyes. We don't just want to read the stories in the Bible and get knowledge from them. We want to see the light of life in these stories and be nourished by the life they contain."
In Abraham we cannot see much of God's dealing. Neither do we see God's dealing in Isaac, for God never dealt with him. Isaac simply loved to eat. According to our opinion, none of us would agree with this, saying, "God, why do You deal with me all the time? Why didn't You deal with Isaac? Isaac even sold Your blessing for savory meat." In Gen. 27:3, 4, Isaac said to Esau, "Go out to the field, and take me some venison; and make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die." If a brother did this today, we would say, "Brother, you shouldn't do this. This is too fleshly and worldly." But Isaac was not rebuked for doing this. In fact, although Isaac blessed blindly and wrongly, God honored his blessing. This clearly indicates that Isaac does not represent the life which has been dealt with by God. Jacob's life is the life which represents God's dealings. Time after time, God did not let Jacob go. Instead, He kept His hand upon him.
In Gen. 29, Jacob, after coming to Laban's home, was put into the transformation room. As we have seen, Isaac, Rebekah, and Esau worked together to force Jacob to escape from his home. Isaac was simple, easygoing, and not disposed to exercise his discernment. This was his disposition and character. Rebekah, however, was clever, ingenious, and manipulative. Being a strong wife and mother, she manipulated the whole family. Esau, the brother, was not very intelligent, but he was physically strong and seemed to say, "Jacob, I don't know how to exercise my mind as you do, but I do know how to exercise my fist. You may be smart, but one day I will kill you." These three people worked together as a team to chase Jacob away, forcing him to leave his loving mother and his father's home. We know that Jacob suffered on his journey by the fact that he "lifted up his voice and wept" when he saw his cousin Rachel (29:11). Jacob had been very lonesome. All that he had experienced prior to coming to Laban's home was simply to bring him into the room of transformation. In chapter twenty-nine, Jacob was admitted to this room.
God sovereignly led Jacob to meet Rachel and Laban (Gen. 29:1-14). After traveling a very long distance, Jacob came to a certain place, supposing it to be the place where his uncle Laban lived. The Bible does not say that Jacob was groping for the right place, moving from one place to another. No, it says that he came to just one place and that he immediately discovered that it was the place where Laban lived. After conversing briefly with some people at the well, Jacob met Rachel, his uncle Laban's daughter. It was sovereign of God that Rachel came and not Leah. We know that this was God's sovereign arrangement because in Gen. 28:15 God promised Jacob, saying, "Behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of." God was faithful and kept His word, regulating Jacob's steps and bringing him to Laban's dwelling place. Then God brought Rachel to meet Jacob at the well. In Gen. 24:13-32, Rebekah and Laban were met by Isaac's servant. Here Rachel and Laban are met by Jacob himself. In this we see God's sovereignty.
We all are God's chosen ones. If you believe that you are a chosen one of God, then you must believe that whatever happens to you is of God. Whatever happened to us in the past, or is taking place in the present, is of God. Never be discontented with your circumstances. As one of God's chosen ones, your destiny is in God's hand and your destination is under His direction. Your coming into the church life was not an accident. It was brought about by the hand of the God who has chosen you. Not only are we under God's thumb; we are also in His hand. Whenever you are about to deal with something, you will hold it fast in your hand. Do not be afraid of being under God's thumb, for this is a sign that you are in His hand. Simply say, "Praise the Lord! I'm under His thumb and in His hand." As today's Jacobs, we all are in God's hand.
When Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's brother and that he was Rebekah's son, she ran and told her father (29:12). In 29:13 and 14, Laban "ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house." Then Laban said to Jacob, "Surely thou art my bone and my flesh" (29:14). Laban was a politician. After Jacob had stayed with him for a month, Laban, thinking that Jacob should be useful to him, said, "Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? Tell me, what shall thy wages be?" (29:15). Laban was wondering how to catch, keep, and utilize Jacob. No one in the book of Genesis is smarter than Laban. Not even Jacob could outsmart him. Although Jacob was smart, God was smarter and seemed to say, "Jacob, you are smart. But I'll prepare one who is even smarter than you are." Laban was not born accidentally; he was born according to God's preparation for the sake of Jacob's transformation. Before surgery is performed in an operating room, many instruments are prepared. In like manner, Laban, who resembled a curved knife, was prepared for Jacob.
Laban seemed to be saying to Jacob, "You shouldn't serve me for nothing. Tell me what you want as a wage." Jacob, who loved Rachel, was honest with Laban and said, "I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter" (29:18). Love makes people blind and foolish. When I read Jacob's story, I said, "Jacob, you were stupid. You shouldn't have said that you would work seven years for Rachel. You should have said that you would work seven months." How could someone as crafty as Jacob have been so foolish? Because he loved Rachel and wanted to secure her at any cost. However, Jacob also was quite clever, realizing that if he had proposed a short term of employment, Laban would not have agreed to the deal. Therefore, because he was afraid of losing Rachel, Jacob offered to work for Laban for seven years that he might have her as his wife. It is not a small thing to work for such a long period of time. If I had been Jacob, I firstly would have offered to work for seven months and then I would have bargained with Laban about the length of time.
Laban was greedy, robbing his nephew for seven years. The Bible does not say that after the seven years were expired, Laban called Jacob and told him that it was time to marry Rachel. No, it was Jacob who said to Laban, "Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her" (29:21). Jacob seemed to be saying, "Laban, my seven years have been fulfilled. Where is my wife? I have worked for you, and now you must give me my wage." Laban was very smart. After gathering together all the men of that place and making a feast, he took Leah his daughter and brought her to Jacob, "and he went in unto her" (29:22-23). The feast was during the day, but the marriage was at night. That night Laban beguiled Jacob, giving him his elder daughter Leah in place of Rachel. When Jacob discovered the next morning that Laban had cheated him, he said, "What is this thou hast done unto me? Did not I serve with thee for Rachel? Wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?" (29:25). Jacob did not care for Leah, whose eyes were dull; he loved Rachel who was "beautiful of form and beautiful of appearance" (29:17, Heb.). After Jacob had complained to him, Laban said, "It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. Fulfill her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years" (29:26-27). Laban was truly a crooked knife. Nevertheless, Jacob agreed to this arrangement, having been beguiled by Laban to work a total of fourteen years for Rachel, the wife of his preference.
God's sovereign hand was in this situation. Jacob loved Rachel, but God sovereignly kept her away from him. While Jacob did not labor one day for Leah, she was given to him as a free gift, as an addition. In this we see that God will let you have your preference, but you must pay the price for it. Your preference will always cost you a great deal, for besides giving it to you, God will give you an addition. God seemed to be saying, "Jacob, do you love Rachel? I will give her to you, but you must pay the price. After you pay this high price, I shall give you an addition. This addition is according to My will."
Rachel was Jacob's wife according to his choice and preference, but Leah was his wife according to God's concept and will. Proof of this is found in 49:31, where we are told that Jacob buried Leah in the cave of Machpelah, the wonderful cave in which Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Rebekah were buried. Notice that Leah, not Rachel, was buried there. God is consistent. In His eyes there is one wife for one husband. God did not recognize Rachel as Jacob's wife, because she was Jacob's preference. Leah was Jacob's real wife. In addition to giving Jacob his preference, God taught him many lessons. In like manner, you, a worker for the Lord, may prefer to have a certain brother as your co-worker. But that co-worker is selected by you according to your preference, not by God according to His will. Our God is great. If you want your preference, God may say, "I shall let you have your preference. But this is a good opportunity for Me to give you some dealings and transformation and to teach you some lessons. Eventually I shall give you as your real co-worker the one whom I have selected and whom you do not like."
God gave Leah to Jacob. Did Jacob love her? Probably not. In 29:31 we are told that "Leah was hated." Firstly, she was hated by Rachel and then she was hated by Jacob who undoubtedly was influenced by Rachel. Some have taught that God never allows us to have our choice. This teaching is inaccurate. God will permit you to have your choice, but along with it, you will have a certain amount of dealing and transformation.
Jacob's two wives competed in bearing children. This competition put Jacob into the oven, making him like an ant in a hot oven. Four women, Laban's two daughters and their two maids, made life difficult for Jacob. If he had had no preference, he would only have had one wife. Eventually, due to his having a preference, he was given four wives. As we have seen, Rachel, the wife of his choice, was not his real wife; his real wife was Leah, the one he did not like. Because of the rivalry between Rachel and Leah, their two maids, Bilhah and Zilpah, were given to Jacob as wives (Gen. 30:4, 9). These four women were a team playing against Jacob. As we compare Jacob with Isaac, we see that Isaac was very simple. He had no preference, but accepted whomever and whatever came to him. Thus, the best wife, Rebekah, was given to him. In Isaac's case, there were no complications. But there were many complications in Jacob's case because he had a preference. Nevertheless, Jacob's having his own preference was also under God's sovereignty. Do not despise yourself, saying, "I just hate myself. Why wasn't I born simple?" Rather, you should praise God for your not being simple, saying, "O Lord, thank You for not creating me as a simple person. Praise You, Lord, that I am so complicated." Have you ever thanked and praised God in this way? Do not say, "Oh I'm sorry for the mistakes I made in the past." Even your mistakes are under God's sovereignty. If many of us had never made any mistakes, we would probably not be in the church life today. Praise the Lord that our mistakes have brought us into the church life. Praise God for His sovereignty!
I laugh whenever I read of Laban's beguiling Jacob. In all of human history, there probably has not been another time when a father-in-law has played such a trick on his son-in-law. Only in the Bible do we read of such a thing. During the night, Jacob was dreaming of having his choice, but when the day dawned, he saw that he had been given the one he did not like. Here we see God's sovereignty. Then, in addition to Leah and Rachel, two other wives were given to Jacob. Jacob surely did not intend to have four wives. As all the married brothers can testify, one wife is enough. But Jacob no longer had a choice. Four wives were given to him, and there was nothing he could do about it. He was surrounded by them and was no longer free to do what he wanted.
One day, Reuben, Jacob's firstborn, found some mandrakes in the field and gave them to his mother Leah (Gen. 30:14). According to S.S. 7:13, mandrakes are a type of love fruit. When Rachel wanted the mandrakes, Leah said, "Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? And wouldest thou take away my son's mandrakes also?" (Gen. 30:15). To this Rachel said that Leah might have Jacob that night in exchange for Reuben's mandrakes. When Jacob came from the field that evening, Leah met him and said, "Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have hired thee with my son's mandrakes" (Gen. 30:16). Jacob had lost his freedom. He was like a volleyball being passed from one person to another. Jacob was in such a predicament because his wives were competing with each other in childbearing.
As we read Jacob's story, we must worship God for His being so sovereign, fair, and purposeful. Jacob loved Rachel, not Leah. But the hated Leah bore him four sons (Gen. 29:31-35), and the loved Rachel was barren (Gen. 30:1-2). Genesis 29:31 says, "When the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren." Although Leah was hated, she found favor in God's eyes. When Leah gave birth to her firstborn, Reuben, whose name means "See a son," she said, "Surely the Lord hath looked upon my affliction" (Gen. 29:32). Leah's second son was named Simeon, whose name means "Hearing." After giving birth to Simeon, she said, "Because the Lord hath heard that I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also" (Gen. 29:33). Leah's third son was named Levi, whose name means "Joined." When Levi was born, Leah exclaimed, "Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons" (Gen. 29:34). In Gen. 29:35 we are told that Leah "conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, "Now will I praise the Lord: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing." The name Judah means "Praise." After bearing these four sons, Leah could do nothing except praise the Lord.
When Rachel saw that she had borne Jacob no children, she envied her sister and said to Jacob, "Give me children, or else I die" (Gen. 30:1). When Jacob heard this, he was angry and said, "Am I in God's stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?" (Gen. 30:2). Do you think that Jacob had much enjoyment in this situation? No, he was constantly troubled. Rachel then gave Jacob Bilhah her handmaid as his wife (Gen. 30:3-4). God was sovereign in this matter also. Bilhah gave birth to two sons: Dan, whose name means "Judging," and Naphtali, whose name means "My wrestling" (Gen. 30:5-8). At the birth of Dan, Rachel declared, "God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son" (Gen. 30:6). Whether God had vindicated Rachel or not is known only to Him. But according to Rachel's understanding, God had vindicated her. When Bilhah gave birth to Naphtali, Rachel said, "With mighty wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed" (30:8, Heb.). In Hebrew, the word mighty in this verse (great in KJV) is the word for God. Hence, this phrase may be rendered as "wrestlings of God." This does not mean that Rachel fought with Leah; it means that she went to God many times, saying, "O God, You must judge and vindicate. You have given four sons to my sister Leah, but You have not given any to me." She wrestled in this manner with the "wrestlings of God." In other words, she had wrestled in the presence of God, and, after the birth of Naphtali, she thought that she had prevailed and won the case. However, Dan and Naphtali were not brought forth by her, but by her maid.
When Leah saw that Rachel's maid had given birth to two sons, she seemed to say, "If Rachel can give her maid to Jacob, then why can't I do the same? Let me do it, too!" Leah then gave her maid Zilpah to Jacob as a wife and she bore him two sons — Gad and Asher (Gen. 30:9-13). Gad means "Fortunate," and Asher means "Happy." When Gad was born, Leah said, "Fortunate!" (30:11, Heb.), and when Asher was born, she said, "Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed" (Gen. 30:13). In a good sense, Leah was fortunate because she had borne Jacob four sons herself and two more through her maid. She thought that she was happy and that all women would bless her. In Hebrew, the words happy and blessed are of the same root. Thus, a happy person is a blessed person and a blessed person is a happy person. This was Leah's concept. God gave Leah two more sons: Issachar and Zebulun (Gen. 30:17-20). The name Issachar means "Hire." When he was born, Leah said, "God hath given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband" (Gen. 30:18). Deep within, Leah must have thought that Issachar was born because she had hired Jacob by giving Reuben's mandrakes to Rachel. This is a further indication of the competition between these women. When Zebulun was born, Leah said, "God hath endued me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have born him six sons" (Gen. 30:20). Leah seemed to be saying, "I don't want Jacob to leave me. I want him to stay with me." In this record we clearly see the competition between Jacob's wives.
At this point, Rachel still had not borne any children of her own. Let us consider the chronology. Jacob went to Laban's home approximately in the year 1760 B.C. and he was married in approximately 1753 B.C. Eight years later, Joseph was born. Under God's sovereign hand, Rachel was barren, not bearing any children until eight years had passed. Then God gave her a son whom she called Joseph, saying, "The Lord shall add to me another son" (30:24). The meaning of the name Joseph — "Adding" — indicates that Rachel wanted God to add another son to her. Her desire was fulfilled six years later with the birth of Benjamin (35:16-20). Delivering Benjamin was a very difficult ordeal for her, costing Rachel her life. Giving birth to Benjamin as she was dying, Rachel "called his name Benoni: but his father called his name Benjamin" (Gen. 35:18). Benoni means "Son of my sorrow." How meaningful it is that Jacob changed the child's name to Benjamin, which means "The son of the right hand." In the Bible, Benjamin is a type of Christ. Firstly, Christ was Benoni, the Son of sorrow (Isa. 53:3), but eventually He became Benjamin, the Son at the right hand of God (Matt. 26:64).
Rachel gave birth to two sons, but in delivering the second she lost her life. This means that Jacob gained his last son at the cost of his beloved wife. These experiences were like knives which cut Jacob to pieces. Jacob loved Rachel, but she was barren. After giving birth to Joseph, she expected to have a second son. This desire was fulfilled at the cost of her life. Jacob loved Joseph and Benjamin. Among all his twelve sons, they were his two favorites. Although Jacob gained these two sons, God never allowed him to have Rachel, his dear wife, and these two favorite sons at the same time. In the following chapters we shall see how much Jacob suffered over Joseph and Benjamin. In all this, Jacob was constantly under the working of God's sovereign, transforming hand.
How meaningful it is to read these chapters and how helpful it is to see the life they contain. Although these chapters seem quite long, they contain much nourishment for us. The more we consider Jacob's record, the more we realize that our record is exactly the same as his. In God's eyes, Jacob's story is the story of us all. We are today's Jacobs under God's hand, for God is now accomplishing His transforming work in us. Thank Him for His hand and thank Him for His transforming work. Regardless of our situation, environment, and circumstances, we are always under His transforming hand.
