So if Jacob has already worked 7 years and then agrees to work another 7 years, how many years total did Jacob work for Laban in order to get Rachel as his wife??? He has instructed us to be content with what we have, for while the circumstances of life change daily, He is unchanging and ever with us (Heb. Could he have been showing off just a little? But Rachel was pregnant with another son, and as they journeyed south from Bethel and were a short distance from Bethlehem, Rachel went into labor. He loved her to the end of his life. 4. Never Satisfied! - The Story of Jacob and Rachel This was 11 years after leaving Paddan-aram. WOW! Bible Lesson | Kids Bible Story | Jacob and Rachel | Power The Cross And Our Response to Trials (1 Peter 4:12-19), 8. We can, however, follow the chronology and the geography to know within about a year how long Jacob and Rachel were married. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. First off, Jacob worked for 7 years before he was able to get Rachel as his wife. To save chestnut trees, we may have to play God, Why you should add native plants to your garden, What you can do right now to advocate for the planet, Why poison ivy is an unlikely climate change winner, The gory history of Europes mummy-eating fad, This ordinary woman hid Anne Frankand kept her story alive, This Persian marvel was lost for millennia. Jacob suffered to win Rachel. A man may also trap a woman by promising wealth, or trick a woman by pretending to be something he is not, masking his faults until after the ceremony. By talking in whispered tones in the darkened tent, she made it through the night. It's now been 11 years since they left Haran (Joseph was 6, now is 17. Rachel proved that. Quora - A place to share knowledge and better understand the FINALLY, Jacob decides to work ANOTHER 7 YEARS for the woman that he loves so much, Rachel. How does God want you to handle those feelings? The Scripture says that Jacob loved Rachel and offered to serve Laban seven years for her hand in marriage (Gen. 29:18). Could a subterranean river or aquifer generate enough continuous momentum to power a waterwheel for the purpose of producing electricity? We get the idea that he was so fascinated by Rachels beauty, and so enchanted by her charm, that he failed to recognize her shortcomings or even to consider the will of God in his relationship with her. It was so late at the wedding that Jacob was too tired to know what was going on. Did the drapes in old theatres actually say "ASBESTOS" on them? He marries also Rachel, and serves for her seven years more. Generating points along line with specifying the origin of point generation in QGIS. 107:9). Rachel So Jacob went in to Is it well with him? he questioned. As we are reminded in Romans 8:28, And we know that in all things God works for the goodof those who love him, who have been calledaccording to his purpose.. According to Gensis 29:16-18,He worked 7 years for Rachel, and was deceived and was given Leah. All rights reserved, National Geographic explores notable biblical figures in our ongoing series People in the Bible, as part of our coverage of the. So now they've been married 24 years. My best guess (that is all) is that they were married for about 18 years on the basis that it was about 5 years between Paddan-aram and Ephrath and about 6 years before Joseph's 17 birthday. Genesis 29:18-30 NIV - Jacob was in love with Rachel and Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. New International Version (NIV). Why Does God Compare Our Relationship with Him to That of a Bride and Groom? How many years did Jacob serve laban? Rachel Jacobs - Wikipedia Jacob built an altar and called it betel or Bethel (the house of God). Jacob worked for his uncle Laban 7 years, then married Leah & Rachel, He worked the next 6 years for his uncle's flocks, then he left Haran, Jacob stayed in Succoth, built shelters for his livestock, then he built a house there and settled down to raise his 12 kids, As Jacob's sons got older they worked with the flocks. Access 50+ premium resources. For some long COVID patients, exercise is bad medicine, Radioactive dogs? Technically, the children of that union would be Rachels children in their culture. In spite of their complicated courtship and marriage, Jacob and Rachel had a deep and passionate love for each other. Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. If you feel that certain things should be changed, what should you do? Let them ask God to continue to keep His promises. It only takes a minute to sign up. The answer may be simply that the seven years totaled up to a reasonable value of Jacob's labor which he was willing to "pay" eventually for Rachel and ultimately Did Jacob placing branches in front of his flock really result in the offspring being speckled and spotted? Again his heart must have leaped within him at the realization of Gods faithful direction. Why does Acts not mention the deaths of Peter and Paul? Did Jacob acquire all his wealth in Paddan Aram in the last 6 years of working for Laban? Several factors would have contributed to Jacobs desire to leave. Gods purpose and plan prevails. And that will depend largely on the attitude her husband projects by things as little as the look on his face and the tone of his voice, especially when she is moody and disagreeable. WebJacob agreed to work seven years for Rachel. 29:15 Later, Laban asked Jacob, Should you serve me for free, just because youre my nephew? 25 The next morning, Jacob realized that it was Leah! Jacob not notice he married Leah instead In the pressure of that bigamous relationship, Rachels true character began to surface. THAT IS INSANE GUYS! He did not get very far before he learned that God was going with him. So Jacob gathered his wives and children and his belongings and he slipped away while Laban was out shearing his sheep. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. seventeen years What is the difference between a blessing and a birthright (Genesis 25)? Finish the following statement as you might have done before reading this chapter: I could be happy if only . He wrestles with God one night and endures, and God renames him Israel, because as God said, You have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome (Genesis 32:28). To profess to love someone we do not know intimately is merely to love our mental image of that person. Laban agreed on the deal again and gave Rachel to be Jacobs wife. Only one ancient account mentions the existence of Xerxes Canal, long thought to be a tall tale. 30 Jacob also married Rachel, since he loved her. Forced to serve Rachels father, Laban, for seven The miracle of Gods guidance and care, the thrill of meeting his pretty cousin, the prospect of what the future would holdall of it filled his heart so full that he wept for joy. He went straight to Laban and started asking him so many questions. (This must have been at least 1 year later.). Even the range of 15-22 years is pretty precise, all things given, and pins it down much more than I would have thought possible. When they came to Bethel, God said to Jacob, Joseph was Jacob's only child with Rachel, and he was presumed dead. This is what happened with Jacob, he had to work 7 years before being with the love of his life but then found out he had to work another 7 years before his deal was up with Laban. Jacob was so shocked! He continued, Do you know Laban the son of Nahor? We know him, they said. He had prospered to such an extent that Laban no longer felt very kindly toward him. What is the significance that Jacob offered to work for Entries in this series are excerpts from the National Geographic special issue, The little-known history of the Florida panther. She cooperated willingly with her fathers scheme but found very little satisfaction in the husband she had gained by deceit. To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and indeed he loved Rachel more than Leah, and he served with Laban for another seven years (Gen. 29:30). An unknown time later, he moved to Bethel (Gen 35:1). Some husbands say, I could love her more if she would only be sweet. Love that functions only when she is sweet is not really love. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. Episode about a group who book passage on a space ship controlled by an AI, who turns out to be a human who can't leave his ship? He had marital relations with her. She gave her handmaid Bilhah to Jacob so that he could have a son by her, and she did it twice (30:3-8). The older one was named Leah and the younger was named Rachel. Is there a generic term for these trajectories? Jacob was far from perfect, but he is an example to us of how a husband ought to treat his wife when she isnt all that she ought to be. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and more. So Laban gave his daughter to Jacob and they got married. Jacob waited, and his romantic love at first sight grew to become a deep bond of spirit and a total commitment of soul. Laban asked Jacob what amount he wanted to be paid for his work. He was probably furious with the whole family for their double-dealing fraud. What are the teraphim (household gods) Rachel stole from Laban? And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed to him but a few days, for the love he had to her. I am not suggesting that we totally ignore them and suffer in silence. Laban was obliged to provide food and shelter. Isnt this a crazy story??? But he had to work seven more years without pay after marrying her. In time, Jacob was able to acquire a flock of sheep, camels, and goats of his own. This marriage was to see hard times, but had it not been for this long engagement and Jacobs deepening and maturing love, it probably would not have survived at all. Which reverse polarity protection is better and why? My time is completed, and I want to make love to her. Didnt I serve you for seven years in order to marry Rachel? The unloved Leah bore seven of Jacobs childrensix sons, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun, as well as a daughter, Dinah. WebJacob is 84 years old. Browse other questions tagged, Like any library, Christianity Stack Exchange offers great information, but, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. Even though Laban didnt set a good example of keeping a promise, God does. He also rips off an arm to use as a sword. When he brought them home and presented them to his mother, Rachel saw them and decided she wanted some too. 19 Laban said, Its better that I Jacob and Rachel Craft 10 Minutes of Quality Time has made a great tutorial and print out of when Jacob met Rachel. Copyright 1996-2015 National Geographic SocietyCopyright 2015-2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC. Can corresponding author withdraw a paper after it has accepted without permission/acceptance of first author. Jacob agreed, and Bilhah went on to have two sons, Dan and Naphtali. When Joseph was 17 years old, he went to check on his brothers, and they sold him into slavery. She was envious, selfish, peevish, fretful, discontented, and demanding. And most of us have moments like that. He is the one who satisfies the thirsty soul and fills the hungry soul with good things (Ps. When the midwife told her she had given birth to a son, she gasped out his name with her last breathBen-oni, which means Son of my sorrow. Jacob later changed it to Benjamin, Son of my right hand. But isnt it ironic? Finding the distance from a corner of a cube to the midpoint of an edge, What are the arguments for/against anonymous authorship of the Gospels. En route to resettle with his father, Isaac, Rachel died giving birth to Jacobs 12th son, Benjamin. Jacobs overt favoritism toward Rachel had prompted God to keep Rachels womb closed, but Rachels love was ultimately redeemed when she gave birth to a boy named Joseph, Jacobs favorite (Genesis 30:24-25). Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. The annual wage for a shepherd in the Bronze Age was about 10 shekels; hence, seven years of labor was a stiff demand. Required fields are marked *. I'm not sure if the exact value may be calculated today so that we may know if the value he was placing on Rachel was more than or equal to the standard rate that was expected for a bride. But Laban told Jacob hed give Rachel, too, as his wife if Jacob agree to seven more years of labor. : Genesis 29:18, biblehub.com/commentaries/genesis/29-18.htm, payscale.com/research/US/Job=Laborer/Hourly_Rate, New blog post from our CEO Prashanth: Community is the future of AI, Improving the copy in the close modal and post notices - 2023 edition. 30 For it was little indeed you had before I came, Jacob loved Rachel so much that he requested to work ANOTHER 7 YEARS in order to have Rachel to be his wife. Thanks for contributing an answer to Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange! Are there any details that make it possible to estimate (with any accuracy) how long Jacob and Rachel were married before her death? Time travel in this animation through the history of the Bible. Three, we can see the love of Christ in the sacrifice Jacob made willingly to claim Rachel as his wife. for your younger daughter Rachel.. Homemakers want to be working wives, and working wives want to be full-time homemakers. Why did you give me Leah? I specifically asked for Rachel! Why have you tricked me? Jacob was not happy at all. Their story comprises a large portion of the Old Testament, and while on the surface it might not be easy to understand the deeper truth behind their complicated romance, it teaches us much about the vast and merciful love God has for each of us. Real satisfaction can only be found in the Lord. 5. 2124 Then Jacob said to Laban, Give me my wife; Ive completed what we agreed Id do. Jacob worked a total of 20 years for Laban (Gen 31:38). At the end of this, Joseph is 6 years old. At the end of 20 years, Jacob had to deceive Laban (Gen 31:20) and flee for his life and left to return to Beersheba but actually settled in Shechem (Gen 33:18). It isolated her in a grim world of loneliness. Infatuation is usually in a hurry because it is self-centered. What characteristics in your mate bring you the greatest contentment? Genesis: Baker Commentary on the Old Testament Pentateuch by John Goldingay. If Jacob wanted to marry Rachel as well, he would owe Laban another seven years of labor. This must have been at least 1 year later.) By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. But Rachel took something that did not belong to any of them; she took her fathers idols, the household gods called terephim (Gen. 31:19). Then they let their father Jacob think Joseph had been killed by a wild animal. How Can I Recognize and Understand the Holy Spirit Better? Jacob (O) 29Laban gave his servant Bilhah(P) to his daughter Rachel as her attendant. Now Jacob had two wives, Leah and Rachel, both sisters, one he loved and one he did not. Why did you give me Leah? I specifically asked for Rachel! Why have you tricked me? Jacob was Then, after seven years, Jacob was ready to receive his wife, Rachelonly to be tricked by his father-in-law. Wasnt Jacobs love worth more than any number of sons? God is love. Jacob worked for his uncle Laban 7 years, then married Leah & Rachel He worked another 7 years for Rachel Now they've been married 7 years. Well Jacob knew he loved Rachel so much and he wanted to do everything in his power to marry her. Just as Jacob had struggled with God, so too would the nation of Israel wrestle for centuries with its obedience to the Lord. Genesis 29:18 Jacob loved Rachel. Why the obscure but specific description of Jane Doe II in the original complaint for Westenbroek v. Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity? Except for the one time that Jacob got angry with her for blaming her childlessness on him, there is no indication that he ever loved her any less for her faults. But he prevented Rachel from conceiving. That was enough for him. Laban agreed with Jacobs wages and told Jacob if he worked for 7 years, Laban would give Rachel to Jacob. 18:18; 1 Tim. More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! Big-hearted Laban offered to give Rachel to Jacob as well if he would work for seven more years. When we can recognize the presence of discontentment in our lives and acknowledge it as sin, we can seek Gods grace to overcome it and find new joy in living. Yet he still kept on deceiving, until he ultimately repented and was welcomed and blessed by God. Dickering over the value of a bride may have been an insult to the bride. That gnawing discontentment kept her from enjoying anything totally, and it kept others from enjoying her. The assent on the part of Laban cannot be accounted for from the custom of selling daughters to husbands, for it cannot be shown that the purchase of wives was a general custom at that time; but is to be explained solely on the ground of Laban's selfishness and avarice, which came out still more plainly afterwards. Jacob had two wives, they were the daughters of Laban, their names were rachel and Leah. There he met a beautiful woman named Rachel. At the end of this, Joseph is 6 years old. The Cross And Separation From The World (1 Peter 4:1-6), 7. Jacob's proposal may be explained, partly on the ground that he was not then in a condition to give the customary dowry, or the usual presents to relations, and partly also from the fact that his situation with regard to Esau compelled him to remain some time with Laban. Jacob was in love with Rachel, so he told Laban he would work for seven years in exchange for Rachels hand in marriage. Some wives are discontented with their husbands. The message came in the form of a dream about a ladder that stretched from heaven to earth. What part did your kids seem to like the most in this Bible Lesson??? The emotion of the moment overwhelmed him. But they buried Rachel by the side of the road leading from Bethlehem to Jerusalem. Whatever the "value" was for those years of work, it was acceptable to Laban. The possessor of those images was accepted as the principal heir of the family, even if he was only a son-in-law. The history of book bansand their changing targetsin the U.S. Should you get tested for a BRCA gene mutation? Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular, Seven, seven times, a week, an indefinite number, Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular, Preposition-b | Noun - cdc | third person masculine singular, Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular, Direct object marker | third person feminine singular, Untranslatable mark of the accusative case. She had a beautiful face and gorgeous long hair. WebHow many years did Jacob work for Laban, and why did he serve all those years? Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. God told them to go to Bethel (Genesis 35:1,5), The family repented, buried their idols and moved to Bethel. Who buys lion bones? God finally did give her a son of her own, and now we expect her to be satisfied. She did bear another son. How do we reverse the trend? Jacob tore his clothes and refused to be consoled and said, Judah did not approve of his brothers' dealings with Joseph, and lying to their father letting him think Joseph was dead. How to Have Joy in Your Golden Years Despite These 10 Life A God-Centered Life: 10 Faith-Based Practices When Youre Feeling Anxious, Grumpy, or Stressed, California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Ultimately, Jacob makes peace with his older brother, Esau. rev2023.5.1.43405. Unexpected uint64 behaviour 0xFFFF'FFFF'FFFF'FFFF - 1 = 0? One, we can understand thatlike Jacobin spite of our sins and weaknesses, we can still be reconciled to God. Seven years is a long time to wait, and I think Jacob really did grow to love Rachel during those years. When Laban finally overtook them and searched their belongings for his terephim, Rachel lied to him and deceived him to keep him from finding them (Gen. 31:33-35). He told Rachel that he was a relative of her father, Laban. To approach a question 400 million years in the making, researchers turned to mudskippers, blinking fish that live partially out of water. At this point, Joseph was the youngest son (Gen 33:2) and the only child of Rachel. The same spirit of discontent shows up again in her life. Jacob may have been a homebody, but he was no weakling. Jesus willingly sacrificed Himself, dying a brutal death on the cross to pay our sin-debt and thereby serve as the path to heaven for those of us who believe and follow Him. please read and comment. Jacob offered to serve him seven years for Rachel, the younger of his two daughters, whom he loved because of her beauty; i.e., just as many years as the week has days, that he might bind himself to a complete and sufficient number of years of service. The Cross And Christs Suffering For Sins (1 Peter 3:18-22), 6. She said, With mighty wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister, and I have indeed prevailed (Gen. 30:8). WebJacob served seven years for Rachel, and it seemed only a few days to him because of his love for her. WebJacob offered to serve him seven years for Rachel, the younger of his two daughters, whom he loved because of her beauty; i.e., just as many years as the week has days, Do you feel jealousy toward some other person? There is an old saying that goes, True love never runs smoothly. Thats the way it was with Jacob and Rachel. Finding the distance from a corner of a cube to the midpoint of an edge. What should I follow, if two altimeters show different altitudes? Benjamin was born, but Rachel didn't survive. It seems as though this romance was off to a blazing start. (R) And he worked for Laban another seven years.(S). He spotted a well and stopped to rest. (F) 23But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah(G) and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob made love to her. Soon after his arrival in Harran, Jacob fell in love with the beautiful and lovely Rachel, daughter of his cousin Laban (Genesis 29:17). In fact, there are indications that he maintained his devotion to her to the very end of her life. Where does the version of Hamapil that is different from the Gemara come from? So Jacob served Laban fourteen years for his two daughters and six years for the cattle a total of twenty years. This newfound behavior may offer a clue to how these reptiles will respond to a warming planet. What is the significance that Jacob offered to work for Laban ,seven years for Rachel ? The "seven" years may have been more reflective of how much Jacobs ability to work was worth. In desperation over her barrenness, Rachel begged Jacob to lie with her servant, Bilhah, and thereby give her sons through this union (Genesis 30). Some women try to buy a man with sex, or trap him with a baby, or lure him with family fortune. One night, he dreamed of a ladder going up into heaven. WebNew International Version. But do you know what? Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. Start your free trial today! No, it wasnt, not for Rachel. Jacob and Rachels love story pales in comparison to the mighty, never-ending love God our father has for us. When the seven years were fulfilled at last, Jacob spent his wedding night only to discover at dawn that it wasnt Rachel, but her elder sister Leah whom Laban had delivered to Jacobs tent. She was killed at age 39 in the 2015 Philadelphia train And may I remind you that Leah, not Rachel, was the mother of Judah, through whom the Savior would ultimately come (Gen. 29:35). After discovering that he had been tricked, Jacob married Rachel also and then worked out another seven-year contract for this marriage. The physical attraction was still there, but he could not live in such close contact with her through a seven-year engagement period and not learn a great deal about her, both good and bad. Jacob and Joseph Timeline - Bible Study After the bridal feast, Jacob thought he was consummating the marriage with Rachel, but when morning came he realized hed been fooled. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever laid eyes on, and he felt life without her would be worthless. His anger was not right in Gods sight, but his evaluation of the situation surely was. He worked 7 years to marry Rachel, but he was tricked into marrying Leah. What would seven years in wages amount to? Jacob was so upset.

Lynette Hawkins Stephens Bio, Articles H