The Lord is awe-inspiring, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Genesis 30:1,7-8,
“When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children, she became jealous of her sister. So she said to Jacob, ‘Give me children, or I'll die!’ … Rachel's servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. Then Rachel said, ‘I have had a great struggle with my sister, and I have won.’ So she named him Naphtali.”
In the account of the birth of Jacob’s children we find so much that is less than honorable. Leah, whom we are told was not attractive, continues to attempt to earn Jacob’s love and acceptance. She says things like, “Surely my husband will love me now.” 29:32. “Because the Lord heard that I am not loved, he gave me this one too.” 29:33. “Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have born him three sons.” 29:34. And, “This time my husband will treat me with honor, because I have borne him six sons.” 30:20. Perhaps this is the outcome of what happened when her father deceived Jacob by passing Leah off as Rachel on the wedding night. Leah got to marry the heir of Abraham’s blessing through deceit and trickery only to spend the remainder of her life attempting to find love and acceptance from him. It is quite a sad account from her perspective.
As I read it from Rachel’s perspective, we find that no matter how physically attractive she might have been, she seemed to be driven by some ugly motives. She is filled with jealousy, 30:1, and engages in attempts to outdo her sister. She says, “I have had a great struggle with my sister, and I have won.” 30:8. She even sold her bed with Jacob, so to speak, to Leah (her chosen adversary) in exchange for some mandrakes (thought to help cause pregnancy) that Leah’s son Reuben had gathered. To pass off Rachel’s actions and attitudes as the inevitable consequences of polygamy is to overlook a careful reading of the text in my opinion.
The whole account seems rife with, as I say, what is less than honorable. Sinful attitudes and actions motivated by the sinful nature dominate the tale. And yet, this is the account of the beginning of the twelve tribes of God’s own chosen people. It will be this people that he will entrust his very words to. To them Paul observes in Romans 9:4-5, “Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.”
What are we to make of this? My thought this morning is what the Scripture reveals to us about God is that he uses us in spite of our sinful condition, our faults and our weaknesses. God has his own agenda and fulfills all he desires to accomplish - and can even use people like me to do it! If there ever was an opportunity for me to be used by God for some purpose, it would certainly be in spite of me – not because of me. How astonishing our Creator can use any of us! But use us he does – and that in spite of our shortcomings.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your theme of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We’d love to hear from you!
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