The Story of Leah and Rachel

Welcome Prayer Song Silence Genesis 29.24 – Genesis 30.21 April 9th 2023

We left off reading at verse 23 the following

23 And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her.

We talked about the setting and the strangeness of it. The commentators say that it was because of the veil over her face, the Darkness and maybe the alcohol.

24 And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid for an handmaid.

It was customary for women to be given slaves or servants on their wedding day over whom the husband had no rights. We remember Hagar being the servant of Sarah. Leah’s was named Zilpah. So let’s read from verse 25 to the end of the chapter now and hear Jacobs response to being tricked.

Jacob's Response to Laban's Deception

25 And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?
26 And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.
27 Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.
28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.
29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.
30 And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years.
31 And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.
32 And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me.
33 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the LORD hath heard that I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon.
34 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi.
35 And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing.

Alright back to verse 25

25 And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?
26 And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.

Like it sort of is today, it was an early custom to give daughters in marriage according to their seniority and in some places this was even the law. Apparently this was the custom at Mesopotamia; but Laban took care to conceal it from Jacob till after he had given him Leah and after he took her to be his.

Marriage Customs and Traditions

27 Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.

It seems that the week Laban is asking Jacob to fulfill was that of the marriage festivities which apparently lasted seven days. Perhaps Laban did not want the secret out in front of all the guests or perhaps he simply wanted Leah to have a nice wedding week so he tells Jacob that if he will fulfil the marriage week for Leah, he will give him Rachel at the end of it, on condition of his serving seven other years.

28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also. Now, having three daughters, there is automatically times of great love and great friction. Can you imagine marrying two sisters?

29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.
30 And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years.

Then we read a strange insight at verse 31

31 And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was…

The Concept of "Hatred" in Biblical Context

The Hebrew word saw-nay can certainly mean hate, but it can also mean, “a lesser degree of love;” and not the hatred that we think of when we use the word. So we can read the passage, “When the Lord saw that Leah had less affection shown to her than was her due as his wife he opened her womb—he blessed her with children.” It is doubtful that Jacob hated Leah as the subsequent verses show that he had relations with her frequently—all the while bearing a preference for Rachel.

I wish we could get it in our heads that when we read the line, “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated,” that it means God showed a greater degree of affection for Jacob and his posterity than He did for Esau and his descendants. Our Calvinist friends actually believe God created some of us that He hates—literally hates, and I do not believe that to be the case. He may hate what some of us do, but He loved us all so much He gave us His only Son.

Leah's Sons and Their Significance

Verse 32 makes me both happy and sad for Leah, as we read:

32 And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me.

The name Reuben means, “I have got a son!” Perhaps Leah was right in the results in her having a son as we read in verse 33:

33 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the LORD hath heard that I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon.

Simeon means hearing, meaning God had blessed her with another son because he had heard that she was hated or loved less than Rachel was.

34 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi. “joined,” apparently in strong affection due to the number of sons she has born. Leviticus and Numbers will speak to the tribe of Levites becoming the priests in the service of the sanctuary the Jews would establish under the direction of God.

35 And she 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 Legacy of Judah

Judah means, a confessor or one who acknowledges God in all things. Interestingly, the Nation will take its name from this son Judah (and be generally referenced as Jews) which is appropriate because of all people in that day, and of all souls adopted into the family of tribes, they are the ones who CONFESS GOD and acknowledge His hand in all things.

Where it says that Leah “left bearing” it means that she stopped having children for a time and not for good because we will see she has more. I could be that Leah said enough to “copulation with Jacob” or Rachel put the kaibosh on their child-making through complaints—which is what chapter 30 opens up to—so let’s go there and read through to verse 13.

1 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.

2 And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God's stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?

3 And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her.

4 And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went in unto her. 5 And Bilhah conceived, and bare Jacob a son.

6 And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore called she his name Dan.

7 And Bilhah Rachel's maid conceived again, and bare Jacob a second son.

8 And Rachel said, With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called his name Naphtali.

9 When Leah saw that she had left bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife. 10 And Zilpah Leah's maid bare Jacob a son.

11

Roles of Legal Wives and Concubines

And Leah said, A troop cometh: and she called his name Gad.

12 And Zilpah Leah's maid bare Jacob a second son. 13 And Leah said, Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed: and she called his name Asher.

Let’s talk for a minute about all of these children coming from what is now

LEAH (1st Wife) 1. Reuban 2. Simeon 3. Levi 4. Judah

BILDAH (From Second wife, Rachel) 5. Dan 6. Napthtali

ZILPAH (From First wife, Leah) 7. Gad

So, what’s the deal here? Remember when Sarah gave her servant Hagar to Abraham and she had Ishmael? But Ishmael was not the line God wanted to build from? Was Ishmael cast away and not a son?

Not at all. NOT AT ALL. Ishmael was Abraham's son BUT Sarah was the one who owned Hagar and therefore had the right to do with her and with her son as she so pleased. But this did not make Ishmael not a son of Abraham. Just not the Son God would bring the Nation nor His Son through.

Same here. What is often overlooked is the sons of the legal wife (or wives) took precedence over the son or sons of the concubines. Ishmael was the son of a concubine (a secondary wife, or contract wife). As such, he was ‘secondary’ to Isaac, the son of Abraham’s legal wife, Sarah.

Until Isaac was born, Ishamel was Abraham’s only son, and could have inherited all that Abraham had, but once Isaac was born, Ishmael dropped behind Isaac in line, because Isaac was the son of Abraham’s legal wife. For Jacob this is also the case – the sons of his legal wives – Leah and Rachel – were ‘more important,’ so to speak, in those homes than the sons of the two concubines, or the lesser contract women, Bilhah and Zilpah.

Hierarchy of Children

Each maidservant had children which – technically – counted as the household of the wife to which they belonged – but their children were always ‘second’ (so to speak) behind the children of the legal wives. So, the children of the ‘maidservants’ were considered part of the household of the maidservant’s MISTRESSES – Hagar was Sarah’s servant, and Sarah ‘ruled’ both Hagar and Hagar’s children.

Bildah was “Rachel” servant, and Rachel ‘ruled’ her and her children, and Zilpah was Leah servant and Leah reigned over her and her children but all of them were Jacobs, and therefore of Isaac and therefore of Abraham.

Rachel’s Envy

Thus far, we have seven of the twelve sons born. Back to verse 1 of chapter 30

1. 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.

So, we get some insight into the natural mind of Rachel, which may give us a little insight into the natural minds of women. We know the natural minds of most men – well here we get a glimpse into the natural mind of women. See, Rachel was deemed more attractive than Leah her older sister, and she had the natural love and affection of Jacob, but this was not enough – which is natural to a woman especially of that age – she wanted a child from Jacob this resulted in the E word – “envy.”

Of whom? Her sister. Hey, we are still in the law of the jungle here folks and this is a perfectly natural response. However, our natural responses as human beings are what make us in need of a Savior and of His Spirit to give us new hearts and lives.

See, the Spirit within would have moved Rachel, eventually and ever so gently, to looking to God to give her children, and to refraining from envy and choosing to see His hand at work. I can say this because this is what the Spirit does – it moves us to love.

Without it abiding in and over her heart, Rachel was responding the way most women would respond in that situation. After all, the man who loved her and whom she seems to have loved was having numerous children with another woman!

But instead of complaining to God who gives life, she complains to Jacob who only gives part of the components to make life – and not the most important. In that day, even as it is today, God is the giver of life. He gives it, and He takes it away. Put it this way, if God wants something to live it will live. And if he

Life and Death in God's Hands

Wants it to die it will die. Life is in the hands of God. Not Jacob, not medicine, not in vitro fertilization. Not life support machines. Him. I think we sometimes forget this. We certainly can do our part—naturally or through medicine—but He is the one who will ultimately decide if there is life. And perhaps even more sobering is the fact that God takes away—we do it. And when I say this, I mean He allows life to continue or to stop. Allows deathSeparation from God—now overcome. Physical death remains, but it no longer separates us from life with God. to occur—or not.

Think about this a moment—if God wants to save a child or parent from drowning or any other accident—He will. Life is in His hands. We can reach out for a gun, step toward the speeding traffic, take 200 pills, but he will allow the bullet to kill or cars or pills to kill—or not. Likewise, all the medicines and treatments in the world will do nothing to stop a body from functioning if He wants it to. So, we are forced to place the onus of it existing and ending on Him ultimately.

What or how we contribute to life and death, and all the other factors that somehow play into them are obviously included, but as believers, I maintain that living and dying are the decisions of the living God—after all that we can do. I would also suggest that spiritual life is also in His hands—He raises us to new life or not. He makes us first sons and daughters or not—it is in His hands, and not our own—so we cannot force or cause someone to be born from above or raised to new life.

Life Through His Power

He did it, on His time, according to His ways and by His Power—which is why we read these ever so essential lines in John 1:

John 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12 But as many as received him, (believed on Him of their own volition) to them gave he power (raised them to new life by His Spirit) to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

So Rachel, envious of Leah, comes to Jacob and says, “Give me children, or else I die.” I have a feeling that this was a constant drip on him from her—maybe not, but his reaction seems to suggest this as we read:

2 And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God's stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb? Jacob seems to understand the real source of human life here as we have discussed.

3 And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her.

As stated, the handmaid was the sole property of her mistress and therefore not only all her labor, but even the children borne by her were the property of the mistress, including children, which seems to be depicted by the line, “and she shall bear upon MY knees that I may also (like Leah) have children BY her.” The Hebrew better says, “that I may also be built up by her,” with an allusion to a house being built up upon a stone foundation so is a woman’s life built up by the children she brings into the world.

Rachel and Leah's Struggles

4 And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went in unto her.
5 And Bilhah conceived, and bare Jacob a son.
6 And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore called she his name Dan.

Here Rachel seems to turn and give God the glory for the child conceived and calls the baby, Dan, which means, judging, as in “God has judged me worthy to receive a child.”

7 And Bilhah Rachel's maid conceived again, and bare Jacob a second son.
8 And Rachel said, With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called his name Naphtali.

This gives us insight into the tenuous relationship the sisters had in their relationship with Jacob, as Rachel's maid conceived again and her naming the children reflects her struggle and triumph.

Wrestling and Family Dynamics in Biblical Narratives

Child Naphtali (which means wrestling) and which she herself said,

“With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called his name Naphtali.”

Some suggest that this wrestling match refers to the family dynamics of bringing forth children, the families integrating and adjusting to each other. Whatever the case, Rachel saw the birth of Naphtali as her prevailing, which lends to deeper insight on her as a woman at that time.

The Children of Leah and Her Maid Zilpah

9 When Leah saw that she had left bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife. 10 And Zilpah Leah's maid bare Jacob a son. 11 And Leah said, A troop cometh: and she called his name Gad.

Now, according to Genesis 31, it appears that Laban was a bit of an astrology or astronomy buff and that the naming of this child references the astrological coming or appearing of a planet. We can’t be sure, but this is stated by a couple of commentators so perhaps there's something to it – or maybe it was a smack back to Rachel where Leah is saying, “If we want to compare the number of children, here comes an army from my side.”

12 And Zilpah Leah's maid bare Jacob a second son. 13 And Leah said, Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed: and she called his name Asher. Which means, blessed or happiness, so

The Family Structure

LEAH (1st Wife)
1 Reuban
2 Simeon
3 Levi
4 Judah

BILDAH (From Second wife, Rachel)
5 Dan
6 Naphtali

ZILPAH (From First wife, Leah)
7 Gad
8 Asher

And now we come to a weird little side story amidst all of this conceiving and childbearing. Let’s read from verse 14 to 21.

14 And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son's mandrakes. 15 And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee tonight for thy son's mandrakes. 16 And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have hired thee with my son's mandrakes. And he lay with her that night.

17 And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son. 18 And Leah said, God hath given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband: and she called his name Issachar. 19 And Leah conceived again, and bare Jacob the sixth son. 20 And Leah said, God hath endowed me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons: and she called his name Zebulun. 21 And afterwards she bare a daughter, and called her name Dinah.

Back to verse 1 chapter 30.

14 And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son's mandrakes.

The Significance of Mandrakes

What are these mandrakes that Reuben found in the field? It seems like the tension between the sisters was reaching the pinnacle with the Birth of Asher as Leah had named her son, happiness. You’ve gotta learn to speak female to understand the “dig” delivered when one sister claims that she is happy in the face of the other sister being still barren.

So, Leah’s oldest son Reuben was out in the field and discovered what was obviously a plant (something that grew in the field) that was known in that world to cause fertility and potentially also served as an aphrodisiac. Some say that the mandrake is a Mediterranean plant with blue flowers in the winter and yellow, plum-like fruit in the summer. Others claim them to be anything from lilies, to mushrooms, to a type of flower, vine, or even rare weed.

Because of the close ties to Egypt and other cultures (like those of Chaldee where Abraham originated and where there was sacrifice by fire and a heavy influence from astrology) it is believed that the women were well aware of the promises mandrakes offered them from that culture. The lesson here is not so much against appealing to things to aid us in health, but to first put all of our trust in the Living.

The Role of Faith and Idolatry in Human Nature

God and perhaps asking or inviting Him in to bless our endeavors with things like mandrakes. At this time, Leah and Rachel might be forgetting the general meaning of the words the Psalmist will offer years later when he wrote:

Psalm 113:9 He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD.

Instead, it seems the woman looked to this item with their hearts and maybe trusted on what this product promised more than the hand of God. It’s a principle – made apparent thousands of years ago and human nature hasn’t changed in the least. Our flesh is naturally idolatrous and we will – even as believers – glom on to products and substances and ideas, giving them thanks and promoting their wonders while never even considering God’s hand in the results.

The Issue of Idolatry

We might even see these things – if they are being rightly interpreted by me – as the seeds of what will trip the Nation up from this point forward – as they will repeatedly turn to astrologies and idolatries even witches and other items rather than keeping the living God first and foremost in our minds and hearts. I am in the midst of producing a 30 part video book series on Light and Dark which includes all the main items and things miscellaneous groups have added to their faith in God – it's our nature, it’s appealing, it speaks to our emotions and flesh and it is all the same stuff.

It seems like in the war between the sisters this product quickly took front and center stage garnering all of their attention as both Rachel and Leah are both showing superstition by putting their hope in a plant without even considering to ask God’s blessing on the potential effects of the medicine.

Leah, Rachel, and the Mandrakes

So, Rachel, after we read,

"And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah."

Goes to Leah and says, “Give me, I pray thee, of thy son's mandrakes.” Remember, Leah had not been bearing children and it seems that this is due to Rachel’s influence over Jacob as he had stopped having relationships with him. So how does Leah respond?

15 And she said unto her (Rachel), Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son's mandrakes also?

Now, listen to the power Rachel has over the situation as we read,

"And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy son's mandrakes."

Leah accusing Rachel of stealing her husband makes sense if Jacob had neglected her and her willingness to trade the rare mandrakes for just one night with him shows how distant they had become and how bitter the war. In a sense, Rachel prostitutes Jacob by offering him to Leah for access to the desired fruit and is plainly more concerned about bearing children of her own than she is for her husband’s devotions.

In the end, both women are willing to barter for either relational, sexual attentions and/or their ability to have children through Jacob but the fact of the matter is the real issues, the real principles lies with the trouble of taking on multiple wives let alone multiple sister wives. Why doesn’t God stop them? Stop Jacob? It appears that the situation was the result of Laban’s treachery and God, looking to bring forth a Nation of many uses his treacherous ways to bring about His desired ends.

So, what happens?

16 And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have hired thee with my son's mandrakes. And he lay with her that night.

The Biblical Account of Male Prostitution

TRIVIA PURSUIT MOMENT – What is the first biblical instance of prostitution speak too? NOT of the hiring of a woman for sex but that of a man!

We will read about the first hiring of a woman in Genesis 38 and that story is really amazing but as a bit of trivia – male prostitution was first biblically.

And what comes next? Verse 17???

And the mandrakes blessed Rachel with twins named, Hildebu and Wildebu? Not at all. Instead, we affirm again who is the giver of life.

17 And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son. 18 And Leah said, God hath given me my hire, because I have given

Leah and Her Children

My maiden to my husband: and she called his name Issachar.

We do not have a record of Leah praying but we have confirmation that she did when Moses writes: “And God hearkened unto Leah and she conceived.” “And she called his name Issachar,” which means “content, satisfy, saturated.”

Leah's Continued Journey

19 And Leah conceived again, and bare Jacob the sixth son. 20 And Leah said, God hath endued me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have born him six sons: and she called his name Zebulun. Zebulun fittingly means, cohabitation, as she now expected that Jacob would dwell with her, as he had before dwelt with Rachel. 21 And afterwards she bare a daughter, and called her name Dinah. Rachel called her Son through Bildah, Dan (which meant “judgment”) and Leah calls her daughter, DINAH, which is the same name with the same meaning, and this appears to be a shot back at her sister.

Leah's Children List

We will stop here in the wars but lets add to our running list:

(ON BOARD)

LEAH (1st Wife)
1 Reuban
2 Simeon
3 Levi
4 Judah
9 Issachar
10 Zebulon
(DINAH 11th child)

BILDAH (From Second wife, Rachel)
5 Dan
6 Napthtali

ZILPAH (From First wife, Leah)
7 Gad
8 Asher

Comments/Questions/Prayer

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