This passage is about:
      life with the extended family
      hard (outdoor) work
      love and its complexities
      trickery and mistrust among the men
      jealousy among the women.
      babies (sons of course).

Here is an example of God's justice--
      Leah had Jacob's sons
      Rachel had his love.

Maybe Jacob is also getting
      a dose of his own medicine
      a pay back time for his own deceptive tricks
I think he has met his match in uncle Laban.

                                      FAMILY MATTERS
              Two wives, two maidservants, and many sons.
                                        Genesis 29 & 30

    13When Laban heard about Jacob his sister's son, he ran to
meet him, and embraced him and kissed him, and brought him
to his house.  14And Jacob stayed with him for a month.  15Then
Laban said to Jacob, "Because you are my relative, should you
serve me for nothing?  Tell me, what should your wages be?" 
    16Now Laban had two daughters:  the elder was Leah, the
younger was Rachel.  17Leah's eyes were delicate, but Rachel
was beautiful.  18Jacob loved Rachel; so he said, "I will serve you
seven years for Rachel your younger daughter."  19Laban said,
"It is better I give her to you than that I should give her to another
man. Stay with me."  20So Jacob served seven years for Rachel,
and they seemed to him only a few days because of the love he
had for her.
    21Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife, for my days
are fulfilled, that I may go in to her."  23Laban gathered together
all the men of the place and made a feast.  23 In the evening, he
took Leah and brought her to Jacob; and Jacob went in to her.   
25So it came to pass in the morning, that behold, it was Leah. 
Jacob said to Laban, "What have done to me?  Was it not for
Rachel that I served you?  Why then have you deceived me?"
    26Laban said, "It must not be done so in our country, to give
the younger before the firstborn.  27Fulfill her week, and we will
give you this one also for the service which you will serve with me
still another seven years."  28Then Jacob did so and fulfilled her
week. So Laban gave him Rachel as wife also.  30Then Jacob
also went in to Rachel.  Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah,
and he served with Laban still another seven years.
    31The Lord saw that Leah was unloved, so He opened her
womb; but Rachel was barren.  1When Rachel saw that she bore
Jacob no children, Rachel envied Leah, and said to Jacob, "Give
me children, or else I die!"  2Jacob's anger was aroused, and he
said, "Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the
fruit of the womb?" 3So she said, "Here is my maid Bilhah; go
in to her, and she will bear a child on my knees, that I also may
have children by her."
    9When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing, she gave her
maid to Jacob as wife.  22Then God remembered Rachel, and
opened her womb.  23She conceived and bore a son, and said,
"God has taken away my reproach."  24She called his name
Joseph, and said, "The Lord shall add to me another son." 
                 _{This Bible passage was condensed from the NKJV}

           < prev page                                                           next page >