A Less than Perfect Christian Family – Genesis 29:1-30
29 Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the people of the east. (2) As he looked around he saw a well in the field, and there were three flocks of sheep lying near it, because they watered the flocks from that well. Now the stone that was over the mouth of the well was very large. (3) When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone away from the well’s mouth and water the sheep, afterward they would put the stone back in place over the mouth of the well. (4) Jacob said to them, My brothers, from where do you come? And they said, We come from Haran. (5) Then he said to them, Do you know Laban the son of Nahor? They replied, We know him. (6) Then he said to them, Is it well with him? And they said, It is well. His daughter Rachel comes here with the sheep. (7) And he said, Look, the sun is still high, it is not yet time for the flocks to be gathered together. Water the sheep and take them to pasture. (8) And they said, We must wait until all the flocks are gathered together and they roll the stone away from the mouth of the well, then we water the sheep.
(9) While he was yet speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, because she was in charge of keeping them. (10) When Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and Laban’s sheep, he went over and rolled the stone from the mouth of the well, then he watered his uncle’s flock (11) Jacob greeted Rachel with a kiss and began to weep aloud. (12) Jacob told Rachel that he was a relative of her father and that he was Rebekah’s son. Then she ran and told her father.
(13) When Laban heard the good news of the arrival of his sister’s son, Jacob, he ran to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Jacob told Laban all about his family. (14) And Laban said to him, Surely you are my bone and my flesh. So Jacob stayed with him for a month.
(15) Then Laban said to Jacob, Because you are my brother, is it right that you should serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be? (16) Now Laban had two daughters. The name of the older girl was Leah and the name of the younger was Rachel. (17) Leah’s eyes were poor; but Rachel had a beautiful face and figure. (18) Jacob loved Rachel, so he said to Laban, I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter. (19) And Laban said, It is better that I should give her to you than that I should give her to some other man. Stay here with me. (20) So Jacob served seven years for Rachel. Those years seemed to him to be only a few days, because of the love he had for her.
(21) Then Jacob said to Laban, Give me my wife so that I may lie with her, for I have fulfilled my time of service. (22) So Laban gathered together all the men of that place and made a feast. (23) In the evening, Laban took Leah his older daughter and brought her to Jacob. Then Jacob went in and lay with her. (24) And Laban gave his maidservant Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her maidservant.
(25) In the morning, to his surprise, Jacob discovered that it was Leah. Then he said to Laban, What is this that you have done to me? Did I not serve you for Rachel? Why then have you tricked me? (26) Then Laban said, It is not our custom to give the younger woman in marriage before the firstborn. (27) Fulfill the week of service for this older daughter, and we will give you the younger one also for the service that you shall render to me for another seven years.
(28) And Jacob did so; he fulfilled Leah’s week of service. Then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. (29) Laban gave his daughter Rachel his maidservant Bilhah to be her maidservant. (30) And so Jacob also slept with Rachel. Now he loved Rachel more than Leah. After this Jacob served Laban for another seven years.
Now proceed to the next section of this study, entitled, Exploring the Passage.
