The Line Of Judah Came Through Leah

INTRO

In the last lesson, we learned that Jacob stole the birthright and the blessing. Esau was so angry he wanted to kill his brother. Rebekah told Jacob to flee to her brother Laban in Haran because she knew what Esau planned to do (Genesis 27:41–43). Isaac blessed Jacob and told him not to take a Canaanite wife (Genesis 28:1). So, the Messianic prophecy would continue through Jacob (Genesis 28:3-4). Esau did the opposite of what Isaac wanted and married a Canaanite. The seed of the serpent and the Seed of the woman continued to rage against each other. The Edomites (descendants of Esau) would war against the Israelites (descendants of Jacob). It would be an ongoing battle (Genesis 28:8-9). Jacob had a dream of angels going up and down a ladder. The Lord spoke to Jacob and blessed him, promised him the land, and reaffirmed that he was the chosen one (Genesis 28:10-12). This is the backdrop of Genesis 29.

TEACHING

Genesis 29:1: Jacob knew he was carrying the seed, but he didn’t have a seed bearer (a wife). The first thing Abraham’s servant did was pray. Jacob, however, continued his journey from Beersheba to Haran, a walking distance of 400–450 miles. The Hebrew here implies, “he lifted up his feet.”¹You can’t go where God’s called you to if you don’t move your feet. Jacob needed to find a wife. Scripture says marriage can be an option; it’s not commanded. For Jacob, however, it was not an option. He knew he needed a seed bearer.

Genesis 29:2–4: Three flocks of sheep surrounded a well that was covered with a stone. Usually it took two to three men to move this stone (v. 2). Jacob asked the shepherds where they were from and they responded, “Haran” (v. 3). The whole point of Jacob going through this process was to look for a wife. As he questioned the shepherds, Jacob found out he had already reached his destination (v. 4). Praise God! This was the guy Jacob had been looking for (v. 5). Then Rachel appeared, coming with sheep. Unbelievers would call this a coincidence. But believers would realize God’s hand was on Jacob (v. 6).

Genesis 29:7–10: At the well, Jacob told the shepherds what they needed to do. He didn’t want the shepherds around when he talked to Rachel (v. 7). The shepherds didn’t want to go. Maybe they were waiting for more help or were just lazy (v. 8). Jewish tradition says Jacob was a giant. He “manned up” and rolled the stone away by himself. This was a pretty powerful picture of what he could do for Rachel. There was something about Jacob and stones. Jacob laid his head on a stone when he had the dream, and he anointed the stone when it was over. He wanted to remember all God had done (Genesis 28:18–19). Later in Genesis 31:45-53, his covenant with Laban would be marked with stones as a witness to their agreement. Jacob used rocks as markers whenever God showed up.

Genesis 29:11: This is the only time in Scripture where a man and woman kissed. Jacob wept loudly because he realized he had found success. Contrast Jacob’s response to Genesis 24:26–27. When Abraham’s servant saw he had found success, he bowed down and worshipped the Lord. But when Jacob kissed Rachel and wept loudly, he didn’t praise God. He didn’t praise God because he didn’t pray to God. It seems like Jacob did everything in his own strength. He didn’t seem to include God, and he didn’t praise God.

Genesis 29:12–15: When Jacob met Laban, “Jacob told him all that had happened” (v. 13). Did Jacob leave out the part about his deception of Isaac and Esau, which necessitated his journey to Haran? Laban disregarded the family relationship between him and Jacob. All Laban wanted was what he could get out of an economic relationship.²Waltke described Laban as “an oppressive lord over an indentured servant paying off a bride price.”³

Genesis 29:16–21: Leah was the older daughter, and Rachel was the younger daughter (v. 16). Leah’s eyes were ordinary, which could mean “delicate, weak, soft.” Waltke said it could mean she lacked the sparkle that culture prized as beautiful. In contrast, Rachel was shapely and beautiful. Leah meant “cow” and Rachel meant “ewe.” Laban treated his daughters as commodities he could bargain.⁴Jacob loved Rachel, so he agreed to work seven years for her (v. 18). This was a strange a answer from Laban, but Jacob was not in a spiritual condition to discern that something was off (v. 19). Seven years felt like nothing to Jacob because of his love for Rachel (v. 20). Jacob was not in the right mindset. He was not thinking about continuing the Seed of Christ. He was only thinking about his desires. Jacob had worked for seven years for Rachel, and he wanted to make her his wife.

Genesis 29:22–24: Laban threw a great feast, and although Jacob had worked seven years for Rachel, not Leah, Laban gave Leah to Jacob that night. How could Jacob not know it was Leah? Several possible explanations have been offered. The tent was dark. The bride entered the tent completely veiled.⁵It was just like when Jacob pretended to be his older brother. And now it was coming back full circle. Rebekah had Jacob pretend to be his older brother. Now Laban had Leah pretend to be the younger sister.⁶It was customary for the father to give a slave girl to his married daughter. So Laban gave Leah the slave girl Zilpah, whose name meant “small nose.”

Genesis 29:25–27: The next morning, Jacob asked Laban: “Why have you deceived me?” When Jacob said this, I wonder if the Holy Spirit came upon him and convicted Jacob of his own deception. As Jacob took advantage of Isaac’s bad eyesight, Laban took advantage of the darkness of Jacob’s tent. One of the commentators said Laban took the prize for being despicable.⁷How was Laban’s deceit any different from what Jacob did to Isaac? Maybe it was the length of time that it played out. Laban said that in their culture it was the custom to give the firstborn daughter in marriage first. Jacob had now lived among these people for seven years. Why didn’t Jacob pick up on something? Sailhamer said, “Jacob had planned to take Rachel as his wife. But God intended him to have Leah.”⁸Laban explained it was not their custom to give the younger daughter in marriage before the firstborn. In Leviticus 18:18 (obviously written after these events), the Mosaic Law said a man was not to marry two sisters. Why? Because it causes crazy rivalry!

Genesis 29:28–30: It seems Rachel was given to Jacob after seven days, and then he worked seven more years for Laban (v. 28). Here again we see the custom of giving the servant to the married daughter. Bilhah meant “carefree” (v. 29). Strangely enough, Jacob did the same thing his parents, Isaac and Rebekah, had done. He showed favoritism. He favored Rachel. Polygamy and bigamy were never God’s will. It was just Adam and Eve. Any time you add to what God’s plan is, it just gets messy. But God continued to move anyway. I think the work Jacob had to do for 14 years was brought on himself because of his deception of Isaac and Esau (Proverbs 3:12; Galatians 6:7; Hebrews 12:5–6). I believe God still disciplines His people to take care of unresolved sin. I think this adjustment from seven to fourteen years was disciplining for Jacob. God was faithful to keep the Seed going, but He disciplined Jacob in the process. God was refining Jacob, and He was beginning to do something special with him. We see this play out at the end of Genesis 29 with the sons of Jacob.

Genesis 29:31–35: Jacob preferred Rachel, so God opened Leah’s womb because she was unloved (v. 31). Leah quickly had four sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah. These sons were part of the 12 tribes of Israel. Leah probably felt unworthy and unloved, yet God chose to use her. Do you understand the magnitude and significance of Leah giving birth to Judah? Matthew 1:2 reveals that Judah is in the lineage of Christ! Hebrews 7:14 says Judah was the one God chose to carry the Seed through. The seed from Jacob and the seed-bearer Leah, was traced to Christ. Judah came from Leah, not Rachel.

CLOSING

The Seed came through the woman no one wanted and pointed to the lineage of the tribe of Judah. God can redeem any situation. The root of David, the Messiah, came through the tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5).