September 28, 2009 - Jacob's Blessings And Lesson

Meditation on Genesis 29

God began to fulfill his promise to Jacob as he arrived his mother's homeland. First of all he went to the well where the shepherds usually gathered and was fortunate to meet Rachel, his uncle's daughter. Then he had the unusual strength to remove the heavy cover of the well, which usually would take several shepherds to do so, to water the flock for Rachel. It was love at first sight for Jacob. He poured his heart out in telling his background to Rachel, kissed her and cried in her presence.

When Rachel's father came to meet him, he acknowledged that Jacob was his sister, Rebekah's son. He allowed Jacob to live with him and shepherd his flock. Jacob was granted the right to marry Rachel whom he loved deeply with the agreement of shepherding the flock of her father for seven years.

But Jacob had to learn a lesson of his trickery in deceiving his father to obtain the blessings of the first born. He met the match of his life in the person of his uncle, Laban. As Jacob could not see in the dark night, he was given the elder sister, Leah to be his wife instead of Rachel. When Jacob discovered that in the morning and questioned this deception, Laban gave the reason that it was not their custom to give the younger daughter to marriage first. So Jacob had to serve Laban another seven years in order to have Rachel as his wife. Later in the Bible, it was recorded that Laban had cheated Jacob ten times concerning wages for Jacob. Even his own daughters acknowledged their father's dishonesty and lack of love.

Jacob began to have children in a foreign land. His family would become the leaders of the tribe of Israel. God had continued to bless him. But he had certainly learned a great lesson in life concerning the method of getting what he wanted.

Have you reflected upon the lessons you have learned in you own life, whether good or bad? Talk to God about it.