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Bible Study WELCOME TO A DEEP LOOK AT GENESIS

Day 66 Saturday 6/21/14 Genesis 29:13-20 Wives Can Be Expensive.

In those days, visitors from distant family members, or kinsmen, were very rare. Laban certainly was excited to hear that his sister's son had come to visit. Somehow, Laban heard about Jacob's extraordinary strength at the well, either by Rachel or a servant. John Gill says that Jewish writers made much of Jacob's strength.

Laban "ran" to welcome Jacob in a close, warm family reunion sort of way. Jacob was invited into Laban and Rachel's home. Jacob, in V.13 tells Laban why he is there, and Laban's reply was you are "my bone and my flesh". This echo's Genesis 2:23 "This at last is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh." V.14 also says the Jacob stayed a month, probably new moon to new moon.

V.15 takes the guess work out of Jacob's visit. Laban asks, "what shall your wages be?" Next is a description of Laban's two unmarried daughters. Leah, the firstborn daughter, Leah means "wearied", and Rachel means "a ewe". There are quite a few opinions about leah's eyes, from beautiful light blue eyes but homely otherwise, to poor vision, must avoid sunshine, watery & bloodshot. Rachel on the other hand was beautiful all over.

Jacob has arrived with no "bride price" which surprises me because he comes from a wealthy family. At any rate, God is in control and this is how He wants it to come about. A bride price has to be paid so Jacob proposes that his wages over a seven year period be the price of which Laban agrees. Jacob indeed works seven years for his Rachel. Romance can do some pretty strange things like time speeding by with little recognition.
 
Gen 29:13 And it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob his sister's son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things.
Gen 29:14 And Laban said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him the space of a month.
Gen 29:15 And Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? tell me, what shall thy wages be?
Gen 29:16 And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.
Gen 29:17 Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured.
Gen 29:18 And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter.
Gen 29:19 And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with me.
Gen 29:20 And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.
 
the stone reportedly was so heavy(about the size and weight of an old 60's voklswagen bug) it usually took 4 or 5 men to move it. that was one reason they all usually weighted until all the shepherds were there to try to move it.
 
His_nee (Jeff) said:
the stone reportedly was so heavy(about the size and weight of an old 60's voklswagen bug) it usually took 4 or 5 men to move it. that was one reason they all usually weighted until all the shepherds were there to try to move it.
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The Targum of Jonathan said Jacob did it by himself, and Jarchi says he did it with one arm.
 
I think maybe he didn't have anything because he was running away to hide from Esau. Traveling with animals and goods would be pretty slow, not easily concealed, and more obvious to anyone who may see him along the way.
Besides as you say, it's the way God wanted it and all leads up to what I think is the best part that we haven't gotten to yet. :)
 
Deborah13 said:
I think maybe he didn't have anything because he was running away to hide from Esau. Traveling with animals and goods would be pretty slow, not easily concealed, and more obvious to anyone who may see him along the way.
Besides as you say, it's the way God wanted it and all leads up to what I think is the best part that we haven't gotten to yet. :)
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Oh Wise One!! I hadn't thought of that. You are right on! Plus, while reading your post I realized that Jacob was not the first born so I wonder if that had anything to do with it. Anyway Deb have you heard how these people got so rich? I mean, you have to have money to buy animals, houses to live in, you know, all their stuff. It couldn't be that they got rich selling eggs, huh? Anyway, I'd like to know.
 
Day 67 Sunday 6/22/14 Genesis 29:21-30 Pay Back.

There is an old Biblical saying "If you live by the sword, you'll die by the sword." There is also a principle in the New Testament that whatever you sow, you'll reap. Jacob cheated Esau out of his birth-rite and , and was party, with his mother in deceiving his father, and thus cheating Esau out of the first born blessing. I previously posted the meaning of Jacob's name, "to deceive/cheat". It will always remain a mystery how a prophesy about a person comes about by the means of deception and cheating another person. These being against God's Commands, Statues, and Rules....ANYBODY WANT TO COMMENT?

Jacob, having completed the seven years contract agreement between he and Laban for Rachel's hand in marriage Has arrived and Jacob want his bride. In V.21 Jacob uses a rather crude way of asking for the marriage ceremony in my opinion, but it "got er dun!" We now come to the marriage ceremony of Jacob and Rachel. V.22 indicates that Laban invited "all the people of the place" for a marriage ceremony.

On the wedding night there was an old "switcherru"! Laban, thru a great deception switched Rachel with Lea. (I wonder how Rachel felt about that) Either Rachel knew what her father was going to do or it caught her by surprise. ANY COMMENTS? The custom of the day was, the bride kept her veil covering her face the entire day of the marriage ceremony and even going into the marriage bed. I also understand that night at that time, without any sources of light in the area, night was extremely Black, so that deception wouldn't be discovered until morning.

V.25 Big Shock! It's Leah who's in bed with Jacob, not Rachel. Jacob is upset!! (the deceiver gets deceived) Laban explains their custom of who gets married first. Apparently fathers would do just about anything to get a homely first born daughter married. Why Jacob didn't know that or why Laban didn't explain that is not recorded. After another seven years Jacob obtains Rachel and unfortunately he loves Rachel more than Leah and it must have shown.
 
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.ANYBODY WANT TO COMMENT?
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Gen 25:22 And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD.
Gen 25:23 And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.
Gen 25:24 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
Gen 25:25 And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.
Gen 25:26 And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them.
 
Rom 9:10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;
Rom 9:11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
Rom 9:12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
Rom 9:13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
Rom 9:14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
 
Yes Reba, Thanks for the reference :) ... (you posted while I was typing this) ...


It is written elsewhere "I hated Esau, but loved Jacob" ; and Yhwh did so because He wanted to. This pleased Him. He didn't soften His feelings toward Esau for anyone else, nor did He change His choice. He meant hate when He said hate (i.e. not "loved less" like some in error have proposed long ago to make it more palatable to men's way of thinking/ accepting.... )
 
Yhwh does many things without asking us about it. He does what He pleases. He is Almighty, Sovereign, Creator of all, Designer , Planner and Architect of every life and every part of creation. He knows us intimately and loves us anyway !!!!!!!! --- He didn't wait for us to turn to Him --- while we were still dead in sin and trespasses, His enemy opposed to Him you might even say, (it may be written somewhere),
He sent His Son to die as a criminal, hung on a tree cursed, for us !!!. Who can fathom His Ways !? His Love !!? His Mercy !?
 
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