Daily Devotionals

Bride and Gloom Week 4: Monday

So Jacob worked seven years to pay for Rachel. But his love for her was so strong that it seemed to him but a few days. Genesis 29:20

The people we allow into our lives have a significant impact. They impact how we speak, what we do, what we believe, and so much more. Because the people in our lives have such an influence, we must carefully choose who we build relationships with and allow into our circles of influence; we cannot settle. Therefore, we must thoughtfully consider who we choose to spend our time with.  

Genesis 29 tells the story of a man who settled by following societal customs rather than his daughter to marry someone who truly loved her and wanted to marry her. This chapter tells the story of Jacob and the woman he was in love with, Rachel. Jacob quickly fell in love with Rachel after he met her (verse 18). She was beautiful, according to Scripture. Rachel also had an older sister, Leah, who, Scripture teaches, was not quite as beautiful as her. Jacob wanted to marry Rachel and offered to work for Rachel's father, Laban, for seven years in exchange for Rachel’s hand in marriage after seven years of labor (verse 20). Laban agreed. Those seven years flew by for Jacob because of his love for Rachel.

Jacob's story in Genesis 29 gets interesting when the seven years passed and the time came for Jacob to marry Rachel. Laban made an interesting decision. In this culture, it was customary for the oldest daughter to marry first. In light of this custom, Laban took Leah and deceived Jacob into marrying her instead of Rachel (verse 23). Because of Leah's traditional wedding attire, Jacob did not realize he was marrying Leah instead of Rachel. Jacob was understandably angry when he finally discovered he had married Leah instead of Rachel (verse 25). Laban promised to let Jacob marry Rachel one week later, if he agreed to work for another seven years. Jacob agreed and married both sisters, Leah and Rachel. This was an unjust and upsetting situation, especially for Leah, the unloved and unwanted wife. From this moment, the two sisters were jealous and angry towards each other; their relationship was wounded. Laban was so concerned with following society’s customs, that he caused Leah to settle in her marriage to Jacob instead of waiting for the person to come who wanted to marry her.

Jacob's story and his marriage to Leah and Rachel are a warning to us. Unlike Laban, who operated under the mindset that settling in marriage was acceptable in order to follow custom, we can take marriage seriously. We can carefully choose who we spend our lives with. For married people, this Scripture reminds us to think about how we can influence and motivate each other to keep growing together and not settle. 

Moving toward action

If you are married, take a few minutes to evaluate your relationship. How are you and your spouse influencing each other positively? Are you influencing each other negatively in any way? How can you both commit to influencing each other in a way that points each other and the people around you toward Christ? If you are single, take some time to think about what kind of person you are looking for and commit to surrounding yourself with people who point you in Christ’s direction.

Going Deeper

Genesis 29:1-30 (NLT)

"Then Jacob hurried on, finally arriving in the land of the east. 2 He saw a well in the distance. Three flocks of sheep and goats lay in an open field beside it, waiting to be watered. But a heavy stone covered the mouth of the well.

3 It was the custom there to wait for all the flocks to arrive before removing the stone and watering the animals. Afterward the stone would be placed back over the mouth of the well. 4 Jacob went over to the shepherds and asked, "Where are you from, my friends?"

"We are from Haran," they answered.

5 "Do you know a man there named Laban, the grandson of Nahor?" he asked.

"Yes, we do," they replied.

6 "Is he doing well?" Jacob asked.

"Yes, he's well," they answered. "Look, here comes his daughter Rachel with the flock now."

7 Jacob said, "Look, it's still broad daylight-too early to round up the animals. Why don't you water the sheep and goats so they can get back out to pasture?"

8 "We can't water the animals until all the flocks have arrived," they replied. "Then the shepherds move the stone from the mouth of the well, and we water all the sheep and goats."

9 Jacob was still talking with them when Rachel arrived with her father's flock, for she was a shepherd. 10 And because Rachel was his cousin-the daughter of Laban, his mother's brother-and because the sheep and goats belonged to his uncle Laban, Jacob went over to the well and moved the stone from its mouth and watered his uncle's flock. 11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and he wept aloud. 12 He explained to Rachel that he was her cousin on her father's side-the son of her aunt Rebekah. So Rachel quickly ran and told her father, Laban.

13 As soon as Laban heard that his nephew Jacob had arrived, he ran out to meet him. He embraced and kissed him and brought him home. When Jacob had told him his story, 14 Laban exclaimed, "You really are my own flesh and blood!"

Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel
After Jacob had stayed with Laban for about a month, 15 Laban said to him, "You shouldn't work for me without pay just because we are relatives. Tell me how much your wages should be."

16 Now Laban had two daughters. The older daughter was named Leah, and the younger one was Rachel. 17 There was no sparkle in Leah's eyes, but Rachel had a beautiful figure and a lovely face. 18 Since Jacob was in love with Rachel, he told her father, "I'll work for you for seven years if you'll give me Rachel, your younger daughter, as my wife."

19 "Agreed!" Laban replied. "I'd rather give her to you than to anyone else. Stay and work with me." 20 So Jacob worked seven years to pay for Rachel. But his love for her was so strong that it seemed to him but a few days.

21 Finally, the time came for him to marry her. "I have fulfilled my agreement," Jacob said to Laban. "Now give me my wife so I can sleep with her."

22 So Laban invited everyone in the neighborhood and prepared a wedding feast. 23 But that night, when it was dark, Laban took Leah to Jacob, and he slept with her. 24 (Laban had given Leah a servant, Zilpah, to be her maid.)

25 But when Jacob woke up in the morning-it was Leah! "What have you done to me?" Jacob raged at Laban. "I worked seven years for Rachel! Why have you tricked me?"

26 "It's not our custom here to marry off a younger daughter ahead of the firstborn," Laban replied. 27 "But wait until the bridal week is over; then we'll give you Rachel, too-provided you promise to work another seven years for me."

28 So Jacob agreed to work seven more years. A week after Jacob had married Leah, Laban gave him Rachel, too. 29 (Laban gave Rachel a servant, Bilhah, to be her maid.) 30 So Jacob slept with Rachel, too, and he loved her much more than Leah. He then stayed and worked for Laban the additional seven years."