Honey From The Rock

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Honey From The Rock
Psalm 81:16

"Sweet Stuff From God's Word"

A daily Bible study with Victor Knowles
Copyright 2007

TRUE LOVE WAITS

This entry was posted on 03-12-2010 and is filed under STUDIES IN GENESIS.

"Now Jacob loved Rachel; so he said, 'I will serve you [Laban] seven years for Rachel your younger daughter.' And Laban said, 'It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to another man. Stay with me.' So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed only a few days to him because of the love he had for her" (Gen. 29:18-20 NKJV).

True love waits. Perhaps that expression comes from today's text. Jacob's love for Rachel was so great that he worked for Laban for seven long years. He waited for the hand of Rachel for 2,532 days. Talk about a long courtship and engagement period! And then everything blew up in his face. Laban had tricked him! Jacob went to bed on his wedding night with Leah, the older daughter. But he did not know this was the case until morning. All those enduring phrases he breathed into the ear of his bride ("Oh, Rachel, Rachel!" ) went into the ears of Leah instead. Poor Jacob. Poor Rachel! "So it came to pass in the morning, that behold, it was Leah" (Gen. 29:25). That verse always strikes me as funny, but I am sure it was not funny to Jacob! "Leapin' Leah-zzards!" Leah, who could have alerted Jacob to the trick any time she wanted, probably enjoyed her night as the surrogate bride.

Jacob was no doubt mad as hops. I would have been. He went to Laban the next day and confronted him about the deceit. (I wonder if he remembered how he himself had deceived his blind old father? Chickens do come home to roost now and then!). Laban's excuse was lame but Jacob bought it anyway. He had a one-week "honeymoon" with Leah and then was permitted to marry Rachel ~ on the condition that he work seven more years for Laban (see vs. 26-30). Even at that the Bible says that Jacob's love for Rachel was so great that he worked as Laban's indentured servant for a grand total of 14 years (5,064 days). True love waits. And waits. And waits. But is worth it in the end.