Genesis 30 - 31 (22nd Jan) - Vivien

Chapter 30
Continuing where Pastor stopped, in Chapter 30 Rachel became jealous of her sister, as she could not bear any children for Jacob. And the “war” between the two sisters started. Since Rachel was barren, so she decided to get her servant to build a family through her (v3). And through her servant she got 2 sons – Dan and Naphtali. Now it was time for Leah to retaliate. Seeing that she has stopped having children, she too got her servant to lay with Jacob, and through her she had another 2 sons – Gad and Asher. I personally find it ridiculous to see such a scene (thank God life is simpler, husband can only have one wife)

Guys, please learn from this chapter, don’t ever think of having mistress. Already not easy to handle one, having another one, then you are really asking for trouble! By the way… the fight was not over yet… but let’s have a commercial break..

***Rachel wants mandrakes! Just barter some of your mandrakes and get one night with Jacob! **** End of commercial break.

Ah… Here is like one women who is so desperate to be loved by a husband who only have eyes for the other wife… I really wondered how Jacob felt when Leah excitedly waited for Jacob to reach home from the fields and told him, “You are mine today, because I bartered my son's mandrakes with your beloved wife, Rachel, for a night with you.”

Hmm… Why did Rachel make such an offer? What is so important about the mandrakes? In the Message version, Rachel called the Mandrakes, love-apple. Ah… it has been believed that this plant can help in conceiving. So is another act of desperation, but I am not sure if it is out of love… Because Rachel already had Jacob’s heart, but it seems like social status. Following after that, Leah bore another 2 sons – Issachar and Zebulun. God really loved Leah. He never forgets about her, and always listens to her prayers and gave her sons plus one bonus, a daughter. To all those people out there who think that they are unloved by anybody: God loves you, and He never forgets about your existence. =)

Finally, finally the “war” was coming to an end. God remembered Rachel and finally decided to open her womb, with that She bore 2 sons – Joseph and Benjamin.

In the next half of the chapter, Jacob decided to take his household to leave Laban. Laban recognized that he became prosperous because God was with Jacob, so of course he would want to retain Jacob. But Jacob appeared to have asked for less than what he deserved. However, he increased his supposedly imperfect, but strong flock, leaving behind the spotless, but weak flock for his uncle. Wasn’t he smart or what? Nope, it was God who gave him the vision through dream.

Chapter 31
In this chapter, it is about the Jacob and his household running away from Laban. I was quite shocked that Rachel actually stole her father’s household gods (What for??)… But the Bible didn’t mention that she was exposed for the crime. But later when you read on, she died prematurely, while giving birth to Benjamin. Maybe that had got to do with the crime. But at least the episode with Laban ended in peace, with a covenant between the two men that they will not harm each other.