Two sisters and a man. Betrayal, envy and contention. When allies became rivals. In today’s study we explore the story from the viewpoint of one of the sisters – Rachel.

In this study, the tools we would use for this study are 

1. Who, What, When, Where, and How tool
2. Walk-in their shoes 
3. How does it apply to me today?

The story of these sisters cut across Genesis 29, 30, 31, 33, & 35 So let’s dig in 

These passages are mainly descriptive telling what happened . A descriptive text is reporting or telling us about what happened. Text like this lays out the events, characters and situations in which different things happen. They show how people responded to God and their situations and at other times it shows how God played a part in the text. 

To find out more on how to study your bible using different tools accessible to everyday people, head over to our website www.damsekwrites.simplymo.co.uk to download a free copy.

Who, What, When, Where, and How tool

Jacob fled to his mother’s hometown of Haran to meet his uncle Laban. He met his cousin Rachel while she was taking the flock of sheep to be watered.

See Rachel’s humility and industriousness. She was taking care of her father’s sheep.She was into useful labour. Rachel meets her cousin, runs home to tell her father about him.

Jacob makes a commitment to marry Raheal after working for her father for 7 years

After 7 years, instead of Laban giving Rachel as a bride to Jacob, Laban gives her sister Leah as the bride to Jacob.

Jacob is upset of this deception

7 days after marrying Leah Rachl’s sister, Jacob marries Rachel as well.

As the years passed, Leah had 4 sons for Jacob but Rachel did not have any children at all.

Rachel becomes envious of her sister, she gets desperate about having children.

She gave her maid Bilhah to her beloved husband who she was already sharing with her sister to sleep with her husband and have children through her. While this might have been the custom in ancient times, it was  going to make a dysfunctional family even more so.

Bilhah had 2 sons for Jacob

The contention between the 2 sisters continues.

Leah also gives her maid to Jacob to father 2 more children. 

The contention between the sisters was apparent that it was not limited to the number of children they had for Jacob. 

Racehl battered for Jacob to sleep with Leah for Mandrake. 

Leah has 2 more sons. Making 6 sons and a daughter

God remembered Rachel and opened her womb. She had a son. So she called his name Joseph, and said, “The Lord shall add to me another son.”

Then Rachel and Leah agreed with Jacob to relocate back to Canaan land.

 Rachel stole household idols from her father’s house unbeknown to anyone.

She pretended to be on her period so her father could not search where she was hiding the stolen articles.

Rachel died at childbirth when she gave birth to her 2nd son who she called Ben-Oni which means Son of My Sorrow but Jacob change the son’s name to Benjamin which mean Son of the Right Hand

Walk-in their shoes.

We have not used this tool recently, so I will give a quick recap of the tool.

Walking in the shoes of different characters in the text. This is seeing the text from these characters’ point of view. How did they either learnt the lesson and were transformed or ignored God’s direction and the repercussions of their decisions? This method helps you engage with the text and see the humanity of the characters. They are often not very different from you and me.

This method has helped me to see Bible characters not as superhuman but as everyday people like me who have to deal with life. The choices and actions they take, how they used their revelation of God to tackle life.

7 days after marrying Leah Rachl’s sister marries the man she was waiting to marry after 7 years Rachel becomes Jacob’s wife as well.

Racheal had the love of Jacob but no children. However Leah had many sons for Jacob but no regards from Jacob. Rachel became desperate and envious of Leah, so she gave her maid to her husband to father children for her. Her home was already dysfunctional.  Envy is grieving at the good of another. She didn’t consider or acknowledge the advantages but allowed the negative emotions of envy to lead to making her home more dysfunctional by giving her maid to her husband. Rachel becomes envious of her sister, she gets desperate about having children. She gave her maid Bilhah to her beloved husband who she was already sharing with her sister to sleep with her husband and have children through her. While this might have been the custom in ancient times, it was  going to make a dysfunctional family even more so. Bilhah had 2 sons for Jacob

Racehl battered for Jacob to sleep with Leah for Mandrake. What are mandrakes?  And why were they important to Racheal? Mandrake in ancient times was believed to  be magical, which showed though Rachel had sons through her maid she was still desperate to have children. Even with the mandrake Racheal did not have any children. Rather Leah had 2 more sons and a daughter for Jacob

God visited Racheal and she conceived. She too had a son and she called his name Joseph, and said, “The Lord shall add to me another son.”

When Jacob told Rachel and Leah of his decision to leave Laban’s employment, Racheal and Leah were so ready to leave. The years must have helped see that her father’s interest has been more about his own prosperity even to the detriment of his daughters’ happiness.  For he had put them in the predicament they were not out of love or concern for their well being but out of the money and greed he could make from them being Jacob’s wives.

At least the sisters were in agreement over one thing. The exodus of their family from their father Laban.

 Rachel stole household idols from her father’s house unbeknown to anyone. She pretended to be on her period so her father could not search where she was hiding the stolen articles.

Rachel’s stealing her father’s images shows the state of her faith. While she was now a part of Jacob’s family, it begs the question that did she embrace the God of Abraham totally? Her actions of stealing the idol images may signify she was serving God as well as idols. 

This must have been unknown to her husband who laid a curse on anyone who would steal and bring idols to his house.

How does it apply to me today

Betrayal is so painful that we see the bitterness and unforgiveness displayed in the life of Racheal and Leah almost throughout their married life. The bible teaches us that offense would come but the offended should learn to forgive. While it may not be easy to forgive atimes, we must ask God’s help. Because unforgiveness leaves a trail of bitterness in the life of the offended party.

I saw this definition of forgiveness which I think it would be helpful to share:

Forgiveness is an intentional and voluntary process by which one has been wronged, chooses to change in feelings and attitude regarding the offense, and overcomes negative emotions such as resentment and vengeance. While it might feel difficult to forgive, let’s remember we can ask God to help us to forgive.

Ephesians 4:31-32 

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Envy is grieving at the good of another. Which comes from comparing oneself with others. Envy does not give a good outcome. Rather than compare ourselves with others, we should fix our eyes on Jesus Christ. He is the author and finisher of our faith. He knows our ends. And as we fix our eyes on Him, we can make the necessary adjustments and decisions to transform us from our present place to where God has destined us to be.

Like I said earlier, envy does not give birth to good and righteous actions. In the story of Leah and Racheal it drove them to diabolical mandrakes, it drove Racheal to idol worshiping and eventually she was cursed by Jacob. The end never justifies the means.  Racehal’s  antiques never gave her the sons she wanted. It was God who remembered her and blessed.

If we say we are followers of Jesus Christ, then we must worship God only. We cannot worship God and mammon or idols.

The first  commandant  in Deuteronomy 5 says “You shall have no other gods before[b] me.

Jesus also repeated the same command in Matthew 6:24

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

I hope you have been blessed with this study.