“When Rachel saw that she wasn’t having any children for Jacob, she became jealous of her sister. She pleaded with Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!” Then Jacob became furious with Rachel. “Am I God?” he asked. “He’s the one who has kept you from having children!” Then Rachel told him, “Take my maid, Bilhah, and sleep with her. She will bear children for me, and through her I can have a family, too.” So Rachel gave her servant, Bilhah, to Jacob as a wife, and he slept with her. Rachel named him Dan, for she said, “God has vindicated me! He has heard my request and given me a son.” Then Bilhah became pregnant again and gave Jacob a second son. Rachel named him Naphtali, for she said, “I have struggled hard with my sister, and I’m winning!” Meanwhile, Leah realized that she wasn’t getting pregnant anymore, so she took her servant, Zilpah, and gave her to Jacob as a wife. Soon Zilpah presented him with a son. Leah named him Gad, for she said, “How fortunate I am!” Then Zilpah gave Jacob a second son. And Leah named him Asher, for she said, “What joy is mine! Now the other women will celebrate with me.” One day during the wheat harvest, Reuben found some mandrakes growing in a field and brought them to his mother, Leah. Rachel begged Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.” But Leah angrily replied, “Wasn’t it enough that you stole my husband? Now will you steal my son’s mandrakes, too?” Rachel answered, “I will let Jacob sleep with you tonight if you give me some of the mandrakes.” So that evening, as Jacob was coming home from the fields, Leah went out to meet him. “You must come and sleep with me tonight!” she said. “I have paid for you with some mandrakes that my son found.” So that night he slept with Leah. And God answered Leah’s prayers. She became pregnant again and gave birth to a fifth son for Jacob. She named him Issachar, for she said, “God has rewarded me for giving my servant to my husband as a wife.” Then Leah became pregnant again and gave birth to a sixth son for Jacob. She named him Zebulun, for she said, “God has given me a good reward. Now my husband will treat me with respect, for I have given him six sons.” Later she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah. Then God remembered Rachel’s plight and answered her prayers by enabling her to have children. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. “God has removed my disgrace,” she said. And she named him Joseph, for she said, “May the Lord add yet another son to my family.””
Genesis 30:1-4, 6-24 NLT
Interestingly enough, this passage explains the birth of the nation of Israel. As one can plainly see, it is not a joyous birthing. Instead, it is fraught with infighting, backstabbing, objectification, insecurity and anxiety. Here you can truly see the chosen attitudes of Abraham’s descendants come to bear. Specifically Jacob’s inherited path of deception. It is one of the sadder areas of scripture in that it follows a specific pattern of apparent misogyny on the part of Jacob, set into action by Laban. It echoes on a large scale the plight of Hagar and Ishmael. God chose Abraham with respect for his loving attitude toward a barren woman. She did not spread that love to others. Abraham did not respect it either. God then must love others for them. Here we see Jacob doing the same. The nation of Israel was built around several failed opportunities for Jacob to be a good husband and father. Instead, he allows the creation of his family to turn into a gross competition for his time and affection. Yet God still is present. He is still answering the sincere prayers of those dejected women, even if they are misguided. However, the path for Israel is set. The environment for God’s people will be a harsh one, despite God’s example.
JOSH McGARY.COM 