Genesis 29-30

January 9

Genesis 29-30

Dysfunction was the foundation of Jacob’s family. He fled his own family because his brother was ready to kill him. He goes to stay with his mother’s brother and his family. He fell in love with Rachel his uncle’s daughter.

 Jacob is not the only deceiver in the family. His uncle Laban was slick. He was always looking out for himself. He did not care who got stepped on, even if it was his own daughter. Rachel the bible tells us was “lovely in form and beautiful,” while Leah “had weak eyes.” Jacob agreed to work for his Uncle Laban for seven years in exchange for Rachael’s hand in marriage. Laban agreed.
Jacob worked for seven years in anticipation of the day he would get to marry his love. When seven years were up he asked for Rachel and Laban through a feast and gave his daughter to Jacob. Only he switched daughters and gave him Leah instead of Rachel. The deceiver had been deceived, the tripper had been tripped. He complained to Laban who gave him Rachel in exchange for another seven years of labor.

There was constant competition between Rachel and Leah, each vying for Jacob’s attention. Jacob loved Rachel, but Leah was having sons for him. Rachel ended up giving her maidservant to Jacob to have children for her since she was barren. Then Leah gave her maidservant. Jacob had twelve sons and a daughter by four different women. Sister brides are not God’s plan nor does it bring peace within the family.

Laban and Jacob continued to try to get one up on the other. Jacob ended up getting rich through Laban’s flocks and tension grew between them. Eventually Jacob will leave his father in law and go back to the land of his own family. But when we look at his life we see a man who is self absorbed, a family that is dysfunctional, wives that compete against one another, a recipe for disaster, but God chooses to use Jacob and his family.

Do you think you have problems? Have you made bad decisions or has your family been dysfunctional for generations? God can still use you. In fact those who we look at and think God can never use that person; those are the people God tends to use. God builds beauty from ashes. He restores that which is broken. No matter where you have come from or what your family is like, God wants to use you to reflect His light. Will you let Him?