The story of Rachel is one of my favorite stories in the Bible because I love a good romance story. The love wasn't about sex or lust like it is in the books and movies today, but it is real love. A love that was worth fighting for.
Rachel and Jacob met one day when Rachel was at the well feeding her father's sheep and Jacob was passing by, following his mother's wishes to go to her land. Jacob loved Rachel as soon as he laid his eyes on her. He removed the large stone was atop the well, and gave water to her flock. He then kissed Rachel, and Rachel ran home to tell her father. Her father, Laban, came and sought Jacob so that he could come work for him. Jacob agreed to work for him seven years for the exchange of his daughter. Jacob was willing to wait however long it took to have Rachel as his own.
When the seven years was up, a wedding was prepared, and Jacob was finally going to be able to marry his love. At the wedding, Laban's daughter was heavily veiled. It was the next day that Jacob found out that he had been fooled. He hadn't married Rachel, but her older sister, Leah. Jacob did not love Leah. Upset, Jacob went unto Laban, and Laban told him that it was customary for the older daughter to marry first. Laban and Jacob made another deal; if Jacob were to work for him another seven years, he could have Rachel as well. After Jacob agreed, he was wed to Rachel a week later.
Leah began having sons, but Rachel did not. This upset Rachel because she is the one that Jacob truly loved, and she was not able to give him sons. After Leah had 10 sons and a daughter, God finally gave Rachel a son, Joseph. Jacob loved Joseph the most because he had came from Rachel.
Twenty years passed and Jacob wanted to leave with his family, but Laban did not want him to. Laban wanted him to wait until the flock was born, and he would give Jacob some. Even after the six years of waiting to receive the flock, Laban still did not want them to leave. Jacob decided enough as enough, and he secretly ran away with his family.
To me, this story shows the real meaning of love. Jacob was willing to do whatever it took to have Rachel as his wife, along with the blessing from her father. Unfortunately, Jacob was not able to leave with her father's blessing, but he repeatedly tried. How many times do we hear stories about someone waiting for twenty plus years for someone's love? How loved Rachel must have felt to see a man that loved her so much that he never gave up on her. From the moment Jacob saw Rachel at the well, he never failed to do whatever was asked of him and he never failed to show Rachel his love. I couldn't imagine how heartbroken Jacob was when he saw that Leah had become his wife instead of Rachel. He had been deceived by Rachel's own father. Though, the happiness that came a week later when he was finally able to marry his love, must have been worth all the pain.
I really feel for Rachel as she had to watch Leah have Jacob's sons and daughter. Rachel saw that it was supposed to be her having Jacob's children because she is the one that Jacob truly loved. Putting myself in Rachel's shoes, I would have been jealous beyond belief and angry because Jacob had been deceived in marrying Leah. It wouldn't have seemed fair that Leah, who Jacob didn't love, was able to have children, but Rachel could not. Though, Rachel received the most blessing when she was able to have the most loved by Jacob when she had Joseph. Joseph turned out to be a great man, and Rachel and Jacob loved him.
I think this story can show us both what love truly means and the patience that we should have for love. Jacob had to wait twenty plus years, so it gives me the strength to wait until God sends the right person to me. We have to fight for the right love. Jacob didn't find the love he wanted in Leah, so he kept fighting and fighting. It's okay to wait. It's okay that there's obstacles. Overcome them, and keep fighting.
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