Journey Through The Scriptures
The Life of Jacob
Lesson 2: Jacob Marries Two Sisters
(Scripture to Read: Genesis 29:1–30)
Like the journey of Abraham’s servant Eliezer many years before (Genesis 24), Jacob’s trip back to his mother’s home area proved to be very successful. Eliezer had come to find a bride for Isaac, Jacob’s father. Now it was Jacob who needed to marry a wife from among his own people. Both of these men were under strict orders to find the right bride, for the continuation of both God’s covenant heritage and the Abrahamic blessing were at stake.
Jacob learned from the shepherds he met that Rachel was the daughter of his uncle Laban, and thus eligible to be his wife. That was good news for Jacob, who fell deeply in love with Rachel the moment he saw her. But this deceiver also became the deceived, because Laban was determined to see his older daughter Leah, Rachel’s sister, married first. Jacob got a taste of his own medicine, and he didn’t like it!
Study Questions
- Was it just coincidence that Jacob stopped at the very well Rachel used-just as Eliezer had done with Rebekah (Genesis 24:15)-or was something else at work here?
- Why do you think Jacob did not demand that his unintentional marriage to Leah be annulled?
- Agree or disagree with this statement: God often uses people who are very much like us to teach us lessons we need to learn.
- Jacob’s love for Rachel made his years of service to marry her seem like nothing. How did he feel toward Leah?
Something to Think About
What we may think of as mere coincidences, or just "good luck," are often the signs of God’s loving guidance in our lives.
The many incidents of deception in Jacob’s life to this point illustrate the importance of being honest and forthright in our actions. Let us be sure we are teaching and modeling integrity!
