Women of the Bible - Rachel and Leah
Women Who Gave Birth to a Nation
by Kathryn Capoccia
Young Adults Sunday School Class
All Scripture references are taken from the HOLY BIBLE: NEW
INTERNATIONAL VERSION (C) 1978 by the New York Bible Society, used by
permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.
© Copyright Kathy Capoccia 2000. This file may be freely copied, printed out,
and distributed as long as copyright and source statements remain intact,
and that it is not sold.
I. Introduction
A. Prayer Requests
B. Review of Last Week's Lesson/Verse
II. Character Profile: Rachel and Leah, Women Who Gave Birth to a Nation
A. Who Were They? (read GEN 29-33; 35:16-26; 37:10; 46:22,25; 48:7;
49:31; RTH 4:11; 1SA 10:2; JER 31:15; MAT 2:18).
1. What Were Their Names? Rachel means "ewe", and Leah means "cow".
2. When Did They Live? They lived in the days of the Patriarchs
(dated anywhere from the 18th century B.C. to the 14th century
B.C.).
3. Where Did They Live? They lived in Haran in Paddan Aram (GEN
29:1,4). Later (at least 13 yrs. after their marriages) they
lived in Canaan. Rachel died in childbirth on the way from Bethel
(in central Canaan W. of the Jordan River about 20 mi. N. of
Jerusalem) to Ephrath, which is also called Bethlehem (around 12
mi. W. and 2 mi. S. the northern tip of the Dead Sea: GEN
35:16-20).
4. Who Were Their People?
a) they were Aramaeans; these people were of Semetic origin (from
Shem) who populated regions in Mesopotamia and Syria. Haran
and Nahor were Aramaean cities in the Balikh Valley of
northwestern Mesopotamia. *This information came from "The
Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible" (1975), vol.1,
pg. 246.
b) they were sisters: Leah, the older, had "weak eyes"; Rachel,
the younger, was beautiful (GEN 29:17).
c) their father was Laban, brother of Rebekah (Isaac's wife)- a
man who practiced divination (GEN 30:27), kept idols in his
home (GEN 31:30), acknowledged the existence of the true God
but did not honor Him as God (GEN 31:53); a man who deceived
Jacob (GEN 29:22-30) and tried to cheat him (GEN 31:7), and
who never gave his daughters any part of their own dowries
(GEN 31:15).
d) their great-grandfather was Nahor, brother of Abraham.
e) their first cousins were Esau and Jacob.
5. Were They Believers?
a) Leah: yes-
1) God gave her children to compensate for being unloved (GEN
29:31).
2) She named her children names that spoke about God's working
in answer to her petitions.
b) Rachel: yes, though she made many mistakes-
1) when she was barren she demanded that Jacob give her
children (GEN 30:1) and resorted to using mandrake plants
as a fertility drug (GEN 30:14,15).
2) she stole idols from her father's house and brought them
with her when the family left Laban's camp (GEN 31:19,34).
3) she lied to and deceived her father to conceal her theft
(GEN 31:34,35).
BUT:
4) she prayed for a son and God answered her (GEN 30:22).
5) when she became pregnant she acknowledged that God had done
it and she named her fist son "God shall add" saying, "May
the LORD add to me another son" (GEN 30:22-24).
6. Who Were They Married To? (GEN 29:25,28) They were both married
to their cousin, Jacob (lit. "he grasps the heel" or
figuratively, "deceiver").
a) Jacob's family life:
1) Jacob was a twin to older brother Esau, but he had been
promised the rights of the first born by God (GEN 25:23).
2) In order to secure his rights Jacob resorted to deceptive
and fleshly means:
a] he bought the inheritance rights from Esau with food one
day when Esau felt that he was starving (GEN 25:29-34).
b] he stole Esau's blessing (which was a verbal will) from
their father, Isaac, by impersonating Esau to their
blind father (GEN 27:1-29).
3) Jacob fled to his mother Rebekah's family in Haran because
Esau was furious with him and planned to kill him when
their father died (GEN 27:41-45).
b) Jacob's spiritual life:
1) his mother, Rebekah, and father, Isaac, were believers in
the true God and were blessed and protected by Him (GEN
24, 25:19-28, 26:1-14,22-32, 27).
2) he had witnessed the grief that ensued when his brother,
Esau, had married idolatrous women (GEN 26:34,35).
3) he had had a dream about a stairway to Heaven at Bethel
while traveling to Haran and came into a personal
relationship of faith in and submission to God (GEN
28:20,21).
4) God instructed him in how to practice selective breeding
and gave Jacob Laban's wealth through it (GEN 31:8-12).
5) God appeared to Jacob in a dream and told him to leave
Laban's camp and return to Canaan (GEN 31:3,13).
6) Jacob met the angels of God on the way to Canaan at
Mahanaim (GEN 32:1,2).
7) Jacob wrestled with God Himself, spiritually in prayer and
physically with the angel of God (a theophany) and was
named "Israel" ("he fights or persists with God") at Peniel
(GEN 32:9-13,24-30).
8) God instructed Jacob to journey to Bethel and worship Him
there and Jacob cleansed his camp of idols (GEN 35:1-4).
B. What Did They Do?
1. They Were Co-Wives.
a) Rachel was promised to Jacob as wife (GEN 29:14-20).
1) Jacob was sent to Haran for a wife (GEN 28:1-5).
a] Jacob had estranged himself from his family, especially
his brother Esau, so his father, Isaac, sent Jacob to
Haran ostensibly to look for a wife from Abraham's
family there (GEN 27:1-46; 28:1-5,10).
i] the distance from Beersheba, Isaac's camp, to Haran
was approximately 500 miles.
ii] the trip from Beersheba to Haran (Paddan Aram or
North-West Mesopotamia) would have taken perhaps a
month since a day's journey was normally twenty to
thirty miles, or longer if there were a large company
traveling together at the rate of ten miles a day.
iii] the trip was probably accomplished on the back of
some animal in the company of others (a caravan) with
a guide who knew the way and the water sources.
iv] traveling was considered dangerous and arduous and,
in order to escape the intense heat and possible
robbers, travel was often done at night with the
guide navigating by the stars.
*this information came from "Manners and Customs of
Bible Lands", by Fred H. Wight, Moody Press, 1953,
pgs. 270,271.
b] Jacob arrived in the vicinity of Haran near a well where
shepherds were gathering with their flocks and inquired
about Laban, Abraham's great nephew and his own mother's
brother (GEN 29:1-5).
i] it was still high day and the shepherds were
gathering at the well (when normally flocks would
have been in the fields until the end of the day.)
ii] a large stone lay over the well which prevented the
shepherds from watering their flocks before all the
flocks had gathered and the shepherds corporately
moved the stone.
c] The shepherds identified one of Laban's family members
as being nearby, a shepherdess, Rachel, who was Laban's
daughter (GEN 29:6).
i] Jacob saw Rachel and rolled the stone away and then
watered Laban's flock (GEN 29:10).
WHY WOULD JACOB HAVE MOVED THE STONE BY HIMSELF AND
NOT WAITED FOR THE OTHERS TO DO IT FOR THEMSELVES?
*Perhaps he only wanted to be kind; perhaps he wanted
to impress Rachel with his strength and
consideration.
ii] Jacob kissed Rachel in greeting and wept for joy over
her (GEN 29:11).
-- it was common to greet a relative with kisses
-- weeping was a common sign of joyful emotion in the
Middle East.
iii] Jacob explained his kinship to her, and she told
Laban who then invited Jacob home and acknowledged
their relationship (GEN 29:13,14).
2) Jacob loved Rachel and asked to marry her (GEN 29:18).
a] Jacob wanted to marry Rachel.
i] Jacob was 77 years old and had never married (Isaac
was 60 yrs. old when Jacob was born, GEN 25:26; he
was 137 yrs. old at the time of Jacob's deception,
"The Ryrie Study Bible" notes on GEN 27:2, pg.49:
thus Jacob was 77).
ii] Jacob was in love with Rachel (GEN 29:18).
iii] Rachel was "lovely in form and beautiful" (GEN
29:17).
*this is the same phrase that was used of Rebecca and
Esther, both beautiful women.
b] Jacob arranged to marry Rachel (GEN 29:15-18).
GEN 29:18 "Jacob was in love with Rachel and said,
'I'll work for you seven years in return for your
younger daughter Rachel.'"
i] Jacob offered to work as a "dowry" for Rachel (GEN
29:18).
-- It was customary for a groom to pay a "dowry" or
"bride price" to a woman's family to compensate
them for the loss of their daughter. The dowry did
not have to be in cash: it could be in the form of
service (see 1SA 18:25 where David killed 100
Philistines as his dowry).
-- A woman was expected to receive some of the dowry
money for herself (although Laban never gave any
dowry to either Rachel or Leah: GEN 31:15).
-- A woman was also given a special wedding dowry
from her father if he could afford it; Rebecca's
father gave her a nurse and attendants (GEN
24:59), and Caleb gave his daughter a field with
water (JUD 1:15); Laban gave Leah a maid, Zilpah,
and Rachel a maid, Bilhah (GEN 29:24,29).
*This information came from "Manners and Customs
of Bible Lands, by Fred H. Wight, pgs. 127-129.
*It's interesting to note that Jacob offered to
work for seven years because that term of service
became the standard length of time under the Law
for a Hebrew slave to serve until he obtained his
freedom from his countryman.
ii] Laban agreed to the terms of the offer (GEN 29:19).
GEN 29:19 Laban said, "It's better that I give her
to you than to some other man. Stay here with me."
3) Rachel and Leah became Jacob's wives.
a] Jacob completed the terms of his betrothal.
i] Jacob served Laban for seven years (GEN 29:20).
ii] Jacob anticipated his wedding so much that the toil
was not a burden (GEN 29:20).
GEN 29:20 "So Jacob served seven years to get
Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him
because of his love for her."
b] Laban substituted Leah (GEN 29:22).
i] Jacob asked for his wife to be given to him upon the
completion of his term (GEN 29:21).
ii] Laban gave the customary wedding feast but delivered
Leah to Jacob instead of Rachel (GEN 29:22-24).
WHY WOULD LABAN HAVE COMMITTED SUCH A DECEPTION?
-it may have truly been customary to have the older
daughter marry before the younger as Laban claimed
(GEN 29:26).
-it may have been Laban's opportunity to get
unattractive Leah a husband as well as one for
attractive Rachel.
-it may have been God's discipline upon Jacob for
having deceived both his father and brother.
HOW COULD JACOB NOT HAVE NOTICED THE SWITCH?
-- wedding feasts normally included much wine
drinking.
-- Jacob's bride was brought to him when it was dark
(GEN 29:23).
-- A bride's silence on her wedding night was a
Middle Eastern wedding tradition (this is from
"All the Women of the Bible", by Herbert Lockyer,
Zondervan Publishing House, pg. 82).
-- Leah probably would have worn a heavy veil which
Middle Eastern women commonly wore.
-- Leah may have had a bodily resemblance to Rachel
(except for her eyes: GEN 29:17).
-- Leah undoubtedly concealed her identity.
iii] Jacob consummated their marriage that night (GEN
29:23).
c] Jacob married Rachel as well (GEN 29:27-30).
i] the deception with Leah was discovered (GEN 29:25).
GEN 29:25 "When morning came, there was Leah!"
*the morning's light revealed the identity of his
wife as being Leah.
ii] Laban was confronted (GEN 29:25).
GEN 29:25,26 "So Jacob said to Laban, 'What is this
you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn't
I? Why have you deceived me?'"
*Jacob rightfully protested and accused Laban of
deception.
GEN 29:26 "Laban replied, 'It is not our custom here
to give the younger daughter in marriage before the
older one.'"
*Laban's excuse was a lame one because if it were
true that the younger could not be married before the
older because Laban had been responsible for making
the conditions clear in the beginning of
negotiations.
iii] another wedding was arranged (GEN 29:27,28).
-- Laban proposed to let Jacob have Rachel as wife
at the end of Leah's bridal week in exchange for
another dowry of seven year's work (GEN 29:27).
-- Jacob agreed to the terms of the new covenant (GEN
29:28).
I. Jacob completed the wedding week for Leah (GEN
29:28).
II. Jacob consummated his marriage to Rachel after
Leah's bridal week was over (GEN 29:28-30).
III. Jacob worked the seven years for Rachel (GEN
29:30).
*This whole polygamous situation of sisters
married to the same man would be later be
forbidden in the Law:
LEV 18:18 "'Do not take your wife's sister as
a rival wife and have sexual relations with her
while your wife is living."
WHY?
*A verse somewhat off the subject sheds some
light:
MAT 6:24 "No one can serve two masters. Either
he will hate the one and love the other, or he
will be devoted to the one and despise the
other."
2. They Were Rivals
a) they competed for Jacob's attentions.
1) Leah felt she had to earn Jacob's love.
a] Leah knew she was not loved (GEN 29:29,31,33).
b] she hoped bearing children would win his love.
i] her first son she named, "...Reuben ["look a son"],
for she said, 'It is because the Lord has seen my
misery. Surely my husband will love me now'" GEN
29:32).
ii] her second son she named Simeon ["hearing"],
"...Because the LORD heard that I am not loved, he
gave me this one too" (GEN 29:33).
iii] her third son she named Levi ["attachment"]; "Again
she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son she
said, 'Now at last my husband will become attached to
me, because I have borne him three sons'" (GEN
29:34).
*Reuben would disqualify himself from leading the
family by "sleeping with his father's concubine,
Bilhah" (GEN 35:22); Simeon and Levi would disqualify
themselves for leadership by murdering the
inhabitants of Shechem (GEN 34:25-29). The mantle of
inheritance would fall to Judah and it was from this
tribe that the Messiah would come, as Israel
prophesied, "The scepter will not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he
comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the
nations is his" (GEN 49:10).
c] she felt that she had lost her husband to Rachel (GEN
30:15).
2) Rachel feared she would lose Jacob's favor.
a] she knew Jacob loved her (GEN 29:18,20,30).
b] she was jealous of and threatened by Leah's fertility
(GEN 30:1).
c] she had provoked Jacob's anger by her jealousy (GEN
29:1).
d] she saw herself in a struggle with her sister (GEN
30:8).
*Rachel prevailed over Leah: in GEN 3l:14 Rachel's name
is before Leah's in the narrative for the first time,
indicating her preeminence.
b) they competed for children
1) Leah bore children (GEN 29:31-35).
a] Leah bore three sons and hoped that they would make
Jacob love her (GEN 29:32-34).
b] Leah bore a forth son, Judah ["praise"] as she turned
towards the Lord: "She conceived again, and when she
gave birth to a son she said, 'This time I will praise
the LORD.' So she named him Judah" (GEN 29:35).
c] Leah temporarily stopped bearing after her fourth son
(GEN 29:35).
2) Rachel was barren (GEN 30:1).
a] she blamed her husband (GEN 30:1).
b] she devised a plan to obtain children through her maid,
Bilhah (GEN 30:3-7).
i] she gave her maid to Jacob as a third wife so that
she could legally claim Bilhah's children as her own
(GEN 30:3,4).
ii] Bilhah conceived (GEN 30:4-7).
-- she bore a son, whom Rachel named Dan ["justice"]
(GEN 30:6).
GEN 30:6 "Then Rachel said, 'God has vindicated
me; he has listened to my plea and given me a
son'".
-- she bore another son, whom Rachel named Naphtali
["wrestling"] (GEN 30:7,8).
GEN 30:7,8 "Rachel's servant Bilhah conceived
again and bore Jacob a second son. Then Rachel
said, 'I have had a great struggle with my sister,
and I have won.'"
3) Leah's maid, Zilpah, bore children to Leah.
a] when it was apparent that Leah had stopped bearing she
gave her maid, Zilpah, to Jacob as a fourth wife to
obtain more children for herself (GEN 30:9-12).
b] Zilpah conceived (GEN 30:9-13).
i] she bore a son, whom Leah named Gad ["luck" or
"fortune"] (GEN 30:10,11).
GEN 30:10,11 "Leah's servant Zilpah bore Jacob a
son. Then Leah said, 'What good fortune!' So she
named him Gad."
ii] she bore another son, whom Leah named Asher ["happy"]
(GEN 30:12,13).
GEN 30:12,13 "Leah's servant Zilpah bore Jacob a
second son. Then Leah said, 'How happy I am! The
women will call me happy.' So she named him Asher."
4) Leah resumed bearing (GEN 30:17-21).
a] she bore her fifth son to Jacob, whom she named Issachar
["reward"] (GEN 30:17,18).
GEN 30:17,18 "God listened to Leah, and she became
pregnant and bore Jacob a fifth son. Then Leah said,
'God has rewarded me for giving my maidservant to my
husband.' So she named him Issachar."
b] she bore a sixth son, whom she named Zebulun
["dwelling"] (GEN 30:19,20).
GEN 30:19,20 "Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a
sixth son. Then Leah said, 'God has presented me with a
precious gift. This time my husband will treat me with
honor, because I have borne him six sons.' So she named
him Zebulun."
c] she bore a daughter named Dinah ["justice" or "one who
judges"] (GEN 30:21).
GEN 30:21 "Some time later she gave birth to a daughter
and named her Dinah."
i] Dinah "went out to visit the women of the land" of
Shechem, in Canaan (when she was 14 0r 15 yrs. old),
and was attacked and raped by a young man, Shechem,
the son of Hamor the prince of the land (GEN 34:1,2).
ii] two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, took revenge
for this act; they deceitfully agreed to let Dinah
marry Shechem if the whole city of Shechem was
circumcised- then when the men of Shechem were at the
height of their incapacitation from the operation,
they came and slew every male and looted the city of
everything valuable (GEN 34:13-29).
5) Rachel bore children
a] Rachel was enabled to conceive and bore a son, Joseph
[either "may the Lord add' or "He has taken away"]
(GEN 30:22-24).
GEN 30:22-24 "Then God remembered Rachel; he listened
to her and opened her womb. She became pregnant and gave
birth to a son and said, 'God has taken away my
disgrace.' She named him Joseph, and said, 'May the LORD
add to me another son.'"
*This son, Joseph, would become Israel's favorite
because he was Rachel's child (GEN 33:2, 37:3); and
Isaac would show his favoritism to the hurt of Joseph
and his brothers, much as Isaac had shown favoritism
toward Esau and Rebekah toward Jacob to the hurt of that
family.
b] she bore another son, Benjamin ["son of my right hand"]
as she was dying (GEN 35:16-19).
3. They Were Loyal To Jacob
a) they agreed to journey with Jacob leaving their father and
home in Haran behind (GEN 31:14-16).
1) they acknowledged that they were no longer loyal to their
father because he treated them like foreigners, and not
like relatives (GEN 31:15).
2) they stated that they were no longer loyal to Laban because
they had never received a portion of their dowries from him
and that he had, in fact, spent their shares (GEN 31:15).
3) they told Jacob were loyal to him and would support him in
his decisions, "whatever God has told you" (GEN 31:16).
b) Rachel tried to ensure a blessing on Jacob by stealing her
father's household idols and bringing them into their camp
(GEN 31:19).
1) teraphim, or household idols (small female fertility
figures), were thought to confer power and good luck to
their owners; i.e. guardian angels of a home.
2) teraphim were also commonly considered to be the sign of
the head of a household; possession of Laban's idols then
made Jacob the legal heir of Laban's wealth.
*This information came from "Manners and Customs of Bible
Lands" by Fred H. Wight, Moody Press (1953), pg.118.
*This reprehensible act, of course, did not ensure
protection or blessing because the idols were merely
worthless images; in fact, Jacob would later command that
all images be cast out his camp in order that they might
purify themselves and honor the true God, El-Shaddai, Who
had worked so powerfully for them (GEN 35:2,3).
c) they obediently remained separated in groups when Jacob met
Esau and showed the proper respect to Esau that the occasion
demanded (GEN 33:1-7).
GEN 33:1,2 "Jacob looked up and there was Esau, coming with
his four hundred men; so he divided the children among Leah,
Rachel and the two maidservants. He put the maidservants and
their children in front, Leah and her children next, and
Rachel and Joseph in the rear."
GEN 33:6,7 "Then the maidservants and their children
approached and bowed down [to Esau]. Next, Leah and her
children came and bowed down. Last of all came Joseph and
Rachel, and they too bowed down."
d) Leah assumed the care of Jacob and Rachel's children after her
death (implied by GEN 37:10).
*WHAT DID THEY ACCOMPLISH IN THEIR LIVES?
They were responsible for the formation of the twelve tribes
of Israel because they (and their maids at their direction)
gave birth to Jacob's twelve sons; the extended families of
these sons would grow into the tribes of Israel during the
sojourn in Egypt, would journey back to Canaan under Moses and
Joshua as a mighty army to redeem the land, and would occupy
it in fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham that,
"To your offspring I will give this land" (GEN 12:7).
C. What Can We Learn From Them?
1. A true love exists when the lovers are willing to wait to
experience sexual intimacy until the proper time, as Jacob was
willing to wait for Rachel.
2. God takes the weak, misguided and sinful efforts of people and
turns them into good things that accomplish His purposes (ROM
8:28), as He did with Leah and Rachel's efforts to build their
families.
3. God rewards those who serve Him to the best of their ability: He
rewarded the patient and steadfast devotion of Leah by making two
of the most important tribes of Israel come from her: Levi, the
priestly tribe, and Judah, the tribe from whom our Lord Jesus
descended.
4. God develops maturity in His followers gradually but surely;
Jacob and Rachel especially show how God worked His will in them
to give them faith, to make that faith grow, and to bring it to a
fullness that enabled them to trust Him without leaning on
anything or anyone else.
5. The ways of sin are easily learned: Jacob learned deception and
favoritism from Isaac and Rebekah; Rachel learned deception and
selfishness from Laban; Jacob's sons learned deception and envy
from Laban and Rachel- we must guard ourselves from learning
sinful ways by associating with godly people who will have a
purifying influence upon our lives (PRO 13:20) and by cleansing
ourselves from sin's influence through regular Bible study (EPH
5:26).
6. When we venture unprotected to places of wickedness, as Dinah
did, we place ourselves in grave danger spiritually and
physically because, "bad company corrupts good morals" (1CO
15:33) and "the wicked man craves evil; his neighbor gets no
mercy from him" (PRO 21:10).
III. What Fruits Of The Spirit Can We See In Them?
IV. Memory Verse: JER 29:11 "'For I know the plans I have for you,'
declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to
give you hope and a future.'"
Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "Kathy Capoccia's Sunday School Lessons for Young Adults" by:
Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
Box 119
Columbus, New Jersey, USA, 08022
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Email: tony@biblebb.com
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