Read Genesis
29-30 & Matthew
10v1-23
To discover:
As you read note the different ways God seems to rectify
injustice.
To ponder:
The space given to these events reflects the importance of
the family. The heads of the twelve tribes of Israel
are born. Yet as the deceiver is deceived (v25), God seems to be righting
wrongs.
The search
for a wife echoes the search for a wife for Isaac. However, Jacob doesn’t
display the godly prayerfulness that Abraham’s servant did. Nor are things as
smooth. God leads him to his relatives. But whereas Jacob wants Rachel, he must
first marry Leah. With irony, the one who swindled a place above his older
brother is conned into first marrying the older sister before the younger. And
again, the one who bought his birthright with a stew finds his wives bartering
for him with mandrakes!
The practice
of having children for one wife by marrying her servant was a common cultural
practice (remember Hagar). But because a culture may consider something
acceptable, it doesn’t make it so. God tolerates polygamy in the Old Testament.
He doesn’t condone it. In Genesis 2v24 we see his intent was for men to have
one wife. And polygamy is almost always portrayed as ending in family strife.
Here we see favouritism from the husband, and envy, rivalry and boasting
between Leah and Rachel. Reflecting God’s concern for justice, he blesses the
unloved sister with the many children, only “remembering” Rebecca when the
scales between the two sisters seem a little more in balance. Something of
Christ’s own concern for the outcast is revealed here.
We hear again
and again that each son is from God. He is building the nation he promised
Abraham. And he is providing for that nation-family too. The competition
between Jacob and Laban over the flocks seems bizarre. Both seek to swindle the
other: Laban by removing the speckled animals he promised as wages to Jacob; Jacob
by breeding more from the strongest. Throughout God oversees it in a way that
brings the blessing he pledged (30v27, 30, 43).
Praying it home:
Praise God that he is concerned for the unloved and lifts up
the lowly. Pray for harmony in your marriage or those of your wider family.
Pray also that the church would uphold what God deems right, and not define
right and wrong by the conventions of our culture.
Thinking further:
We do not see polygamy in our culture. But what we might
call serial monogamy would seem to be the norm. By having to marry the servants
Jacob was at least forced to be responsible for them - committing to care and
provide for them and any children that were born. We are right to object to
polygamy. But the challenge is to be as serious in how we view today’s practice
of having multiple sexual relationships, causing immense hurt to those rejected
along the way, and often leaving children with an absent parent.
If you receive this post by email, visit bible2014.blogspot.co.uk and make a
comment.
0 comments:
Post a Comment