Bible Women: Rachel - Loved by her husband

Wife of Jacob, mother of Joseph and Benjamin,  sister of Leah,  daughter of Laban, Rachel is one of the most prominent women in the book of Genesis.

We first meet Rachel upon Jacob's arrival in Haran, where he has gone to search for his uncle Laban after being sent on this journey by his father Isaac.  (Genesis 28:1 "And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.  Arise, go to Padan-aram, to the house of Betheuel thy mother's father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother's brother.").  Upon arriving in Haran, Jacob saw a  well in the field, and 3 flocks of sheep lying by it, and so Jacob asked the keepers of  the sheep of what land they were and they told him Haran, and that is how Jacob discovers that he has reached the land of his uncle.  Jacob asked if they knew Laban, and they did, and at that moment, "Rachel came with her father's sheep: for she kept them.  And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban...that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother." (Genesis 29:9-10) and he kissed Rachel a kiss of greeting and wept..he must have been so glad that his journey was finally over.  And Rachel, hearing that Jacob was her cousin, ran to tell her father, upon which Laban came running, and Jacob was brought to their house.

After a month, Laban asked Jacob what he desired to be his wages for serving for him, and Jacob gives his answer.  "And Laban  had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.  Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and wellfavoured.  And Jacob loved Rachel; and said I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter." (Genesis 29:16-18)  And so Jacob worked seven years for Rachel and that "they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her." (Genesis 29:20)



And so the years are served, and Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go into unto her. And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast.  And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brother her to him (Jacob) and he went in unto her... and it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah:  and he said to Laban, what is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?" (Genesis 29:21-25)    Did Jacob know that the custom of the land was that the older daughter should marry first?  Did he desire Rachel knowing that it should have been Leah that married first?  Rachel must have known the custom of the land, surely she must have known that Leah should be married before her..did Laban tell Rachel that Leah would be given secretly to Jacob instead of her?  How must she have felt, knowing that the man she loved would be with another woman, and not only that but her sister?.  It must have been very, very painful for her.  But we are not told whether or not Jacob, Leah or Rachel knew these things.

 Laban replies to Jacob "It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.  Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.. And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he (Laban) gave him (Jacob) Rachel his daughter to wife also." (Genesis 29:26-28.) And so after a week, Jacob is given Rachel as his wife also, along with her handmaid Bilhah, but he must serve Laban another seven years..and scripture tells us "And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah,.....and when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren." (Genesis 29:30-31)

Rachel envies Leah very much when Leah has children while she does not and she said to Jacob "Give me children, or else I die." (Genesis 30:1) as if it were Jacob's choice to give or withhold. Jacob became angry at this and said "...Am I in God's stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?" (Genesis 30:2) It is not good to challenge the Lord who is in control. Psalm 127:3 "Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward." And so Rachel requests of Jacob "Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that  may also have children by her. And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife and Jacob went in unto her.  And Bilhah conceived and bare Jacob a son." Genesis 30:3,4.  And the child that Bilhah bears, Rachel claims as her own and names him Dan.  And then Bilhah bore another son, which Rachel named Naphtali.  Interestingly Rachel sees this as a competition between herself and Leah "With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I  have prevailed." (Genesis 30:8)   The giving of the handmaid is just as years before Sarah gave Hagar to Abraham to have children by her.  My mind cannot comprehend doing this, but I digress.

But finally,  "God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb.  And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach"  (Gen 30:22-23) and Rachel bore Joseph..the son whose life will be a type of the Lord Jesus Christ.  

Upon the birth of Joseph,  the first son of the woman Jacob loved, Jacob desires to leave Haran.   And so, at the time they are set to leave, Rachel and Leah desire an inheritance from their father, and as Jacob sets off with his wives and his family, it is soon discovered that "Rachel had stolen the images that were her father's" (Genesis 31:19) This was a very serious matter, and possession of the idols was aimed at preserving title to Laban's estate.  This was without the knowledge of her husband.   And when Laban came to look for the images, Rachel "had taken the images, and put them in the camel's furniture and sat upon them." and she lied to her father by telling him "...I cannot rise up before thee; for the custom of women is upon me."  And so Rachel has deceived her husband, and lied to her father."  (Genesis 34-35)

All in all Jacob was with Laban for twenty years when finally he leaves Haran.  As they approach Jacob's former home, he fears for the life of Rachel and Joseph and his other children..and so Rachel and Joseph are put at the very back of caravan, protecting them from Esau his brother, from whom Joseph had purchased his father's blessing for a bowl of "sod pottage" when Esau was hungry after going hunting and coming home empty handed. (Genesis 25:29-34)  But it is a warm welcome, Esau has forgiven Jacob and Rachel and Joseph bow down to Esau.

After this reunion, Jacob chooses to go a separate way from Esau, and he and his family settle in Shechem where there is a great tragedy involving Dinah, the daughter of Leah.  It is just after this that "..Jacob said to his household and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, .....and they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand..and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem."(Genesis 35:2-4) It was no doubt at this time that Jacob buried the images that Rachel had stolen from her father.

And so,  Jacob follows the leading of the Lord and goes to Bethel, but when they had only a little way to go, Rachel began labour with her second child.  "And they journeyed from Bethel and there was but a little way to come to Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labour.  And it came to pass, when she was in hard labour, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not; thou shalt have this son also.  And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin.  And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem." (Genesis 35:16-18)  This is a reminder of those words Rachel spoke to Jacob years before - "Give me children or else I die."  What a sadness that Rachel had no knowledge that it would indeed be in childbirth that her death would come.   And so Rachel was buried on the way to Bethlehem.  The question arises why Rachel was not buried in the cave of Machpelah with Abraham, Sarah, and Rebekah?  Leah was buried there later on.  Only the Lord knows.

vcg/October 2015