Genesis Chapter 29 - Justice Is Served

When Jacob arrived in the land where his mother’s brother Laban lived, Laban’s daughter was one of the first persons Jacob met. Rachel was a shepherdess and had brought her father’s sheep to be watered at the well. Jacob’s initial act of kindness toward Rachel was to water the sheep for her. When Rachel found out that he was a relative she ran to tell her father. Laban went out to meet Jacob and invite him into his house.

It did not take any time before Jacob fell in love with Rachel, and he agreed to work for Laban for seven years to gain her as his wife. After seven years of labor, his wedding night came, but the next morning he found that he had been deceived. Instead of Rachel Laban had given him her older sister Leah. There was a custom in the land that Laban neglected to tell Jacob…the older daughter must be given in marriage first.

One might feel sorry for Jacob until it is remembered that Jacob himself had deceived others. Getting a dose of his own medicine was not pleasant. However, Laban would give him Rachel for his wife also if Jacob would work for Laban an additional seven years. Sounds like Jacob had met his match in his father-in-law, a man as crafty as he had been in working things out to his own good.

Justice is always served. It may not be immediate, and it may not come in the way we expect, but it does come. When we choose to do things ahead of God’s plan, and in our own way, we need to remember God is still ultimately in control. He will call us to an accounting, and we will pay the price.

Leah was not loved by her husband, but God looked on her misery and cared about her, and He gave her children. Rachel, however, was not able to have children. This did not change Jacob’s love for Rachel. After Leah gave birth to her fourth son, she decided to give praise to the Lord for her children instead of trying to continually win her husband’s favor.

When life seems unfair, we need to look around and count our blessings. We need to focus on what God has done for us rather than focusing on our disappointments. In all things we need to praise Him, and trust Him. Proverbs 3:6 reminds us, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. Jacob was beginning to learn this in his life. His name meant "he deceives", but as we continue on through Genesis, we will find that his name is changed to Israel, meaning "he struggles with God". He became a Godly man because he sought to honor his Creator in all that he did.