| Subject: Genesis 30 vss.7-21 Post 154 |
Author:
Hillbilly
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Date Posted: 20:26:04 07/31/11 Sun
Genesis 30:7-21 And Bilhah Rachel's maid conceived again, and bare Jacob a second son. 8 And Rachel said, With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called his name Naphtali. 9 When Leah saw that she had left bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife. 10 And Zilpah Leah's maid bare Jacob a son. 11 And Leah said, A troop cometh: and she called his name Gad. 12 And Zilpah Leah's maid bare Jacob a second son. 13 And Leah said, Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed: and she called his name Asher. 14 And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son's mandrakes. 15 And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy son's mandrakes. 16 And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have hired thee with my son's mandrakes. And he lay with her that night. 17 And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son. 18 And Leah said, God hath given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband: and she called his name Issachar. 19 And Leah conceived again, and bare Jacob the sixth son. 20 And Leah said, God hath endued me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have born him six sons: and she called his name Zebulun. 21 And afterwards she bare a daughter, and called her name Dinah.
Often, because a person reads of an action or lifestyle in the Bible, he or she believes it must have been okay with God. This is not necessarily so. Polygamy was tolerated but it was not God's plan nor will. Jesus spoke in the singular when talking of husband and wife: Matthew 19:4-6 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, 5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? 6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
Paul was not married but he spoke of his license to marry in the singular and spoke of the wives of other apostles in the singular. 1 Corinthians 9:5 Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? Among the qualification s of a bishop or deacon was the he was to only have one wife. 1 Timothy 3:2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; 1 Timothy 3:12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. Joseph Smith and Brigham Young may have taught and practiced polygamy but they did not get it from God.
In the previous study we came down to 5 sons for Jacob and a contest between Leah and Rachel. Leah is definitely in the front with 4 sons and Rachel 0. Rachel tries to help God and gives Jacob her handmaid bringing the number to 5 with Dan. Not long after a second son is born to Bilhah and is named Naphtali. Leah cries foul at Rachel using Bilhah as a surrogate and decides two can play that game. Zilpah enters the picture bringing Jacob's family to 4 wives and 6 sons.
Several years have passed since Jacob wed Leah and Rachel but we are not told how many. What we can see in the above scripture is that Reuben is old enough to wander in the fields and he finds some mandrakes. When Rachel finds out about the mandrakes she asks Leah for some but Leah balks: "thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son's mandrakes also?". One might wonder at the significance of mandrakes but mandrakes were thought to be a strong fertility fruit. Mandrakes are of the nightshade family and are toxic in more than small amounts. That Rachel would desire some of the mandrakes makes great sense as she longed for children of her own and would jump at anything that might make her fertile.
Leah evidently would not give the mandrakes up until Rachel offers her Jacob. This little item of information let's us know that Jacob was probably living in the same tent with Rachel and Leah was left with occasional visits. . "And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy son's mandrakes. 16 And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have hired thee with my son's mandrakes. And he lay with her that night." Evidently Leah's "tender eyes" were still not enough to entice Jacob for conjugal visits so Rachel "prostitutes" Jacob out to Leah for another "one night stand". This setup shows also the influence that Rachel had over Jacob.
Whether or not Leah ate some of the mandrakes herself we are not told but the result of that night's visit was Issachar.. Later one more son was born to her and was named Zebulun. She finished off the litter with Dinah and then she left off bearing. Six sons and 1 daughter was enough to turn Jacob's heart to Leah; or was it? True love is not based on how many sons and daughters can be birthed in a union. Jacob had always loved Rachel and he would never have the same feelings for Leah that he had for Rachel. Leah was thrust on him by deceit and I doubt Jacob could ever get that out of his mind. Jacob was probably very good to all his wives but Rachel lived in his heart.
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