Jacob returned to the land his mother Rebekah came from, being also the land of his grandfather Abraham. As Jacob came near to the home of his mother’s family, he noticed a well that was used to water the sheep. The well was covered and protected by a large stone.
Jacob didn’t know where he was until he asked some of the locals. Jacob then discovered he was at his destination. Jacob knew to make contact with his Uncle Laban, the brother of his mother. The shepherds not only knew Laban, they also told Jacob that Laban’s daughter Rachel was approaching. It is interesting that Jacob told the shepherd boys to leave, possibly so he could speak more directly to Rachel.
Jacob also knew he had come to marry one of the daughters of Laban (Genesis 28:2), so he was more than willing to show kindness (and perhaps his strength) to Laban’s daughter Rachel. The shepherd boys waited for someone to remove the stone, and Jacob did it in the presence of Rachel.
Initially, Rachel must have been quite surprised when a man she never met before greeted her, kissed her, then cried out and wept. Jacob conveyed to Rachel that he was family (Rebekah was the sister to her father, Laban). Jacob stayed for a month with Laban. Laban showed this great hospitality, not only because of custom, and not only because Jacob was his nephew; Laban also knew that Jacob would inherit a significant fortune from his father Isaac.
Rachel was beautiful of form and appearance. Jacob was smitten by her and he had a love at first sight attachment to Rachel. The Bible describes Leah as her ‘eyes were delicate’. The word describing Leah’s eyes, “rakot,” can also be translated as tender, soft, or gentle. It is difficult to determine if Leah’s eyes are an impairment or a physical description. We also learn that Leah is “s’nuah”, unloved by Jacob–or literally, “hated.” However, we interpret these descriptors it is clear that Leah is a wounded soul.
After Jacob settled in Haran, Laban offered him payment for the work he had been doing as a shepherd looking after his flocks. Jacob offered to work for Laban for seven years in return for Laban’s daughter Rachel, whom he loved deeply. Even though Jacob waited and the time went quickly because of love, when the time was done, he was done waiting. He wanted to take Rachel as his wife. Laban responded by inviting guests and making a wedding feast.
Laban took Leah his daughter and brought her to Jacob. It was possible for Jacob to be fooled because of the wedding customs of the day. According to those customs, the wife was veiled until she was finally alone with her husband in the honeymoon suite. If it was dark by the time Jacob and his new bride were alone together it helps to explain how Jacob was fooled. The Bible does not state how Leah felt about this, we only know that she went in knowing Jacob was expecting Rachel. Also, Laban gave Zilpah as a handmaid to Leah. As we will later see, Jacob had children through her as well.
All were hurt by this. We can imagine how Jacob felt to be deceived, and how Leah felt for she knew that Jacob did not love her as a wife, and of course how poor Rachel felt looking forward to the day to be married. All this was because of Laban’s sin. Jacob, the supplanter (deceiver) has now been deceived.
Significantly, Laban’s deception towards Jacob was similar to the deception Jacob put upon his father Isaac and his brother Esau. Jacob exchanged the younger for the older, just as God had predicted, and Laban exchanged the older for the younger.
When Jacob deceived his father and cheated his brother, God did not change His plan to choose Jacob to receive the birthright. Instead, God took Jacob to the school of difficult experience to refine his character. This shows that our disobedience may not derail God’s plan for our life, but it will greatly affect how we end up experiencing it.
Through Laban’s deception, the fact is that God does ‘work all things together for good’ never excuses the evil things man does. Jacob was to discover that his Uncle Laban could be just as much a deceiver as he had been. Jacob wanted to know why Laban beguiled (deceived) him and reminded Laban that he worked seven years to pay the dowry. Laban gave the excuse that it was not the custom to give the younger before the older. The question then becomes, why did not Laban tell Jacob this upfront? The only reason Jacob accepted this clever trick from Laban was because he had no other option in order to have the one he loved.
Laban agreed to give Jacob Rachel as well, provided Jacob finish the wedding week with Leah before taking Rachel as a wife, and then work another seven years for him. Jacob agreed to this plan. While both women remained Jacob’s wives, Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah, a source of continued family strife. Also, Laban gave Bilhah as a handmaid to Rachel. As we will see, Jacob also have children through her.
The LORD saw Leah’s sadness and how she was loved less by Jacob and despised by her sister; he opened her womb while Rachel remained barren. Leah gave birth to Jacob’s firstborn son, Reuben meaning as a phrase ‘behold, a son’. This was her statement to Jacob and all others that the LORD had looked upon her affliction. It is important to note, that it would have been logical that Reuben would have been the one to inherit the promise God had made to Abraham and passed on to Isaac and then to Jacob. In fact, it would be through the fourth son, Judah.
Then came Simeon which means ‘the one who hears or hearing’. Leah hoped all would notice that the LORD had heard her. Apparently, the birth of Reuben did not turn the heart of Jacob towards Leah. She was still aware he did not love her.
A third son was born, Levi which means ‘being attached or feeling affection for’. Leah still lived in the hope her husband Jacob would love her and become attached to her through the birth of these sons.
A forth son was born, Judah which means ‘praise’. Apparently, Leah stopped naming her children to reflect the pain and longing in her heart. At this point, she focused on God and could praise Him.
Leah had a great purpose in God’s plan. The two greatest tribes came from Leah, not Rachel: Levi (the priestly tribe) and Judah (the royal tribe). And most importantly, the Messiah came from Leah, the less-loved sister who was neglected and despised but learned to look to the LORD and praise Him.
This is reminiscent of Hagar, how God came to her in her affliction, provided for her and Ishmael, and blessed her with a promise.