This week in WBS Janet’s
lesson was on Rachel. Many of us are
familiar with Rachel but Janet gave us a perspective that was something we
might not have considered before. It was both thought provoking and
encouraging. Because there is so much to
Rachel’s story I don’t have room to cover the complete account. Please read Genesis 29 through 31 for all of the
details.
Rachel’s life story is
intertwined with that of Jacob, grandson of Abraham. You might remember that
Jacob was forced to leave his home after deceiving both his father Isaac and
his brother Esau. Isaac tells Jacob to flee to the home of his mother Rebekah’s
family in Haran. Through a God-appointed
series of events Jacob finds himself in the home of his uncle, Laban, brother
of Rebekah. There he meets Rachel. “Jacob was in love with Rachel and said,
"I'll work for you (Laban) seven
years in return for your younger daughter Rachel. So Jacob served seven years
to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love
for her” (Gen. 29:18, 20 emphasis mine).
In the course of events,
Jacob is deceived by Laban into marrying Leah, Rachel’s older sister. Jacob agrees to work an additional seven years
in order to acquire Rachel as a wife, in addition to Leah. It goes without saying that this situation
was not God’s best for any of those involved.
Rachel had the heart of her husband yet was initially unable to bear him
children while Leah was exceeding fruitful.
Their home was not a place of peace and unity.
Reading through her
life, some negative character traits of Rachel emerge. She was a bitter woman because of her barrenness.
She was a schemer. She was also a jealous woman and used her children as
weapons against her sister Leah. Despite all that scripture tells us about
Rachel, Jacob was willing to work 14 years for this woman. Janet asked the question…’was Rachel really a
woman worth working for??’.
Janet pointed out that
God always has a greater plan for our lives.
Rachel was a part of the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham. “Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and
Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: 'I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars
in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be
their inheritance forever” (Ex. 32:13). The Lord used Rachel’s son Joseph
to rescue the nation of Egypt from famine as well as preserving the lives of
his father, brothers and all their families. A further testimony of Rachel’s worth in the
eyes of the Lord is found in the blessing from the Book of Ruth: “May the
LORD make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who
together built up the house of Israel” (Ruth 4:11b).
Janet concluded her
lesson by encouraging us that God not only sees who we are but He sees whose
we are.
We are His!! He knows the plan He has for our lives. Just as Rachel was precious in God’s eyes, He
knows our heart and sees our faults. He
loves us and wants the best for us, in spite of what we’ve done. God worked on
our behalf by sending His Son, Jesus, to suffer and die for our sins. And through Jesus’ death and resurrection,
God is still working on our behalf. Yes!! Rachel was a woman worth working for
and so are we!!
“I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, I have continued
to extend faithful love to you” (Jer. 31:3b, HCB)
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