†. Gen 29:17b-18a . . Rachel was shapely and beautiful. Jacob loved
Rachel;
Duh. Why does that not surprise us? You know, Jacob was fortunate about
something. In those days, a man didn't have to win a woman's heart. He
had to win her custodian's heart. So men could pick out a girl like they
might pick out a shirt or a new car. All it took was money. Neither the men's
own looks nor their own personality mattered. So a girl could easily get
stuck with a man who was ugly, boring, gross, mean, stingy, smelly, and too
old. I don't have a clue what Jacob looked like at seventy-five. But there is
something very missing in this story-- Rachel's love for Jacob. The man was
ga-ga over her. But how did she really feel about him?
†. Gen 29:18b-19 . . so he answered; I will serve you seven years for
your younger daughter Rachel. Laban said; Better that I give her to
you than that I should give her to an outsider. Stay with me.
Done! And just like that; a girl became engaged. Jacob traded seven years
of his life for Rachel. If he worked a standard forty-hour week, his total
man-hours to purchase Rachel would add up to 14,560. The last I looked,
the Federal minimum wage was $7.25 an hour, so he would have paid Laban
the U.S. equivalent of $105,560 in today's money. (currently 82,109 Euro)
But it wasn't really about money, and they actually dickered over wages
later. What Jacob actually proposed was a service commitment; like the
contracts musicians sign with recording companies; and professional athletes
sign with big league teams like the Blazers or the Mets. So Jacob didn't
really buy Rachel with money. She was more like a bonus for signing up as a
full-time employee with Laban. And the seven years weren't Laban's idea.
They were Jacob's; and I think he made it so many years because he wanted
to offer Laban a deal so lucrative that he couldn't possibly refuse it.
†. Gen 29:20 . . So Jacob served seven years for Rachel and they
seemed to him but a few days because of his love for her.
It's a proven fact that men will sell their souls to satisfy their carnal lust. But
I'm sure there was more to Rachel than just her looks. After seven years
living in such close proximity, Jacob still wanted her. If she had been witchy,
thin skinned, defensive, obtuse, chafing and demeaning, I'm pretty sure he
would have lost interest by then. I say "pretty sure" because there are some
men who will live with a witch in spite of the abuse they endure just so's
they can have the woman of their dreams.
But you know what's sad about all this? Rachel lost seven of the best years
of her youth waiting to begin a family of her own with Jacob. To put seven
years of your life in perspective: it amounts to 2,556 irretrievable sunrises
that you'll never see again-- they're gone. Nobody is immune to the aging
process; least of all the young. We are all allotted only so many years to do
the things that young people do; and after that, life becomes a long,
relentless middle-age crisis.
†. Gen 29:21 . .Then Jacob said to Laban; Give me my wife, for my
time is fulfilled, that I may cohabit with her.
The word "cohabit" is not actually in the Hebrew. It should read "go near".
What Jacob said, in the common colloquialism of our day, is what men
sometimes say when they want to sleep with a particular girl. They
sometimes say: Wow! I'd sure like to get next to that! (chuckle) Very
expressive.
†. Gen 29:22-23 . . And Laban gathered all the people of the place
and made a feast. When evening came, he took his daughter Leah
and brought her to him; and he cohabited with her.
Jacob has got to rank as just about the dumbest groom in history. He knew
both of those girls like the back of his hand. For seven years he lived right
next door and saw them both every day. Leah and Rachel didn't even
resemble each other. The one was shapely and beautiful. The other was not.
Even if he couldn't see well enough in the dark to tell the difference, he
certainly should have been able to feel the difference; and to recognize the
difference in their voices. Was that man so totally plastered with booze from
the reception that he couldn't even tell who, or what, he slept with that
night? Haw-Haw-Haw-Haw-Haw :-)
But the real mystery was Leah. Wouldn't you think that she would have
spoke up and said something before things got out of hand? That sly girl.
(chuckle) Personally I think she had a big crush on Jacob. Later on Leah will
try very hard to get Jacob to transfer his affections to her and forget about
Rachel.
This so reminds me of Sadie Hawkins' day in the Little Abner comics of the
old days. In the town of Dog Patch, men didn't grow on trees; there just
wasn't enough to go around; and on top of that, some of the hillbilly girls
weren't much to look at either. Subsequently, some of the local gals had a
tough time getting husbands. So, in memorial of an old spinster lady named
Sadie Hawkins, a special day was set aside each year wherein the
bachelorettes had a chance to get hitched. All they had to do was run down
one of the unattached men; and whoever they caught, absolutely had to
marry them-- no exchanges, no returns, no excuses, and no exceptions.
But hey! Where was Rachel!?! Was she tied up out in the barn or something?
Well; I hate to say it, but I really don't think she ever did want to marry Mr.
Jacob. He was at least 82 years old by this time. Abraham and Sarah were
only ten years apart but it's really impossible to know Rachel's age. She
hadn't been through menopause yet, that much can be known; but that's
about all. I really think she was in on the whole scam all along and I think
Rachel was seriously hoping Jacob would settle for Leah and forget all about
her. But alas; such was not to happen. Jacob was very determined. He
accepted his fate with Leah, but went after Rachel anyway. Today, Moses'
Law (Lev 18:18) protects sisters like Rachel and Leah so that men are not
permitted to cohabit with both girls at the same time.
Cont.
/
Rachel;
Duh. Why does that not surprise us? You know, Jacob was fortunate about
something. In those days, a man didn't have to win a woman's heart. He
had to win her custodian's heart. So men could pick out a girl like they
might pick out a shirt or a new car. All it took was money. Neither the men's
own looks nor their own personality mattered. So a girl could easily get
stuck with a man who was ugly, boring, gross, mean, stingy, smelly, and too
old. I don't have a clue what Jacob looked like at seventy-five. But there is
something very missing in this story-- Rachel's love for Jacob. The man was
ga-ga over her. But how did she really feel about him?
†. Gen 29:18b-19 . . so he answered; I will serve you seven years for
your younger daughter Rachel. Laban said; Better that I give her to
you than that I should give her to an outsider. Stay with me.
Done! And just like that; a girl became engaged. Jacob traded seven years
of his life for Rachel. If he worked a standard forty-hour week, his total
man-hours to purchase Rachel would add up to 14,560. The last I looked,
the Federal minimum wage was $7.25 an hour, so he would have paid Laban
the U.S. equivalent of $105,560 in today's money. (currently 82,109 Euro)
But it wasn't really about money, and they actually dickered over wages
later. What Jacob actually proposed was a service commitment; like the
contracts musicians sign with recording companies; and professional athletes
sign with big league teams like the Blazers or the Mets. So Jacob didn't
really buy Rachel with money. She was more like a bonus for signing up as a
full-time employee with Laban. And the seven years weren't Laban's idea.
They were Jacob's; and I think he made it so many years because he wanted
to offer Laban a deal so lucrative that he couldn't possibly refuse it.
†. Gen 29:20 . . So Jacob served seven years for Rachel and they
seemed to him but a few days because of his love for her.
It's a proven fact that men will sell their souls to satisfy their carnal lust. But
I'm sure there was more to Rachel than just her looks. After seven years
living in such close proximity, Jacob still wanted her. If she had been witchy,
thin skinned, defensive, obtuse, chafing and demeaning, I'm pretty sure he
would have lost interest by then. I say "pretty sure" because there are some
men who will live with a witch in spite of the abuse they endure just so's
they can have the woman of their dreams.
But you know what's sad about all this? Rachel lost seven of the best years
of her youth waiting to begin a family of her own with Jacob. To put seven
years of your life in perspective: it amounts to 2,556 irretrievable sunrises
that you'll never see again-- they're gone. Nobody is immune to the aging
process; least of all the young. We are all allotted only so many years to do
the things that young people do; and after that, life becomes a long,
relentless middle-age crisis.
†. Gen 29:21 . .Then Jacob said to Laban; Give me my wife, for my
time is fulfilled, that I may cohabit with her.
The word "cohabit" is not actually in the Hebrew. It should read "go near".
What Jacob said, in the common colloquialism of our day, is what men
sometimes say when they want to sleep with a particular girl. They
sometimes say: Wow! I'd sure like to get next to that! (chuckle) Very
expressive.
†. Gen 29:22-23 . . And Laban gathered all the people of the place
and made a feast. When evening came, he took his daughter Leah
and brought her to him; and he cohabited with her.
Jacob has got to rank as just about the dumbest groom in history. He knew
both of those girls like the back of his hand. For seven years he lived right
next door and saw them both every day. Leah and Rachel didn't even
resemble each other. The one was shapely and beautiful. The other was not.
Even if he couldn't see well enough in the dark to tell the difference, he
certainly should have been able to feel the difference; and to recognize the
difference in their voices. Was that man so totally plastered with booze from
the reception that he couldn't even tell who, or what, he slept with that
night? Haw-Haw-Haw-Haw-Haw :-)
But the real mystery was Leah. Wouldn't you think that she would have
spoke up and said something before things got out of hand? That sly girl.
(chuckle) Personally I think she had a big crush on Jacob. Later on Leah will
try very hard to get Jacob to transfer his affections to her and forget about
Rachel.
This so reminds me of Sadie Hawkins' day in the Little Abner comics of the
old days. In the town of Dog Patch, men didn't grow on trees; there just
wasn't enough to go around; and on top of that, some of the hillbilly girls
weren't much to look at either. Subsequently, some of the local gals had a
tough time getting husbands. So, in memorial of an old spinster lady named
Sadie Hawkins, a special day was set aside each year wherein the
bachelorettes had a chance to get hitched. All they had to do was run down
one of the unattached men; and whoever they caught, absolutely had to
marry them-- no exchanges, no returns, no excuses, and no exceptions.
But hey! Where was Rachel!?! Was she tied up out in the barn or something?
Well; I hate to say it, but I really don't think she ever did want to marry Mr.
Jacob. He was at least 82 years old by this time. Abraham and Sarah were
only ten years apart but it's really impossible to know Rachel's age. She
hadn't been through menopause yet, that much can be known; but that's
about all. I really think she was in on the whole scam all along and I think
Rachel was seriously hoping Jacob would settle for Leah and forget all about
her. But alas; such was not to happen. Jacob was very determined. He
accepted his fate with Leah, but went after Rachel anyway. Today, Moses'
Law (Lev 18:18) protects sisters like Rachel and Leah so that men are not
permitted to cohabit with both girls at the same time.
Cont.
/
