Deception, Daughters, Desire, and Design

Genesis 29:15-30 

15 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what should your wages be?” 16 Now Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 Leah's eyes were delicate, but Rachel was beautiful of form and appearance.  18 Now Jacob loved Rachel; so he said, “I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter.”  19 And Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to another man. Stay with me.” 20 So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed only a few days to him because of the love he had for her.  21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in to her.” 22 And Laban gathered together all the men of the place and made a feast. 23 Now it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter and brought her to Jacob; and he went in to her. 24 And Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a maid. 25 So it came to pass in the morning, that behold, it was Leah. And he said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served you? Why then have you deceived me?”  26 And Laban said, “It must not be done so in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. 27 Fulfill her week, and we will give you this one also for the service which you will serve with me still another seven years.”  28 Then Jacob did so and fulfilled her week. So he gave him his daughter Rachel as wife also. 29 And Laban gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as a maid. 30 Then Jacob also went in to Rachel, and he also loved Rachel more than Leah. And he served with Laban still another seven years.

Jacob’s uncle demanded him to work for his daughter Rachel due to his desire for that daughter he loved.  He chose the more beautiful of the two, and offered to work seven years for her as wife.  The years flew by as if days due to his love and desire for Rachel.  When the time came, then, he demanded her as his wife by their agreement, but Laban got him drunk and deceived Jacob by slipping the older (firstborn) into the wedding tent.  The deception turned to a demand for yet another seven years labor for the younger daughter he was originally promised.  When he took her as wife, Jacob loved Rachel the most still, yet still had to work off the demands of Laban for having her over the next seven years. The deception of Laban over his daughters played off Jacob’s desire for the one woman he loved, and led to having two wives which was never God’s intent, for it is written, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh (Genesis 2:24), and “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh (Ephesians 5:31).”  God clearly designed and intended one man and one wife, not multiple wives, to become one in flesh (marriage).  Anytime that design is altered, there is only trouble and its consequences to follow.