Sunday 29 November, 2015

30 Rachel saw that she wasn’t having any children by Jacob. So she became jealous of her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!” 2 Jacob became angry with her. He said, “Do you think I’m God? He’s the one who has kept you from having children.” 3 Then she said, “Here’s my servant Bilhah. Sleep with her so that she can have children for me. Then I too can have a family through her.” 4 So Rachel gave Jacob her servant Bilhah as a wife. Jacob slept with her. 5 And Bilhah became pregnant. She had a son by him. 6 Then Rachel said, “God has stood up for my rights. He has listened to my prayer and given me a son.” So she named him Dan. 7 Rachel’s servant Bilhah became pregnant again. She had a second son by Jacob. 8 Then Rachel said, “I’ve had a great struggle with my sister. Now I’ve won.” So she named him Naphtali. 9 Leah saw that she had stopped having children. So she gave her servant Zilpah to Jacob as a wife. 10 Leah’s servant Zilpah had a son by Jacob. 11 Then Leah said, “What good fortune!” So she named him Gad. 12 Leah’s servant Zilpah had a second son by Jacob. 13 Then Leah said, “I’m so happy! The women will call me happy.” So she named him Asher.

This seems to be a classic rivalry of sisters Rachel & Leah, wives of Jacob, as to which one is better. Rachel unable to have children, gives her maid Bilhah to Jacob to see if she can appropriate a family that way.  This seems to work well. Leah then thinks she’ll do the same. Jacob has 4 more sons from these arrangements.

I feel like we have read this story before (see Abraham & Sarah Gen 16). To us today this seems a bit messed up or perhaps something we’d see on an American talk show, but in that time & culture this method of making a family, and finding value as a woman, was acceptable & normal.

What hasn’t changed are the emotional responses of the women, the desire to have a family, jealousy, need of love & acceptance by their husband & acceptance by peers.  These are all powerful emotions & feelings, along with the need to be valued.

Cultures today aren’t all that different, where the value of a woman is gained through marriage and bearing children, especially boys.  As a single woman who has not had children I am so thankful that my value isn’t determined in this way.  Even more importantly, I am eternally thankful that my value as a person is found completely in and through Jesus.

Father thank you that you value me, not by what I do, or what I can produce, but I am valued through my relationship with your Son, Jesus.

Written by Suzie Hodgson