Man in the Mirror
Opening Prayer
God, help me to be silent. Open yourself to You, and speak to me today.
Read Genesis 29:14b–30
[14] Then Laban said to him, “You are my own flesh and blood.” After Jacob had stayed with him for a whole month, [15] Laban said to him, “Just because you are a relative of mine, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be.” [16] Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. [17] Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel had a lovely figure and was beautiful. [18] Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, “I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.” [19] Laban said, “It’s better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me.” [20] So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her. [21] Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to make love to her.” [22] So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast. [23] But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob made love to her. [24] And Laban gave his servant Zilpah to his daughter as her attendant. [25] When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn’t I? Why have you deceived me?” [26] Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one. [27] Finish this daughter’s bridal week; then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work.” [28] And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. [29] Laban gave his servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her attendant. [30] Jacob made love to Rachel also, and his love for Rachel was greater than his love for Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years. Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
What is your response when you don’t get what you bargained for? It must have been quite a moment, waking up the morning after your wedding day and findingthe sister of the woman you thought you’d married lying next to you!It’s easy to feel sorry for Jacob. He is now married to a woman whom he doesn’t love. But it’s inthis moment that Jacob, the “deceiver,” discovers just what it feels like to be deceived. He isconfronted with the reality of his own selfishness.He had broken cultural customs to cheat his older brother of his father’s blessing (chap. 27) andhe had attempted to break cultural customs again. He would have known that in Bedouin cultureit was wrong to marry the younger sister before the older sister was married, yet he had noconcern as long as he got what he wanted.Sometimes in our lives God allows others to rub up against us so that we can see our rough edgesmore clearly. It’s very easy to see selfishness and deception in others but perhaps, just as Labanrevealed Jacob’s selfishness and deception, someone we encounter today might reveal ourfailings.It must have been quite a moment, waking up the morning after your wedding day and finding the sister of the woman you thought you’d married lying next to you!
It’s easy to feel sorry for Jacob. He is now married to a woman whom he doesn’t love. But it’s in this moment that Jacob, the “deceiver,” discovers just what it feels like to be deceived. He is confronted with the reality of his own selfishness.
He had broken cultural customs to cheat his older brother of his father’s blessing (chap. 27) and he had attempted to break cultural customs again. He would have known that in Bedouin culture it was wrong to marry the younger sister before the older sister was married, yet he had no concern as long as he got what he wanted.
Sometimes in our lives God allows others to rub up against us so that we can see our rough edges more clearly. It’s very easy to see selfishness and deception in others but perhaps, just as Laban revealed Jacob’s selfishness and deception, someone we encounter today might reveal our failings.
Apply
Are there times when you hurt others in an attempt to get your own way? Is there any reconciliation that needs to happen?
Closing prayer
“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psa. 51:10).
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