PSALM 33
TEHILLIM 33
1 Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east.
2 And he looked, and behold a well in the field, and, lo, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks: and a great stone was upon the well's mouth.
3 And thither were all the flocks gathered: and they rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again upon the well's mouth in his place.
4 And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence be ye? And they said, Of Haran are we.
5 And he said unto them, Know ye Laban the son of Nahor? And they said, We know him.
6 And he said unto them, Is he well? And they said, He is well: and, behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep.
7 And he said, Lo, it is yet high day, neither is it time that the cattle should be gathered together: water ye the sheep, and go and feed them.
8 And they said, We cannot, until all the flocks be gathered together, and till they roll the stone from the well's mouth; then we water the sheep.
9 And while he yet spake with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep; for she kept them.
10 And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother.
àJacob sees her coming down to the well with Laban's sheep, to water them, and leaps up and rolls the stone away, and waters the flock. This was an impressive gesture, and gives an insight into Jacob's character, warm, helpful, spontaneous, yet easily tripped by the more calculating, exploiting his weakness. *
*The Apocalyptic Messenger, Dec 2016
11 And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept.
12 And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's brother, and that he was Rebekah's son: and she ran and told her father.
13 And it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob his sister's son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things.
14 And Laban said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him the space of a month.
15 And Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? tell me, what shall thy wages be?
16 And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.
"Leah was tender-eyed (that is, we believe, gentle, patient, amiable)—but Rachel was beautiful and wellfavored"
(Gen. 29:17).
àLeah had the sadder life, but the nobler position in God's plan.
It is significant that, as he was about to die, Jacob commanded his sons to bury him in the cave of Macpelah, beside Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah—and Leah. Rachel is
not mentioned. She was not buried there. She died and was left along the way. It is significant, too, that it is the unloved Leah, and not the favourite Rachel, whom God selected for the line of the royal seed.
There is a patient sadness, and a deep reverence, in Leah's naming of her children—Reubeη—the Lord hath looked on my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me. Simeon—the Lord hath heard that I was hated. Levi—now this time will my husband be joined to me. But two years later, at the birth of the sixth and last son, it is still the same unfulfilled hope: Zebulun—
NOW will my husband dwell with me!
The enmity in the house of Jacob was carried down through the history of the nation, finally ending in the disruption of the kingdom. The first, faithless king was of the seed of Rachel.
Following Saul's rejection, God set the throne forever in Judah, of Leah.
Proud and wilful Ephraim, of Rachel, became the leader of the opposition, soon breaking away with nine other tribes to form a separate and Godless kingdom. Beth-el, the "House of
God," where Jacob at the beginning received the everlasting covenant and made his vow dedicating the nation to God—this same Beth-el became the center of Israel's idolatrous worship:
"Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone * (Hos. 4:17).
Ephraim had gone back to his mother's stolen idols. The immediate cause of Jacob taking Leah was Laban's deceit, but the real cause was the hand of God. Through Leah came the great prophet-leader Moses and priestly tribe of Levi; through her too came the greater Prophet than Moses and Judah's royal tribe.
Bro Growcott - A New Name
17 Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured.
à" Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised."—(Prov. xxxi. 30.)
This sort of woman is not appreciated by the Ishmaels and the Esaus : to the Jacobs she is all-important, and sometimes they are sent by curious twists of providence to the places where they are to be found.
Ways of Providence Ch 6
Paul, writing to the Galatians, hinges a doctrinal argument on the figurative meaning of the relationship between Sarah and Hagar. He says:
"These are the two covenants: Hagar is Mt. Sinai -- in bondage with her children."
When we study the relationship of Leah and Rachel, we have the same picture: Rachel the old Mosaic economy -- Leah the new; Rachel the flesh -- Leah the spirit. By the decision of her father, Leah was the first and the true wife. Paul carefully points out how the Law of Moses (Rachel), to which the natural Jew leaned with such affection, was secondary to, and later than, the original Abrahamic covenant of the Christ-seed.
Leah was "tender-eyed" -- the word means soft and gentle -- but Rachel was beautiful. Jacob preferred Rachel because of outward appearances, just as the Jew loved the outward forms of the Law, but God -- who looks upon the heart -- ordained that both the priesthood and the throne should come through the line of the unwanted Leah.
But still Rachel has her appointed part to play. As the figure of natural Israel, it is she who gives birth to Joseph, the favourite and faithful son of his father, and the most striking type in all Scripture of the rejected Saviour.
Bro Growcott - Not Ashamed to be called their God
18 And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee 7 years for Rachel thy younger daughter.
19 And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with me.
àThe marriage of cousins is only objectionable on the score of probable effects on offspring; and these effects are likely to be escaped when the cousins are of different temperaments. There is nothing in the law of Moses against it. Besides, we are not under the law but under grace. In your country, there is nothing in human law against it. Therefore you have only to consider the physiological bearings of matters.
The Christadelphian, Jan 1898
20 And Jacob served 7 years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.
21 And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her.
22 And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast.
23 And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her.
24 And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid for an handmaid.
25 And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?
Here was Jacob's artfulness, heel grabbing tendencies, rebounding on him.*
26 And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.
27 Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet 7 other years.
28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.
29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.
30 And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet 7 other years.
31 And when the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.
31 And when Hashem saw that Leah was hated, He opened her womb but Rachel was barren.
32 And Leah conceived, and bore a ben, and she called shmo Reuven: for she said, Surely Hashem hath looked upon my misery; now therefore my ish will love me.
33 And she conceived again, and bore ben; and said, Because Hashem hath heard I was hated, He hath therefore given me this also; and she called shmo Shimon.
34 And she conceived again, and bore ben; and said, Now this time will my ish yillaveh (become attached) unto me, because I have born him shloshah banim: therefore was shmo called Levi.
35 And she conceived again, and bore ben; and she said, Now will odeh (I praise) Hashem; therefore she called shmo Yehudah; and stopped giving birth.
32 And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the Lord hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me.
33 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the Lord hath heard I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon.
34 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi.
35 And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the Lord: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing.