Words in italic type have been added for clarity. They are not found in the original Hebrew or Aramaic.

Jacob Meets Rachel

Genesis 29:¹ So Jacob went on his journey and came to the land of the people of the East. ² And he looked, and saw a well in the field; and behold, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks. A large stone was on the well’s mouth. ³ Now all the flocks would be gathered there; and they would roll the stone from the well’s mouth, water the sheep, and put the stone back in its place on the well’s mouth.

Genesis 29:⁴ And Jacob said to them, “My brethren (relatives), where are you from?”

And they said, “We are from Haran.”

Genesis 29:⁵ Then he said to them, “Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?”

And they said, “We know him.”

Genesis 29:⁶ So he said to them, “Is he well?”

And they said, “He is well. And look, his daughter Rachel is coming with the sheep.”

Genesis 29:⁷ Then he said, “Look, it is still high day (noon-ish); it is not time for the cattle to be gathered together. Water the sheep, and go and feed them.”

Genesis 29:⁸ But they said, “We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together, and they have rolled the stone from the well’s mouth; then we water the sheep.”

• Poetic and prophetic of Jesus’ resurrection when He announced He was the Living Water. Not until the tombstone was rolled away could His followers, the sheep, be watered by the Shepherd.

Genesis 29:⁹ Now while he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess (and her name means “Ewe”). ¹⁰ And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother (Jacob’s cousin), 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. ¹¹ Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice and wept. ¹² And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s relative and that he was Rebekah’s son. So she ran and told her father.

Genesis 29:¹³ Then it came to pass, when Laban heard the report about Jacob his sister’s son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him and kissed him, and brought him to his house. So he told Laban all these things. ¹⁴ And Laban said to him, “Surely you are my bone and my flesh.” And he stayed with him for a month.

Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel

Genesis 29:¹⁵ 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.

Genesis 29:¹⁸ Now Jacob loved Rachel; so he said, “I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter.”

Genesis 29:¹⁹ 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.

Genesis 29:²¹ 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?”

Genesis 29:²⁶ And Laban said, “It must not be done so in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. ²⁷ Fulfill her week (A Wedding Week! 7 days!)(after working for Rachel for seven years), and we will give you this one also for the service which you will serve with me still another seven years.”

Throughout scripture, Jesus is in the middle, from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21, which is the first verse of the first chapter of the first book of the Bible to the last verse of the last chapter of the last book.

See Topic: Jesus in the Middle

• Jacob is caught in the middle of Laban’s deceit, just as Jesus was caught in the middle of the Priests and Pharisees’ plot to kill Him. Jesus was in the temple for three days under their collusion to find something with which to convict Him. Then He was crucified on the same day they killed the Passover lamb. Finally, He was in Sheol for three days. All of which adds to “Seven-Days” that Jesus was in affliction.
• When scripture mentions Seven Days of Affliction, I think of two Biblical Subjects: 1) Daniel’s 70th “week”, and 2) Jesus’ Seven Days of Affliction during His “Crucifixion Week”
  
• Leah’s Wedding “Week”, Jesus’ Crucifixion “Week”, and Daniel’s 70th “Week” all point to the Seven-Year Tribulation.
• Rachel had to be in agony to watch a Wedding Feast that belonged to her, be given to her older sister, Leah. As concerning Rachel being a representation of the Jews (See: Genesis chapter 29 {3 of 6}), she would be compared to experiencing Daniel’s 70th “week” (The Seven-Year Tribulation). A time of affliction for the Jews while her sister, Leah, representing the Gentile believers, is experiencing a Wedding Week in heaven as the “Bride of Christ”, only to return to earth for a second consummated Wedding, with God’s Old Testament espoused wife. (The marriage contract/covenant had been made on Mount Sinai with Moses after leaving Egypt).
• God has two agendas, one for the Jews and one for the Gentiles. During the millennium, God will complete all His promises to Abraham. At that time, the Jews will serve Jesus in the New Jerusalem as representatives of God on earth:
  Zechariah 8:23 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.” ’ ”
• Note: unlike Rachel and Leah, God loves both His wives equally. However, the Jews were His “chosen” people to spread His name to the Gentiles. Later in the story, Rachel will steal her father’s, Laban’s, idol. In that sense, like the Jews, she commits harlotry as God’s Jewish wife. Rachel also dies after giving birth to only two sons, as the fruit of her womb. In comparison, Leah provides Jacob with six sons. If one includes the handmaids from each, eight sons represent the fruit of the Gentiles, six from Leah and two from Rachel’s handmaid Bilhah, while four sons represent the fruit of the Jews, two from Rachel and two from Leah’s handmaid Zilpah.

Genesis 29:²⁸ Then Jacob did so and fulfilled her week. So he (Laban) gave him (Jacob) his daughter Rachel as wife also. (IMMEDIATELY! Even though Jacob had to commit to working another seven years) 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.

The Children of Jacob

Genesis 29:³¹ When the Lord (yᵊhōvâ) saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. ³² So Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben; for she said, “The Lord (yᵊhōvâ) has surely looked on my affliction. Now therefore, my husband will love me.” ³³ Then she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Because the Lord (yᵊhōvâ) has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also.” And she called his name Simeon. ³⁴ She conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore his name was called Levi. ³⁵ And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now I will praise the Lord (yᵊhōvâ).” Therefore she called his name Judah. Then she stopped bearing.

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• Judah is the genealogical lineage of Jesus. “The Lion of Judah”.

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