Comeuppance at Dawn
Genesis 29:15-28 The Message (MSG)
14-15 Laban said, "You're family! My flesh and blood!"
When Jacob had been with him for a month, Laban said, "Just because you're my nephew, you shouldn't work for me for nothing. Tell me what you want to be paid. What's a fair wage?"
16-18 Now Laban had two daughters; Leah was the older and Rachel the younger. Leah had nice eyes, but Rachel was stunningly beautiful. And it was Rachel that Jacob loved.
So Jacob answered, "I will work for you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel."
19 "It is far better," said Laban, "that I give her to you than marry her to some outsider. Yes. Stay here with me."
20 So Jacob worked seven years for Rachel. But it only seemed like a few days, he loved her so much.
21-24 Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife; I've completed what we agreed I'd do. I'm ready to consummate my marriage." Laban invited everyone around and threw a big feast. At evening, though, he got his daughter Leah and brought her to the marriage bed, and Jacob slept with her. (Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her maid.)
25 Morning came: There was Leah in the marriage bed!
Jacob confronted Laban, "What have you done to me? Didn't I work all this time for the hand of Rachel? Why did you cheat me?"26-27
"We don't do it that way in our country," said Laban. "We don't marry off the younger daughter before the older. Enjoy your week of honeymoon, and then we'll give you the other one also. But it will cost you another seven years of work."
28-30 Jacob agreed. When he'd completed the honeymoon week, Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. (Laban gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maid.) Jacob then slept with her. And he loved Rachel more than Leah. He worked for Laban another seven years.
This is our Old Testament story for Sunday. Jacob has left the household of his father Isaac, escaping the wrath of his twin brother Esau. He has made his way to the family home country of Haran, to the home of Laban, his mother’s brother. Not wanting Jacob to marry trashy Canaanite women as Esau has done, Isaac told him to marry a daughter of Laban. Indeed, marrying within the extended family was a custom. On his mother Rebekah’s side, Jacob and the daughters of Laban are first cousins. On his father Isaac’s side, Jacob and Laban’s daughters were (subject to correction) first cousins twice removed.
Jacob is married to a daughter of Laban alright. The wrong one. Hearing the story sixty-five or seventy years ago in Sunday school, we were outraged. Our sympathy was with Jacob the Hero. He has been tricked into marrying the other girl by his own uncle, his mother’s brother. Laban has cheated his own nephew and we are appalled.
Oh? Oh, really?
Laban has looked lovingly after his first daughter.
And here is Jacob, the Scoundrel of the Old Testament, who twice cheated his twin brother Esau, who lied to and cheated his father Isaac, who now is on the lam to escape Esau’s vengeance. Any sympathy for Jacob is misplaced. Justice is done: at long last, Jacob has his comeuppance. He has enjoyed a blissful wedding night in a dark tent with the gorgeous love of his life. Only to discover at first light of day, that he has deflowered the ugly one. In fact, he has probably already begat Reuben.
Jacob has been cheated?? Self-righteous, he is outraged??!!
Generations later, making their way across the wilderness with Moses, this old story is told around the campfire again and again. And the Children of Israel roll in gales of laughter. It’s their favorite story. And it’s All in the Family.
Tom+