Good Morning.
Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in to her.” And Laban gathered together all the men of the place and made a feast. 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. (Genesis 29:21-23)
Just as Jacob had been compelled to deceive his father into believing that he was his brother, no doubt, Leah was compelled to deceive Jacob into believing that she was her sister. Furthermore, it is puzzling as to why Jacob wasn’t able to detect that the woman he shared the tent with wasn’t Rachel. Was this, perhaps, some type of retribution for the deceit he was forced into?
Considering that, years before, God had visited Jacob in a dream and had spoken very specific promises to him, it is interesting that God took no steps to warn Jacob of this deceit. Might it be that the union between Jacob and Leah was supposed to happen? Was this part of God’s plan or was it that God stepped back to see how Jacob would respond to the inconvenient situation?
I’m not of the opinion that God sets traps for us but it is obvious that He sometimes allows things to touch our lives that, if we trust Him and respond correctly, will help shape and mold us into what He wishes us to be. Like Jacob, we sometimes have to endure situations that seemingly disrupt everything we know that God has promised. If we are faithful to endure, in the end, what seemed at the time to have been a tragedy might turn out to be a great blessing.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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