In this episode we continue studying the book of Genesis. In this episode Jacob falls in love with Rachel. Yet he is tricked into marrying her sister, Leah.

Jacob had followed his mother’s instructions and deceived his father, taking the blessing from the one his father loved, now Leah followed her father’s instructions and deceived Jacob, he was tricked into marrying Leah instead of Rachel, the one he loved.

Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah and God saw it, he noticed the preferential treatment Rachel received so he opened Leah’s womb, giving her the ability to have children, while Rachel’s womb remained closed. So perhaps not only was Jacob treating Leah unfairly but Rachel’s attitude toward her sister was not as it should have been.

Leah conceived and had her first son.

Leah thought Jacob would love her since she had his baby. But he didn’t. Having a man’s child will not make him love you. A man will love who he loves. Rachel didn’t do anything to get or earn Jacob’s love, he just loved her.

And he loved Rachel because she was beautiful but he continued sleeping with Leah. So Rachels beauty did not cause him to be intimate with her alone. So being pretty or attractive doesn’t mean anything, when it comes to a man’s faithfulness. Proverbs chapter 27 verse 20 says, the eyes of a man are never satisfied.

In this chapter, through Leah, God begins to bless Jacob with the first four children who would be the founding fathers of the 12 tribes of Israel. Jacob will have 12 sons, who would grow in number, and by the time his descendants leave Egypt there will be over 600,00 men, in addition to the women and children, which came to around a million people.

Because of the number of people leaving the land, God gave them laws and statutes to serve as guides or rules of behavior so they could have peace and order in their homes.

He gave them many laws, laws that would teach them how to treat each, enabling justice and fairness to exist for all.

Later in the New Testament, all the rules and laws were summed up in one commandment and that was to love one another.

If we love God with all our heart, soul and mind, we will be willing to love others according to the biblical model.

All of the commandments, all of the dos and do nots are based on love, they are all based on God wanting us to treat each other right, he doesn’t want us to harm each other.

Paul explains it in Romans chapter 13 starting at verse 8, telling us if we love our spouse we won’t commit adultery, if we love our neighbor we won’t steal from them, if we love our neighbor we won’t lie on them.

Romans 13:8  Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

Romans 13:9  For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Romans 13:10  Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Romans 13:11  And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

Romans 13:12  The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

Romans 13:13  Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.

Romans 13:14  But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.