the deceiver deceived

   The hopeless romantic, head over heels in lurrrveee- perhaps this isnt the picture we have of Jacob at this point in our story. However you would struggle to find someone more love-struck than Jacob was with Rachel.
    The Lord has led Jacob, in flight from his brother, across Canaan and he has arrived at the very pasturing grounds of his distant family. Arriving there he is utterly captivated by Rachel, his cousin, who was "beautiful  in form and appearance." Unfotunately, Jacob appears to place Rachel on a very high pedestal, one bordering on idolitatry. He allows himself to be used by his uncle Laban, who procures seven, and eventually 14, years labour out of him, in return for  Rachel's hand in marraige.
     In the background, throughout the courtship, we see someone else- Rachel's older sister, Leah. Leah, of the "weak eyes" as the bible describes her. Leah suffered many years as her younger sister recieved all the attention and while she was ignored and not even regarded for marraige. Finally she sees a handsome man come from across the land, and wisk Rachel off of her feet! One can feel sympathy for her plight.
     However, Laban's deceitful ways, mixed with Leah's sadness and Jacob's apparent "love blindness" leads to a dreadful situation. Jacob marrys Leah, thinking her to be Rachel, and great unhappiness comes from this. Presumably Leah must have been "in" on the whole shabby deception and Rachel must have been restrained somewhere during the so-called "wedding".
    The first years of the marraige, approximately 7, are full of bitterness and fighting, in such quantities and ways that even today's soap operas might quibble about airing it! The sisters are prepared to bargain over sleeping with Jacob, in return for ancient forms  of "aphrodisac" and think nothing of letting him lie with their maids rather than the other. Even Jacob seems to be perfectly content with  the situation, which allowed him sexual variety whichout any bother. Perhaps  the only thing to be taken from this entire sad tale is the dealings of the Lord towards Leah, who apparently comes to know the God of her grandfather, Abraham, by His special personal name.

"When the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren."

     Although Leah seems to place any hope of  gaining love from her husband solely  on her children, she eventually comes to be content with what the Lord has granted her.

"And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, "This time I will praise the Lord" Therefore she called his name Judah*. Then she ceased bearing".

*Judah meaning 'Praise'

     I think that this passage reminds us to watch our 'romantic natures' and to ensure that the partner is not idolized. No relationship will be truly compelete and fruitful unless the Lord  is over all.   One also wonders if Jacob's dealings with Laban in this way were not some form of chastisement for his own deception- but that is pure speculation.
     After this rather sorry account, the story of Jacob take a drastic swing as he leaves Laban's company much wealthier and maturer than when he arrived, and we see how God had been with him and had blessed him, but thats another story.