Genesis 29-30

Genesis 29

29:3 It must have taken several shepherds to roll the stone, since they all gathered together before watering the sheep, right?

29:6 Rachel was a shepherdess.

29:10 I wonder if he rolled the stone by himself?  What he exceptionally strong?

29:15 So Jacob basically just moved in, right?

29:18 I like that Jacob has an honorable attitude toward Rachel - he's willing to work seven years while waiting for her.

29:20 Fun language - they seemed like only a day.

29:25 Evidently they got married after dark, and without lanterns or something that they didn't actually see each other on their wedding night.

29:28 So one week after Jacob marries Leah, Jacob marries Rachel too.  (It amuses me that Jacob, the deceiver, is deceived by Laban).

29:30 This seems reasonable to me.  I mean, he worked for Rachel all along, why wouldn't he love Rachel more?

29:32 My heart breaks a bit for Leah.  With her first son, she hopes that her husband will love her.

29:33 And again with her second son.

29:34 And again with her third son - she wants to be attractive, just like we all do.

29:35 The naming scheme differs.  This time she praises God.  I wonder if she had found love, or given up trying, or decided that God was enough?  We could draw a bunch of lessons here, but the Bible doesn't really tell us her reasoning.

Genesis 30

30:1 I find it amusing that Rachel thinks it's Jacob's fault she doesn't have kids.  We do tend to blame lots of things on our husbands, don't we.

30:2 And Jacob blames God.

30:3 She uses the same solution that Sarai used with Abraham.

30:8 Rachel views this as a competition.  Probably a bit of sibling rivalry?  I'd have a hard time living with a husband who also had other wives.  Especially if the other wife was my sister.

30:9 Leah follows Rachel's example.

30:13 Interesting - women call her happy, and that makes her happy.  

30:15 They are buying and selling sex with their husband.

30:19 She still feels without love and honor.  Poor woman.

30:21 Was Dinah the only girl?  Or were there others that aren't mentioned?  I get the impression that Dinah was the only one.

30:22 God remembered Rachel.  It wasn't like He'd forgotten her, but he decided then to act in her favor.

30:23 Rachel was in shame because of her lack of kids.  Leah was in shame because she wasn't loved.

30:25 I wonder if Rachel having Joseph made Jacob want to leave in some way.

30:27 I wonder if it was hard to deduce that Laban was blessed because of Jacob?  In any case, Laban wants him to stay.

30:30 I wonder if Jacob is spinning it here - did he really have "little"? Or was it just less than he currently has?

30:32 Jacob has a plot.  Laban cheated him with his wives, but Jacob has something cooking.

30:34 Laban goes for it.

30:36 That's quite a journey really.  In these times, a three day journey would be like moving to California.  I know it was really probably only 30 miles, but I have to be convinced that they didn't see each other all that often with a 3 day journey between them.

30:39 I wonder if this is a biological thing or superstition?  In any case, the Bible speaks of it like it worked, so it must have.

30:42 Jacob's plan came to fruition - he got the stronger sheep, Laban got the weaker, all in accordance with their agreement.

30:43 It's interesting that Jacob is the one who becomes rich.  It doesn't say that Laban also became rich.