Now when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister, and said to Jacob, "give me children, or else I die!" And Jacob's anger was aroused against Rachel, and he said, "am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?" So she said, "here is my maid Bilhah; go in to her, and she will bear a child on my knees, that I also may have children by her." Then she gave him Bilhah her maid as wife, and Jacob went in to her. And Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. Then Rachel said, "God has judged my case; and He has also heard my voice and given me a son." Therefore she called his name Dan. And Rachel's maid Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. Then Rachel said, "with great wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister, and indeed I have prevailed." So she called his name Naphtali. When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing, she took Zilpah her maid and gave her to Jacob as wife. And Leah's maid Zilpah bore Jacob a son. Then Leah said, "a troop comes!" So she called his name Gad. And Leah's maid Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. Then Leah said, "I am happy, for the daughters will call me blessed." So she called his name Asher. Genesis 30: 1-13 NKJV
It would appear that in the culture of the time women were not only judged for certain physical attributes pertaining to appearance but also for their ability to reproduce. They have elevated it to the point of contention between sister and husband. "Give me children or else I die." I laugh, but then so much of this basic and natural belief of hers transcends into my own culture, and so I am shut up again. What things are so important in life and of such necessity that one can actually without shame or delusion say, "give me … or else I die"?
"Am I in the place of God?" So now Rachel will inquire of God and patiently seek His will. This will be a time of introspection and humility for her. She will grow as an individual. Nope, now the baby war begins. Here is my maid. She will turn to her own way and trust her own judgments. Her pride is at stake and the argument is more valuable than any lesson to be learned from it. As soon as her handmaid delivers, Rachel sees this as testament to God judging her case, and the second time as prevailing in the war with her sister. Jacob goes along with all of this rather easily, and as a man I can most certainly understand why. But from the perspective of family, he would appear to be the only one benefitting from this. Leah responds by fighting back with her own maid, and Jacob is again content with this logic. Does the Bible ever paint a beautiful picture of bigamy? I haven't found it, and the picture of marriage in the Creation narrative does not point to harem life. If you are in such a relationship, I would not even pretend to understand the implications of trying to end it. It affects so many, and if you are the male then what do you do? Who do you chose? It is so easy to judge, but in situations like these, there is no response in haste that does not end in hurt, I can only pray.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, everyone, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:6 NKJV
I feel embarrassed again; I have trusted so little. To appeal to what God has in His patience allowed, as the model for my own world view, is to miss the point. I am just as wrong as Jacob, Rachel and Leah on so many levels.
It would appear that in the culture of the time women were not only judged for certain physical attributes pertaining to appearance but also for their ability to reproduce. They have elevated it to the point of contention between sister and husband. "Give me children or else I die." I laugh, but then so much of this basic and natural belief of hers transcends into my own culture, and so I am shut up again. What things are so important in life and of such necessity that one can actually without shame or delusion say, "give me … or else I die"?
"Am I in the place of God?" So now Rachel will inquire of God and patiently seek His will. This will be a time of introspection and humility for her. She will grow as an individual. Nope, now the baby war begins. Here is my maid. She will turn to her own way and trust her own judgments. Her pride is at stake and the argument is more valuable than any lesson to be learned from it. As soon as her handmaid delivers, Rachel sees this as testament to God judging her case, and the second time as prevailing in the war with her sister. Jacob goes along with all of this rather easily, and as a man I can most certainly understand why. But from the perspective of family, he would appear to be the only one benefitting from this. Leah responds by fighting back with her own maid, and Jacob is again content with this logic. Does the Bible ever paint a beautiful picture of bigamy? I haven't found it, and the picture of marriage in the Creation narrative does not point to harem life. If you are in such a relationship, I would not even pretend to understand the implications of trying to end it. It affects so many, and if you are the male then what do you do? Who do you chose? It is so easy to judge, but in situations like these, there is no response in haste that does not end in hurt, I can only pray.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, everyone, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:6 NKJV
I feel embarrassed again; I have trusted so little. To appeal to what God has in His patience allowed, as the model for my own world view, is to miss the point. I am just as wrong as Jacob, Rachel and Leah on so many levels.
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