Daily Devotions
Genesis
"He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities." Psalm 103:10
Text: Genesis 30:1-43
THE BATTLE CONTINUES
Leah’s maid Zilpah turns out to be quite productive too. With glee she watched her maid grow heavy with child, and deliver yet another son on her behalf.
“And Leah’s maid Zilpah bore Jacob a son.
Then Leah said, ‘A troop comes!’ So she called his name Gad.”GENESIS 30:11
With a sense of humour, Leah called this son “Gad”. The literal meaning is “troop”. She had already given birth to four children. Zilpah’s son, Gad made the total figure of FIVE sons! Quite a troop indeed! But she was still not satisfied. She wanted Zilpah to have more children for Jacob.
“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 30:12-13
Leah was happy at the expense of her sister! She now had SIX sons! (Zilpah’s children would be essentially counted as her own). In her happiness she called this new addition to the family, “Asher” which means “Blessed” or “Happy.” Added to the other two sons Bilhah bore on behalf of Rachel, Jacob now had a total of EIGHT sons!
RESORTING TO ALL MEANS
Had the two sisters given up their battle against each other? Not by a long shot! They resorted to any and every means to obtain Jacob’s affection. To their minds, giving sons to Jacob was the best route to his heart! To what extent would the women go to obtain what they wanted?
“Now Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest
and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them
to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah,
‘Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.’
But she said to her, ‘Is it a small matter that you have
taken away my husband? Would you take away
my son’s mandrakes also?’
And Rachel said, ‘Therefore he will lie with you tonight
for your son’s mandrakes.'”GENESIS 30:14-15
The roots of mandrakes, were supposed to have aphrodisiacal potential. Rachel wanted the mandrakes so badly that she was willing to let Jacob sleep with Leah! Obviously, Jacob had continued to love Rachel deeply despite her barrenness. The fruitful wombs of Leah and Zilpah had already produced SIX sons for Jacob, but even then Jacob’s heart continued to beat only for Rachel.