Growing Competition

Genesis 30:1-13

Most women seem to have an innate desire to have children and feel incomplete if they don’t. Many cultures have aggravated the feeling of incompleteness by making it appear that a woman who doesn’t have children is not really normal. In at least a few societies, men hesitate to marry a woman who hasn’t had at least one child. Throughout history Kings like Henry the eighth of England divorced wives who didn’t produce sons.

“And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.” (Genesis 30:1)

Both Leah and Rachael knew that Jacob had only married Leah because he’d been tricked, and that he loved Rachael, but he’d been married to Leah a lot longer. Because of Jacob’s preference for Rachael, God had blessed Leah with four sons. Rachael began to fear that he would begin to prefer Leah instead. Like most people who feel insecure, she began to look for somebody to blame.

It is amazing how often people blame an innocent party. A person whose mate is running around on them will usually blame themselves, but an unresponsive or cruel husband or wife blames their mate. Rarely does anyone sit down and accurately assess their own part in the situation. Rachael began to blame Jacob for not giving her children, as if he were in some fashion holding back on her.

“And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God's stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?” (Genesis 30:2)

Blame makes the accused a defendant, putting him on the defensive, whether the charges are valid or not. Most people become angry or fearful when they feel attacked, and respond by either striking back or withdrawing. Either response increases the feelings of insecurity of the accuser. Jacob’s response was typical of a person on the defensive. Notice that he was not wrong in what he said, but that it did nothing to resolve the problem.

“And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her. And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went in unto her. And Bilhah conceived, and bare Jacob a son. And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore called she his name Dan.

And Bilhah Rachel's maid conceived again, and bare Jacob a second son. And Rachel said, With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called his name Naphtali.” (Genesis 30:3-8)

Emotions such as anger, fear, and happiness are a natural response to situations. They are the flesh’s reaction to stimulus. Unfortunately many people begin to base decisions on those feelings, sometimes believing they are spiritual. It almost always leads to worse problems because the decisions seldom are logical when viewed in the light of reality.

Fearing that Jacob would stop loving her if she didn’t give him children Rachael gave him her maid Bilhah to be another wife. From an emotional point it made sense to assume that he wanted children more than anything, but it ignored several things. She had no way of knowing if children mattered that much. It ignored the fact of his love, and the fact that she was already in competition with another woman for his love and introducing another woman could only make it worse. Actions of the flesh can only produce fleshly results, and anytime we are acting on our emotions, we are acting in the flesh.

One of the saddest points of the whole story is her statement that it was God’s doing. Notice verse 6, “And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore called she his name Dan.” How often when we have acted in the flesh and sinned or caused others to sin, we credit God with the results if they seem to have accomplished our purpose. It is blasphemous to blame God for things he didn’t do.

“When Leah saw that she had left bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife. And Zilpah Leah's maid bare Jacob a son. And Leah said, A troop cometh: and she called his name Gad. And Zilpah Leah's maid bare Jacob a second son. And Leah said, Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed: and she called his name Asher.” (Genesis 30:9-13)

Fleshly, carnal action almost always elicit a carnal response. Rachael’s demands on Jacob produced anger. Her action in giving Bilhah to be his wife resulted in sexual action by Jacob. It increased Leah’s insecurity and resulted in an increase in competition. Leah then responded the same way Rachael had, giving her maid, Zilpah to be Jacob’s wife. The conflict would eventually involve their sons until, years after her death, the others decide to kill Rachael’s son.