Thurs.’s Devo - The Race For Love

Read: Genesis 30:1-31:16; Matthew 10:1-23; Psalm 12:1-8; Proverbs 3:13-15 We continued Rachel and Leah’s competition over Jacob. It played out in their ability to have children of which Rachel was barren. Leah was winning 4-0. Rachel begged Jacob to give her a child and Jacob fought back. He was not God and not the problem. So Rachel came up with a solution. She gave him her handmaid, Bilhah. Bilhah had Dan which means “to judge.” Then she had Naphtali which means “struggle” pointing to Rachel’s struggle with Leah. Now the score was 4-2. Not to be outwitted, Leah gave Jacob her handmaid, Zilpah. Zilpah had Gad, meaning “a troop,” and Asher which means “happy”. Now the score was 6-2. Leah’s son, Rueben came in with some mandrakes which were known for their fertility power. Rachel begged Leah for some. Leah gave her some for a few nights with Jacob. Rachel granted her that and told Jacob. He slept with Leah that night and she became pregnant. She had her fifth son and named him Issachar which means “he will bring a reward.” She also had Zebulon which means “habitation.” Leah was hoping that this son would mean Jacob would live with her instead of Rachel. Then, Leah had a daughter named Dinah. Dinah means “justice.” God did bring justice but it was to Rachel. God opened her womb, not the mandrakes she had gotten years ago. She named her son Joseph which means “let him add.” It is so sad to see their desire for love from Jacob. I think that the spirit of competition was far greater than their love for Jacob. The issue was between Rachel and Leah. They had a father who didn’t love them. Rachel reminds me of Jacob as a boy who was chosen of his mother. Leah reminds me of Esau who just couldn’t get it right in all his efforts. Leah’s name means “weary.” She was the picture of striving. My heart goes out to both of them because they both were born into rejection. Jacob had had enough of Laban’s heavy hand. He told him he wanted to go back to his home but needed to start being paid so he could have his own money. He reminded Laban of the wealth he had made for him. Laban asked him what he wanted for his salary and he told him that he wanted to separate the cattle and he would take the spotted and speckled goats and sheep. Laban would be getting the better deal so he quickly agreed. Jacob put three days journey between his cattle and Laban’s and fed Laban’s before he left. Then Jacob used his gift of mating to increase his cattle. God helped him also and his flocks multiplied while Laban’s diminished. Laban’s sons complained about it and Jacob noticed Laban’s attitude had changed to be against him. God spoke to Jacob and told him it was time to go back home. Jacob called in Leah and Rachel to tell them and they both agreed they had no ties to their father or him to them. Jacob had a dream showing him that it was God’s favor on him that caused the cattle to grow. He told him it was time to leave. Rachel and Leah agreed. In Matthew, Jesus called his twelve disciples, including Judas and gave them power to cast out unclean spirits and to heal sicknesses and diseases. He gave them instructions not to take anything with them but to rely on God to take care of them. God had people everywhere who would put them up and help them. The towns that receive them would receive a blessing and the towns that didn’t receive them would receive the judgment worse than that of Sodom and Gomorrah. Jesus spoke into their future telling them that one day they would be handed over to the courts and flogged with whips in the synagogues. They would stand trial before governors and kings because they were his followers. But this would be their chance to tell them about Jesus. At that time, God’s Spirit would give them the word’s to say. Family members would turn on each other. They would be persecuted, but before they had gone through all the cities of Israel, the Son of man would come. Lord, may we endure till the end and be willing to die for you.