“Laban replied, “It is not custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one.”
Laban was the father of Leah and Rachel and the brother of Isaac’s wife, Rebecca. So the family tree was not too far branched out. Abraham had sent a servant to his brother’s house, Nahor, to find a wife for Isaac, Rebecca. When Isaac’s son, Jacob, was old enough, he too was sent to Nahor’s house to find a wife. The Bible says that Jacob worked the first seven years to marry Rachel, but Laban deceived Jacob and gave him Leah instead of Rachel. Jacob agreed to work another seven years for Rachel. Jacob would go on to be the father of 12 boys, who would become the 12 tribes of Israel.
The story is deep with deceit and trickery. Laban was a trickster. He almost convinced Rebecca, Isaac’s wife, to stay after they had agreed to let her go. Now Laban pulled another fast one on Jacob and got 14 years of work out of him while marrying off his two daughters. To top it all off, the Lord blessed Jacob in all that he did, and Laban recognized it. This just made Laban want to keep Jacob around even longer. In the end, Jacob fled from Laban with all his family and possessions.
We all have a Laban in our lives. You know the person we seem to go to for advice or help, and we end up buying everything they say hook, line, and sinker, only to realize after a long period of time that what we were told and the time spent were in vain. The good news is that the Lord can bless you in the middle of the mess, just like He did with Jacob. Even though Laban was a trickster and was sucking all he could out of Jacob, the Lord was with Jacob. You may be in the middle of a Laban-type of deal. The Lord has not left you or abandoned you.
If you read the story, the Lord gives Jacob the tools to increase his herd despite the trickery and crookedness of Laban. Today, no matter what situation you are in, realize the Lord is working on things. I can look back at the times when I was struggling and see the hand of God guiding me. Read the poem Footprints. I love it when the Lord tells the writer that it was the Lord carrying him in those hard times. The best prayer I can pray in the hard times is, “Lord, what do you want me to see and learn in the middle of the storm?” The Lord is with you even when you don’t think so.
Prayer: Lord, I thank you that you are at work behind the scenes. Even when I face the Laban’s in my path, I know that you will have my back and eventually work it all out for my good. I walk by faith today choosing peace and joy instead of anxiety over things that I cannot control. In Jesus name, amen.
Let It Go 
Leave a comment