Rumors and Deceit

April Fool's Day


Genesis 29:16-23

Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah’s eyes were lovely, and Rachel was graceful and beautiful. Jacob loved Rachel; so he said, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.” Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to any other man; stay with me.” So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her.

Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife that I may go in to her, for my time is completed.” So Laban gathered together all the people of the place, and made a feast. But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob; and he went in to her.

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But rumour has it I'm the one you're leaving her for

"Rumor Has It" written and recorded by Adele from "Adele 21"

If anyone in this good world believes that this day and age has perfected the bait-and-switch or the double-cross you only need to read this passage from Genesis to see that's just not so. In the computer age we may be bigger, stronger, and faster; but we are don't have the market cornered on deceit.

We might be conniving, but who among us has gotten what Laban got? He got the "girl with lovely eyes married off." That may not sound like a bad thing, but "lovely eyes" in that time was another way of saying she "had a great personality, sews her own clothes, and all the girls love her." She wasn't the pick of the litter. Laban got fourteen years of free labor from Jacob out of the deal and grandchildren to boot. This worked out for Laban and Leah.

Not so much for Jacob and Rachel.

The story continues with Jacob upset. He was hornswaggled out of the woman of his dreams for her plain sister. Laban relented. After Leah had her bridal week Laban would give Rachel to Jacob for another seven years. This was probably his plan all along. It's the effects of this bait-and-switch that will drive every relationship in the rest of the book of Genesis.

All of the horrors of slavery, terrors of prison, pains of famine, and joy of reconciliation begin with this little bit of deceit. This happens because Leah sings this line to Jacob, or that's the rumor.

This gives us something to chew on, what we do to benefit ourselves and cheat another is eventually used by God for salvation. This is true here within two generations. It's one of Laban's grandsons who by the hand of God saves the people of Israel.

Thank God for actions that we cannot control, even when we try.