Jacob: Working for Love

In my last post I shared a piece of the story of Joseph, where Joseph fights to preserve his purity and honor the Lord in his position of increasing power.

Today I will cover a brief section of the story of Jacob, as he works to earn the position of Rachel's husband.

In Genesis 29: 15-28, we see a picture of a man truly smitten: Jacob is in love with Rachel. He works and works to earn the right to marry her, and is not disheartened when his relationship with her is delayed: "Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, 'I'll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.'...So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her. Then Jacob said, 'Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to lie with her.'" Sadly, Rachel's father tricked Jacob by giving him Leah, the older daughter, because that was custom (vs.26). He then told Jacob that he could have Rachel after all, in exchange for another seven years of work: "And Jacob did so...he loved Rachel more than Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years" (28, 30).

Again: what a guy.

Overall, Jacob worked 14 years to be allowed to marry Rachel. 14 years. He was clearly serious about pursuing her as a wife. Not only did Jacob know what he wanted, he never quit before reaching his end goal. He was willing to wait to marry Rachel, honoring her father's rules and guidelines before he pursued a relationship. He didn't let a delay in receiving Rachel cause him to give up his pursuit of her; he could have very easily given up because things got hard, but God was clearly making him wait, which made the end of 14 years even sweeter for him. Jacob clearly had a work ethic, and a good reputation (vs. 19)- Laban (Rachel's father) preferred to give his daughter to Jacob than to another man.

Ladies, wait for a man who actively pursues you with clear intentions and a pure heart. Wait for a guy who's willing to work for you and willing to wait for you. Look for a guy that wants to honor, protect, and respect you. But most important, wait for a guy who pursues the Lord before he pursues you. If a guy isn't right with God, if his lifestyle does not reflect his love for the Lord, he won't be able to truly honor you in a relationship because his priorities and motives will not be pure. Be willing to wait for a godly man- God will bless your desire to obey and honor Him with your relationships.

Tomorrow, I'll share about Boaz and his heart and desire for Ruth, but more importantly his heart and desire for God.