Was Jacob Doing Evil?

dear reader, i'm going to assume you know the story of Jacob, named Israel, and how he came to have both Leah & Rachel as wives, and through them and their two servant women which they gave him as concubines, the 12 tribes of Israel were born. no need to quote all of Genesis 29 and the surrounding chapters to you and go on to recount everything written concerning him in this post.



i'd like to ask -- was Jacob wrong to marry Rachel?
he was already married to Leah - albeit through being deceived - so if it is practically the unanimous agreement among all the churches that polygamy is sinful, was it evil for Jacob to marry Rachel, whom he loved?



i'd like to discuss this both in terms of the practical aspect of Jacob's life and of righteous doings, and also in terms of what these things represent in their Christology ((Jacob is a picture of Christ; the events in his life recorded in scripture are there to teach about Christ; all of this is about Christ, about some spiritual revelation of Him. find Christ in this. find how this speaks of Him.))

i have always assumed that because God blessed him with the 12 sons that became the 12 tribes, God approved. the blessing given in Ruth 4:11 reaffirmed that to me. but maybe i am wrong.

also please don't just give the reply, "well the culture was different then blah blah blah" -- that is not useful at all as an answer.
i'm not talking about what is/was allowed under common law in some specific country at some specific time period. i'm talking about what is righteous in God's eyes.

Jacob married Leah and Rachel (sisters) in Genesis 29. Marrying the
sister of your living wife was not prohibited until Leviticus 18:18 ~

Do not take your wife’s sister as a rival wife and have
sexual relations with her while your wife is living.

Multiple wives is only forbidden for the king of Israel (Deut.17:17). Otherwise not a word is said about it except restrictions like the above mentioned posting about Deuteronomy 18:18. Adultery is not the TAKING of wives but the PUTTING AWAY of wives. This is made clear by God's Law in Deuteronomy 25:5-10. Having said that, I would like to point out that God's original concept and plan was one man - one wife. And this is the reason why both the king of Israel and an Elder of the Church must have but one wife. They both REPRESENT God's purpose. It is to be noted that David, "who did all that God commanded Him, except in the matter of Uriah's wife", was stumbled by another wife.

Having lived and worked in a Middle Eastern monarchy for 6 years, I have witnessed firsthand the issue of multiple wives. It does not bring happiness. There is constant tension among the wives and the man suffers under this. That is, even where the culture, and a very ancient culture at that, allows multiple wives, it is not without loss to all parties.

The case of Jacob displays Christ in His two Peoples. The narrative shows Christ approaching Israel as Suitor but gaining the Church. Israel was the first choice but the Gentiles ended up in first place. Israel is only restored to Christ in the seventh - the seventh one-thousand year period - the Millennium. The Church (Leah) is more fruitful than Israel (Rachel). It was Rachel (Israel) who is accused of having idols. The concubines are TWO - the number of Witness. They are the despised ones lifted up to fame and fruitfulness - the Church. All four are not found in Canaan. Jacob, like Christ, must make a journey to get a wife of the same seed as He. Four is the number of man (the fourth of the living creatures) - showing Christ's Bride from among men. 12 is the number of God's people - twelve Tribes and twelve Apostles. After the sevent - the Millennium, we have New Jerusalem whose number is Twelve - 12 Foundations and 12 Gates, and which measures 12 X 12 X 12. Both the Church (the Walls) and Israel (the Gates) are represented.

Types are limited pictures for saving long explanations, and so doctrine cannot be made from Types. My appreciation above has no doctrinal value.

thank you so much. no one else seemed willing to dare touch the topic
that fact alone, to me, tells me it is worth pursuing - that there is marvelous knowledge of God to be found in searching Him out in this matter. the 'hard' things of scripture seem always to be treasure if they can be uncovered

how interesting that these were each given to Jacob by his respective wife when they were 'fruitless' themselves

It was evil and the consequences of which play out through the Bible and history did come out of it, but the direct sin of it is upon Laban's head because he was the deceiver that changed father Israel's conditions and wages all the time. Father Israel did not sin, but was put in a bad spot because he had promised to marry Rachel and he kept his promises because he was righteous.

The more pertinent question is whether Laban was wrong to wrong Jacob by substituting Leah for Rachel.

And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me? (Gen 29:25)

"Beguiled" means tricked. Laban tried to cheat Jacob over and over again. Rachel was pledged to Jacob, so he did right by marrying her.

Whatever God wills.

I'm not going to speak ill of anyone God chose to "bless........" But I will provide some thoughts from others who are more informed on this Subject than I am.....

L18-6: Why did God allow Jacob to marry two sisters (Rachel ...
messianic-revolution.com/l18-6-god-allow-jacob...
Jacob did not consent to marry Leah only Rachel, but since he obviously had sex with her, Jacob’s honor dictated that regardless of his non recognition or desire of this marriage, he was duty bound to the principle ‘Touch her, she’s yours”. The vows are “assumed and unwritten” and Jacob chose to keep Leah.


The Bible’s original love triangle: Jacob, Leah, and Rachel
www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/people-in-the...
If Jacob wanted to marry Rachel as well, he would owe Laban another seven years of labor. In time, Jacob was able to acquire a flock of sheep, camels, and goats of his own.

Jacob marries Rachel the daughter of Laban, Genesis 29:15-30 ...
bibleview.org/en/Bible/GenesisPartTwo/Rachel
Rachel was the favorite wife of Jacob, who had been earlier tricked into marrying Rachel’s older sister, Leah, after working for Laban for seven years as a contract for the marriage. After discovering that he had been tricked, Jacob married Rachel also and then worked out another seven-year contract for this marriage.


Understanding Jacob's Sins - Foundations for Freedom
www.foundationsforfreedom.net/References/OT/...
Genesis 25-35 – The Bible Teaching Commentary: Understanding Jacob's Sins describes two major sin patterns traced down in Jacob's life. Scheming and the lack of devotion to ones spouse are the two evident sins in Jacob's life.

Did God bless the marriages with children and said children become the 12 tribes of ISRAEL?

It is little taught in Local Churches, but the title, "God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob" holds multiple revelations. One of them is that these three men are a picture of God's full salvation. Briefly, Abraham, Syrian idol-worshiper is "called" to leave his past and beliefs and to journey to another place in faith. We Christians have a "heavenly calling" (Heb.3:1). We are called from our earthly origin to become part of a heavenly plan and conclusion. Isaac has to do nothing. He is "HEIR" to Abraham's goods. His life closes with him blind, but he inherits. We are heirs with Christ (i) of God, and (ii) of the world. This inheritance is our birthright. We are elieble for it even if we do not understand it, or "see" it. Jacob is of the "heavenly calling" and is "heir", but he is a picture of God's transforming work.

Being "called" is wonderful, and being made co-heirs of the world with Christ is profound, but God cannot have men and women as heirs who are called "supplanter". "Supplanter", or "crook" is the meaning of Jacob's name. God cannot give Christ's inheritance to a crook. So God begins a transforming work in Jacob so that he can no longer be called "supplanter", but Israel. Jacob, unlike the macho Esau, gains what he wants by "crookery". He is forced to flee because hs brother wants to kill him for his crookery. But God loves Jacob because Jaob was zealous for the birthright. The birthright that Esau was entitled to was (i) a double portion of the inheritance, (ii) he would have been the forefather of Jesus. But Esau, manly as he was, was inwardly indifferent to his inheritance and sold it for the sake of the flesh. He was a man of prowess, but had no faith. He was also a rebel and despised his parents. So God hated him.

Jacob, on the other hand, was zealous for the inheritance, but he gained it by craftiness. It was this trait that God wanted to deal with. So God set Jacob on a path where he would be dealt with. And craftiness is dealt with by more craftiness. Instead of the "Crook" dealing slyly, he was dealt slyly with. Instead of Jacob "supplanting", Laban did the supplanting. The "Crook" got his own medicine. This is the reason that Jacob ended how he did - being cheated by Laban. But God is above men's crookery. God can use everything to His favor, and your favor. Jacob goes through a process of suffering, starting with having to leave his mother and father, and ending with his death - not in the promised Land, but Egypt.

But through all his suffering, Jacob gained a new character. He is no longer "Supplanter", but his name is Israel - "prince or prevailer with God". At his death, he was not blind like Isaac. He was fully enlightened and could accurately bless his sons and require his bones to be carried to his inheritance (Heb.11). Jacob is a picture of Christ dealing with us to make us like Him (Rom.8:29; 2nd Cor.3:18). His life is a very practical example for our lives. Lots of things do not work out like we planned, or even what we worked for. But we will receive a new name and be co-inheritors with Christ.

In closing, how do you readers think that Jacob got Leah instead of Rachel? It reads in Genesis 29:23, "And it came to pass in the evening, that he (Laban) took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he (Jacob) went in unto her." The grammar shows Jacob making love to Leah without protest. How is it possible that he didn't know who he was copulating with? Was he "blind drunk" - or what? I think that there is a a profound truth hidden in this matter that I have no seen yet. Was it to show, in Type, that Jacob was still "blind" spiritually? Any one got an explanation?

great question!
I'm going to go with
no, he was not wrong to marry Rachel.
my impression is that he could have been nicer to Leah later on, so in that sense he wronged Leah.

ya lost me there.
but that's okay;
it looks like other people followed what you said,
so there must be something about "a picture of Christ" that I'm not getting.

What I meant by that is, John 5:39 carried as far as one can go. There Jesus commands, 'search the scriptures... these are they which testify of Me'

So
I take from that, everything in scripture is teaching about Christ. About His person, His work, about Who He is, what He does and Why. So what I meant was that I am not really asking for some kind of cultural explanation about what was lawful or customary etc.. I want to see what this situation and these events are revealing about God and His dealings with us. If that makes more sense..?

Commentaries on this generally just say we'll you know that's what they did in those days blah blah. But I am confident there is a lot more meaning in this, to teach us knowledge of God.

well, what I see in the story about God is that he uses deeply flawed individuals.

Jacob is a cheater who himself gets cheated by Laban.

so there's hope for me yet!

I understand what you are saying and, as revealed in Gen 29:35, we have birth of Judah through Leah. This is the Christ line. So Laban having done what he did resulted in the lineage of Christ. And I am of the firm belief that if Jacob was not supposed to have married Leah, God would have stepped in somehow, some way to stop the marriage.

And Laban did to Jacob what Jacob had done to Isaac. And while it may appear that Jacob "stole" the birthright, didn't Esau sell the birthright for a pot of lentils (Gen 25:31-35)? So Jacob did not steal anything. He purchased that which Esau considered worth a pot of lentils.

Could it be that Leah is also a "type" ... uncomely (Gen 29:17) ... despised (Gen 29:31) ... are not these descriptive terms applied to the Lord Jesus Christ? And yet, through her, came the Redeemer.

I don't believe so. God told King David he gave him his wives (and other blessings), and would have given him even more if David had asked.

posthuman said:

he was already married to Leah - albeit through being deceived - so if it is practically the unanimous agreement among all the churches that polygamy is sinful, was it evil for Jacob to marry Rachel, whom he loved?

Click to expand...

I don't know if there is unanimous agreement among the churches that polygamy is sinful. Certainly, it is not God's design and might cause more problems than His design, but if a man were to be converted with multiple wives, it would be a greater sin in my view to divorce one, than to remain married to both. Scripture speaks against divorce, but does not describe multiple wives as sinfulness (although it certainly doesn't recommend this situation).

It might be considered idolatry for a Christian man to crave multiple wives, but I believe Jacob's reasons were noble.

Finest treatment I have ever seen. Wow.

I agree. I knew an old missionary years ago who had, with great hardship, raised up a number of Churches in the African bush villages of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). Each year he would tour these Churches, living in and traveling in a old beat up VW bus. One of the problems he had to deal with was that the village leader usually had multiple wives. When he embraced Christianity, he could continue as Elder of the village, but could not be Elder of the Church in his village because of multiple wives (1st Tim.3:2; Tit.1:6). This is foreign to the African bush culture (those who have been born and lived in the cities are different) but it had to be done. The alternative, and one which sadly the early Western Reform missionaries followed, was to get the Elder to PUT AWAY all but his first wife. How tragic that they unwittingly applied THEIR CULTURE instead of the Bible.

• God's perfect plan is one man - one wife
• God allows multiple wives except for the king under the Law of Moses (he may not "multiply" wives)
• God allows multiple wives except for an Elder and Deacon in the Church (he may have only one)
• Adultery is the PUTTING AWAY of wives, not the TAKING OF WIVES
• Jacob was before Law and was not a king of Israel. His multiple wives present no problems Biblically*

*Because God designed multiplication of a specie by its seed, He only had to create one pair of each specie. Thus, Adam and Eve produced children who would intermarry and interbreed. Apparently, a man or woman living 900 plus years had such strong genes that this was not a problem. It was only when Moses, who wrote Psalm 90, and was inspired to set a man's life at 70 years (v.10), that the Laws of sexual relations with close family came with the Law of Moses. The Gentiles have no such Law. British Common Law stems from the Puritans, but 70% or more of the world are not subject to this. Islam allows four wives - the only restriction being that the husband keeps all wives in equal prosperity.

If you examine Christ’s Bloodline, it is more than a little dotted with all manner of humans that were broken and astonishingly sinful.

Jacob, is certainly on that list. But let’s not forget his son Judah, having sex with what he thought was a prostitute, Rahab, who actually was a prostitute, Murder/adulterer King David with the woman he cheated with, Bathsheba, just to name a few. Not to mention the original sinner, Adam.

I thank God that these are not perfect people, so that I am not totally defeated when I stumble by the accuser.

"Adultery is the PUTTING AWAY of wives, not the TAKING OF WIVES"

I think you mean to say the putting away of wives and marrying yet other wives again. If these cast off wives remarry, they commit adultery, as do their husbands.

Question: how prevalent was actual polygamy in Jesus's day in Israel?