Jacob V: The Destiny of Love

Gen. 29

So Jacob continues his journey to Paddan-aram with the new hope and knowledge that God is with him has given His word to protect and prosper him. He reaches his destination and comes to a well where some shepherds are watering their sheep. They know his uncle Laban and informs Jacob that Laban's daughter will be arriving at the well shortly. Jacob had never met Rachel before she came to the well with her flock, but when she arrives, he serves her by opening the well and watering her sheep. Then he kisses her. He kisses her and he weeps.

It was customary for family members to kiss one another. When Laban came to meet Jacob, they kissed as well. To me, though, it seems that Rachel opened Jacob's eyes to something new and wonderful. He fell in love with her.

Jacob makes an agreement with Laban to work for him for seven years in order to marry Rachel. Seven years seems like a long time to wait for somebody, but the Bible tells us that it seemed like only a few days to Jacob because of the deep love that he had for her.

However, Laban has two daughters. Rachel was the beautiful younger daughter, and Leah was the older, blind one. When Jacob had completed his work for Rachel, he asked to consummate the relationship. Instead of giving him Rachel, he gave him Leah. Apparently Jacob was a little blind himself, because he didn't realize that he had been tricked until the next day. Jacob confronted Laban and got only excuses, but he was already bound to Leah. Laban agreed for Jacob to work another seven years to be with Rachel. He did his time, and was finally able to take Rachel as his wife.

Jacob found the destiny of love. He met Rachel and devoted the next fourteen years of his life to labor in order to be with her. Love is unexpected. It happens out of nowhere and hits like a ton of bricks. It is a time when life changes. When love hits, you begin to live for something other than yourself. You begin to care only about the needs and happiness of that special person, and everything else seems unimportant.

I believe that God is the source of all love. We love because he first loved us. God's love is one of complete sacrifice. He would do absolutely anything for us. He would, and did, die for us. God jumps for joy when he sees us happy, and it absolutely breaks His heart when he sees us cry.
God has shown us love over and over again, and most of the time we don't reciprocate that devotion. We pray to Him some days, go to Church on the weeks we feel like going, and read the Bible when we get around to it. We've crushed His heart over and over again. But when we return His love, when we acknowledge everything He's done for us; when we've gone our own way for so long and finally return to Him and tell Him that we love Him, that's when He knows that it was all worth it.