Jacob’s Many Children
A story of sin, conflict, and emotions.
Words included in this passage:
Unloved Absence of:
Misery Affection
Jealous Love
Plight
Disgrace
Furious
Struggle
Winning
Stole
Leviticus 18:18 (NLT)
“While your wife is living, do not marry her sister and have sexual relations with her, for they would be rivals.
Note:
Polygyny is found in the Old Testament and over 40 important figures had more than one wife, but it almost always resulted in struggles and jealousies.
Jacob’s Many Children
Genesis 29:31 – 30:24 (NLT)
31 When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, he enabled her to have children, but Rachel could not conceive. 32 So Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, “The Lord has noticed my misery, and now my husband will love me.”
33 She soon became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. She named him Simeon, for she said, “The Lord heard that I was unloved and has given me another son.”
34 Then she became pregnant a third time and gave birth to another son. He was named Levi, for she said, “Surely this time my husband will feel affection for me, since I have given him three sons!”
35 Once again Leah became pregnant and gave birth to another son. She named him Judah, for she said, “Now I will praise the Lord!” And then she stopped having children.
30:1 When Rachel saw that she wasn’t having any children for Jacob, she became jealous of her sister. She pleaded with Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!”
2 Then Jacob became furious with Rachel. “Am I God?” he asked. “He’s the one who has kept you from having children!”
3 Then Rachel told him, “Take my maid, Bilhah, and sleep with her. She will bear children for me, and through her I can have a family, too.” 4 So Rachel gave her servant, Bilhah, to Jacob as a wife, and he slept with her. 5 Bilhah became pregnant and presented him with a son. 6 Rachel named him Dan, for she said, “God has vindicated me! He has heard my request and given me a son.” 7 Then Bilhah became pregnant again and gave Jacob a second son. 8 Rachel named him Naphtali, for she said, “I have struggled hard with my sister, and I’m winning!”
9 Meanwhile, Leah realized that she wasn’t getting pregnant anymore, so she took her servant, Zilpah, and gave her to Jacob as a wife. 10 Soon Zilpah presented him with a son. 11 Leah named him Gad, for she said, “How fortunate I am!” 12 Then Zilpah gave Jacob a second son. 13 And Leah named him Asher, for she said, “What joy is mine! Now the other women will celebrate with me.”
14 One day during the wheat harvest, Reuben found some mandrakes growing in a field and brought them to his mother, Leah. Rachel begged Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”
15 But Leah angrily replied, “Wasn’t it enough that you stole my husband? Now will you steal my son’s mandrakes, too?”
Rachel answered, “I will let Jacob sleep with you tonight if you give me some of the mandrakes.”
16 So that evening, as Jacob was coming home from the fields, Leah went out to meet him. “You must come and sleep with me tonight!” she said. “I have paid for you with some mandrakes that my son found.” So that night he slept with Leah. 17 And God answered Leah’s prayers. She became pregnant again and gave birth to a fifth son for Jacob. 18 She named him Issachar, for she said, “God has rewarded me for giving my servant to my husband as a wife.” 19 Then Leah became pregnant again and gave birth to a sixth son for Jacob. 20 She named him Zebulun, for she said, “God has given me a good reward. Now my husband will treat me with respect, for I have given him six sons.” 21 Later she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.
22 Then God remembered Rachel’s plight and answered her prayers by enabling her to have children. 23 She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. “God has removed my disgrace,” she said. 24 And she named him Joseph, for she said, “May the Lord add yet another son to my family.”
Examine the Scriptures
Jacob’s Many Children
Genesis 29:31 – 30:24 (NLT)
31 When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, he enabled her to have children,
God intervened.
- God enabled Leah to have children.
Psalm 127:3 (NLT)
Children are a gift from the Lord;
they are a reward from him.
but Rachel could not conceive.
Rachel was barren.
Note the pattern:
Abraham and Sarah
Genesis 11:30 (NLT)
But Sarai was unable to become pregnant and had no children.
Isaac and Rebekah
Genesis 25:21 (NLT)
Isaac pleaded with the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was unable to have children. The Lord answered Isaac’s prayer, and Rebekah became pregnant with twins.
- God opens and closes the womb.
32 So Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, “The Lord has noticed my misery, and now my husband will love me.”
33 She soon became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. She named him Simeon, for she said, “The Lord heard that I was unloved and has given me another son.”
God acted on behalf of Leah.
Leah recognized that God was working in her life.
34 Then she became pregnant a third time and gave birth to another son. He was named Levi, for she said, “Surely this time my husband will feel affection for me, since I have given him three sons!”
- Leah mistakenly thought Jacob would love her if she gave him sons.
35 Once again Leah became pregnant and gave birth to another son. She named him Judah, for she said, “Now I will praise the Lord!” And then she stopped having children.
Judah is an ancestor of Jesus the Messiah
Matthew 1:1-2 & 16 NLT
The Ancestors of Jesus the Messiah
1 This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David and of Abraham:
2 Abraham was the father of Isaac.
Isaac was the father of Jacob.
Jacob was the father of Judah and his brothers.
16 Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Mary gave birth to Jesus, who is called the Messiah.
Luke 3:33-34 (NLT)
33 Nahshon was the son of Amminadab.
Amminadab was the son of Admin.
Admin was the son of Arni.
Arni was the son of Hezron.
Hezron was the son of Perez.
Perez was the son of Judah.
34 Judah was the son of Jacob.
Jacob was the son of Isaac.
Isaac was the son of Abraham.
Abraham was the son of Terah.
Terah was the son of Nahor.
- Jacob is listed in the genealogy of Jesus in both Matthew and Luke.
30:1 When Rachel saw that she wasn’t having any children for Jacob, she became jealous of her sister.
Leviticus 18:18 (NLT)
“While your wife is living, do not marry her sister and have sexual relations with her, for they would be rivals.
- Rachel became jealous of Leah.
She pleaded with Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!”
Women in the Near Eastern culture believed that they were an embarrassment to their husband if they remained childless.
Childless women felt disgraced.
See verse 23:
23 She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. “God has removed my disgrace,” she said.
2 Then Jacob became furious with Rachel. “Am I God?” he asked.
Rachel was devastated and Jacob was deeply frustrated.
- Jacob became furious with Rachel.
“He’s the one who has kept you from having children!”
3 Then Rachel told him, “Take my maid, Bilhah, and sleep with her. She will bear children for me, and through her I can have a family, too.”
This did not work for Abraham and Sarah.
Genesis 16 Sarai and Hagar
- Rachel came up with a plan similar to a plan that did not work out well for Abraham and Sarah.
4 So Rachel gave her servant, Bilhah, to Jacob as a wife, and he slept with her. 5 Bilhah became pregnant and presented him with a son. 6 Rachel named him Dan, for she said, “God has vindicated me! He has heard my request and given me a son.”
Rachel claimed this son as her own.
Rachel named the son.
God has given me a son.
7 Then Bilhah became pregnant again and gave Jacob a second son. 8 Rachel named him Naphtali, for she said, “I have struggled hard with my sister, and I’m winning!”
Winning!!!
- When Bilhah gave Jacob sons, Rachel felt vindicated by God and said she was “winning” in her struggle with Leah.
9 Meanwhile, Leah realized that she wasn’t getting pregnant anymore, so she took her servant, Zilpah, and gave her to Jacob as a wife. 10 Soon Zilpah presented him with a son. 11 Leah named him Gad, for she said, “How fortunate I am!”
Leah claimed Gad as her son.
Leah named the son.
12 Then Zilpah gave Jacob a second son. 13 And Leah named him Asher, for she said, “What joy is mine! Now the other women will celebrate with me.”
Now the other women will celebrate with me.
- Leah was ready to celebrate when Zilpah gave Jacob a second son.
14 One day during the wheat harvest, Reuben found some mandrakes growing in a field and brought them to his mother, Leah. Rachel begged Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”
- Rachel believed mandrakes would help her become pregnant.
(Review Genesis 29:31)
15 But Leah angrily replied, “Wasn’t it enough that you stole my husband? Now will you steal my son’s mandrakes, too?”
Rachel answered, “I will let Jacob sleep with you tonight if you give me some of the mandrakes.”
Simply put, Leah pays Rachel so that Rachel would let her sleep with Jacob.
16 So that evening, as Jacob was coming home from the fields, Leah went out to meet him. “You must come and sleep with me tonight!” she said. “I have paid for you with some mandrakes that my son found.” So that night he slept with Leah. 17 And God answered Leah’s prayers. She became pregnant again and gave birth to a fifth son for Jacob. 18 She named him Issachar, for she said, “God has rewarded me for giving my servant to my husband as a wife.”
19 Then Leah became pregnant again and gave birth to a sixth son for Jacob. 20 She named him Zebulun, for she said, “God has given me a good reward. Now my husband will treat me with respect, for I have given him six sons.”
Now my husband will treat me with respect.
21 Later she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.
22 Then God remembered Rachel’s plight and answered her prayers by enabling her to have children. 23 She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. “God has removed my disgrace,” she said.
God has removed my disgrace.
24 And she named him Joseph, for she said, “May the Lord add yet another son to my family.”
- Joseph became a major figure in the book of Genesis.
Rachel gave birth to Benjamin at a later date, just before her death.
Genesis 35:16-20 (NLT)
16 Leaving Bethel, Jacob and his clan moved on toward Ephrath. But Rachel went into labor while they were still some distance away. Her labor pains were intense. 17 After a very hard delivery, the midwife finally exclaimed, “Don’t be afraid—you have another son!” 18 Rachel was about to die, but with her last breath she named the baby Ben-oni (which means “son of my sorrow”). The baby’s father, however, called him Benjamin (which means “son of my right hand”). 19 So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). 20 Jacob set up a stone monument over Rachel’s grave, and it can be seen there to this day.
