God sovereignly led Jacob to meet Rachel and Laban (29:1-14). After traveling a very long distance, Jacob came to a certain place, supposing it to be the place where his uncle Laban lived. The Bible does not say that Jacob was groping for the right place, moving from one place to another. No, it says that he came to just one place and that he immediately discovered that it was the place where Laban lived. After conversing briefly with some people at the well, Jacob met Rachel, his uncle Laban's daughter. It was sovereign of God that Rachel came and not Leah. We know that this was God's sovereign arrangement because in 28:15 God promised Jacob, saying, "Behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of." God was faithful and kept His word, regulating Jacob's steps and bringing him to Laban's dwelling place. Then God brought Rachel to meet Jacob at the well. In 24:13-32, Rebekah and Laban were met by Isaac's servant. Here Rachel and Laban are met by Jacob himself. In this we see God's sovereignty.
We all are God's chosen ones. If you believe that you are a chosen one of God, then you must believe that whatever happens to you is of God. Whatever happened to us in the past, or is taking place in the present, is of God. Never be discontented with your circumstances. As one of God's chosen ones, your destiny is in God's hand and your destination is under His direction. Your coming into the church life was not an accident. It was brought about by the hand of the God who has chosen you. Not only are we under God's thumb; we are also in His hand. Whenever you are about to deal with something, you will hold it fast in your hand. Do not be afraid of being under God's thumb, for this is a sign that you are in His hand. Simply say, "Praise the Lord! I'm under His thumb and in His hand." As today's Jacobs, we all are in God's hand.
When Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's brother and that he was Rebekah's son, she ran and told her father (29:12). In 29:13 and 14, Laban "ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house." Then Laban said to Jacob, "Surely thou art my bone and my flesh" (29:14). Laban was a politician. After Jacob had stayed with him for a month, Laban, thinking that Jacob should be useful to him, said, "Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? Tell me, what shall thy wages be?" (29:15). Laban was wondering how to catch, keep, and utilize Jacob. No one in the book of Genesis is smarter than Laban. Not even Jacob could outsmart him. Although Jacob was smart, God was smarter and seemed to say, "Jacob, you are smart. But I'll prepare one who is even smarter than you are." Laban was not born accidentally; he was born according to God's preparation for the sake of Jacob's transformation. Before surgery is performed in an operating room, many instruments are prepared. In like manner, Laban, who resembled a curved knife, was prepared for Jacob.
Laban seemed to be saying to Jacob, "You shouldn't serve me for nothing. Tell me what you want as a wage." Jacob, who loved Rachel, was honest with Laban and said, "I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter" (29:18). Love makes people blind and foolish. When I read Jacob's story, I said, "Jacob, you were stupid. You shouldn't have said that you would work seven years for Rachel. You should have said that you would work seven months." How could someone as crafty as Jacob have been so foolish? Because he loved Rachel and wanted to secure her at any cost. However, Jacob also was quite clever, realizing that if he had proposed a short term of employment, Laban would not have agreed to the deal. Therefore, because he was afraid of losing Rachel, Jacob offered to work for Laban for seven years that he might have her as his wife. It is not a small thing to work for such a long period of time. If I had been Jacob, I firstly would have offered to work for seven months and then I would have bargained with Laban about the length of time.
Laban was greedy, robbing his nephew for seven years. The Bible does not say that after the seven years were expired, Laban called Jacob and told him that it was time to marry Rachel. No, it was Jacob who said to Laban, "Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her" (29:21). Jacob seemed to be saying, "Laban, my seven years have been fulfilled. Where is my wife? I have worked for you, and now you must give me my wage." Laban was very smart. After gathering together all the men of that place and making a feast, he took Leah his daughter and brought her to Jacob, "and he went in unto her" (29:22-23). The feast was during the day, but the marriage was at night. That night Laban beguiled Jacob, giving him his elder daughter Leah in place of Rachel. When Jacob discovered the next morning that Laban had cheated him, he said, "What is this thou hast done unto me? Did not I serve with thee for Rachel? Wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?" (29:25). Jacob did not care for Leah, whose eyes were dull; he loved Rachel who was "beautiful of form and beautiful of appearance" (29:17, Heb.). After Jacob had complained to him, Laban said, "It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. Fulfill her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years" (29:26-27). Laban was truly a crooked knife. Nevertheless, Jacob agreed to this arrangement, having been beguiled by Laban to work a total of fourteen years for Rachel, the wife of his preference.
God's sovereign hand was in this situation. Jacob loved Rachel, but God sovereignly kept her away from him. While Jacob did not labor one day for Leah, she was given to him as a free gift, as an addition. In this we see that God will let you have your preference, but you must pay the price for it. Your preference will always cost you a great deal, for besides giving it to you, God will give you an addition. God seemed to be saying, "Jacob, do you love Rachel? I will give her to you, but you must pay the price. After you pay this high price, I shall give you an addition. This addition is according to My will."
Rachel was Jacob's wife according to his choice and preference, but Leah was his wife according to God's concept and will. Proof of this is found in 49:31, where we are told that Jacob buried Leah in the cave of Machpelah, the wonderful cave in which Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Rebekah were buried. Notice that Leah, not Rachel, was buried there. God is consistent. In His eyes there is one wife for one husband. God did not recognize Rachel as Jacob's wife, because she was Jacob's preference. Leah was Jacob's real wife. In addition to giving Jacob his preference, God taught him many lessons. In like manner, you, a worker for the Lord, may prefer to have a certain brother as your co-worker. But that co-worker is selected by you according to your preference, not by God according to His will. Our God is great. If you want your preference, God may say, "I shall let you have your preference. But this is a good opportunity for Me to give you some dealings and transformation and to teach you some lessons. Eventually I shall give you as your real co-worker the one whom I have selected and whom you do not like."
God gave Leah to Jacob. Did Jacob love her? Probably not. In 29:31 we are told that "Leah was hated." Firstly, she was hated by Rachel and then she was hated by Jacob who undoubtedly was influenced by Rachel. Some have taught that God never allows us to have our choice. This teaching is inaccurate. God will permit you to have your choice, but along with it, you will have a certain amount of dealing and transformation.