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Daily Devotions

Genesis

Genesis 
Day 
Day 223

"Hear my prayer, O Lord, And let my cry come to You." Psalm 102:1

Text: Genesis 30:1-43

THE THIRD WIFE

What was in Jacob’s mind when he agreed to take on Bilhah as the third wife? Had he not personally experienced the problems that always arose from multiple marriages? If there had been any disagreement between Rachel and Jacob concerning childbearing, she won the argument.

“Then she gave him Bilhah her maid as wife,
and Jacob went in to her. And Bilhah conceived
and bore Jacob a son. Then Rachel said,
‘God has judged my case; and He has also heard my voice
and given me a son.’ Therefore she called his name Dan.”

GENESIS 30:4-6

There were now five sons born to Jacob. The fifth one was called “Dan” which means “judge” because Rachel felt that God had judged and had vindicated her cause! (This was essentially her personal assumption)!


ANOTHER SON FOR JACOB FROM BILHAH

Rachel was of course not satisfied with just one son! Leah had four sons! She must have more! Spurred by her own reasoning that God was on her side, she persuaded Jacob to have more children through Bilhah.

“And Rachel’s maid Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob
a second son. Then Rachel said, ‘With great wrestlings
I have wrestled with my sister, and indeed I have prevailed.’
So she called his name Naphtali.”

GENESIS 30:7-8

Rachel seemed conscious of only one thing – that she was wrestling with her sister. She determined to win this wrestling competition. If she could not give to Jacob children from her own womb, then Bilhah her maid, would do that on her behalf! It would all be legal and proper!


REFUSING TO BE OUTDONE

Rachel had failed to consider one important thing. Her sister could copy her action. She too had a maid! Could she not persuade Jacob to marry a fourth wife?

“When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing,
she took Zilpah her maid and gave her to Jacob as wife.”

GENESIS 30:9

Leah knew that she had to do something as drastic! She knew that Jacob was naturally inclined to Rachel. What if her sister’s maid really could equal the number of sons she bore to Jacob? Would that cause Jacob to drift even further away from her? That was unthinkable! She worked on persuading Jacob to receive Zilpah as his fourth wife, so that she could have even more sons!