Lessons on Love & Life

GETTING STARTED

Romeo and Juliet. Antony and Cleopatra. The Prince and Cinderella. We all love a good love story. They captivate and inspire the ideal of romance. In today’s passage, we read about the beginning of a love story with Jacob and Rachel. He met her at the same place his grandfather, Abraham, sent his servant to find a wife for Jacob’s dad, Isaac (Genesis 24). Years later, Jacob found himself in the same position and in the same place to receive the same promise of God’s blessing.

  • Think of a time when you had to wait for something good that you kind of doubted would ever happen. What was it like when it finally happened?

READ THE WORD: GENESIS 29:1-14 (ESV)

29:1 Then Jacob went on his journey and came to the land of the people of the east. 2 As he looked, he saw a well in the field, and behold, three flocks of sheep lying beside it, for out of that well the flocks were watered. The stone on the well’s mouth was large, 3 and when all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep, and put the stone back in its place over the mouth of the well.

4 Jacob said to them, “My brothers, where do you come from?” They said, “We are from Haran.”5 He said to them, “Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?” They said, “We know him.” 6 He said to them, “Is it well with him?” They said, “It is well; and see, Rachel his daughter is coming with the sheep!” 7 He said, “Behold, it is still high day; it is not time for the livestock to be gathered together. Water the sheep and go, pasture them.” 8 But they said, “We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together and the stone is rolled from the mouth of the well; then we water the sheep.”

9 While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess. 10 Now as soon as Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, Jacob came near and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother. 11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud. 12 And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s kinsman, and that he was Rebekah’s son, and she ran and told her father.

13 As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he ran to meet him and embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Jacob told Laban all these things, 14 and Laban said to him, “Surely you are my bone and my flesh!” And he stayed with him a month.

English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

DIGGING DEEPER

Jacob had a dramatic visit from God in Genesis 28:10-17 and experienced significant life-change—he received from God the promise of blessing he had so longed for. We also learned in Genesis 28:1-5 that Jacob received instruction from his father on who he should marry: the daughter of his mother’s brother, Laban. 

  1. How did Jacob learn of Rachel’s identity in Genesis 29:1-14? 
  2. How did Jacob respond when he saw Rachel?
  3. Based on the significant promises God made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, why would Jacob’s meeting Rachel have been emotionally charged (vs. 11)?
  4. How was Jacob meeting Rachel a reaffirmation of God’s promise? What qualities of God are reflected in this meeting? 
  5. In light of where you are today in your spiritual journey, what promise of God do you need to embrace?

RESPOND TO GOD

Jacob meeting Rachel was the unfolding of God’s promise to him. The beginning of Jacob’s love story with Rachel was fueled by little more than God’s presence and the assurance that Jacob would receive blessing. Out of God’s great kindness, Jacob received astounding affirmation of the promise of God in chapter 28; and then in these verses, he received a subtle, yet powerful, affirmation that, as it was with Abraham and Issac, his father, it would be for him.

  • Talk to God about the state of your faith and ask him for faith to trust in him to accomplish what he has promised.