Encounter at the well

Genesis 29

Jacob & Rachel

The actual encounter is in chapter 29, but there is so much that goes into this story: family life started off so happily for Isaac and Rebekah, then over the years went down hill. It would be funny if it weren’t so sad.

Isaac and Rebekah had two sons. Sadly, the two sons didn’t get along and each parent had a known favorite. Family strife and division was the norm. Esau married two Hittite girls; mom and dad weren’t happy about it either (26:34-35). Then Rebekah and Jacob conspired to steal Isaac’s blessing. Naturally, Esau was a little ticked off about this and threatened to kill Jacob (ch 27), so Rebekah connived again - this time she persuaded Isaac to send Jacob back to her family to get a wife (27:46-28:2), and Isaac sent Jacob off with the Abrahamic blessing (28:3-5). Meanwhile, out of spite, Esau married a girl from Ishmael’s line (28:6-9). 10-22 On his way Jacob had an encounter with God, in which He revealed Himself to Jacob and renewed the covenant of Abraham with him (28:10-22). Whew!

29:1  Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east.
2  And he looked, and behold a well in the field, and, lo, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks: and a great stone was upon the well's mouth.
3  And thither were all the flocks gathered: and they rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again upon the well's mouth in his place.
I like how the Bible often skips over the time factor – it took Jacob nearly as long to get here as it did the servant earlier, but everybody then knew that, so it wasn’t worth stating.
behold a well in the field - We finally get to a well!

4  And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence be ye? And they said, Of Haran are we.
5  And he said unto them, Know ye Laban the son of Nahor? And they said, We know him.
6  And he said unto them, Is he well? And they said, He is well: and, behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep.
7  And he said, Lo, it is yet high day, neither is it time that the cattle should be gathered together: water ye the sheep, and go and feed them.
8  And they said, We cannot, until all the flocks be gathered together, and they roll the stone from the well's mouth; then we water the sheep.
Just as Abraham’s servant, after a long journey Jacob arrives at the right well.
We cannot, until... then – there were rules governing the use of this well. It may have been Laban’s well and they had to wait for Rachel.

9  And while he yet spake with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep: for she kept them.
10  And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother.
Rachel came with her father's sheep: for she kept them – she was the shepherd; women didn't just sit at home and cook and clean.
rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the flock - While the servant sat back and let Rebekah do all the work, here, Jacob does all the work.

11  And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept.
12  And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's brother, and that he was Rebekah's son: and she ran and told her father.
And Jacob kissed Rachel – on the cheek! This is a family reunion.
And Jacob told Rachel – “I am Rebekah’s boy!”
and she ran – these girls were always excited to meet new folks at the well!

13  And it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob his sister's son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things.
14  And Laban said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him the space of a month.
Laban...ran...embraced...kissed, and brought him to his house – “Welcome home, boy.”

This encounter at the well ends here, but the story has just begun to get interesting...

Laban offered to pay Jacob to work with him (14-15). Laban had two daughters, Leah, who was “of no comely countenance” (Josephus), and Rachel, who was “was shapely and beautiful” (Tanakh) (16-17); Jacob offers to work seven years for Rachel. Remember, Jacob had been sent back here to get a wife, well, here is a “beautiful and well favoured” girl. Since Jacob had nothing to offer, he offered his services to Laban. Laban agreed.

Jacob worked his seven years and claims the promise (20-21). Laban prepared a feast and then gave him . . . Leah (22-27)! Jacob has been tricked! He who pulled fast ones on Esau has had one pulled on him. What I don’t understand is how he didn’t know it was Leah until the morning. Josephus said, “Jacob lay with her (Leah) that night, as being both in drink and in the dark.” But still... And, can you imagine being Leah? This story takes such a sad turn here. After his week with Leah, Laban gave him Rachel (28-30). Leah got a feast, Rachel did not; Leah had a week, did Rachel also get a week? and he loved also Rachel more than Leah: this sad state of affairs will cloud the rest of their lives.

31-35 begins, And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated. This does not mean despised, with the emotion we attach to the word hate. Jacob loved Rachel more than he did Leah, and Leah less than Rachel and everybody could see it. Obviously Jacob didn’t despise Leah, he kept visiting her tent! And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated he opened her womb. The Lord took up Leah’s cause and she bore four children, four boys; their names reflect the sadness in Leah’s heart.

This is not a good portrait of Jacob. He appears to be a self-centered man, and not the sharpest tool in the shed – after all, here is a woman who loves him, who wants him, and who keeps bearing him sons, yet he continues to offer her less affection than Rachel. What a sad home. Believe it or not, it gets worse!

What do we learn from this encounter at the well? In itself, not much, but as part of the broader picture, a lot. Jacob is not an example of faith, or lovingkindness, or righteousness, or holiness. While Esau was a profane person, defiled by a root of bitterness, Jacob was a self-centered trickster or supplanter. So this is a picture of grace. Jacob has nothing to commend himself yet he inherits the blessing, he inherits the covenant. Jacob is the father of the twelve tribes purely by God’s grace. And God, by this very grace does a work in Jacob. God will continue to work in him until Jacob becomes a different man: Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. This is the grace that works in us: God takes me just as I am, but He doesn’t leave me just as I am, He transforms me through the power of the cross and of the Holy Spirit. Thank you, Lord!

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord, 
Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt! 
Yonder on Calvary's mount outpoured, 
There where the blood of the Lamb was spilt. 

Grace, grace, God's grace, 
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within; 
Grace, grace, God's grace, 
Grace that is greater than all our sin!