seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Genesis 29:1 Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples. 2 There he saw a well in the open country, with three flocks of sheep lying near it because the flocks were watered from that well. The stone over the mouth of the well was large. 3 When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone away from the well’s mouth and water the sheep. Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well.
4 Jacob asked the shepherds, “My brothers, where are you from?”
“We’re from Harran,” they replied.
5 He said to them, “Do you know Laban, Nahor’s grandson?”
“Yes, we know him,” they answered.
6 Then Jacob asked them, “Is he well?”
“Yes, he is,” they said, “and here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep.”
7 “Look,” he said, “the sun is still high; it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. Water the sheep and take them back to pasture.”
8 “We can’t,” they replied, “until all the flocks are gathered and the stone has been rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we will water the sheep.”
9 While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherd. 10 When Jacob saw Rachel daughter of his uncle Laban, and Laban’s sheep, he went over and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle’s sheep. 11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep aloud. 12 He had told Rachel that he was a relative of her father and a son of Rebekah. So she ran and told her father.
13 As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he hurried to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his home, and there Jacob told him all these things. 14 Then Laban said to him, “You are my own flesh and blood.”
Here's the link to the commentary I read.
Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice and wept: Initially, Rachel must have been quite surprised when a man she never met before greeted her, kissed her, then cried out and wept.
Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s relative: Rachel had been told about her aunt Rebekah, who married a wealthy and distant relative to the family.
He stayed with him for a month: Laban showed this great hospitality, not only because of custom, and not only because Jacob was his nephew; Laban also knew that Jacob would inherit a significant fortune from his father Isaac.
I've been through the Bible a couple times on-line, and I don't know how many times in churches, but I don't remember reading and studying this before. Hmmm.Before I get into my view of the verses.... Look at verse 8. The commentary doesn't say anything about it.... but when I read it this morning it sent off all kinds of sirens. They all had to wait, until everyone had arrived, to open the well and water the sheep. I heard something like that before in Sunday School. The reason the earth is still waiting for Jesus to make His Second appearance is.... Not everyone has arrived. Well, that's prophetic!
OK back to the verses... The first 7 verses are about Jacob finding his family in the middle of the desert with no street signs or highway markers. Guess that proves God had something to do with this. Jacob was traveling to escape the murderous rage of his brother, to the home of his uncle. He'd never met his uncle, nor had he been to his uncle's town. He did not have street signs, highway markers, or mailboxes displaying names to go by. Remember... He didn't have a knapsack and he used a rock for a pillow. He just "happened on" the right well???? I don't think so! Even a sceptic has to see that God's hand is in this.
Check out verse 11. Rachel got kissed, and he sobbed on her shoulder. He was a perfect stranger. She would have known about him... and his mom... but only in conversation. There was no facial recognition software, or cameras, back then. The family didn't gather at Thanksgiving or Christmas or Easter or Birthdays like we do. They couldn't take the time to walk to each other's houses. They didn't have Vista Cruisers to turn to in vacation mode. They had to walk. They were shepherds and they had to bring the sheep with them when they went on any trip. This guy came out of nowhere, claimed to be Rachel's cousin and then grabbed her and kissed her! Sure, she ran home to tell her dad!
Verses 13 & 14 seem to show a loving family opening their home to this stranger on his word that he was the son of Rebekah and Isaac. The commentary doesn't shed such a warm family moment. The commentary says Laban knew Isaac had a lot of money and Isaac would inherit it. Laban knew he would get a sizable dowery for his daughter.... [or maybe his daughters].
So, someone send a messenger to Rebekah. Her son made it to his uncle Laban's house. He would have a pillow to lay his head on tonight.
Now... If Laban was Rebekah's brother, Rachel would be Jacob's first cousin.
This story is about Jacob making it to his uncle's home safely.
It's also about ..... Kissing Cousins!!!!
