Infertility in Scripture III: Rachel
Rachel
We first meet Rachel in Genesis 29, learning that she is a shepherdess.
Laban has two daughters, Leah and Rachel. Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel is "beautiful in form and appearance," according to verse 17. Jacob falls for the beautiful sister, and he serves Laban for seven years in order to marry her. Unfortunately, Laban tricks him into marrying Leah, saying it is the custom in their land for the older daughter to marry first. Jacob has to live as Leah's husband for one week and then agree to serve Laban for seven more years in order to marry Rachel.
Rachel gets the love of her husband, but...
Rachel has to deal not only with her own infertility but with her rival's almost hyperfertility. In verses 32-35, Leah gives birth to four sons (Reuben, which means "See, a son"; Simeon, which means "heard"; Levi, which means "attached"; and Judah, which means "praise). Leah is rubbing her blessings in the face of her aching sister.
Rachel experiences envy, and in chapter 30, she makes a demand of her husband:
Jacob, knowing well the sovereignty of God, responds angrily (probably not the best way to answer!),
As a compromise, Rachel gives Jacob her maid to sleep with. Bilhah gives birth to two sons in Rachel's stead (Dan, which means "judged," and Naphtali, which means "wrestling"; both of these names are also used in this game of one-upmanship between the sisters).
Leah then, because she seems to be experiencing a sort of secondary infertility (!), gives Jacob her servant to have more children with. The products of Jacob's times with Zilpah are Gad ("good fortune") and Asher ("happy").
[Rachel, like Sarah, took her own route to conception rather than just trusting in God's will. Bringing in the servants as concubines probably wasn't the wisest course of action, as it spread Jacob even thinner, if you will.]
We then read that Rachel asks Leah for some mandrakes Reuben had brought in from the field. Leah, still burning with jealousy that Jacob loves Rachel more, demands that she be allowed to sleep once more with Jacob. Obviously, it's more than once, as Leah then gives birth to Issachar ("wages") and Zebulun ("honor") and a daughter Dinah ("God has judged").
Leah believes (and her culture agrees) that because she has given her husband more children, she has been judged more favorably than her sister. Score: Leah 8 sons & 1 daughter (incl. with the servant), Rachel 2 sons (only from the servant)
Finally, finally, finally!!
(The name Joseph is sort of a pun, as it means "may He add" and sounds like "taken away.")
Some time later, Rachel again conceives a son. However, this time it doesn't end well.
The later mentions of Rachel in Scripture speak of her lamenting for her children, refusing to be comforted. I find it really striking that her desire for children was appeased (by Joseph and later Benjamin, whom she did not get to enjoy) but she was not truly comforted as her descendents were later captured and in some cases killed.
My study Bible points out that Rachel was attempting to earn something she already had: undying love from Jacob. It didn't matter to him whether she gave him sons; he loved her completely. It didn't matter to him how many sons Leah gave him; he couldn't ever love her. The bio on Rachel draws a parallel between this and God's love for us. There's nothing we can do to earn it; He loves us unconditionally. All we have to do is accept it.
We first meet Rachel in Genesis 29, learning that she is a shepherdess.
While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she was a shepherdess. 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. Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud. 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.
Laban has two daughters, Leah and Rachel. Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel is "beautiful in form and appearance," according to verse 17. Jacob falls for the beautiful sister, and he serves Laban for seven years in order to marry her. Unfortunately, Laban tricks him into marrying Leah, saying it is the custom in their land for the older daughter to marry first. Jacob has to live as Leah's husband for one week and then agree to serve Laban for seven more years in order to marry Rachel.
Rachel gets the love of her husband, but...
When the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.
Rachel has to deal not only with her own infertility but with her rival's almost hyperfertility. In verses 32-35, Leah gives birth to four sons (Reuben, which means "See, a son"; Simeon, which means "heard"; Levi, which means "attached"; and Judah, which means "praise). Leah is rubbing her blessings in the face of her aching sister.
Rachel experiences envy, and in chapter 30, she makes a demand of her husband:
"Give me children, or I shall die!"
Jacob, knowing well the sovereignty of God, responds angrily (probably not the best way to answer!),
"Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?"
As a compromise, Rachel gives Jacob her maid to sleep with. Bilhah gives birth to two sons in Rachel's stead (Dan, which means "judged," and Naphtali, which means "wrestling"; both of these names are also used in this game of one-upmanship between the sisters).
Leah then, because she seems to be experiencing a sort of secondary infertility (!), gives Jacob her servant to have more children with. The products of Jacob's times with Zilpah are Gad ("good fortune") and Asher ("happy").
[Rachel, like Sarah, took her own route to conception rather than just trusting in God's will. Bringing in the servants as concubines probably wasn't the wisest course of action, as it spread Jacob even thinner, if you will.]
We then read that Rachel asks Leah for some mandrakes Reuben had brought in from the field. Leah, still burning with jealousy that Jacob loves Rachel more, demands that she be allowed to sleep once more with Jacob. Obviously, it's more than once, as Leah then gives birth to Issachar ("wages") and Zebulun ("honor") and a daughter Dinah ("God has judged").
Leah believes (and her culture agrees) that because she has given her husband more children, she has been judged more favorably than her sister. Score: Leah 8 sons & 1 daughter (incl. with the servant), Rachel 2 sons (only from the servant)
Finally, finally, finally!!
Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb. She conceived and bore a son and said, "God has taken away my reproach." And she called his name Joseph, saying, "May the LORD add to me another son!"
(The name Joseph is sort of a pun, as it means "may He add" and sounds like "taken away.")
Some time later, Rachel again conceives a son. However, this time it doesn't end well.
And when her labor was at its hardest, the midwife said to her, "Do not fear, for you have another son." And as her soul was departing (for she was dying), she called his name Ben-oni ["son of my sorrow" or "son of my strength"]; but his father called him Benjamin ["son of the right hand"]. So Rachel died, and she was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem) ....
The later mentions of Rachel in Scripture speak of her lamenting for her children, refusing to be comforted. I find it really striking that her desire for children was appeased (by Joseph and later Benjamin, whom she did not get to enjoy) but she was not truly comforted as her descendents were later captured and in some cases killed.
My study Bible points out that Rachel was attempting to earn something she already had: undying love from Jacob. It didn't matter to him whether she gave him sons; he loved her completely. It didn't matter to him how many sons Leah gave him; he couldn't ever love her. The bio on Rachel draws a parallel between this and God's love for us. There's nothing we can do to earn it; He loves us unconditionally. All we have to do is accept it.
