Bible Summary:

Since Jacob loves Leah less, the Lord gives her children but not Rachel.  Leah has four sons, including Reuben, and expects Jacob to love her more after each one.

Jealous Rachel tells Jacob to give her children.  He erupts that God is to blame for her lack of children.  Rachel gives Jacob her slave Bilhah so she can have a child and ends up with two sons.  Not to be one-upped, once Leah stops having children she gives Jacob her slave Zilpah who then has two sons.

One day, Rachel asks Reuben for some mandrakes.  Leah complains that she has already taken her husband.  Rachel bargains a night with Jacob for the mandrakes.  Leah becomes pregnant again with a son and later has another and a daughter.

Then God answers Rachel’s prayers and gives her a son, Joseph.

My Thoughts:

Change Fallacy: Expecting someone in your life to change after some significant event is achieved is a recipe for heartbreak.  That person has likely been that way their whole life and will not change unless they choose to change.  Your choices are: (1) talk to the person about the issue and ask if they will change, (2) accept the person for who they are, foibles and all, or (3) leave the situation.

I suspect that second marriages are more successful because people learn the grass is not always greener.  Having been through it once before, they realize nobody is perfect and then accept those foibles.  So, take a deep breath and try to look beyond those idiosyncrasies, try to find those reasons you got married in the first place and nurture them.  Try to talk.

Blaming God: This story blames God for controlling Rachel’s ability to have children.  We all like to blame God for our misfortune.  Why doesn’t He give us what we want so badly right when we pray for it?  I love the movie Bruce Almighty when he says “Yes” to all the prayers and chaos ensures.  Sometimes your prayers are answered later, maybe years later.  Other times they are not answered but something even better happens.  Try not to blame God next time, but look for the reason.  What are you supposed to learn?  And by all means, thank God when your prayers come true.