Genesis 30:16, Helping God

“So when Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him. “You must sleep with me,” she said. “I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So he slept with her that night”.

We should get one thing straight: Chicanery in the name of God’s will should never be equated with God’s will. In other words, God willed that Abraham be the father of many nations. This doesn’t mean that God willed the activities in this chapter that produced twelve children.

God was highly invested so He was going to work with the consequences of Jacob and Rachel and Leah’s actions. This happens all the time. We misbehave, things work out OK and we convince ourselves its God’s will.

When I read through this chapter I can’t help but observe that 12 children was more the result of human intent than Divine intent. I doubt God needed 12 tribes to satisfy the Abrahamic covenant. This should be a word of caution…positive results are not a dependable measure of the holiness of our conduct. Sometimes they are only a measure of God’s intent on getting His way in spite of us.

It’s a nice “fallback” strategy but not one we should be proud of.

Live boldly out there today…