I had the privilege of attending a conference where Jentezen Franklin – pastor of the famous Free Chapel congregation in Gainesville, Georgia – was a guest speaker. He took his text from Genesis 29:15-30, the story chronicling Jacob’s weddings to Leah and Rachel. He highlighted the fact that Jacob was so madly in love with Rachel that he was willing to work seven years to earn her hand in marriage, and an additional seven when his original plan failed. Leah was forced on him; Laban had snuck her into his life behind a heavily donned veil of deception and tradition. Jacob’s love-struck dream turned into a hellish nightmare the morning following his wedding when he rolled over in bed, expecting to see his beautiful, beloved Rachel. Instead, he discovered the unsightly, cross-eyed Leah!
“What are you doing here?” he must have cried out in horror.
Leah may have calmly replied, “The same thing I was doing when we consummated our marriage last night – laying on our bed.”
“C-c-c-consummated our marriage?” he repeated weakly, a hollow feeling forming in the pit of his stomach. “But I married Rachel ……!”, his voice trailed off in incredulity as stark realization hit him.
She shrugged nonchalantly as she examined her long, brightly polished nails, “You should have worked out all those details before the ceremony took place yesterday; it’s a bit late for that now.” She held out her slender arm, displaying her ring-adorned finger. Jacob groaned inwardly. The ring she held out for his inspection was indeed the very one he had carefully sought and bought with great excitement and anticipation – for Rachel. He had lovingly and tenderly placed it on her finger the evening before as they exchanged vows, caressing her hand as he pressed it to his lips. Except it had been Leah all along, not his beloved Rachel. His heart sank. What had he done?
In the record time it took to jump hastily out of bed, throw on some clothes, and race from the elaborately decorated wedding suite through Laban’s vast estate towards his office buildings, Jacob’s mind had replayed the wedding ceremony a thousand times over. How had this happened? Was it some cruel, twisted joke – perhaps one of their country’s celebratory customs? Somehow, he didn’t think so.
Why had Laban done this? Was it a mistake or done deliberately? Had he planned the switch all along? Why hadn’t he, Jacob, insisted on lifting the veil last night to ensure it was his precious Rachel, even though it was against their custom? Had Laban suddenly experienced a brain infarct and mistaken Leah for Rachel?
No, impossible! No one could mistake Leah for Rachel! They were as different as night and day – Rachel, with her stunning beauty, luscious curves, vivacious personality, and sparkling eyes; Leah with her plain features, thin, almost gaunt frame, boring, sour disposition, and sullen, cross-eyed stare, unbecomingly amplified by the large garish spectacles she often wore. That was one mistake not even a blind man could make! So why hadn’t he figured it out the night before? He should have been able to tell the difference, even in the dark. Had he been so inebriated with the rich wine he had so liberally ingested, and with his own sense of exhilaration and excitement that he had made the biggest mistake of his life? How could he have been so stupid?
Laban’s hands were held up in treaty as Jacob stormed into his office. “What have you done Laban? Why did you do this to me? Where is Rachel?”
Laban replied calmly, “I know what you must be thinking Jacob, but I had no choice. By the laws of the land, the elder daughter must always be married off first before the younger can be given away.”
“But why didn’t you tell me all this before?” Jacob cried, sinking into the nearest seat, head held in dejected disbelief with both hands as though fielding off a massive migraine. “You know I love Rachel. You know she’s the one I want. I’ve worked hard for her all these years. I can’t marry Leah, I won’t; give me my Rachel!”
In one glib movement, Laban rose from his desk and sauntered over to Jacob, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. He said cheerfully, “Ah, but you shall have her my friend; you shall have them both! Two are better than one, are they not?” He winked as he laughed coarsely at his seemingly clever joke.
Jacob couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He looked up at Laban in confusion. “Both of them? But Rachel is the one I want!”
“And indeed, you shall have her”, Laban replied smoothly. “You shall have them both. Here’s what we’ll do – fulfill the custom of the land by completing your one-week honeymoon with Leah. At the end of the week, we’ll have another wedding. This time, Rachel shall indeed be yours, but you’ll have to work another seven years for her.”
“I don’t care about that!”, Jacob replied feverishly. “I’ll work another fourteen years for her if I must! Just make good on your word this time Laban; no funny tricks!”
“Oh, I will,” Laban replied, a sly glint in his eye, “I will”.1
Pastor Franklin likened this undoubtedly earth-shattering scenario to a believer’s journey through life. Jacob represents believers when they first get introduced and besotted with Jesus. Rachel represents Jesus and all the benefits of knowing Him – the very best of all God has for His people, quantitatively and qualitatively. Leah represents the unwanted, unplanned circumstances of life; things never bargained for, situations that life sneaks upon us and forces us to grapple with. She represents the less, while Rachel represents the best.
Like Jacob, genuine believers fall radically in love with Jesus and will do anything to secure His presence and purpose for their lives. They become filled with God-inspired visions and dreams. No price is too high or sacrifice too great to enjoy their beloved Savior and the promise of a glorious future with Him. But somewhere in the process of time, the cares of this world, the busyness of life, the unexpected challenges, disappointments, failures, and disillusionment set in, and one day, they wake up and behold! They’re in bed with Leah – that which they never planned or bargained for; negative circumstances never imagined! The paradise-filled, Jesus-inspired dreams, visions, and aspirations they had so ardently pursued have turned into pandemonium. They have become bedfellows with situations that are not necessarily of their own doing, things they did not desire or aspire to. They find themselves sleeping with the enemy, laying in the lowlands, dwelling in the doldrums – consorting with the less instead of collaborating with and achieving the best.
Pastor Franklin asserts that it is not unusual to find oneself in such situations; indeed, the road of life is fraught with many unexpected twists and turns, some desirable, and others not.
Enduring unpleasant and undesired situations for a season is often necessary for the achievement of one’s dreams. Despite being undesirable and the result of an unfortunate happening in Jacob’s life, Leah went on to bear seven out of Jacob’s thirteen children, an amazing testament to God’s justice and faithfulness to the down-trodden, as well as to His ability to bring beauty from ashes2 and triumph out of tragedy3.
Enduring and rightly responding in seasons like these help forge godly character and better prepare us for destiny, but we are not to park there! We are not to settle for the lesser, base things of life. We are not to accept these situations as our enduring fate or lot in life, ultimate destination, or the best that is available to us. These valleys of life are intended as transient passage ways, not permanent camp grounds!
The psalmist poetically paints the intended outcome of life’s journey with his usual artistic flair, “As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a spring … They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion.”4
Zion is the mountain of God, symbolic of God’s tangible and enveloping presence. It represents the high places of life, God’s ultimate for His people. As far as the Bible is concerned, it is par for the course that every believer who perpetually dwells in God’s presence eventually arrives at the high places of life. The valley of weeping and hard places (Baca) is just temporary; Zion is the final destination! So don’t wallow in the mire of past or present mishaps, mistakes, or failures. Don’t lay in the dust of shattered dreams and expectations! Prophet Isaiah exhorts, “Awake, awake! Put on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful garments … Shake yourself from the dust, arise … Loose yourself from the bonds of your neck, O captive daughter of Zion!”5
We must therefore contend earnestly for that fervor-fueled faith we once placed in Christ6; those visions and dreams we once had, those passions and desires that once drove us. We must press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus7; that outstanding life He has for us. We must resist the urge to settle for and accept as norms those suboptimal circumstances of our lives that try to keep us pegged to one spot. We must reach for the stars, glide in the skies, and soar above the clouds, pressing in for the best, as opposed to settling for less. We must insist on Rachel rather than settling for Leah.
We must be willing to go that extra mile, pay that extra price, work that extra job, give that extra offering, endure that additional inconvenience, make that extra effort, take that additional risk, offer that first apology, proffer that conflict resolution strategy – to see those God-inspired dreams come to pass. Decline half measures, cheap imitations, counterfeit climates. Refuse to manage the marginal, tolerate the threadbare, live with the lack-luster, hang with a hampered and directionless herd. Reject the temptation to resign yourself to a mundane life, a mediocre marriage, an average attitude, and a middle-of-the-road mindset. Vehemently defy the lure to an inferior lifestyle, a menial mentality, or a less-than-satisfactory walk with God. Press in for the extraordinary so you can experience the exceptional life God has for you. Don’t settle for the less, press in for the best!
1Genesis 29:21-26 (The Holy Bible, My Paraphrase)
2Isaiah 61:2-3
32 Corinthians 2:14
4Psalm 84:6-7 (The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright ©1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.)
5Isaiah 52:1-2 (The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright ©1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.)
6Jude 1:3
7Philippians 3:14