The Wait

After Jacob had stayed with Laban a month, Laban said to him, "Just because you are my relative, should you work for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be."
Now Laban had two daughters: the older was names Leah, and the younger named Rachel. Leah had ordinary eyes, but Rachel had shapely beautiful eyes. Jacob loved Rachel, so he answered Laban, I'll work for you for seven years for your younger daughter Rachel." Genesis 29:14-18

Fancy volunteering to work 7 years for a wife. What possessed Jacob to be so generous? Jacob would have been close to 50 when he married. What restraint! Definitely not a modern man.

The seven years later became a time period that as slave would work for his master before being freed.

What does this teach us? Was there a code of conduct that has been lost? How would Jacob gotten to know Rachel in 7 years? I imagine quite well. They would have worked together with the sheep. Living outside in fresh air, working and communicating, I imagine they would have had a good seven years together.

Yet scripture tells us that although there were seven years to wait to marry Rachel they flew because Jacob was in love with Rachel.

Waiting does not hurt. Waiting and getting to know a potential spouse has it's benefits.

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