Genesis 29:20: “And Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed only a few days to him because of the love he had for her.”

October 14th, 2022 by Pastor Ed in devotional

The love story of Jacob and Rachel is among the most colorful in all of Scripture, and in some ways reads like a romantic fairy tale. There are many noteworthy aspects of the story but one that is displayed most clearly is commitment. Jacob’s loving actions went way beyond simple lip service. He did something few of us in the 21st century would even consider. Jacob worked 7 years for the sake of the person he loved. In our day of instant communication and even more instantaneous decisions, regarding all kinds of intimacy and relationships, waiting 7 years is hard to imagine. Tragically, at the end of 7 years, because of an ancient custom, he was tricked into marrying not the object of his devotion but her older sister.

The irony is that the trickster was tricked; the deceiver was deceived. The younger brother who took the place of the older brother found the younger sister he loved replaced by the older sister. It’s hard to read this story without thinking of the old saying, “What goes around comes around.” But that did not deter Jacob’s commitment, and he agreed to another 7 years of labor for his love. As married believers, couples are called to love their spouses as Jesus Christ loves the church. How much does Jesus love the church? He loves the church so much that He gave Himself upon the cross that we could enjoy an eternal marriage to Him as His bride. Many say they would take a bullet for their spouse but few consider doing the dishes or the laundry for them as laying down their life. Serve one another.

“LORD, help us to lay down our life and serve others today in a fresh new way.”