These are strange verses about how God provided children for barren women, how God used non-marital relationships to conceive babies, and how two sisters kept pace with one another in producing family heirs. As complex as all this is, the story is pulled together in how the infant boys were given names that became the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. (There was also a daughter who was named Dinah.) Are you as mystified by all this as I am? One thing is clear: the work of God and God’s people is beyond my limited ability to understand! How much of this bizarre baby business would have occurred if Leah and Rachel were not competing for Jacob’s attention and affection? Have you ever done something (positive or negative) that you would not have ordinarily done, but you did it because there was someone you wanted to impress? Throughout this account, Rachel and Leah give God credit for good things that happen to them: Genesis 29:32, Genesis 29:33, Genesis 29:35; Genesis 30:6, Genesis 30:18, Genesis 30:20, Genesis 30:23. Do you praise God only when things seem to go your way? When I graduated from college, each graduate was called by name in alphabetical order. When my name was called, there was a tremendous outburst of cheering, clapping, and celebration. I tried to be modest in acknowledging this acclamation. Uh, then I realized that this enthusiasm was not for me. Remember…we were coming down the line in alphabetical order. Right behind me (Joyner) was Sonny Jurgensen and the shouting was for him, a star football player who later made it into the NFL Hall of Fame. Oops. Misunderstanding can lead to embarrassment or error. Do you think Leah and Rachel misunderstood how God was (or was not) at work in their situation? Were they right in giving God the credit and/or blame? This session completes this unit about some of the women who are key players in Genesis. They are not all alike. They are not equally in touch with God. They are not always consistent. These lessons make it clear: women are both gifted and burdened with the human condition. 

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