Genesis 30: 14-18: “And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son’s mandrakes. And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son’s mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy son’s mandrakes. And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have hired thee with my son’s mandrakes. And he lay with her that night. And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son. And Leah said, God hath given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband: and she called his name Issachar.”
This episode is the end point of all the tricks that Reuben’s grandfather played. He established a family that was based on conflict and everyone else involved decided that conflict was the only way to live. They were all more concerned about themselves than they were about compassion and considering the needs of another person. Poor Rachel had no son to find her tasty fruit in the field so she gave what she had to get what she wanted. After this another son was born. How sad for her son to be called her son “hire”. Hoe would always be reminded of the conflict in his family. This reminds us that we choose consequences when we choose behaviour even if we don’t think about all the consequences at the time we choose the behaviour. This reminds us of Galatians 6: 7 “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”
(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
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