Rachel gives Birth to Two Sons

God Blesses and Recreates

God Blesses Jacob and Rachel

Genesis 30:22-24; 35:16-22 The Message

22-24 And then God remembered Rachel. God listened to her and opened her womb. She became pregnant and had a son. She said, “God has taken away my humiliation.” She named him Joseph (Add), praying, “May God add yet another son to me.”
16-17 They left Bethel. They were still quite a ways from Ephrath when Rachel went into labor—hard, hard labor. When her labor pains were at their worst, the midwife said to her, “Don’t be afraid—you have another boy.”
18 With her last breath, for she was now dying, she named him Ben-oni (Son-of-My-Pain), but his father named him Ben-jamin (Son-of-Good-Fortune).
19-20 Rachel died and was buried on the road to Ephrath, that is, Bethlehem. Jacob set up a pillar to mark her grave. It is still there today, “Rachel’s Grave Stone.”
21-22 Israel kept on his way and set up camp at Migdal Eder. While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went and slept with his father’s concubine, Bilhah. And Israel heard of what he did.

For Reflection

Life is messy. Balancing our ego-driven motives with more altruistic ones is a constant struggle. It is the basis of our most frequent sufferings. Perhaps through the story of Jacob and Laban, we can begin to understand that the will of God persists.  And then these stories of intrigue, treachery, and betrayal become a source of hope.  Through the joy and suffering, we see the guiding hand of God and the power in the freedom to choose God's will. 

Pray

Pray so that you perceive life's challenges and uncertainties as opportunities to choose love over hate and compassion over the treacherous betrayal of God's saving grace.

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