​

Ask God: Rachel's life was filled with love as well as hardship. She was barren for many years which brought reproach to her. But she endured and she had two sons: Joseph and Benjamin. They were central to God's purpose for Israel.

Good Evening Reader,

Our lesson teaches us to endure whatever necessary to accomplish God's plans and purpose. Rachel endured much hardship but Jacob's love and the love of God carried her through.

May God bless you and keep you in His love.

All Glory to God.

Elvin

The Story of Rachel and Its Impact on All Believers

Text: Genesis 29 and 30

Rachel’s Beauty and Jacob’s Love

Rachel’s story in Genesis is both beautiful and heartbreaking.

When Jacob fled to Haran after deceiving his brother Esau, he came to the well where he first saw Rachel. Scripture says, “Rachel was beautiful of form and appearance” (Genesis 29:17), and Jacob immediately loved her.

Since he had no dowry to offer, he agreed to serve Rachel’s father, Laban, for seven years for her hand in marriage. Laban was also Rebekah’s brother. Yet on the wedding night, Laban deceived Jacob by giving him Leah instead.

When Jacob confronted him, Laban demanded another seven years of service for Rachel’s hand. Out of deep love, Jacob agreed, and thus Rachel became his cherished wife. Her story reminds us that God’s plan often unfolds through both joy and trials.

Jacob Fled to Haran to Avoid His Brother’s Fiery Wrath

Jacob’s journey to Haran was not born out of romance, but rather from a broken family relationship. With the help of his mother, Rebekah, he deceived his father, Isaac. He stole the blessing meant for his older brother, Esau (Genesis 27:30–35).

Esau’s fury grew so intense that Rebekah urged Jacob to flee to Haran for safety. What began as an escape soon became the setting for God’s unfolding plan.

At a well in Haran, Jacob met Rachel, Laban’s younger daughter, and was captivated by her beauty. Having no wealth to offer, Jacob pledged seven years of labor for her hand. His devotion was so deep that “they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her” (Genesis 29:20).

From this household of rivalry, God would raise the twelve tribes of Israel, proving that even human deception cannot hinder His covenant plan.

Overcoming Hardship in Relationships

Yet Rachel’s life was not without hardship. She became caught in a rivalry with her sister Leah, struggled with years of barrenness, and later died giving birth to her youngest son, Benjamin. Her tears echoed through history, remembered by the prophet Jeremiah as a picture of Israel’s sorrow: “Rachel weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted” (Jeremiah 31:15).

Still, Rachel’s story points us to God’s greater purposes. Her sons, Joseph and Benjamin, played vital roles in Israel’s history. Through her sorrow, God worked redemption, reminding us that He weaves beauty out of brokenness.

What does Jacob’s sacrifice for Rachel teach us about the depth of true love?

Rachel’s Beauty and Jacob’s Love

Rachel stands out in Scripture for her beauty and the extraordinary love Jacob had for her. When Jacob first met her, he rolled away the stone from the well and watered her sheep. Captivated by Rachel, Jacob wanted her for his wife.

This picture of love reminds us of the qualities Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 13:4–7: “Love is patient and kind… it bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” Jacob’s willingness to wait and work speaks to the truth that real love is more than feelings.

Rachel’s beauty captured Jacob’s eye, but it was his devotion that revealed the depth of his heart. Their story encourages us to measure love not by what it receives but by what it gives. True love reflects God’s own nature, who gave His Son for us out of perfect love.

Rachel’s Barrenness and Desperate Cry

Rachel’s beauty and favored position did not spare her from sorrow. While Leah bore sons to Jacob, Rachel remained childless. Her anguish spilled into desperate words to Jacob: “Give me children, or I shall die!” (Genesis 30:1). This cry echoes the pain of other barren women in Scripture—Sarah and Hannah—whose longing for children drove them to prayer and dependence on God.

Jacob, frustrated by Rachel’s demand, reminded her that it was God alone who could grant life. This truth still stands today: only God is the giver of life and the fulfiller of promises. For years, Rachel waited in disappointment until Scripture tells us, “Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb.” She gave birth to Joseph, saying, “God has taken away my reproach” (Genesis 30:23).

Joseph’s life became a testimony of God’s sovereign plan, for through him, Israel was saved during a famine. Rachel’s waiting reminds us that delays are not always denials. As Psalm 34:17–18 assures, “When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them… The LORD is near to the brokenhearted.”

Rachel’s Death

Rachel’s final chapter is filled with both joy and sorrow. While traveling near Bethlehem, she went into hard labor with her second son. As she breathed her last, she named him Ben-oni—“son of my sorrow.” But Jacob renamed him Benjamin, “son of the right hand” (Genesis 35:16–19). Rachel was buried there, and her tomb became a landmark in Israel’s history.

Yet her influence lived on. Centuries later, Jeremiah invoked her memory: “A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children” (Jeremiah 31:15). This imagery captured Israel’s grief during exile but also pointed to hope: “There is hope for your future, declares the LORD, and your children shall come back to their own country” (Jeremiah 31:17).

Rachel’s death was tragic, but her legacy is profound. Spiritually, her story testifies that God redeems grief and uses even sorrow to point us to Christ.

Summary: Rachel’s Life and Legacy

Rachel’s life is a blend of beauty, love, and loss—yet it also shines with God’s faithfulness. She was deeply loved by Jacob (Genesis 29:20), yet burdened by barrenness and jealousy. Her desperate prayers were answered with the birth of Joseph. Her life ended in sorrow as she gave birth to Benjamin and was buried near Bethlehem.

But Rachel’s story does not end with her death. Her tears became a symbol of Israel’s grief, remembered by Jeremiah (31:15). Yet God promised that mourning would one day be turned into joy (Jeremiah 31:16–17). This promise finds its fulfillment in Christ, who declared, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4).

Rachel’s legacy endures through her children, Joseph and Benjamin, whose tribes became central in Israel’s history. More importantly, her story points us to a God who hears the cries of the desperate and brings hope. In Christ, every tear will one day be wiped away. Rachel reminds us that God’s purposes shine through both joy and sorrow.

Rachel’s story encourages us to trust God in times of grief and loss.

Elvin

​

Rachel and Joseph at the Well.

Ask God For Help

Christian faith

Reader,

Hosea said his people were destroyed for lack of knowledge. Knowledge give believers and non-believers a choice. When a person does not know, they cannot choose.

Feel free to forward this lesson to your friends and family.

Grow in the knowledge of God.

Elvin

Send your comments to elvin.aycock@AskGodForHelp.net and let me know what you think of the lessons.

Go to: www.AskGodForHelp.net

To See More Living Life Lessons

​

​