Page:An Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1828) vol 1.djvu/191

Rh and tender mercy. Her fourth she called Judah, Praise, saying, Now will I praise the Lord, v. 35. And this was he, of whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ came. Note, (1.) Whatever is the matter of our rejoicing, ought to be the matter of our thanksgiving: fresh favours should quicken us to praise God for former favours. Now will I praise the Lord more and better than I have done. (2.) All our praises must centre in Christ, both as the matter of them, and as the Mediator of them. He descended from him whose name was Praise, for he is our Praise. Is Christ formed in my heart? Now will I praise the Lord.

CHAP. XXX. In this chapter we have an account of the increase. I. Of Jacob's family. Eight children more we find registered in this chapter; Dan and Naphtali by Bilhah, Rachel's maid, v. 1..8. Gad and Asher by Zilpah, Leah's maid, v. 9..13. Issachar, Zebulun, and Dinah, by Leah, v. 14..21. And, last of all, Joseph, by Rachel, v. 22..24. II. Of Jacob's estate. He makes a new bargain with Laban, v. 25..34. And in the six years' further service he did to Laban, God wonderfully blessed him, so that his stock of cattle became very considerable, v. 35..43. Herein was fulfilled the blessing which Isaac dismissed him with, (ch. 28. 3.) God make thee fruitful, and multiply thee. Even these small matters concerning Jacob's house and field, though they seem inconsiderable, are improveable for our learning. For the scriptures were written, not for princes and statesmen, to instruct them in politics; but for all people, even the meanest, to direct them in their families and callings: yet some things are here recorded concerning Jacob, not for imitation but for admonition.

ND when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die. 2. And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God's stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb? 3. And she said. Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her. 4. And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went in unto her. 5. And Bilhah conceived, and bare Jacob a son. 6. And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore called she his name Dan. 7. And Bilhah Rachel's maid conceived again, and bare Jacob a second son. 8. And Rachel said, with great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called his name Naphtali. 9. When Leah saw that she had left bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife. 10. And Zilpah Leah's maid bare Jacob a son. 11. And Leah said, a troop cometh: and she called his name Gad. 12. And Zilpah Leah's maid bare Jacob a second son. 13. And Leah said, Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed: and she called his name Asher.

We have here the bad consequences of that strange marriage which Jacob made with the two sisters. Here is,

1. An unhappy disagreement between him and Rachel, (v. 1, 2.) occasioned, not so much by her own barrenness, as by her sister's fruitfulness. Rebekah, the only wife of Isaac, was long childless, and yet we find no uneasiness between her and Isaac; but here, because Leah bears children, Rachel cannot live peaceably with Jacob.

1. Rachel frets; (v. 1.) she envied her sister; envy is grieving at the good of another, than which no sin is more offensive to God, or more injurious to our neighbour and ourselves. She considered not that it was God that made the difference, and that though, in this single instance, her sister was preferred before her, yet in other things she had the advantage. Let us carefully watch against all the risings and workings of this passion in our minds. Let not our eye be evil towards any of our fellow-servants, because our master's is good. But this was not all; she said to Jacob, Give me children, or else I die. Note, We are very apt to miss it in our desires of temporal mercies, as Rachel here; (1.) One child would not content her; but, because Leah has more than one, she must have more too; Give me children. (2.) Her heart is inordinately set upon it, and if she have not what she would have, she will throw away her life, and all the comforts of it. "Give them me, or else I die," that is, "I shall fret myself to death; the want of this satisfaction will shorten my days." Some think she threatens Jacob to lay violent hands upon herself, if she could not obtain this mercy. (3.) She did not apply herself to God by prayer, but to Jacob only, forgetting that children are an heritage of the Lord, Ps. 127. 3. We wrong both God and ourselves, when our eye is more to men, the instrument of our crosses and comforts, than to God the Author. Observe a difference between Rachel's asking for this mercy, and Hannah's, 1 Sam. 1. 10. &c. Rachel envied, Hannah wept; Rachel must have children, and she died of the second; Hannah prayed for one child, and she had four more. Rachel is importunate and peremptory, Hannah is submissive and devout. If thou wilt give me a child, I will give him to the Lord. Let Hannah be imitated, and not Rachel; and let our desires be always under the conduct and check of reason and religion.

2. Jacob chides, and most justly; (v. 2.) he loved Rachel, and therefore reproved her for what she said amiss. Note, Faithful reproofs are products and instances of true affection, Ps. 141. 5. Prov 27. 5, 6. Job reproved his wife when she spake the language of the foolish woman. Job 2. 10. See 1 Cor. 7. 16. He was angry, not at the person, but at the sin; he expressed himself so as to show his displeasure. Note, Sometimes it is requisite that a reproof should be given warm, like a physical potion; not too hot, lest it scald the patient; yet not cold, lest it prove ineffectual. It was a very grave and pious reply which Jacob gave to Rachel's peevish demand: Am I in God's stead? The Chaldee paraphrases it well, ''Dost thou ask sons of me? Oughtest thou not to ask from before the Lord? The Arabic reads it, "Am I above God;'' can I give thee that which God denies thee?" This was said like a plain man. Observe, (1.) He acknowledges the hand of God in the affliction which he was a sharer with her in. He hath withheld the fruit of the womb. Note, Whatever we want, it is God that withholds it, a sovereign Lord, most wise, holy, and just, that may do what he will with his own, and is debtor to no man; that never did, nor ever can do, any wrong to any of his creatures. The keys of the clouds, of the heart, of the grave, and of the womb, are four keys which God has in his hand, and which (the Rabbins say) he intrusts neither with angel nor seraphim. See Rev. 3. 7. Job 11. 10.— 12. 14. (2.) He acknowledges his own inability to alter what God had appointed, "Am I in God's stead? What! Dost thou make a god of me?" Deos qui rogat tile facit — He