Page:An Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1828) vol 1.djvu/192

160 to whom we offer supplications, is to us a God. Note, [1.] There is no creature that is or can be, to us, in God's stead. God may be to us instead of any creature, as the sun instead of the moon and stars; but the moon and all the stars will not be to us instead of the sun. No creature's wisdom, power, and love, will be to us instead of God's. [2.] It is therefore our sin and folly to place any creature in God's stead, and to place that confidence in any creature, which is to be placed in God only.

II. An unhappy agreement between him and the two handmaids.

1. At the persuasion of Rachel, he took Bilhah her handmaid to wife, that, according to the usage of those times, his children by her might be adopted and owned as her mistress's children, v. 3, &c. She would rather have children by reputation than none at all; children that she might fancy to be her own, and call her own, though they were not so. One would think her own sister's children were nearer akin to her than her maid's, and she might with more satisfaction have made them her own, if she had so pleased; but (so natural is it for us all to be fond of power) children that she had a right to rule, were more desirable to her than children that she had more reason to love; and, as an early instance of her dominion over the children born in her apartment, she takes a pleasure in giving them names that carry in them nothing but marks of emulation with her sister. As if she had overcome her, (1.) At law; she calls the first son of her handmaid Dan, Judgment, saying, "God hath judged me," v. 6. (that is,) "given sentence in my favour." (2.) In battle; she calls the next Naphtali, Wrestlings, saying, I have wrestled with my sister, and have prevailed; (v. 8.) as if all Jacob's sons must be born men of contention. See what roots of bitterness, envy and strife are, and what mischief they make among relations.

2. At the persuasion of Leah, he took Zilpah her handmaid to wife also, v. 9. Rachel had done that absurd and preposterous thing, of giving her maid to her husband, in emulation with Leah; and now Leah (because she missed one year in bearing children) does the same, to be even with her, or rather, to keep before her. See the power of jealousy and rivalship, and admire the wisdom of the divine appointment, which joins together one man and one woman only: for God hath called us to peace and purity, 1 Cor. 7. 15. Two sons Zilpah bare to Jacob, whom Leah looked upon herself as entitled to; in token of which, she called one Gad, (v. 11.) promising herself a little Troop of children; and children are the militia of a family, they fill the quiver, Ps. 127. 4, 5. The other she called Asher, Happy, thinking herself happy in him, and promising herself that her neighbours would think so too, v. 13, The daughters will call me blessed. Note, It is an instance of the vanity of the world, and the foolishness bound up in our hearts, that most people value themselves, and govern themselves, more by reputation, than either by reason or religion; they think themselves blessed, if the daughters do but call them so. There was much amiss in the contest and competition between these two sisters, yet God brought good out of this evil; for the time being now at hand when the seed of Abraham must begin to increase and multiply, thus Jacob's family was replenished with twelve sons, heads of the thousands of Israel, from whom the celebrated twelve tribes descended, and were named.

14. 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. 15. 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. 16. 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. 17. And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son. 18. And Leah said, God hath given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband: and she called his name Issachar. 19. And Leah conceived again, and bare Jacob the sixth son. 20. And Leah said, God hath endowed me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have born him six sons: and she called his name Zebulun. 21. And afterward she bare a daughter, and called her name Dinah. 22. And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb. 23. And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach. 24. And she called his name Joseph; and said, the Lord shall add to me another son.

Here is,

I. Leah fruitful again, after she had, for some time, left bearing. Jacob, it should seem, associated more with Rachel than with Leah. The law of Moses supposes it a common case, that if a man had two wives, one would be loved, and the other hated, Deut. 21. 15. But, at length, Rachel's strong passions betrayed her into a bargain with Leah, that Jacob should return to her apartment. Reuben, a little lad, five or six years old, playing in the field, found mandrakes, dudaim. It is uncertain what they were, the critics are not agreed about them; we are sure they were some rarities, either fruits or flowers that were very pleasant to the smell. Cant. 7. 13. Note, The God of nature has provided, not only for our necessities, but for our delights: there are products of the earth in the exposed fields, as well as in the planted protected gardens, that are very valuable and useful. How plentifully is nature's house furnished, and her table spread! Her precious fruits offer themselves to be gathered by the hands of little children. It is a laudable custom of the devout Jews, when they find pleasure, suppose in eating an apple, to lift up their hearts, and say, "Blessed be he that made this fruit pleasant!" Or, in smelling a flower, "Blessed be he that made this flower sweet." Some think these mandrakes were jessamine flowers; whatever they were, Rachel could not see them in Leah's hands, into which the child had brought them, but she must covet them. She cannot bear the want of these pretty flowers, but, at any rate, she will purchase them. Note, There may be great sin and folly in the inordinate desire of a small thing. Leah takes this advantage, (as Jacob had of Esau's coveting his red pottage,) to obtain that which was justly due to her, but which Rachel would not otherwise have consented to. Note, Strong passions often thwart one another, and