Genesis 29:15-28: Consequences of Our Own Desires

Laban said to him, “Just because you are a relative of mine, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be.”

Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel had a lovely figure and was beautiful. Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, “I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.”

Laban said, “It’s better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me.” So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.

Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to make love to her.”

So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast. But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob made love to her. And Laban gave his servant Zilpah to his daughter as her attendant.

When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn’t I? Why have you deceived me?”

Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one. Finish this daughter’s bridal week; then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work.”

And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. - Genesis 29:15-28

We are enslaved by our desires. The people around us suffer from this. They cannot make us happy because we are fixated on the "one" thing that will make us happy: the right situation, the right job, the right house, the right wife, the right family. Jacob suffered because Laban recognized this fixation and took advantage of him. Leah suffered because she was never her husband's first choice and she knew it. Rachel suffered because her Jacob defined her as the "lovely" and "beautiful" one he wanted but he was so drunk on his wedding night that he didn't notice that it wasn't her but her sister. Jacob's family suffered because his favoritism for Rachel extended to her children, causing his other children to resent her son Joseph. As Proverbs 11:6 says, the "unfaithful are trapped by evil desires." 

I think that we are trapped by our desires and our choices cement those patterns of entrapment. It is so difficult to break out of them, even with the best of intentions. That is why we need a savior not just from our sins but from our own enslavement to our misplaced desires. Our blindness to the consequences of our own desires hurts us and hurts those around us. I see that gap in myself and recognize my need for Jesus. I wish I didn't need to see it so often.