BULLETIN ARTICLE
8 September 2019
CHILDREN – BLESSING FROM GOD
These following statements reflect God’s special covenant with Abram/Abraham given at various periods of his long life: “I will make you into a great nation” (Gen 12:2); “I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers” (Gen 17:2); “for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful” (Gen 17:5b, 6); “I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as sand on the seashore” (Gen 22:17).
Every well brought up and well taught Israelite woman knows that children are a blessing from God and a worthy reward from him. The more children a woman has, she would be seen as blessed and favoured by God. Her husband would be a greatly esteemed person and would not be ashamed for he would be ready and equipped with sons to battle his opponents (Psalm 127:3-5).
Therefore it is understandable in Jacob’s household why his two wives, Leah and Rachel were rivalling each other to produce as many children as possible. Even their respective maidservants were brought into this reproduction race. We ought to appreciate that the culture at the time of the Hebrew nation permitted such a practice. Archaeologists have uncovered Nuzi, an ancient Mesopotamian city near the Tigris river, which documented and illuminated the social and cultural practices of the patriarchs of those times. Practices where a childless couple could adopt a servant as an heir was common. Abraham in his old age initially assumed Eliezer, his senior servant, would inherit this role as heir of Abraham’s household. An infertile primary wife could give her maidservant to her husband for the expressed purpose of providing him an heir; Sarah provided Hagar. Brothers could arrange marriages for their sisters; Laban gave Rebekah to Isaac. For studying this portion of the Bible, understanding the social norms of that part of Israelite history will help us to appreciate the behaviours and acts of the patriarchs and not judge and measure them along present day’s social, family and marital standards.
The LORD with compassion opened the womb of Leah first. Despite this, she was not loved by her husband Jacob. It is alike the situation with Hagar and her young son Ishmael, who were banished into the desert of Beersheba. Such injustices did not escape the eyes of God. Indeed God saw her misery and sent an angel and Hagar responded with praise and gave this name to the LORD – El Roi – “You are the God who sees”. Here too, God saw that Leah was not loved – he was her “El Roi”. He poured out abundantly his love and blessed her consecutively with four sons – Rueben, Simeon, Levi and Judah. This was the start to an intense rivalry between Leah and Rachel, with the help of their maidservants, Zilpah and Bilhah. It was not until Rachel realised her disgrace and pleaded with God that God also opened her womb to conceive. Envy and jealousy will not be looked upon lightly by the LORD. All sins must be confessed and then he will show compassion. “Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!” (Isaiah 30:18).
