Genesis 30:13 And Leah said, Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed: and she called his name Asher.
Ah Friends, like the man said: ‘The party is over now, time to call it a day.’ Hope you all didn’t over do it, and that those going out to join the fray for the first time this week are well protected with the spiritual armour of Christ. Remember, without it, we’re like sitting ducks for Lucifer and his evil cronies. Anyway, let’s get right into the continuing saga of ‘Jacob’s Harem.’ Yesterday we left off where Leah couldn’t leave well enough alone, and after Rachel gave her maid, Bilhah, to Jacob and she bore him two sons, Dan and Naphtali, Leah also gave her maid, Zilpah, to Jacob, who in turn bore him two sons, Gad and Asher. That made 8 sons Jacob sired between the four, well really three women. I guess Leah was finally satisfied, seeing that she had again bested Rachel in the children’s sweepstakes, that led her to call her last son, Asher, Happy. In truth though Friends, that didn’t solve anything, for the scriptwriter, our God, wasn’t quite done. And it’s certainly interesting how He instigated the continuation of the feud. ‘And Reuben went in the days of the 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. 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 tonight for thy son’s mandrakes. (Gen.30:14-15) Eat your hearts out, you nowadays soap opera writers! Would you believe they were sisters! Brother! And some of you are wondering what’s all the fuss over some mandrakes? No, it has nothing to do with the comic book character, Mandrake the Magician or male ducks. The scholars say it’s a herb of the belladonna family, with a yellow fruit the size of a small apple. So? That still doesn’t explain its importance in the story. Well take time nuh people! Remember more haste, less speed. I’m a writer, and in the age-old tradition of the most accomplished writer ever, our God, I’m just trying to string out the drama a little. (smile) Awright Friends, the truth is the mandrake was considered to have aphrodisiac properties. Yes! The ancients of the Eastern world believed it stirred up the sexual psyche, and of even more importance to our story, thought it aided in female conception. Thus Rachel’s great desire to have the mandrakes, hoping it would stimulate her fertility and help her conceive. But even in such a little matter the stupid feud between the two sisters continued. And poor Jacob, he seems to be just a pawn in the silly game being played by these angry, resentful jealous and envious women. ‘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.’ (Gen.30: 16) What a crazy situation eh! Just imagine the scene nuh: Jacob comes in from a hard day’s labour in the fields, undoubtedly tired and hungry, simply wanting a good meal and some rest, only to be met at the gate by wife number one informing him that he has to perform his husbandly duties with her that night, because she’s paid for the pleasure by giving wife number two, her son’s mandrakes, which she hopes would make her conceive. And yuh know what Friends, our God surely likes the underdog. ‘And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son. And Leah said, God hath given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband: and she called his name Issachar (Hire).’ (Gen.30:17-18) The Lord was certainly helping Leah to rub salt in Rachel’s wound, with more to come. ‘And Leah conceived again, and bare Jacob the sixth son. And Leah said, God hath endued me with a good dowry (endowment); now will my husband dwell with me, because I have born him six sons; and she called his name Zebulun (Dwelling). And afterward she bare a daughter, and called her name Dinah (Judgement).’ (Gen.30:19-21) Leah then had a household of nine children, six sons and a daughter she’d borne herself; Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun and Dinah, plus two other sons; Gad and Asher, through her maid Zilpah. Meanwhile Rachel, Jacob’s favourite, could only come up with two sons, Dan and Naphtali, through her maid Bilhah. Oh mih people, can you imagine the confusion and ill will in that family! No family under the sun could have such constant confrontation, petty jealousy, dislike and ‘one upmanship’ between the duelling matriarchs and not cause serious repercussions amongst their offspring as the Bible later outlines. Oh my people, it just goes to show the real debilitating and long lasting effects the green eyed monster and its negative companions can have on us and our families, if we’re not truly careful. But we’ve also got to give plenty credit to Jacob for standing up strong under the constant stress and strain the situation must have involved. Not too many men, especially those of today, could have lasted as long and as successfully as he did, under the same conditions. However Friends, unfortunately, that’s the end of today’s episode of ‘Jacob’s Harem.’ But be sure to tune in again tomorrow, God willing, for the concluding episode of this scintillating, heart-racing, knock your socks off, one of a kind, dramatic feature scripted by the Most High God Jehovah! Till then, Much LOVE!…the Good Book…the best reading and writing ever…
Ah Friends, like the man said: ‘The party is over now, time to call it a day.’ Hope you all didn’t over do it, and that those going out to join the fray for the first time this week are well protected with the spiritual armour of Christ. Remember, without it, we’re like sitting ducks for Lucifer and his evil cronies. Anyway, let’s get right into the continuing saga of ‘Jacob’s Harem.’ Yesterday we left off where Leah couldn’t leave well enough alone, and after Rachel gave her maid, Bilhah, to Jacob and she bore him two sons, Dan and Naphtali, Leah also gave her maid, Zilpah, to Jacob, who in turn bore him two sons, Gad and Asher. That made 8 sons Jacob sired between the four, well really three women. I guess Leah was finally satisfied, seeing that she had again bested Rachel in the children’s sweepstakes, that led her to call her last son, Asher, Happy. In truth though Friends, that didn’t solve anything, for the scriptwriter, our God, wasn’t quite done. And it’s certainly interesting how He instigated the continuation of the feud. ‘And Reuben went in the days of the 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. 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 tonight for thy son’s mandrakes. (Gen.30:14-15) Eat your hearts out, you nowadays soap opera writers! Would you believe they were sisters! Brother! And some of you are wondering what’s all the fuss over some mandrakes? No, it has nothing to do with the comic book character, Mandrake the Magician or male ducks. The scholars say it’s a herb of the belladonna family, with a yellow fruit the size of a small apple. So? That still doesn’t explain its importance in the story. Well take time nuh people! Remember more haste, less speed. I’m a writer, and in the age-old tradition of the most accomplished writer ever, our God, I’m just trying to string out the drama a little. (smile) Awright Friends, the truth is the mandrake was considered to have aphrodisiac properties. Yes! The ancients of the Eastern world believed it stirred up the sexual psyche, and of even more importance to our story, thought it aided in female conception. Thus Rachel’s great desire to have the mandrakes, hoping it would stimulate her fertility and help her conceive. But even in such a little matter the stupid feud between the two sisters continued. And poor Jacob, he seems to be just a pawn in the silly game being played by these angry, resentful jealous and envious women. ‘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.’ (Gen.30: 16) What a crazy situation eh! Just imagine the scene nuh: Jacob comes in from a hard day’s labour in the fields, undoubtedly tired and hungry, simply wanting a good meal and some rest, only to be met at the gate by wife number one informing him that he has to perform his husbandly duties with her that night, because she’s paid for the pleasure by giving wife number two, her son’s mandrakes, which she hopes would make her conceive. And yuh know what Friends, our God surely likes the underdog. ‘And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son. And Leah said, God hath given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband: and she called his name Issachar (Hire).’ (Gen.30:17-18) The Lord was certainly helping Leah to rub salt in Rachel’s wound, with more to come. ‘And Leah conceived again, and bare Jacob the sixth son. And Leah said, God hath endued me with a good dowry (endowment); now will my husband dwell with me, because I have born him six sons; and she called his name Zebulun (Dwelling). And afterward she bare a daughter, and called her name Dinah (Judgement).’ (Gen.30:19-21) Leah then had a household of nine children, six sons and a daughter she’d borne herself; Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun and Dinah, plus two other sons; Gad and Asher, through her maid Zilpah. Meanwhile Rachel, Jacob’s favourite, could only come up with two sons, Dan and Naphtali, through her maid Bilhah. Oh mih people, can you imagine the confusion and ill will in that family! No family under the sun could have such constant confrontation, petty jealousy, dislike and ‘one upmanship’ between the duelling matriarchs and not cause serious repercussions amongst their offspring as the Bible later outlines. Oh my people, it just goes to show the real debilitating and long lasting effects the green eyed monster and its negative companions can have on us and our families, if we’re not truly careful. But we’ve also got to give plenty credit to Jacob for standing up strong under the constant stress and strain the situation must have involved. Not too many men, especially those of today, could have lasted as long and as successfully as he did, under the same conditions. However Friends, unfortunately, that’s the end of today’s episode of ‘Jacob’s Harem.’ But be sure to tune in again tomorrow, God willing, for the concluding episode of this scintillating, heart-racing, knock your socks off, one of a kind, dramatic feature scripted by the Most High God Jehovah! Till then, Much LOVE!…the Good Book…the best reading and writing ever…
SCRIP-BITS 