Gen 29 - The deceiver gets deceived; life lessons from an old-time deceiver, Uncle Laban.

Gen 29:21
Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my time is completed, that I may go in to her.”

Well, scripture says it like it is, that's just a graphic term for, I'm ready to get married.

Gen 29:22
And Laban gathered all the men of the place, and made a feast.

Gen 29:23
Now it came about in the evening that he took his daughter Leah, and brought her to him; and Jacob went in to her.

Laban made a big feast, since Laban got away with this swapping of girls. what kind of feast do you think he made here? It was a hootenanny, that's a Hebrew term for we drank a lot [Laughter], and he drank so much that I think Leah looked like Rachel [laughter]. So anyway, the name Jacob means deceiver or supplanter and you know the deceiver was deceived. Sometimes you know, this harkens back to Torah a little bit again.

Numbers 32:23
“But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the LORD, and be sure your sin will find you out.

He's a little bit of a deceiver and he's going to learn, he's going to get some life lessons from an old-time deceiver, someone who's really experienced at it, and that's Uncle Laban.

Gen 29:24
Laban also gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a maid.
Gen 29:25
So it came about in the morning that, behold, it was Leah! And he said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served with you? Why then have you deceived me?”

Gen 29:26
But Laban said, “It is not the practice in our place, to marry off the younger before the first-born.

So, he makes this tradition which is a deception to be some kind of tradition, and he say’s everyone does it, everyone knows that. His deception worked well for his own benefit.

Gen 29:27
“Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which you shall serve with me for another seven years.”
Gen 29:28 A
And Jacob did so and completed her week, and he gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife.