A woman who had almost everything

But, of course, the person who has it all is only an illusion. They only appear to have everything. You would say Rachel had everything. First, she had a beautiful body. Genesis 29:17 says she was 'lovely in form', and the Bible can be very descriptive; you don't have to use your imagination. The same verse tells us she also had beauty. Moreover, Rachel was brave. She was the only woman in the Bible called a shepherdess. That work took a lot of courage and meant she had a lot of self-confidence. There's more; she had brains. I will prove this to you. Later in our story, when Jacob, Leah and Rachel fled from Laban and he caught up with them, her father angrily demanded "Why did you steal my gods?" Then he began to search everybody, but when he cam to Rachel, Genesis 31:35 tells us, "Rachel said to her father, "Don't be angry, my lord, that I cannot stand up in your presence. I'm having my period" So H search but could not find the household gods". It shows she must have been very cleaver to come up with that excuse at the last moment. Not only did Rachel have all these attributes, but she had a sense of belonging. She was loved. Jacob loved her. And there's nothing that gives a person feeling of security, of confidence and being at ease, than when they know someone loves them.

Perhaps you feel unloved. Maybe you were rejected as a child and you never felt your mother or your father loved you. Perhaps, now you are married, you don't feel your husband or your wife loves you. It may be that you are single and you have always wanted someone to love you. Rachel didn't have that problem: she was loved by Jacob. Feeling rejected has its effect on your personality. But Rachel seemed to have everything.

However, there was one thing she lacked. Rachel was barren. She had almost everything. We have seen that by comparison Lea (to use a modern expression) was a 'loser'. She was plain; she was rejected.

A rivalry developed, but not as far as Rachel was concerned. If you were ask Rachel, 'Is there a rivalry between you and your sister Leah?' she would have replied, "Oh, goodness, no!" You see, the person who has everything isn't usually aware how other people feel. You couldn't have told Rachel there was a problem, but here's what we know. God looked down from heaven and he saw that Leah was not loved, and he opened Leah's womb.

All's well that ends well - RT. Kendall Pg 67 - 68