Tears flowered out like rose petals when He felt the brushing silk on his lips. The aromatic scent of her incense. The soft and supple skin of her thumbprint etched in his hand.

“Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice and wept.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭29:11‬

Beware: Amazing kisses may make you cry.

His tear ducts flowed like the surging waterfalls of Zion’s hill. Like the rivers flooding from thunderous storms. He felt a connection with her that he never had, and it changed his work ethic from then on. The one who used to scheme his way into blessing now wants to do what it takes to receive it the right way. Because it’s the only way. The only way to have her.

“Now Jacob loved Rachel; so he said, “I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭29:18‬

In Genesis chapter 29, Jacob travels to Padan Aram after his father tells him to travel there to take a wife for himself in Genesis 28. Now Jacob enters this land and he meet Rachel, a shepherdess who comes to the same well Jacob stops at to water his camels. Her father is a sheep-herder as verse 10 tells us, and she helps with her father’s flock.

From the onset, we see Rachel working hard long before she ever meets a man. 

Godly women work for the glory of the Lord.

When Jacob sees Rachel, he steps in to do the job for her and her father, which is to water the flock. He shows himself to be a gentleman and an initiator of hospitality.

We see this in verse 10 which says…

“Jacob went near and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother.” It’s right after this move, that Jacob kisses Rachel. He rolls up his sleeves and rolls away the stone for water… then he plants a wet kiss on her lips.

From this point on, Jacob is smitten with Rachel. After watering the flock for his sheep and theirs, he travels on to their house and meets her father, Laban. Laban asks Jacob to tell him what he wants his wages to be and Jacob says: Rachel. He doesn’t want money, he just wants Rachel. So much so that he offers to work for 7 years to have her. Now, Laban never requested this in the passage. Jacob is the one to make the terms. Why would he do such a thing?

Jacob loved Rachel so much he wanted to show her father and show Rachel he would work whatever it takes to have her. His maturity is growing esponentially compared to his younger days when he dressed up in animal’s skin to pretend he was his brother Esau, to take his blessing from him. Now, Jacob has learned to work hard for what he wants. 

Are you willing to work it for your lover?

Jacob knew he couldn’t be intimate with her until he finished his work. So it gave him motivation to keep plowing away.

“So Jacob worked seven years for Rachel, and they seemed only a few days to him because of the love he had for her.” 
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭29:20‬ ‭

Love makes you patient. Faithful. Fervent. Dedicated. Committed. Strong. Passionate. Loyal.

Can you wait until your lover gets off work? Rachel did. She waited too… for the same 7 years as Jacob did. They both waited for each other. Always in the presence of one another. That first kiss marked their destiny of love waiting to unfold.

Work flies by when The King’s presence lingers… when His Spirit simmers… when His love glimmers… when Heaven’s kisses shimmer in the slivers of light breaking through the sky.

“Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Where can I flee from Your presence?” 
Psalm 139:7

Reach down to touch the currents of my heart flowing toward You every moment, Lord… Find me in the moments only You and I can share.

Love will make you work relentlessly.

After the 7 years passes, Laban gives Jacob his wife, but it’s not the bride he expects. It’s Leah in the tent when the morning light dawns after their consumation. Jacob shrieks at the trickery played on him, and goes to Laban to demand Rachel.

Laban says,,,

“It must not be done in our country to give the younger before the firstborn.” Genesis 29:26

The irony here is stark. Years ago, as mentioned before, Jacob tried to convince his father to give him the firstborn’s blessing although he was the younger son. He tricked his dad by dressing up like Esau. Now the trickster is getting tricked. And the younger daughter is not being given to him. The older is. This father is not going to let his older daughter be robbed of marriage when she is the one to be given away first per birth order.

The parallelism of these two fathers, Laban (Rachel and Leah’s dad) and Isaac (Jacob’s dad) portray how blessings were suppossed to be conducted. The firstborn is always the one to be blessed first in the Old Testament. This is symbolic of Christ, as the firstborn over all creation.

Now, we follow a new covenant of Jesus Christ’s death, burial and resurrection and so you do not have to be a firstborn in a family to be blessed first. Jesus is the firstborn who lived a sinless life on our behalf so that we now can live as if we are that firstborn son or daughter of perfect standing for God Almighty. 

“Therefore He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.” Hebrews 9:15

Jesus Christ is the “mediator” of this new covenant, which means He is the one who makes the bridge between us and God.

Jesus came to save you. To love you. To invite you into Heaven with Him “so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance” verse 15 says here in Hebrews. You have an eternal inheritance to claim! God made it for you. Engraved your name in it. He came to give you this abundance and blessing. No one can take it from you. Anthing that once separated you from God no longer has power when you make Jesus Christ your Lord. We are redeemed from transgressions that the first covenant made us disconneced with God. Now, we are connected with God by Jesus Christ doing that for us and in us.

When God sees you, He sees Jesus’ stamp of approval all over you. He marks you as His, with love and affection.

God alone is sovereign over your life and destiny.

God can be trusted to provide for you how you need it.

“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9:8

The more grace we receive from God, the more empowered we are to excel “in every good work.” It’s God’s lovingkindness that calls us to repentance and changes our hearts, compelling us into greatness. 

Jacob is now going to learn this, as God teaches Jacob how to work with dignity and truthfulness.

“Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.” Ephesians 4:28

God wanted to bless Jacob.

He just wanted him to wait for it the right way.

So Jacob agrees to work another 7 years, devloping him as a man along the way. His love for Rachel is that strong. After all the years in his life, it’s his love for Rachel that sparks this desire to work hard so that he can receive what he desires. 

“Then Jacob also went in to Rachel and he loved Rachel more than Leah. And he served with Laban still another seven years.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭29:30‬ ‭

In the Bible, Jacob’s love for Rachel compelled his work ethic to rise. A godly woman empowers her man to become more than he ever could be without her. Because of her love for him. And his love for her.

Love is the greatest motivator. 

Love sharpens you into greatness.

Who’s your lover?

Work it for them.

The God of the universe… He never stops loving you. 

“He said to them, “This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭14:24

Fall in love with God. Watch your joy and stamina increase. Because of Jesus’ new covenant, His love is freely available to you now. 

kiss me with the new

covenant

of Your blood

blessing me in the new

wonderment

of Your Son

loving me now

I have you now

I need you now

I want you now

You love me now

and always will

be my King

my love

my zeal

“May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us— yes, establish the work of our hands.” Psalm 90:17