Jacob went to work for his uncle Laban and requested permission to marry Laban’s daughter Rachel. In return, Jacob agreed to work seven years for only room and board. The day of the wedding finally arrived, and wine flowed like water. Laban led the heavily veiled bride to the bridal tent. The next morning, there was Leah, Rachel’s older sister, in the marriage bed! Laban had pulled off a “switcheroo.”
Laban offered to let Jacob marry Rachel as well…for seven more years of labor. Jacob, who swindled his own family, got swindled. Jacob ended up with sister wives—one he wanted, the other not—seven more years of work to fulfill, and plenty of time to ponder a fundamental truth of Scripture: “You cannot cheat God. People harvest only what they plant” (Galatians 6:7 NCV).
