In the story, Jacob left Canaan to Paddan Aram in obedience to his father’s instruction not to marry Canaanite women. He met his uncle Laban who took him in as a worker and told him to name his wages. Jacob responded, saying he would like to marry Laban’s younger daughter Rachael as his wife in exchange for seven years of service to Laban. Laban agreed and Jacob served him for seven years and the time passed by quickly for him because he loved Rachael.

Laban hosted a wedding feast for Jacob and when evening came, Laban gave his older daughter Leah instead of Rachael for whom Jacob had served. The following day, Jacob discovered that the woman he was given was not the woman for whom he had served and after confronting Laban, was told that it was not the custom of their people to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older. Laban asked him to finish the bridal week with Leah and then he would be given Rachael in exchange for another seven years of work. After Jacob completed the bridal week with Leah, he was given Rachael and had to work another seven years to pay for her.

Keys to Interpreting the Parable

The Meaning of the Parable

Jacob left Canaan his home to Paddan Aram to find a wife for himself. Similarly, Jesus left His Father’s house to come to the earth to pick a nation, a bride for Himself.

Just as Jacob loved Rachael, Jesus loves Israel. Israel was the nation He chose when the nations were divided

The Most High assigned nations their lands; he determined where peoples should live. He assigned to each nation a heavenly being, but Jacob's descendants he chose for himself. [GNT Deu 32:8-9]

The nations were divided the year of the birth of Peleg, 101 years after the flood [Gen 11:16; 10:25]; Abraham was called by YAHWEH 266 years later with the promise of making him a great nation. The nation of Israel was obviously formed hundreds of years after nations were first formed therefore; the nations (Gentiles) are older than Israel. Just as Jacob chose the younger daughter to take as his bride, Jesus chose Israel – a younger nation – to be His bride.

However, when He came to His own (Israel), God gave Him the Gentiles instead. It is important to note that not every aspect of a parable translates directly into the reality. In the parable, it was through deception that Laban gave Leah to Jacob but in the reality, it was as a result of the Jews rejecting Jesus that He got the Gentiles instead [Deu 32:16-21; Rom 10:16-21]

In the parable, Jacob was blinded from seeing Leah by the cover of darkness (as it was evening when she went to him) and perhaps she was wearing a veil. In the reality, it was the Jews (the bride) that were blinded (veiled). Laban used the cover of darkness to give Leah to Jacob but in the reality, God used the darkness (blindness) of Israel to give the Gentiles to Jesus [Deu 29:4; Isa 29:10-13; Rom 11:8-11].

In the parable, Jacob was given Leah and Rachael pretty much at the same time. In reality, Jesus will return for both Gentile and Jew at the same time.

Summary Table