Hey Bible readers, I'm Tara Lee Cobble, and I'm your host for the Bible Recap.

Yesterday when we left off, Jacob had just married two sisters, Leah and Rachel, due in part to some deception from his father-in-law, and Jacob's wife Leah had

just had four sons. Today we opened with Rachel being envious of Leah's ability to bear children.

She puts some weight on Jacob to get her pregnant, but Jacob gets defensive and points out that

only God can give life. We'll see that repeatedly in this chapter.

Rachel decided to follow the ways of her

grandmother-in-law slash great-great-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-old by offering her maidservant Bill Haugh to her

husband. If you recall, this did not go well for Sarah. Stick around to see if it solves all

Rachel's problems. Bill Ha had two children for Jacob and Rachel, but then Leah follows suit and gives her

maid-servant Zilpa to Jacob, and she has two more sons. So now the tally is Leah, four,

Leah by Zilpa, two, and Rachel by Bilhah, too. But this sibling rivalry is far from over.

Bitterness and jealousy have been growing in their hearts,

and left unattended, a bitter heart will often resort to manipulation and retaliation, which is what

Leah does next. Since Jacob probably spent most nights with Rachel, the wife he loved,

Leah trades Rachel some plants in exchange for a night with Jacob. Interestingly, this particular plant, the wife he loved, Leah trades Rachel some plants in exchange for a night with Jacob.

Interestingly, this particular plant, the mandrake, was believed to promote fertility, but it's also

used to treat stomach ulcers, which I'm guessing they both had a lot up by this point.

Do you see all the striving on both parts? Do you see how it's never enough for either of them?

Do you see how the spirit of greed and comparison and their scarcity mentality is driving all

their actions? This isn't love for God. It isn't love for Jacob. It doesn't even seem like love

for their children. It looks a lot more like fear and idolatry and

self-promotion. Leah got pregnant for the fifth time and thought it was God's reward for generously

...