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Jacob’s Flight and Exile
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and he was urged to stay. It was arranged that he would give Laban
seven years’ service to be able to marry Rachel.
Jacob’s Love for Rachel
In early times, custom required the bridegroom, before the mar-
riage engagement, to pay a sum of money or its equivalent in other
property, according to his financial circumstances, to the father of
his wife. This was regarded as a security for the marriage. Fathers
did not think it safe to trust the happiness of their daughters to men
who had not made provision for the support of a family. If they did
not have sufficient thrift and energy to manage business and acquire
cattle or lands, it was feared that their life would prove worthless.
But provision was made to test those who had nothing to pay for a
wife—they were permitted to work for the father whose daughter
they loved. The length of time was regulated by the value of the
dowry required. When the man was faithful and proved worthy, he
obtained the daughter as his wife.
Generally the dowry that the father received was given to the
daughter at her marriage. In the case of both Rachel and Leah,
however, Laban selfishly kept the dowry that should have been given
them. They referred to this when they said, just before they left
Mesopotamia, “He has sold us, and also completely consumed our
money.”
Requiring the suitor to render service to secure his bride pre-
vented a hasty marriage. There was opportunity to test the depth of
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his affections as well as his ability to provide for a family. In our
time it is often the case that persons have little opportunity before
marriage to become acquainted with each other’s habits and disposi-
tion. They are practically strangers when they unite their lives at the
altar. Many find, too late, that they are not adapted to each other, and
lifelong misery is the result. Often the wife and children suffer from
the laziness or vices of the husband and father. If the character of
the suitor had been tested before marriage according to the ancient
custom, great unhappiness might have been prevented.
Jacob gave seven years of faithful service for Rachel, and the
years that he served “seemed only a few days to him because of the
love he had for her.” But selfish Laban practiced a cruel deception in