Rachel and Her Father's Idols
Rachel's Biblical Biography: An Encounter with Jacob
"Rachel, who was a shepherd first encountered Jacob when she was guiding the sheep back to her father. Jacob saw her great beauty and because he was charmed by her, he finished the task of giving the sheep water that was instructed to Rachel by Laban for her. Afterward, Jacob expressed her love for Rachel with a kiss. Rachel therefore told her father of these things as she presumably also loved Jacob. Laban allowed Jacob to stay with him and Rachel for a month and it was planned for Jacob to work for him.
Rachel and Her Handmaid and Sister-Wife Were Having Children
"Laban permitted Jacob and Rachel to be married before the indentured servanthood was over, but the labor had to be continued still. Rachel being the prime target for marriage from Jacob was loved more than Leah and Rachel and her husband tried to have children. God seeing that Jacob did not show love to Leah allowed her to have children leaving Rachel childless.
Fleeing From her Father
"Some years later Jacob requested to be set free since his servanthood period was over. Rachel and her sister had a conversation with Jacob about Laban's attitude towards Jacob and revealed his commandment by God to travel elsewhere. Rachel (as well as Leah) was upset that their father had forgotten their inheritance and so when they began to leave Rachel stole Laban's idols. Laban in anger chased after them once the family fled and overtook Jacob, who assured him they had nothing of his but was unaware of the fact that Rachel had stolen his idols. Laban searched their tents including Rachel's. Rachel had the stolen idols in a saddle bag and was sitting on it claiming she was going through her period (of seven days of uncleanness)."
Source
The Bible: Rachel
When Laban asked his nephew what his wages shall be, Jacob pledged that he would work for him for seven years in exchange for marrying Rachel. Laban saw it more fitting to give Rachel to Jacob rather than anyone else so he agreed to the pledge and so Jacob worked to keep his flocks. By the time the seven years were finished, Laban gave Jacob a feast, but since Rachel was the younger daughter to her older sister Leah, it was not customary in Laban's country to wed the youngest daughter before the oldest. Thus Jacob had to work for another seven years to have Rachel."
Rachel and Her Handmaid and Sister-Wife Were Having Children
"Laban permitted Jacob and Rachel to be married before the indentured servanthood was over, but the labor had to be continued still. Rachel being the prime target for marriage from Jacob was loved more than Leah and Rachel and her husband tried to have children. God seeing that Jacob did not show love to Leah allowed her to have children leaving Rachel childless.
Rachel was jealous of her sister having children so she gave her handmaid Bilhah to Jacob as a wife to build a family line for herself. Bilhah had Dan and Naphtali with Jacob. Leah did the same by giving her handmaid, Zilpah as a wife to Jacob. She had Gad and Asher. Eventually, after one of Leah's sons Reuben had begun picking from the field Rachel coveted the mandrakes that he had obtained. Rachel requested to her sister that they be given to her, but Leah required a reward. Therefore Rachel promised Leah that she could lie down with Jacob for the night. Finally, God remembered Rachel and allowed her to give birth to a son. She called him Joseph in the hopes that God would give her another one."
Rachel Stole Her Father's Idols and Her Death in Childbirth
Rachel's death in childbirth recounted in Genesis 35:16-19, follows her theft of her father Laban's "gods" (teraphim, Gen 31:19), which Jacob, years later, finally buried under an "oak" (Gen 35:4) before proceeding to make an important sacrifice to God at Beth-el.
Rachel's death in childbirth recounted in Genesis 35:16-19, follows her theft of her father Laban's "gods" (teraphim, Gen 31:19), which Jacob, years later, finally buried under an "oak" (Gen 35:4) before proceeding to make an important sacrifice to God at Beth-el.
Rachel and Idolatry
"Given that idolatry was later to be proscribed as such a grave sin, and that this might be thought to be the first instance of it, is it possible that Rachel was actually punished in childbirth by God for stealing her father's teraphim? An early death - during such a pivotal moment as childbirth - may have been seen as a divine sign of some sort.
Did the author intend to communicate that Rachel's death was for stealing or worshipping her father’s teraphim? Or for any other reason? Or was it quite simply a sad happenstance of life? You have to make up your own mind about this but most likely she died during childbirth because she dealt with her father's idols. Because, nowhere in the Bible does it mention a woman dying during childbirth this means that Rachel dying during childbirth is an event that the Bible's author, God, sees as important to show how idolatry leads to death. Plus the message of Rachel weeping for her children is in two Bible Books, Jeremiah and Matthew which further emphasizes the importance of this message."
Matthew 2:18 NIV “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”
Did the author intend to communicate that Rachel's death was for stealing or worshipping her father’s teraphim? Or for any other reason? Or was it quite simply a sad happenstance of life? You have to make up your own mind about this but most likely she died during childbirth because she dealt with her father's idols. Because, nowhere in the Bible does it mention a woman dying during childbirth this means that Rachel dying during childbirth is an event that the Bible's author, God, sees as important to show how idolatry leads to death. Plus the message of Rachel weeping for her children is in two Bible Books, Jeremiah and Matthew which further emphasizes the importance of this message."
Rachel Weeping for Her Children
Jeremiah 31:15 NIV: This is what the LORD says: “A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted because they are no more.”
Matthew 2:18 NIV “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”
Fleeing From her Father
"Some years later Jacob requested to be set free since his servanthood period was over. Rachel and her sister had a conversation with Jacob about Laban's attitude towards Jacob and revealed his commandment by God to travel elsewhere. Rachel (as well as Leah) was upset that their father had forgotten their inheritance and so when they began to leave Rachel stole Laban's idols. Laban in anger chased after them once the family fled and overtook Jacob, who assured him they had nothing of his but was unaware of the fact that Rachel had stolen his idols. Laban searched their tents including Rachel's. Rachel had the stolen idols in a saddle bag and was sitting on it claiming she was going through her period (of seven days of uncleanness)."
Source
The Bible: Rachel
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