"When Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban...[he] went near and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the flock.... Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice and wept" (Genesis 29:10-11).

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JACOB FINDS RACHEL

Adapted from a family talk by the Rev. Grant Schnarr

Reading: Genesis 29:1-20

The story I just read to you tells us about something very precious and beautiful that the Lord wants each one of us to have. It is a very special kind of love that happens in marriage between a husband and a wife. We can have this beautiful love if we are willing to work hard for it.

Jacob was searching for a bride and was sent to the land of his relative, far away. He had never been there before. When he came to this place, he suddenly saw Rachel and fell in love with her immediately. He knew that she was the one for him.

There was a big rock over the well where he saw her. Some people were waiting there for everyone to gather. They were waiting because the rock over the well was very heavy. They needed everyone to lift the rock together so that they could give water to their sheep. But when Jacob saw Rachel, he went over to the well and rolled the rock away for her all by himself. Then he came to her and kissed her and wept because he was so happy he had found her.

Then Jacob agreed to work for Rachel’s father, Laban, for seven years. In return, Laban promised that Jacob could marry Rachel. The Word tells us that Jacob loved Rachel so much, that the seven long years seemed like only a few days to him!

The Lord tells us about this beautiful kind of love, which it calls “conjugial love”. This love is like Jacob finding Rachel. It takes a lot of work to have that kind of love. But it can happen. This is a promise that the Lord gives to each one of us.

Amen.

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