![]() ![]() It is no coincidence that it was Reuben who brought the mandrakes back. They are not founded upon the solid rock of Christ, but rather on the shifting sands of philosophy, reasoning, ambiguity, doubt, questions and faithlessness. Unstable people are those people who do not have faith in the word of God, who are not rooted, grounded in, built upon the rock. And unstable people will quickly go to the world, rather than God’s word. Jacob said that Reuben was unstable as water. There are two ways in this life, there is the narrow way, and the broad way, the narrow way leads to life, the broad way leads to destruction, and it all boils down to what way you will choose. Our whole life is a miracle, as we begin as unbelieving, disobedient, rebellious, condemned, God hating sinners and when God shines his light in our heart we become believing, obedient, saved, forgiven, eternally alive children of God. It was going to take a miracle for this barren woman to conceive, and when we are saved, it is a miracle, being born again of the Spirit of God is a miracle. Rachel went to the world, she went to superstition, drugs, magic – which could never do what God could only do. That’s what Jesus was talking about abiding in the vine, because unless we abide in him, we cannot bring forth fruit. And all of us should want to be fruitful in our lives, we are all in a spiritually barren state if we are not saved, we must be born again, and then we must abide in Christ in order to bear fruit. So what went wrong? Rachel wanted children, nothing wrong with that. She ended up costing and cheating herself. Rachel’s plan went completely wrong, her devices, her rationalizations, her strategy failed, and she traded a night with Jacob for a bunch of mandrakes. We read a little earlier in the chapter that before this, Leah had left off bearing, so she was finished having children, but after this happened, she conceived again. But instead the opposite happened, God honored Leah, who parted ways with her son’s mandrakes for a night with Jacob instead. Reuben had come back with mandrakes, and she thought that by getting the mandrakes, she might through them be able to get pregnant finally. Mandrakes are meant to increase fertility, and this is why Rachel wanted them. So what’s all this about? What’s the significance of the mandrakes? Well mandrakes are a unique type of plant, and associated with this plant is a large amount of pagan superstition and occult practice. It’s an interesting story, because it was Leah that ended up getting pregnant, and Rachel stayed barren. Rachel wanted them badly though, and she effectively traded a night with Jacob for them. It was at this time that we see that Reuben, Leah’s firstborn son, went out into the field and found some mandrakes. Leah was raising up a strong heritage and seedline for Jacob (it was through her fourth son Judah, that Jesus Christ would be born), but Rachel’s womb was closed, she could not conceive despite badly wanting to. Leah out competed Rachel, she had had many children, and yet Rachel was barren. ![]() The competition between these two wives over Jacob began, and was manifested in a battle over who could have children. In fact Jacob was only married to Leah because of her father Laban’s trickery. Jacob truly loved Rachel and not Leah, and Leah wasn’t favored by Jacob. ![]() God had ordained marriage to be between one man and one woman, and multiple wife relationships always had a lot of trouble. Leah and Rachel were the two wives of Jacob, and they were in a competition with each other for Jacob’s love, favor and affection. Hello all, new blog time today, and talking about Reuben’s mandrakes, from Genesis 30. Genesis 30: 17 – And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son. Genesis 30: 16 – And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me for surely I have hired thee with my son’s mandrakes. Genesis 30: 15 – And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son’s mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy son’s mandrakes. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son’s mandrakes. Genesis 30: 14 – And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. ![]()
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