Jacob Goes to Haran

DO YOU know who these men are Jacob is talking to? After traveling many days, Jacob met them by a well. They were taking care of their sheep. Jacob asked: ‘Where are you from?’

‘Haʹran,’ they said.

‘Do you know Laʹban?’ Jacob asked.

‘Yes,’ they answered. ‘Look, here comes his daughter Rachel with his flock of sheep.’ Can you see Rachel there coming in the distance?

When Jacob saw Rachel with his uncle Laʹban’s sheep, he went and rolled the stone away from the well so the sheep could drink. Then Jacob kissed Rachel and told her who he was. She was very excited, and she went home and told her father Laʹban.

Laʹban was very happy to have Jacob stay with him. And when Jacob asked to marry Rachel, Laʹban was glad. However, he asked Jacob to work in his field seven years for Rachel. Because he loved Rachel so much Jacob did this. But when the time came for the marriage, do you know what happened?

Laʹban gave his older daughter Leʹah to Jacob instead of Rachel. When Jacob agreed to work for Laʹban seven more years, Laʹban also gave him Rachel as his wife. In those times God allowed men to have more than one wife. But now, as the Bible shows, a man should have only one wife.