I get to do a lot of weddings these days. What do you remember about your wedding? I remember our Pastor R. B. Baker eloquently prayed for a long time. The video reveals he prayed for four full minutes. That may not seem like a long time, but when you are waiting to be married, it feels like a really long time. My best man who is also a preacher brought the length of the prayer to my attention. Who prays publicly for four minutes? Those who have spent time with God alone in prayer.
Jacob waited seven years to be married. They seemed like a few days but when he had completed seven years working for his uncle, he asked that the wedding be scheduled. When he awakened the morning after the wedding, his Uncle Laban had tricked him into marrying the older daughter Leah. How could this happen? Jacob had played tricks on his brother. Now the tables were turned. When Jacob realized he had been deceived, he asked Laban to give him Rachel. “For seven more years labor,” Laban replied.
Polygamy in the scriptures is described but not prescribed. In each case, it created problems for the family. Jacob loved Rachel more than he loved Leah. In fact, he never contracted to marry Leah. Nevertheless, she became his first wife. Leah gave him his first children. When they died, he was buried beside Leah. Leah was the mother of Judah through whom King David and Jesus both descended. God’s sovereignty transcends and superintends our plans. This truth calls us to pray and to seek the Lord. Four minutes of prayer is not too long. It is not long enough to know and do God’s good will.
