Cheating Begets Cheating

[Coliseum]

"The Midrash, a Jewish commentary, says: “Jacob later married Rachel, but on the marriage night, Laban, her father, substituted Leah, a girl whom Jacob disliked (Genesis 29:23–25). In the morning, he saw he had been cheated and told Leah, ‘During the night, I call you so often, “Rachel,” and you answered. Why did you deceive me?’ She said, ‘Your father called you “Esau” and you pretended to be your brother. You deceived your father. No teacher is without a disciple. I have learned from you.’”

She is right---and what we have learned from them!

[missmuffet]

There is a lot of cheating going on in our world. 

[lftc]

13 hours ago, Coliseum said:

"The Midrash, a Jewish commentary, says: “Jacob later married Rachel, but on the marriage night, Laban, her father, substituted Leah, a girl whom Jacob disliked (Genesis 29:23–25). In the morning, he saw he had been cheated and told Leah, ‘During the night, I call you so often, “Rachel,” and you answered. Why did you deceive me?’ She said, ‘Your father called you “Esau” and you pretended to be your brother. You deceived your father. No teacher is without a disciple. I have learned from you.’”

She is right---and what we have learned from them!

There is a lot of possible things to learn from this.

Some things could be amusing, but I will stay away from those.

I see 2 very different things to learn. Both are true, but we get to choose which to apply:

You reap what you sow.  THroughout the scriptures we can see the rules and consequences tied to the failure to live up to those rules. In this story we see Leah admonishing her teacher that his earlier actions have produced fruit in his life.  He cheated his brother and deceived his father and now he gets to live his life married to a woman he doesn't want.  What makes it worse, is she gets to live her life as the girl that had to be forced on a man through no cause of her own.  As is always the case, the consequences of rule-breaking extend far beyond the simple view of direct blame.  What a dismal, hopeless situation.  Rules and Consequences.  Law and Punishment.

Second Truth.  Following the story of Jacob and Leah out we can see and infer a better way.  Jacob and Esau reconciled: Esau ran to him and hugged him.  Forgiven.  The bigger act of forgiveness is present by inference.  Read the continuing story of Jacob, you'll see, if you want to, his change to loving Leah: statements about being concerned for the safety of all his family, not just Rachel, etc.  More importantly, you see Leah change the style of names she gave her children as time goes on.  The names she gives are bitter at first, then they get better as time goes on.   I choose to find hope in this:  hope that Leah was finally loved and felt the joy that being loved brings.  Hope that Leah forgave those that misused her and disregarded her need for love.  I hope for that because forgiveness, true forgiveness, is the only path to love.  And I want Leah to be loved.  And everyone else in the story.

Sorry if I took this a different way that what you were thinking Coliseum.

[Coliseum]

12 minutes ago, lftc said:

There is a lot of possible things to learn from this.

Some things could be amusing, but I will stay away from those.

I see 2 very different things to learn. Both are true, but we get to choose which to apply:

You reap what you sow.  THroughout the scriptures we can see the rules and consequences tied to the failure to live up to those rules. In this story we see Leah admonishing her teacher that his earlier actions have produced fruit in his life.  He cheated his brother and deceived his father and now he gets to live his life married to a woman he doesn't want.  What makes it worse, is she gets to live her life as the girl that had to be forced on a man through no cause of her own.  As is always the case, the consequences of rule-breaking extend far beyond the simple view of direct blame.  What a dismal, hopeless situation.  Rules and Consequences.  Law and Punishment.

Second Truth.  Following the story of Jacob and Leah out we can see and infer a better way.  Jacob and Esau reconciled: Esau ran to him and hugged him.  Forgiven.  The bigger act of forgiveness is present by inference.  Read the continuing story of Jacob, you'll see, if you want to, his change to loving Leah: statements about being concerned for the safety of all his family, not just Rachel, etc.  More importantly, you see Leah change the style of names she gave her children as time goes on.  The names she gives are bitter at first, then they get better as time goes on.   I choose to find hope in this:  hope that Leah was finally loved and felt the joy that being loved brings.  Hope that Leah forgave those that misused her and disregarded her need for love.  I hope for that because forgiveness, true forgiveness, is the only path to love.  And I want Leah to be loved.  And everyone else in the story.

Sorry if I took this a different way that what you were thinking Coliseum.

You have an analyst's mind dear brother. If you look for redemption, you will find it. 

I was simply making the point that we are inheritors of our past.

[lftc]

1 hour ago, Coliseum said:

You have an analyst's mind dear brother. If you look for redemption, you will find it. 

I was simply making the point that we are inheritors of our past.

So I need redemption from my analyst mind?  How did you know?  (having fun with the inaccuracy of language,  I do not think you meant that I need redemption because of my analyst mind)

The first point I made was about inheriting from our past.  But I probably did not say it well.

[Coliseum]

@lftc

Nah, you were fine. 

 

Edited September 19, 2019 by Coliseum