Connect Series: Contentment

In our relationship series, Connect, we are looking at the lives of Bible couples and the issues they dealt with in their marriages. This week, we looked at the marriage of Jacob and Rachel. Their issue: contentment.

Whenever you meet someone, you usually want to know something about them. Here's some background on Jacob and Rachel:

How they met? Jacob had been on the run from his brother Esau. His mother, Rebekah, had encouraged him to go visit her brother Laban. Upon finding Laban's shepherds with their sheep, he is introduced to Rachel (Genesis 29: 1-6).

What was she like? We learn that Rachel worked as a shepherdess (Gen. 29: 9); was beautiful (Gen. 29:17); but was also jealous (Gen. 30:1A) and immature (Gen. 30:1B).

What we he like? Jacob was a bit of a show-off (Gen. 29:10); was passionate (Gen. 29:11) and was impetuous (Gen. 29:18).

What was their issue? They struggled with infertility and impatience with God and each other (Gen. 30:1-5).

But the ultimate problem in the marriage of Jacob and Rachel was one of never finding contentment. Though they eventually had a son of their own, Rachel was not satisfied and wanted another child (Gen. 30:22-24). When they fled from Laban, rather than trusting God to provide, Rachel took some of her father's possessions (Gen. 31:17-21). And in the end, they were unable to find long-lasting happiness. Rachel died in childbirth while giving birth to their second son, Benjamin, and Jacob buried her along the way to Bethlehem while he journeyed farther along (Gen. 35: 16-21). At his passing, Jacob was buried not with Rachel whom he dearly loved, but rather with Leah, his first wife and the sister of Rachel (Gen. 49:29-31).

Personal selfishness and misguided desires kept Jacob and Rachel from experiencing a joyful, happy marriage.

Tomorrow, I'll post some for couples to improve the level of contentment in their marriage.