Rachel was a shepherdess. Jacob met her at a well, rolled the stone away for her flock, kissed her and wept. He served seven years for her, and they seemed to him but a few days because of his love.
Yet she had no children while her sister kept having sons, and she burned with envy. She gave Jacob her servant, bargained with Leah, and stole her father's household gods. At last God remembered her and she bore Joseph. On the road near Bethlehem she died giving birth to Benjamin. Centuries later Jeremiah heard Rachel weeping for her children, and Matthew heard it again in Bethlehem.
“
Give me children, or I shall die!
Name means
“Ewe”
Home
Haran in Paddan-aram, then Canaan
Role
Jacob's beloved wife, mother of Joseph and Benjamin
Read in
; ;
Rachel's story
At the well
Beginning
At the well
Jacob meets her with her father's sheep and weeps for joy.
Turning point
Seven years
Jacob works for her and is tricked; he marries her a week after Leah.
Low point
Give me children
She envies her sister and gives Jacob her servant Bilhah.
High point
God remembered her
God opens her womb and she names her son Joseph.
Ending
On the road
She dies giving birth to Benjamin near Bethlehem.
Starts as a shepherdess loved at first sight. Ends as a mother remembered by God, buried by the road.
Where Rachel lived and went
Only places Scripture records. Softer, dotted pins are traditional or uncertain sites. Tap a pin for the passage.
HomeMinistryKey momentTraditional or uncertainPinch or use + to zoom. Tap a cluster to spread it out.
How Rachel is wired
The Individualist
Enneagram 4, Achiever wing
To have what she lacks, and to be whole.
This one is debated. Here's why we land here.
At their best, toward 1 Under stress, toward 2
Why we think so
1
She feels what she lacks. Give me children, or I shall die! ()
2
She envies. When she saw she bore no children, she envied her sister. ()
3
She names her grief. With her last breath she named her son Ben-oni, son of my sorrow. ()
The 3 wing shows in her contest with Leah: “I have wrestled with my sister and have prevailed.” ()
The Reformer. At her best she sees God's gift: God has taken away my reproach. ()
The Helper. Under stress she schemes and steals. ()
The case for 3
Some read her as an Achiever. Her concern is winning the contest with her sister and having the honor of sons ().
Other lenses
Big Five. Read from what is recorded in Genesis.
ReservedOutgoing
SteadyReactive
ChallengingAccommodating
SpontaneousDisciplined
TraditionalCurious
DISC style: Passionate, envious, loved
Strengths & struggles
What's good in Rachel
Hardworking, a shepherdess who kept her father's sheep (). Deeply loved and capable of deep love (). Prayed and was heard ().
Where Rachel struggles
Envy of her sister (). Blamed Jacob (). Stole her father's household gods and lied to hide them ().
Rachel wept for her children. Jesus was born in Bethlehem to bring them home.
Jeremiah pictures Rachel weeping for her children and hears God promise they will come back (). Matthew hears that weeping again after Herod's cruelty in Bethlehem (), where Jesus was born. The child from Bethlehem is the answer to Rachel's tears.
Questions to sit with
1
Rachel had Jacob's love and still felt she had nothing. What do you have that envy keeps you from seeing?
2
“Give me children, or I shall die!” What longing has grown so big it feels like life or death?
Study Rachel with your group
Ready-to-lead group studies with discussion questions and a leader's note are on the way.
