Our Summer Sermon Series “All in the Family” continues this Sunday with an episode called The Real Housewives of Canaan: Leah and Rachel.
Genesis 29:15-28 — When the past haunts the present.
Jacob falls hard for Rachel, the younger and more beautiful of Laban’s two daughters, and strikes a deal: seven years of labor for her hand. But on the wedding night, Laban pulls a switch, slipping in Leah, the elder sister, under cover of darkness. Jacob wakes to betrayal, but Laban claims tradition trumps love. The fix: another seven years of work for Rachel too. A classic bait-and-switch with long-term consequences.
Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my kinsman, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?” Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was graceful and beautiful. Jacob loved Rachel, so he said, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.” Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to any other man; stay with me.” So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of his love for her.
Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife that I may go in to her, for my time is completed.” So Laban gathered together all the people of the place and made a feast. But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and he went in to her. (Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her maid.) When morning came, it was Leah! And Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?” Laban said, “This is not done in our country—giving the younger before the firstborn. Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years.” Jacob did so and completed her week; then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as a wife.
Genesis 29:15-28
Tune in Sundays at 11:15AM in person or online!
Last week’s episode
Sibling Rivalry: Jacob and Esau
Genesis 25:19-34 — God is at work, – yes even here.
Rebekah’s twin pregnancy comes with a divine warning: two rival nations are wrestling inside her, and the younger will rule the elder. Esau emerges first—rugged, a hunter, his father’s favorite—followed by Jacob, gripping his brother’s heel. Years later, the rivalry reaches a breaking point: a starving Esau trades his entire birthright for a bowl of stew, his future thrown away or stolen? A tale of sibling rivalry, impulsiveness, and a destiny already set in motion.
Next week’s episode
Peniel Place: Jacob’s Blessing
Genesis 32:22-31 — Wrestling towards reconciliation.
Alone in the dark, Jacob faces a mysterious opponent who grapples with him until dawn. Neither yields—until the stranger dislocates Jacob’s hip, yet still can’t break his grip. Jacob refuses to let go without a blessing, and gets one: a new name, Israel, marking him as someone who has contended with both God and people and survived. Limping into sunrise, Jacob names the spot Peniel, awed that he saw the divine face-to-face and lived to tell it.
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Glebe Road United Church "All in the Family" Summer Sermon Series — Sibling Rivalry: The Rescue of Jacob and Esau · July 15, 2026 at 12:26 pm
[…] The Real Housewives of Canaan: Leah and Rachel […]
Glebe Road United Church "All in the Family" Summer Sermon Series — Peniel Place: Jacob's Blessing · July 23, 2026 at 2:15 pm
[…] The Real Housewives of Canaan: Leah and Rachel […]
Glebe Road United Church 2026 Spring and Summer Worship Schedule · July 23, 2026 at 4:51 pm
[…] Sibling Rivalry: The Rescue of Jacob and Esau11:15 AMOnline and in person […]
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