When Darkness Deceives
Genesis 29:21–30 (NASB95)
21Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my time is completed, that I may go in to her.” 22Laban gathered all the men of the place and made a feast. 23Now in the evening he took his daughter Leah, and brought her to him; and Jacob went in to her. 24Laban also gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a maid. 25So it came about in the morning that, behold, it was Leah! And he said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served with you? Why then have you deceived me?” 26But Laban said, “It is not the practice in our place to marry off the younger before the firstborn. 27“Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which you shall serve with me for another seven years.” 28Jacob did so and completed her week, and he gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife. 29Laban also gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maid. 30So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and indeed he loved Rachel more than Leah, and he served with Laban for another seven years.
This set of verses has long been controversial. How could Jacob not have been aware of what was happening? There are two most likely answers – simple darkness and the wedding customs of his day.
Jacob worked seven years for Rachel, driven by love and hope. When the time came, he asked Laban to honor their agreement. Laban gathered the community and held a wedding feast, which undoubtedly involved drinking, customary to their time. But as night fell, Laban brought Leah to Jacob instead of Rachel. The darkness and the wedding customs allowed Laban to carry out his plan. Jacob did not realize the switch until the morning. He confronted Laban, who justified his actions by citing local custom, then demanded another seven years of service for Rachel.
The irony is sharp. Jacob once deceived his father, Isaac, by taking advantage of his blindness (or darkness). Now, Jacob is deceived in the darkness, unable to see the truth. The deceiver becomes the deceived. What Jacob sowed, he now reaps. Yet, even in this painful moment, God’s plan moves forward. Leah and Rachel will both become mothers in the line of promise. God uses even the brokenness and failures of people to accomplish His will.
Laban stands out as a man who cares only for himself. He manipulates Jacob, using both tradition and Jacob’s love for Rachel to secure more years of free labor. Laban’s actions show the heart of a person who is willing to use others for personal gain. He does not seek God or honor His ways. Instead, he exploits a man who is striving to follow God, showing how the world often treats those who seek to live by faith.
The darkness in this story is more than physical. It is a symbol of the world’s spiritual condition. The world promises much, but it often delivers disappointment and pain. Like Jacob, we may think we can see clearly, but in the darkness of a world without God’s light, we are easily deceived. John’s Gospel says, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Only by walking in the light of Christ can we see what is true and avoid the traps set by a world that does not know God.
We must remember that the world’s promises are empty. We cannot trust what we see in the darkness that pervades a world disconnected from God. And if we fall for what it promises in the darkness, we risk becoming a slave just as Jacob was to Laban. Only by staying close to Jesus, the true Light, can we distinguish what is real and good. God calls us to walk in His light, trust His Word, and seek His guidance. When we do, we will not be fooled by the world's empty promises but will remain focused on what only God can provide.