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“When morning came, there was Leah!”  Genesis 29:25

 

Jacob’s wait was almost over. The cake had been cut, the guests greeted, the feast finished, and it was time to hit the tent for the honeymoon!  But as the groggy groom awoke the morning after, the wife snuggled by his side was not his ravishing Rachel but her not-so-lovely sister Leah.  “When evening came Laban took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob, and Jacob slept with her”(Gen. 29:24).

Jacob had met his match.  The master of deception had been duped.  Jacob’s dad and brother had been his victims of his schemes, but this victory belonged to his father-in-law.  Laban’s reason for the mix-up was rather lame.  “Ah, well, we generally don’t marry off younger sister first, so have a fun week with Leah.  Then, for seven more years of free work, you can have Rachel too.”

The sister-swap was ruthless and wrong.  It was unjustified and indefensible, but it was deserved.  Craftiness catches up with you.  Sooner or later, you’ll be trapped in your trickery and stuck in your sham.  As the saying goes, we can fool some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time but not all of the people all of the time.  And never God any of the time. “Do not be deceived:  God cannot be mocked.  A man reaps what he sows.” (Galatians 6:7).  

Through the grace of the blood-stained cross, salvation removes our sins forever, but the earthly consequences don’t disappear and they can be devastating. We harm ourselves and others when we lie, deceive, and try to dupe.  

What goes around comes around—and it hurts when it hits. 

Live a life of truth.