Women in white raiment

by John Lemley

Had this noble woman in White Raiment not erred she would not have been human. As a whole, she has a beautiful character—beautiful in its generous helpfulness, in its prudence, in its magnanimity, and in her theocratic zeal of faith.

Here Rebekah obviously disappears from the stage of life. It has been conjectured that she died during Jacob’s sojourn in Padan-aram, whither she had sent him to escape the tragic consequences of her hasty conduct, for she is not mentioned when Jacob returned to his father, nor do we hear of her burial till it is incidentally mentioned by Jacob on his deathbed. She was buried in the cave of Machpelah, by the side of Sarah.

After Jacob had obtained the theocratic birthright he fled from his father’s home in Beer-sheba to Padan-aram, or the city of Haran, in Mesopotamia. Haran was situated about four hundred and fifty miles north-east from Beer-sheba. If the young man walked thirty miles a day, for he performed this long journey over the mountains and through the desert on foot, it took him fifteen days. No doubt, as he drew near the well, before the city, he was footsore, dust-covered, homesick, and greatly depressed in mind, for the occasion of his sudden departure and the anger of his brother Esau were still fresh in memory.

But what a quaint, picturesque scene of Oriental life is presented to our view. It is yet early evening. The shepherds, with their flocks, are moving from various points over the plain to one common centre. Three of the shepherds had already arrived, and Jacob salutes them, and asks, “My brethren, whence be ye?” And they answered, “Of Haran.” Then he inquired, “Know ye Laban?” They made reply, “We know him,” then, pointing to a shepherdess slowly leading her flock over the plain towards the well, said, “Behold Rachel, his daughter, cometh with the sheep.” While he was yet talking with the shepherds, Rachel drew near “with her father’s sheep.” Jacob saw his opportunity, for the great stone over the mouth of the well had not been removed, and, though it was the work of three men to remove the stone, he hastens to perform this task for the beautiful shepherdess alone, and does for her what his mother had done for Eliezer’s camels, watered her flock. Clearly, it was love at first sight. Rachel must have deeply impressed him. And what could have been her thoughts as she stood by her flock and saw this youth pour bucketfull after bucketfull into the stone troughs for her sheep? It was certainly an impressive introduction.

The sheep watered, and before he made himself known, he stepped up to the bewitching shepherdess, and kissed her. This story of Rachel, the pretty shepherdess of the plains of Mesopotamia, who took with a glance the heart of the loving, homesick Jacob, and held it to the end of her days, has always had a peculiar interest, for there is that in it which appeals to some of the deepest feelings of the human heart. The beauty of Rachel, the deep love with which she was loved by Jacob from their first meeting by the well of Haran, when he showed to her the simple courtesies of the desert life, and kissed her and told her he was Rebekah’s son; the long servitude with which he patiently served for her, in which the seven years “seemed to him but a few days, for the love he had to her;” their marriage at last, after the cruel disappointment through the fraud which substituted the elder sister in the place of the younger; and the death of Rachel “in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem,” when she had given birth to Benjamin, and had become still more endeared to her husband; his deep grief and ever-living regrets for her loss—these things make up a touching tale of personal and domestic history which has kept alive the memory of Rachel through all the long centuries down to the present time. Her untimely death has been likened to a “bunch of violets pulled up by the roots, with the soil clinging to them—their exquisite perfume reminding one of the leafy nook in which they grew.”

What a mystery is love! We can not define it. It can only be unlocked by the key of experience. Love is not a product of the reason. It is the free play of the spiritual sensibilities in the possession of its object. And if human love is inexplicable, divine love is an ocean too deep for the plummet of man, and by far too broad to be bounded by the thought of the loftiest intelligence in the universe.

Chaste human love is a beautiful thing, by which conjugal love is afterwards more and more strengthened and confirmed. And, in this scene at the well, we have emphasized the fact that virtuous maidens do not need to attend large, exciting assemblies or popular resorts, to get husbands. If they are true to themselves, they can safely trust God, who is able to give them pious, honorable and upright husbands.

As soon as Rachel learned that Jacob was her father’s nephew, and that he was Rebekah’s son, “she ran and told her father.” When Laban heard Rachel’s story, he hastened to meet Jacob, and brought him to his house.

After a short stay as the guest of the family, it seemed best to Laban that wages should be given to Jacob for his services, but instead of wages he desires Rachel, and, instead of service for an indefinite time, he promises a service of seven years. Jacob’s service, it is thought by some writers, represents the price which was usually paid for the wife. Doubtless, Rachel was worth to Jacob the years of service he paid, but doubtless then, as now, prices varied according to age and beauty, and in some Eastern countries the prices are higher than in others. The custom still exists. A man without means serves from three to seven years for his bride. To Jacob, these years of service seemed but a few days. His love for Rachel made his long service a delight to him. He was cheerful and joyful in hope.

At the end of the years of service Laban made a great nuptial feast. These Oriental weddings last seven days. Doubtless Laban arranged this feast, the better to facilitate Jacob’s deception by the coming and going of guests, and the general bustle and noise characteristic of such occasions. The deception was also possible through the custom, namely, the bride was led veiled to the bridegroom and the bridal chamber. Laban probably believed, as to the base deception, that he would be excused, because he had already in view the concession of the second daughter, so Leah, the elder daughter, was substituted. The motive for this is not stated. Perhaps Laban recognized a skillful and useful shepherd in Jacob. He may also have acted from regard to his own interest, especially since he knew that Jacob possessed a great inheritance at home.