|
But Rachel, who had Jacob's affection securely, felt insecure, being barren. Thus, she gave her maid, Bilhah, to Jacob to also have children through her. This escalated the manipulation. Out of this situation Dan and Naphtali were born. Mary Baker Eddy defined the background of Dan, as "Animal magnetism; so-called mortal mind controlling mortal mind; error, working out the designs of error; one belief preying upon another."
Leah, evidently recognized the utility of the process and gave her maid Zilpah to Jacob, in like manner. Zilpah bare two sons, Gad, and Asher. When the first of these arrived, Leah said "A troop cometh: and she called his name Gad." Here, again, the background was not to achieve manipulation, but to strengthen the family society. Mary Baker Eddy defined the background to the name Gad, as "Science; spiritual being understood; haste towards harmony."
As it was, destruction lurked around the corner. Leah's son, Reuben, had found some mandrakes in the fields, considered an aphrodisiac, and thus a new manipulation contest erupted between the two wives. To obtain some of the mandrakes, Rachel offered Jacob for a night, to Leah. The child that was conceived out this, was named Issachar. "God has given me my hire," she said, "because I have given my maiden to my husband;" thus, she called her fourth child Issachar. The name has a dual root. One root is related to man, and the other to wages. Mary Baker Eddy defines the name as, "A corporeal belief; the offspring of error; envy; hatred; selfishness; self-will; lust." This definition is actually more related to Rachel's influence, than to Leah's motivation. It reflects the manipulations by Rachel, against which Leah had developed no defense. Leah, who had made considerable progress, had lacked the alertness to recognize that she was once again drawn to embrace manipulative actions as her platform for relating to Jacob. Thus, agony was gained as the result. Leah regressed from this point on and fell back to old platform of seeking to manipulate Jacob into loving her, by giving him children. At the birth of her last son she said, "now will my husband dwell with me, because I have born him six sons." Here we have the same platform that she started out with.
It is unclear whether Rachel benefited from the mandrakes affair that had destroyed Leah's advanced motivation. Rachel did bear Jacob a son out of this background, whom she named Joseph. However, the Scriptures present no reference that the birth was caused by the mandrakes. Rather, there is evidence that it may be linked to repentance. There is also evidence that this birth caused a change in the family's physical status, for Jacob's focus was from this time on set at establishing a strong economic platform that would enable him to achieve the family's independence from Laban's economy.
It would be Rachel's son, Joseph, who was later soled into Egypt in a plot of envy by his brothers, who rose to become the right had of Pharaoh because of his wisdom, who eventually saved the nation and his family from a devastating drought. The name Joseph is derived from the verb, to add, a development name. The name is defined in the Glossary as, "A corporeal mortal; a higher sense of Truth rebuking mortal belief, or error, and showing the immortality and supremacy of Truth; pure affection blessing its enemies."
However, Jacob, though successful in gaining riches, was still fraudulent about it, and indeed, he had gained a great deal in the process. Apparently, he was so ashamed of the process, in his own eyes, that, after having gained independence, he set out secretly to return to his home country without a word of thanks or good-bye to Laban. However, the so derived riches seemed rather meaningless when the time came that he saw his life in danger. He had sent a messenger to his brother, who returned saying that his brother had set out with 400 men towards him.
Next Page
|| - page index -
|| - chapter index -
|| - Exit -
||
|
