Rachel

Rachel
Continuing with Women of the Bible pieces, this was inspired by the story of Rachel and Leah in Genesis 29.

Jacob worked for 7 years for Laban, with the promise of marrying Rachel after that time. When the time came around for him to marry Rachel, Laban tricked him into marrying Leah, using the excuse that a younger child could not be married before the first born. As Jacob loved Rachel, he agreed to work another 7 years and was rewarded with marriage to Rachel.

My piece is imagining Rachel, ready to be married to Jacob. She is dressed in her wedding veil and her face at first glance looks full of beauty and contentment.

But look longer at her expression and it seems not quite so content. She has just found out that she is not yet to be married to Jacob; she must wait and watch her older sister marry first. Does she know her father's plan, or does she expect Jacob to marry only one woman? We can't know how the detail played out, and can only imagine how Rachel must have felt.
TFL!
Bernie x

Naomi

Naomi

Carrying on with Women of the Bible.

During a time of famine, Naomi's husband decided they should emigrate to another land, and so went from Judah to the highlands of Moab. Leaving her homeland must have been such a sacrifice for Naomi as Moab was so heathen in its ways.

Nothing but misfortune found Naomi and her family when they had moved. Her sons both married women of Moab, rather than Hebrew women, rather than support their mother. Then her husband died, leaving her a widow in a land of idolaters. Naomi loses all heart to live on in a foreign land. Her heart was broken, her spirit was broken, and she felt God had abandoned her. She realised she must return to her native land of Bethlehem.
TFL!
Bernie x