第二天早晨雅各发现拉班欺骗了他，就说，“你向我作的是甚么事呢？我服事你，不是为拉结么？你为甚么欺哄我呢？”（创二九25）。雅各不喜欢眼晴没有神气的利亚；他爱“生得美貌俊秀”的拉结（创二九17）。雅各向拉班抱怨之后，拉班说，“大女儿还没有给人，先把小女儿给人，在我们这地方没有这规矩。你为这个满了七日，我就把那个也给你，你再为她服事我七年”（创二九26-27）。虽然如此，雅各还是同意这项安排，受拉班欺骗，为他所爱的妻子拉结，整整工作了十四年。
神主宰的手在这境遇里面。雅各爱拉结，但神主宰的使拉结离开他。雅各没有为利亚劳苦一天，利亚却被当作附加的礼物自白的给了他。在此我们看见，神会让你得着你所爱的，但你得付代价。你所爱的总会使你付出很多，因为除了给你这个以外，神要给你一个附加的。神似乎说，“雅各，你爱拉结么？我会将她给你，但你必须付代价。”
拉结是雅各照着自己拣选和偏好而有的妻子，但利亚是他照着神的观念和旨意而有的妻子。这在创世记四十九章三十一节得到证明。那里告诉我们，雅各把利亚葬在麦比拉洞，就是埋葬亚伯拉罕、撒拉、以撒和利百加那个奇妙的洞里。请注意，葬在那里的是利亚，不是拉结。神是一致的。在祂眼中，一个丈夫只有一个妻子，神不承认拉结是雅各的妻子，因为她是雅各偏爱的。利亚才是雅各真正的妻子。神除了给雅各他所偏爱的以外，还教了他很多功课。同样，你是为主作工的人，也许喜爱有某位弟兄作你的同工。但那位同工是你照着自己的偏好选择的，不是神照着祂的旨意选择的。我们的神是大的，你若要你的偏好，神会说，“我会让你得着你所偏好的，但这是我给你一些对付和变化，教你一些功课的好机会。至终，我要将我所拣选，你所不喜欢的人给你，作你真正的同工”。
神将利亚给了雅各。雅各爱她么？可能不爱。创世记二十九章三十一节告诉我们：“利亚被恨”（见和合本小字注）。首先，利亚被拉结所恨，然后被雅各所恨。雅各无疑是受了拉结的影响。有人教导说，神从不让我们有自己的选择。这教导不准确。神会让你有自己的选择，但随着这选择，你会受到若干的对付和变化。
信息重点：神让雅各得着自己所爱的拉结，却也把利亚赐给他。神有时允许我们的选择，但也藉着这些经历教导我们认识祂的旨意。
应用祷告：主啊，求你帮助我不只追求自己的喜好，更学习寻求你的心意。愿你的旨意高过我的选择，你的道路高过我的道路。
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Laban Deceives Jacob by Giving Him Two Daughters (2) — Gen. 29:26-27
The next morning Jacob discovered that Laban had deceived him and said, “What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served with you? Why then have you deceived me?” (Gen. 29:25). Jacob did not like Leah, whose eyes were weak; he loved Rachel, who was “beautiful of form and face” (Gen. 29:17). After Jacob complained to Laban, Laban said, “It is not the practice in our place to marry off the younger before the firstborn. 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” (Gen. 29:26-27). Nevertheless, Jacob agreed to this arrangement — deceived by Laban — and worked a full fourteen years for his beloved wife Rachel.
The hand of God’s sovereignty was in this situation. Jacob loved Rachel, but God’s sovereignty caused Rachel to be withheld from him. Jacob had not labored a single day for Leah, yet Leah was given to him freely as an additional gift. Here we see that God will let you have what you love, but you must pay the price. What you love will always cost you greatly, because in addition to giving you the one you want, God will give you something extra. God seemed to say, “Jacob, you love Rachel? I will give her to you, but you must pay the price”.
Rachel was the wife Jacob chose according to his own preference, but Leah was the wife he received according to God’s mind and will. This is proven in Genesis 49:31, which tells us that Jacob buried Leah in the cave of Machpelah — the same remarkable cave where Abraham, Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah were buried. Notice: it was Leah who was buried there, not Rachel. God is consistent. In His eyes, a husband has only one wife; God did not acknowledge Rachel as Jacob’s wife, because she was Jacob’s favorite. Leah was Jacob’s true wife. In addition to giving Jacob his preferred one, God also taught him many lessons. In the same way, if you are one who works for the Lord, you may prefer a certain brother as your co-worker. But that co-worker is chosen according to your own preference, not according to God’s will. Our God is great. If you insist on your preference, God will say, “I will let you have what you prefer, but this is a good opportunity for Me to deal with you, to transform you, and to teach you lessons. Ultimately, I will give you the one I have chosen — the one you do not like — to be your true co-worker.”
God gave Leah to Jacob. Did Jacob love her? Probably not. Genesis 29:31 tells us: “Leah was hated” (see marginal note). First, Leah was hated by Rachel; then she was hated by Jacob. Jacob was undoubtedly influenced by Rachel. Some teach that God never allows us to have our own choices. This teaching is inaccurate. God will allow you to make your own choices, but along with those choices come certain dealings and transformations.
Message Focus: God allowed Jacob to obtain the Rachel he loved, but also gave him Leah. God sometimes permits our choices, but through these experiences He also teaches us to know His will.
Prayer: Lord, help me not only to pursue my own preferences, but to learn to seek Your heart. May Your will be higher than my choices, and Your ways higher than my ways.