Jacob: The Man
I'm not sure why Jacob didn't follow the same methodology as Issac's servant did when he went to find Rebekah. Jacob basically went to the same house where Issac's servant had prayed that God would show him who was to be Isaac's wife, but took a much more lengthy and arduous path to finally get Rachel as his wife. I wonder what this is supposed to mean. Either Jacob wasn't aware that it could be that easy, he didn't carry the respect or age of being able to do so, or he did this to demonstrate the extent of his steadfast love for Rachel. As result, we see one of the first descriptions of a man explicitly loving his wife deeply and going through great lengths to be with her. I wonder if these days men take a wife with far less care, responsibility, and enduring love than was intended for the marriage relationship. What does working 14 years to obtain the affection of a woman look like in our scenario? At the very least it means cherishing her and providing for her. These are two things that are sadly in decline due to perverted men who worship the god of sex and see every woman as another sexual fix, and sluggish men who worship the lazy god of comfort instead of getting a job.
