HOMILETICS. Vers. _1--13.~Rach.e.l and Leah, or unlwly rivalry. I. RAcrrEL'S_ENVY OIJ' LEAJI. 1. Th.e. insu.fficient caw;e. "She saw that she bare Jacob no children," while Leah had begun to have a family. Though commonly regarded by Hebrew wives as a peculiarly severe affliction, childlessness was not without its compensations, which Rachel should bave reckoned. Then the motherhood of Leah was the good fortune of II sister, in which Rachel should have lovingly rejoiced ; and both the barrenness and the fruitfulness were of God's appointment, in which Rachel should have piously ucquiesced. 2. Th.e. querulous complaint. "Give me children, or else I die." To inordinately long for children was, on Rachel's part, a great sin; to depreciate the gift of life with its manifold blessings because of their absence was a g-reater sin; to express her bitter and despondent feeling in reproachful languoge against her husband was a sin still greater; but the greatest sin of all was to overlook the hand of God in her affliction. 3. The mmted rebuke. ".Am I in God's stead? ,,. If Jacob sinned in being angry with Rachel, evincing want of sympathy and patience with her womanly distress, if even he erred in infusing a too great degree of heat into his words, he yet acted with propriety in censuring her fault. It is the province of a husband to reprove grievous misdemeanours in a wife, only not with severity, as Jacob, yet with Jacob's fidelity. 4. The sinful expedient. "Behold my maid Bilhah." Sanctioned by popular custom, the plan adopted by Rachel for obtaining children might almost seem to have been sanctified by the conduct of Snrah. But the circumstances in which the two wives were placed were widely different. Yet, even though they had been the same, Rachel was not at liberty, any more than Sarah, to tempt her hu:1band to a violation of the marriage law. The bad example of a saint no more than the evil practice of the world can justify a sin. 5. The ap· parent success. "Rachel's maid conceived." God often allows wicked schemes to prosper, without approving of either the schemes or the schemers. Sometimes their success is needful, as in this case, to manifest their wickedness and folly. 6. The mu;t,alcen inference. "God hath judged me." Rachel is not the only person who has reckoned God upon his side because of outward prosperity. The world's standard of morality is success. But moral triumphs are frequently achieved through material defeats. IL Lurr'e IMITATION OF RACHEL. 1. Of Racliel's bad feelinrr She might have borne with her sister's exultation over the happiness of reachmg motherhood by proxy, might have allowed Raebel to have her little triumph, but she could _not. Immediately foreseeing the possibility of being out-distanced by her favoured _rival, she became a victim of green-eyed jealousy. The envy stirring in the heart of Rachel had at length spread its contagion to her. 2. 0/ Racliet's sinful conduct. "Leah took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife.' . One never ~mows whero the influence of a bad example is to end. When one samt steps aside from tho straight path others are sure to follow. The more eminent the first transgressor is, the easier sinning is to bis successors. 3. Of Racliel's wrong reasoning. "The daughters will call me-blessed." Faulty logic (at least in morals) seems as ea~y to copy as improper feelings or wicked deeds. 'l'he connection between much happiness and many children is not absolute and inevitable. The hopes of rejoicing mothers are sometimes sadly blighted, and their expectations of felicity strangely dis- appointed. She is truly happy whom not the daughters, but Jehovah, pronour.cee blessed. Le.88o1t.8 :-1. The bitterness of envv. 2. The wickedness of polygamy. 3. The contagiousness of sin Oil. XXX. 14-24.] nrn BOOK OF GENESIS. 367
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Ver. 1.-Envy working in Go<l:s people. "Rachel envied her sister." Jacob's love for Rachel a type of Christ's love for his Church. We cannot doubt that his love was returned. There was thus the chief element of conjugal happiness. But her sister, less favoured in this, had a blemiing which was denied her, ancl "Rachel envied her sister." It was not that she feared to lose her husband's love. Of that she had abundant proof. It was a selfish sorrow. Her husband's children were growing up, but they were not hers. Racbel's envy bas its counterpart among Christians. Love for Christ may take the form of selfish zeal ; unwillingness to acknowledge or rejoice in work for God in which we take no part. In the spiritual history of the world a blessing often seems to rest upon means irregular or unlikely. Where efforts that promised well have failed, God makes bis own power felt ; and many think this cannot be right (cf. John ix. 16), and would rather have the work not done than done thus (cf. Numb. xi. 28; Mark ix. 38). Contrast the spirit of St. Paul (Phil. i. 18). Examples of this: unwillingness to rejoice in good done by some other communion, or some other party than our own ; inclination to look at points of difference rather than at those held in common; the work of others doubted, criticised, or ignored; eagerness to warn against this or that. Self lies at the root of this. Perhaps the harvest of another seems to diminish ours. Perhaps our own thoughts are to us the measure of God's plans (cf. l\lark xiv. 4). Men see the outside of others' work, and judge as if they knew both the motives and the full results. Yet with this there may be much real zeal nnd love for the Lord. The failure lies in the want of complete acceptance of his will. To rejoice in work for Christ, by whomsoever done, is not inconsistent with decided views as to the objects to be aimed at, and the means to be used (1 These. v. 21). 1. We are callerl to enlarge the household of God ; to be the means of making enemies into children (cf. Ps. lxxxvii. 4, 5) through producing faith (cf. John i. 12). Each responsible for the faithful use of the powers given to us, and bidden to exnmine ourselves as to sincerity. But the visible results are as God pleases. Here a test of singleness of mind. Can we rejoice in success of a work in which we have no share, or when another's success appears greater than ours? (Gal. v. 26). 2. As an exercise of unselfishness, be careful not to provoke envy by parading distinctive peculiarities (Rom.xii. 18} or exalting our own work. 3. Be not discouraged that work of others seems more blessed (John iv. 36, 37). Faithfulness is within the power of all. It is that which God regards (Matt. xxv. 21). The result we cannot judge of here. The fruit delayed may prove a greater blessing.-M.