22.#Jacob meets Rachel
Genesis 29 : 9-12
Size: 38×47cm
Material: silk thread
After enduring many trials in the wilderness, a tired and breathless Jacob finally arrived at Paddan Aram, the city in which his uncle lived. Outside the city, the shepherds were preparing to water the flocks. While Jacob was talking to the shepherds, Rachel came out with her father’s flock. She was the shepherdess of the flock.
Seeing that it was Rachel, his uncle Laban's daughter, Jacob went up and rolled away the stone from the mouth of the well. He watered the flock of his uncle Laban.
Recalling his tough journey filled with hunger and fear, Jacob broke down in tears as soon as he greeted Rachel with a kiss. It was as though a dam had burst within him at the sight of a relative.
Jacob and Rachel: Love at first sight? One could argue that their affections towards each other is the pinnacle of what family love is all about. Rather than presuming that their romance began at that very moment, one could argue that God’s way is higher than our way. Our Creator has a wonderful plan for everything. Nothing happens by chance. Whenever we think we face a dead end, God will make a path where there seems to be no way out.
The meeting between Jacob and Rachel became a turning point in Jacob’s life and another point of entry for God's grace.