So, we know that Jacob’s twelve sons had four mothers: Leah was the spurned wife; Rachel was the favorite wife; Bilhah was Rachel’s maid and Zilpah was Leah’s maid. Here is their birth order and how it all breaks down:
1. Reuben, his mom was Leah
2. Simeon, his mom was Leah
3. Levi, his mom was Leah
4. Judah, his mom was Leah
5. Dan, his mom was Bilhah, Rachel’s maid
6. Naphtali, his mom was Bilhah, Rachel’s maid
7. Gad, his mom was Zilpah, Leah’s maid
8. Asher, his mom was Zilpah, Leah’s maid
9. Issachar, his mom was Leah
10. Zebulun, his mom was Leah
(Then Leah also had a daughter, Dinah.)
11. Joseph, his mom was Rachel
12. Benjamin, his mom was Rachel
It was a tough way to have twelve sons. Just because that’s’how it happened, does not mean that God approves of such an arrangement!
[Genesis 29:1-35, Genesis 30:1-24, and Genesis 35:16-19]
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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