Genesis 30:1
"And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die."
The story of Jacob and his wives is a fascinating story of love. Jacob loved Rachel with all his heart, and he was willing to do whatever it took to make her his wife. Laban his father-in-law made an agreement, if you will work 7 years she will be yours. 7 years? That's nothing, and the Bible says that those 7 years were but a few days to him because he loved her so much. (Gen 29:20) But when Jacob woke up the next morning after consummating the marriage, he horrifically discovered that he was married to Leah, Rachel's older sister. Livid he goes to Laban, and demands an explanation, to which Laban explains; how can I give Rachel away when Leah the older sister is still unmarried? Serve 7 more years and Rachel will be yours. Notice Jacob served 14 years for Rachel, but he served nothing for Leah. Rachel is the bride that Jacob paid the price for, Leah was only his bride through deception. And the Bible says that Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah....
Sunday morning I was reading this text as I was finishing my notes for Sunday's message. As I was reading this God began to speak to me about this text, this text is actually the key to revival! God told me that Jacob is a symbol of Him here, and Rachel is the true church. God loves his church and has from the beginning; and the Bible teaches that God paid a price for this church (he purchased it with his own blood Acts 20:28!). Unfortunately as much as Jacob loved Rachel, Rachel was unproductive (barren). And because Rachel couldn't reproduce, Leah had all the children. And this must have gone unnoticed for a while for our text says, "...When Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister..." Suddenly Rachel realizes that she is barren, and that Leah is having the children that should be hers. You see for too long the church has been unproductive, without concern. We're content to live in maintenance mode, just simply getting by. All the while Leah, the deceptive bride, is having the children that should be ours. It's time the true church of God woke up, it's time we come to our senses and realize how unproductive we really are!
So when Rachel comes to her senses she goes to her husband and demands of him, "...give me children, else I die!!" Here we find the order of true revival. Rachel gives Jacob her maid, and that maid produces 2 sons. To Rachel, she's complete now. She has her sons. But God told me that he did not call Rachel to babysit another person's children. God's promise is for Rachel (His church) to birth children of her own! See the first glimpse of revival is when the church begins to receive move-ins and already established Christians. This is not the revival God promised. Rachel don't allow yourself to become content with somebody elses labor! I you want to experience the revival God has promised you must be willing to go through the labor yourself!! You might have children but your still second fiddle to Leah, because until you learn to produce by yourself, until you learn to be productive on your own, you'll still live in Leah's shadow! Its time for Rachel to have her children!! It's time the church woke up and approached our bridegroom with a determined spirit; Give us revival or else we'll die!!!
Leah has been stealing our harvest for long enough, Leah has been enjoying our children for long enough, Leah has been living with our promise for long enough! It's time for Rachel to awake from her state of complacency and began to get desperate in the spirit. There's no other option, there's no other alternative, it's revival or it's death!
Now catch this part; when Rachel conceived and began to have children of her own, Leah became barren. What this tells me is that when the true bride awakes from her slumber and becomes a productive entity; the deceptive church will become barren. The deception of the world is no match for a productive bride of Christ! If we can get to our rightful place in God, and do what we've been chosen to do, then revival is in our future! It doesn't matter how successful the deceptive bride seems to be right now; when the womb of the bride is opened, the womb of deception is closed! It's a promise for Rachel; the beloved bride, who was bought with a price. Let's awaken and celebrate the beginnings of a new season of anointing; and a new season of revival!
