Human Response 77: Acknowledge the Lord

Genesis 30:23, 24 And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach: And she called his name Joseph; and said, The Lord shall add to me another son.

Although they knew how babies were born, both Leah and Rachel acknowledged that the Lord was behind conception and birth. Children are a gift of God. Rachel had been barren for almost seven years, while Leah kept having sons. She prayed and asked the Lord. He finally answered her prayer: she conceived and bore Joseph. It wasn’t the mandrakes or human effort, but it was God who blessed. Jacob had said, ”God has withheld.” Leah had said, ”God has endowed me.” Rachel had said, when Bilhah bore a son, ”God has heard my voice and given me a son.” The text (v. 22) says, ”God listened to her and opened her womb.”

Rachel prayed. Rachel waited. God answered. Rachel responded. Rachel named her own son Joseph. Joseph means may He add, and sounds like the Hebrew word for taken away. She thanked God for taking away her reproach (being barren). She also trusted the Lord to add to her another son. This shows the real faith response of Rachel: God did it once; I believe He will do it again. Joseph was a special gift for which she was thankful, but her faith also said, ”God will add.” He heard my prayer, and He will be good again. And so it turned out: Benjamin was born six years later, though, unfortunately, Rachel died in childbirth.

We also respond to God’s grace with thanks and trust. We pray and look for God’s answers so that we may acknowledge the Lord in all our daily affairs, and thus we develop a deeper relationship with Him. When we pray and see the answer we know that the Lord is involved in our life. And He cares.