How much is a mandrake worth?

I was reading the reading for January 10th. today and several things caught my attention! Serious attention!

The first thing was Esau married Ishamel's daughter. Did you catch that? Ishamel, the other son of Abraham. The one that didn't get the blessing from Abraham. Much like Esau..

Jacob left the land to find his wife ~ just like what happened with Issac. Do you feel Esau's pain? The passage states that Esau saw very clearly that his father did not want Jacob to marry a Canaanite woman. So Esau immediatly visited his uncle Ishamel's familoy and married his daughter. Hurt feelings and quick responses..how often do we do the same thing?

The next thing that caught my attention was Jacob's dream. The stairway from earth to heaven with angels going up and down the stairway. The Lord stood at the top and promised the land he was sleeping on, lots of descendants, protection wherever he goes and that he would be with Jacob. The verse that really spoke to me about how close we are to the Lord is v. 16 and 17 "What an awesome place this is! It is none other than the house of God, the very gateway to heaven!" So true! He is everywhere right around us at work and we never notice!!!

Mandrakes~have you ever seen one? Would you take one in exchange for your husband sleeping with someone else? I don't think so! WELL, that is exactly what happened in the story of Leah and Rachel. The story of the two sisters that both loved Jacob. Jacob was tricked in to marrying Leah (she is described having no sparkle in her eyes)..Rachel's beauty is always talked about the beautiful figure and lovely face. This story doesn't even start very good, does it?
Jealously, two women one man, one fertile and one unfertile, two maids that also sleep with the main guy...trouble is everywhere...

I am also a woman that suffers with infertility issues. I read this story today and the thing that caught my attention was the younger beautiful sister bargaining for the older sister to sleep with her man for mandrakes. I thought what are these mandrakes? I went to look it up and found that they are a plant that seems to help with fertility. Sweet aroma is mentioned and a modern explanation says they help with estorgen levels..Rachel needed that plant so bad that she made the deal of a lifetime. She wanted to be a mother, so bad. It states in the next verse or so that God remembered her prayers and enabled her to have children. The picture above shows a mandrake plant and I pondered the offer made between these two sisters. God's plans and God's timing are not easy for us to understand. Rachel saw the mandrake as a possible cure and a way to get what she desired. I know the pain of infertility, but I'm not sure that I would have taken the mandrake for a cure to my problem.

Oh, how I am loving reading God's word with a new eye and open heart! Thank you Lord for all I am learning and hearing in a different way and with a different spirit! Thank you for this awesome place, your Gateway to Heaven that you share with each of us........

Learning and Growing,