How is Jacob’s marriage a symbol of the Church, the bride?

According to St. Jacob of Sarug, the saints prophesied about the Incarnate Son of God by their works. Jacob loved Rachel and they were engaged. Rachel symbolizes the Church, the beautiful bride. He also married Leah who represents the Jewish nation, who took Rachel’s position after Laban tricked him (Gen. 29). St. Jacob of Sarug says the following:

First: “Rachel the daughter of the heathens was sanctified by Jacob, her fiancé. She was betrothed, who was raised among the idols, to him who was prosperous because of the

1007 St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on Ephesians 1 (NPNF I/13:55).

1008 St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Second Epistle to the Corinthians 9 (NPNF I/12:322ff).

1009 St. John Chrysostom, Homily on Genesis 25.24 (FOTC 82:143).

1010 St. Caesarius of Arles, Sermon ‘On the Ten Virgins’ 155.4 (FOTC 47:347).

blessings and inspirations. The non-believing woman was sanctified by the holy man (1 Cor. 7:14). Rachel became a saint because of Jacob, how much more will the church be sanctified through the God of Jacob! How was Leah, whose eyes were delicate, neglected? Why then except for the mystery to be fulfilled in her? Rachel was honored more because the beauty of the church was hidden within her, and this is why her victory is great! Oh how wondrous is Jacob’s mystery, who is like his Lord and for this reason, he is considered in the scriptures to be great.”

Second: “Also look at Jacob who walked in poverty, how he was like the Son who humbled Himself … he left his land to Haran in poverty, and the mysteries followed him and were revealed in him. He arrived at the well not of the water, but of the mysteries. If you look closely, it is full of mysteries more than water. He found it shut with no water coming out as the flock of sheep and shepherds were waiting. He found a great stone on its mouth and the flock was thirsty waiting for the stone to be rolled away (Gen. 29:2) … Jacob stood and looked at the flocks who were burning with thirst but not capable of rolling the stone away to drink. As he stood by, Rachel came and when he saw her, he rolled the stone away so that the flocks could drink … The mystery of the church was crystal clear in her face and Jacob longed to marry her. The church was the reason for the beauty of the daughter of the heathens, so that Jacob may see her and conquer … All the flocks drank water because of Rachel; her beauty, her love, and her splendor.”

Third: Jacob kissed Rachel and wept to symbolize the sufferings of the Son. “My son, do not think that he physically desired her, for when he kissed her, he wept bitterly. If this was lust, he would not have wept. Pleasure produces lust with all its heat but pain produces grief and sorrow. Wherever weeping is, there lust cannot be. So Jacob was not inflamed with lust, but with the pain of the Son’s mysteries.”

Fourth: The mystery of the Son helped Jacob roll the great stone away. “If this mystery was not with Jacob, he would not have been able to roll it away … the shadows of the Great Shepherd overshadowed him so that all the shepherds feared him.”

Fifth: Laban welcomed Jacob and they agreed on his wage and on his marriage to Rachel. “The idolater welcomed the just man with a good heart and he began to assign him work. Laban said: What is your wage? Make it known for it is not good for you to work for free as long as you are with me? (Gen. 29:18). Jacob said: I will serve you for Rachel. Let me marry your younger daughter for this is a good wage … I will serve you seven years for Rachel and do not give me anything else but her … Here we see a type of what our Lord will do, in giving Himself up to great labor for the sake of the church. The Son of God surrendered to pain because of His love that by His sufferings He may betroth to Himself the lonely church. He suffered on the cross for the sake of her who worshiped idols so that He can acquire her in holiness. He accepted to shepherd the sheep with the great rod of the cross as He suffered. He accepted to shepherd peoples and multitudes that the church may be restored to Him.”

Sixth: Jacob married Leah instead of Rachel. “The time has come for the wage to be paid to the Shepherd. Laban however clothed himself with deception to lie to him … It was a wedding where the groom rejoices over the bride whom he betrothed, but instead of Rachel, Leah came in because of her father’s deception … In the morning, Laban’s trick was exposed and the unfortunate sight became manifest … The night concealed the bride but dawn exposed her (Gen. 29:25) and the groom saw and despised her … In his deception, he placed the name of the beautiful on the ugly so that both brides were clothed with the same beauty.”

Seventh: Jacob figured out Laban’s trick and asked him for Rachel. “Where is Rachel for whom I served you? I never asked for Leah and she came into my place without my knowledge. Laban said: It must not be done so in our country that the younger should be given before the firstborn. However, I will not keep Rachel from you if you would like to take both of them, but without violating our law. Jacob agreed to take both from the house of Laban … Here, the mystery of the two nations was fulfilled through the two sisters who married the same husband. The nation and the nations were resembled by Leah and Rachel. The church and the gentiles were symbolized by the sisters. God called all the nations to a marriage with Him, since no nation on earth is not His own … The veil that Moses used to cover his face became an image of Leah’s veil … She looked at the calf and considered it to be a god for she was blind and had no sight to discern the truths. She who was deprived from sight came in first, and the splendid church was left out like Rachel. She was covered with Moses’ veil and no one knew that she was blind since she seemed beautiful because of the veil. The one who had sight was concealed in the nations and remained unknown, the ugly was entirely covered and entered in the house of God.”

Eighth : Leah was a symbol of the Jews, who knew God first, followed by Rachel who was a type of the church of the Gentiles. “The former people were the firstborn of God and even though the daughter of the nations was beautiful, she was left behind. It was not appropriate for the youngster to enter before the eldest. Laban testified of this since he gave him Leah before Rachel. Moses led her out of Egypt at midnight so that no one would see that the bride he brought out was not beautiful. She went out at night just as Leah went in at night, but the morning exposed the matter … Rachel the youngest and the young church who were both beautiful came in at the end for the Light revealed their beauty. The beautiful, beloved, and glorious in all things was betrothed to Jacob. They gave him the one with weak sight, ugly eyes, wrinkled skin, gloomy face, and flaws. Our Lord also betrothed the great church, the daughter of kings to Himself. She is the one who knew the Father, worshiped the Son, and accepted the Spirit. He was also given the nation that worshiped the idols, that built the calf, that denied the Father and crucified the Son … Rachel did not enter the just man’s place with deception, and the church does not stand before the Holy One with a veil. The church’s face is more beautiful than Rachel’s, and she entered in the morning so that everyone might see her beauty.”