Gen 30:17, And God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son….Gen 30:22 Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb.
God promised Abraham that through his offspring, not offsprings (Gen 13:14-16) He would make him a great nation. Isaac after 20 years had but twins and Jacob had more sons.
The learned bishop Patrick very well suggests here that the true reason of this contest between Jacob’s wives for his company, and their giving him their maids to be his wives, was the earnest desire they had to fulfil the promise made to Abraham.
The downside of this desire is how they approached it, all flesh driven, frustrating one another. I believe from these 2 verses that though we see human effort, God was silently by His providence turning wrongs into right and helping these two women know Jas 1:17, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, …” Even in their foolish behavior, it is clear it was not their doing that delivered children but God. In this they began to pray and God listened and continued to fulfill His promise to Abraham through them. Jesus is called the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Leah’s son). Joseph is a picture of Jesus, hated by his brother but become the savior of those who rejected him, (Rachel’s son). God can turn messes into blessings, disappointments into appointments.