by: Carole L. Haines
Now the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was unable to have children. 32 Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and named him Reuben, for she said, “Because the Lord has seen my affliction; surely now my husband will love me.” 33 Then she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and said, “Because the Lord has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also.” So she named him Simeon. 34 And she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore he was named Levi. 35 And she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” Therefore she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children.
(Genesis 29:31-35 NASB)
Imagine waking up on the first morning of your honeymoon and having your husband jump out of bed in horror and run to find the minister who performed the marriage and object to you as his wife. Imagine him trying to navigate a way to get rid of you legally so that he could have your sister instead. Imagine finishing out your wedding week, the only week you will ever have with your husband alone, and then having your most beautiful sister given to him as a wife as well. Now all his attention is on her beauty, and you are left with nothing but shame and humiliation.
Welcome to the story of Leah in the Bible. I just read through the entire story of Esau and Jacob, the deceiver. Little did Jacob know that he was about to have a Master deceiver, a true-life Con Man as a father-in-law. Leah is what we would call in a modern-day Tragic Hero. Defined as a noble person who experiences a tragic downfall, Leah seems to fit this mold.
But let’s look at how God has compassion on her, revealed in the naming of her first four children.
Now the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was unable to have children. 32 Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and named him Reuben, for she said, “Because the Lord has seen my affliction; surely now my husband will love me.”
Leah just wants to be loved by her husband is that too much to ask? She is looking for love, just like most of us. None of us have anything to do with our physical appearance. It’s just a trick of the genes and boom, we look like a combo of our mom and dad.
33 Then she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and said, “Because the Lord has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also.” So she named him Simeon.
Her second child sees her bringing the Lord into the story. She is no longer merely looking for her husband’s love yet realizing that the Lord knows the injustice that she has suffered. She declares that the Lord has heard just how unloved she is by Jacob.
34 And she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore, he was named Levi.
Sons were a big deal in the Old Time Biblical days. Women who bore sons were held in high esteem. Yet, Leah is still yearning for some kind of attachment, affection and affirmation from her husband Jacob. She is now seeking it through her three boys, not on her own merit anymore.
35 And she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” Therefore, she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children.
Leah was the daughter of a treacherous, manipulative, deceptive father. She was forced into a marriage with someone just like her dad. She was probably teased mercilessly by a sister who was the “looker” of the family. But God blessed her and took her on a journey, rescuing her from looking for love in all the wrong places, to a woman who finally declares.
“This time I will praise the Lord.”
What journey does God have you on?
Please let me know in the comments.
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