Taking a deeper look at the people of the Bible, to see their lives and the things that they endured and went through, to examine how we can apply those same lessons to our lives today I hope has been as helpful for you as it has been for me. So far, we’ve looked at Eve, Adam, Abel, Cain, Noah, Abraham, Lot, Sarah, Lot’s Wife, Abraham’s Servant, Rebekah, Esau, and Jacob. Today, we’ll be taking a deeper look at Leah.
When Jacob fled from Esau and went to work for Laban, he met Laban’s daughter, Rachel. While Rachel was considered more beautiful, the Bible describes Leah as having delicate eyes. She was older, so the custom was for her to get married before her younger sister. The problem was that Jacob loved Rachel and wanted to work seven years to marry her.
But when the wedding night came, Laban switched out Leah for Rachel. Jacob was angry when he realized what Laban had done. Genesis chapter 29, verses 23 to 27 says, “Now it came to pass in the evening that he took Leah his daughter and brought her to Jacob, and he went in to her. And Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a maid. So it came to pass in the morning, that behold, it was Leah. And he said to Laban, ‘What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served you? Why then have you deceived me?’
And Laban said, ‘It must not be done so in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. Fulfil her week, and we will give you this one also for the service which you will serve with me still another seven years.’”
Jacob served another seven years and married Rachel, who was also given a maid named Bilhah. Unfortunately for Leah, part of Genesis chapter 29 verse 30 says, “Then Jacob also went in to Rachel, and he also loved Rachel more than Leah.”
Jacob loved Rachel more.
How many of you have faced rejection in life? Maybe it was the rejection of a girlfriend or boyfriend, or even friends. Maybe it was based on your appearance or even your personality. Maybe you’ve gone through a divorce or a situation where your spouse didn’t love you, the same way that Jacob didn’t love Leah.
You are not alone, but more importantly: you are not unloved.
Genesis chapter 29, verse 31 says, “When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.” God saw that Leah was unloved! He felt her anguish and understood what she was going through—so he gave her a child so she could be loved.
That was when Leah gave birth to her firstborn, Reuben. And when she gave birth to him, Leah said in Genesis 29, in part of verse 32, “’The Lord has surely looked on my affliction.”
God sees that you have been rejected—whether by people, from a job or position at work, from friends, on social media, or anywhere else in the world. He sees, knows, and understands the hurt that you feel.
You know what He did for Leah?
He didn’t just give her one son. He went on to give her a total of four sons. Four! More than that, Reuban, Simeon, Levi, and Judah eventually became four of the twelve tribes of Israel (along with the sons born to Jacob through Rachel and Leah’s maids, as well as Rachel’s two sons she has later on).
But God’s blessings to Leah far surpassed anything she ever could have imagined. Through her son, Judah, David was born. And you know Who else was born into the tribe of Judah?
Jesus. Judah’s line went on to have Joseph, who was Jesus’ earthly father. We all know that Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit descending upon Mary, so while Joseph wasn’t Jesus’ birth father, he was still his earthly father, so Judah is His adopted tribe.
God blessed Leah more than she ever knew—her sons birthed Israel’s kings like David and Solomon, and later through the adopted line of Joseph—Jesus.
When you’re feeling rejected alone, remember that God has not forgotten you.
