Leah: Women In The Bible Week 3

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"Now Laban had two daughters. The name of the older was Leah and the younger was Rachel. Leah's eyes were weak but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance. Jacob loved Rachel and he served seven years for Rachel although they seemed but a few days because of the love he had for her." 

"So after seven years Laban made a feast and in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her into Jacob. Behold in the morning it was Leah!"

"Why have you done this to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why have you deceived me? Laban said "It is not so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn, complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years." Jacob did so and completed the week then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife."

"Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah, When the Lord saw that Leah was hated he opened her womb but Rachel was barren, Leah conceived and bore a son, she calls his name Reuben." 

(Segments from Genesis 29 v 16-35) 

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Everyone has felt like a Leah at least once in their life. Someone who feels like they are in the shadow of someone more beautiful, more special and generally a better person than they are. Rachel, Leah's little sister was "beautiful in form and appearance." she was a head turner and Leah wasn't. In fact Rachel means "ewe" and Leah means "cow" - you can imagine how that must make you feel. 

Not only was Leah hated by her husband Jacob, (he wanted her beautiful sister not Leah) but her own father Laban had to deceive Jacob into marrying her! He lacked belief that Leah would ever find someone to marrying so he had to trick Jacob imagine the hurt that must have caused. 

But God saw Leah "not as man sees" but as God sees, he saw her heart and as the person she really was she may not have been perfect in form and appearance but she was exactly the person God would use to create the house of David. Leah praised God and saw each of her children as a blessing despite pain, rejection and the desire to be loved by her husband, Leah thanked the Lord her need and hunger for love couldn't be met by man but by the love of God. 

Leah gave birth to several of Jacob's sons the 'unloved wife' was actually a loved daughter who was chosen by God for unexpected and huge honourable kingdom purposes. 

Remember to put aside the world's definition of beauty and worth and remember the beauty and worth that he has already created in us for mighty things. The worldly view of love and affirmation will fail but his love NEVER fails.