Bible in 365 Days – Day 10

Focus Chapters:

• Genesis 28:6-22
• Genesis 29
• Genesis 30:1-24

Standout Verse(s):

THE ACTION

Genesis 29:16-18, 22-23, 25-28, 30 NLT

Now Laban had two daughters. The older daughter was named Leah, and the younger one was Rachel. There was no sparkle in Leah’s eyes, but Rachel had a beautiful figure and a lovely face. Since Jacob was in love with Rachel, he told her father, “I’ll work for you for seven years if you’ll give me Rachel, your younger daughter, as my wife.
So Laban invited everyone in the neighborhood and prepared a wedding feast. But that night, when it was dark, Laban took Leah to Jacob, and he slept with her.
But when Jacob woke up in the morning—it was Leah! “What have you done to me?” Jacob raged at Laban. “I worked seven years for Rachel! Why have you tricked me?”
“It’s not our custom here to marry off a younger daughter ahead of the firstborn,” Laban replied. “But wait until the bridal week is over; then we’ll give you Rachel, too—provided you promise to work another seven years for me.” So Jacob agreed to work seven more years. A week after Jacob had married Leah, Laban gave him Rachel, too.
So Jacob slept with Rachel, too, and he loved her much more than Leah. He then stayed and worked for Laban the additional seven years.

THE REACTION

Genesis 29:31-35 NLT

When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, he enabled her to have children, but Rachel could not conceive. So Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, “The Lord has noticed my misery, and now my husband will love me.”

She soon became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. She named him Simeon, for she said, “The Lord heard that I was unloved and has given me another son.”
Then she became pregnant a third time and gave birth to another son. He was named Levi, for she said, “Surely this time my husband will feel affection for me, since I have given him three sons!”
Once again Leah became pregnant and gave birth to another son. She named him Judah, for she said, “Now I will praise the Lord!” And then she stopped having children.

Observation (s):

1. Rachel was the love of Jacob’s life. Leah was considered the consolation prize. Leah was the daughter her father had to marry off first through deception. She was the means-to-an-end, the bride and wife her husband did not want and cast aside after a week of marriage to marry his first choice.
   
   

   But that night, when it was dark, Laban took Leah to Jacob, and he slept with her. “It’s not our custom here to marry off a younger daughter ahead of the firstborn,” Laban replied.
   A week after Jacob had married Leah, Laban gave him Rachel, too. So Jacob slept with Rachel, too, and he loved her much more than Leah.

   
   
2. At the birth of her first three sons, Leah’s focus was on gaining the love of her husband and neutralizing the results of how her husband’s rejection made her feel. She went through the difficulty of birth, hoping the fruit she bore would change her husband’s feelings towards her.
   
   

   So Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, “The Lord has noticed my misery, and now my husband will love me.” She soon became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. She named him Simeon, for she said, “The Lord heard that I was unloved and has given me another son.” Then she became pregnant a third time and gave birth to another son. He was named Levi, for she said, “Surely this time my husband will feel affection for me, since I have given him three sons!”

   
   
3. Leah did not praise God for her blessings until her fourth child, Judah. This is when she shifted her focus from how she is feeling and pleasing her husband to thanking God. Her husband did not love her but she had children and God who did.
   
   

   Once again Leah became pregnant and gave birth to another son. She named him Judah, for she said, “Now I will praise the Lord!” And then she stopped having children.

Application:

I can relate to Leah. Not because I have a husband who doesn’t love me but because I have family and friends who don’t. It’s hurtful when you are rejected. It’s all-consuming when your focus is on gaining acceptance. Like Leah, I’ve gone through a lot of pain and sorrow to bear victories that I thought would please and make loved ones love and accept me. It is painful when your loved ones only perceive you in a way that doesn’t change no matter what you do. Leah’s first four sons were Jacob’s first four children but Jacob still could not love her or appreciate the tribulation that she went through to bear him these blessings.

In the midst of all that trying, I oftentimes forget to see and acknowledge the blessings that my victories represent. Consequently, I forgot God! I forgot to give Him praise. If only we would be wiser like Leah. Don’t wait until the fourth blessing to praise God. It is time that we stop focusing on achieving victories to gain worldly love and acceptance. Instead, let us gain victories and praise God!