Bible Reading: Genesis 29; Esther 5; Matthew 28; Acts 28
Genesis 29:30 And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years.
The account of Jacob and his wives always breaks my heart. Can you imagine being married to a man that does not love you? Can you imagine being married to a man who is in love with your sister? Can you imagine being married to a man who is also married to your sister? What a mess! God in his Word says:
Genesis 2:18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
Notice that God says I will make him AN HELP meet for him. He did not say helpers meet for him! Jacob got cheated by his father-in-law, Laban. However, poor Leah was caught in between a wicked father and a reluctant husband that loved her sister more! Here we learn something interesting in God's Word:
Genesis 29:31 And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.
In verse 30 we see that Jacob loved Rachel MORE than Leah. This does not say that Jacob did not love Leah, just that he loved her sister MORE. However, God sees in verse 31 that Leah is hated. A lesser love is hate! A man cannot have two loves. Listen to what Jesus says in regard to masters:
Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.
Jacob had a divided interest he could not love two women as he should. He loved one and his lesser love for the other was hated. God saw this and he did something about it. He specifically opened the womb of Leah allowing her to have children while Rachel was barren. Leah hoped the son her husband gave her would make her husband love her more. So she names him accordingly:
Genesis 29:32 And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me.
She was trying so hard to get her husband's love. Each son born to Leah was named according to her hope that Jacob would love her. Apparently, nothing changed so when the fourth boy was born she said I'm going to praise the Lord! So she named him Judah. Leah learned to find her significance in the Lord and to praise him for all things. My heart always breaks when I read of Leah. She tried so hard to earn Jacob's love but could not. However, she knew that she had the Lord's love and he gave her sons that loved her. Don't let your interest be divided! Love God, love your spouse, and love your children.
In Christ,
Rody
