Abraham’s grandson Jacob found himself in the midst of some pretty
dysfunctional family issues.
Dysfunctional families are not a new thing. The very first family was wrought with such
dysfunction that one brother killed the other brother.
There
were several reasons for the dysfunction in Jacob’s home. Part of the issue was that Mama was
interfering with the traditions. She
wanted Jacob to get the blessing meant for the oldest son and devised a plan to make it happen. Maybe the older son’s choice of wives entered
into Mama’s interference. The Bible says
that these wives of the brother were grief of mind to Jacob’s father and mother. Prior to the theft of the blessing, Jacob had
finagled his brother out of his birthright.
It is hard to conjure up much sympathy for the brother since he
showed such a lack of interest in his own birthright. Jacob, you might remember acquired it with a bowl of tasty
stew.
After
these incidents, Jacob’s brother hated him enough to kill him. Mama advises Jacob to run to her relatives in
Padan Aram. So he runs from one sticky situation to a new sticky situation. He now finds
himself on the receiving end of deception and trickery.
In Padan
Aram he meets and falls in love with Rachel.
So taken with her he makes a deal with her father to work for seven
years for her hand in marriage. The
seven years go by quickly because he is so in love with her. The big day comes. A feast is made and then the bride is brought
to him. But come morning he discovers that
it is not Rachel his beloved, it is her sister Leah. After the marriage week with Leah he is given
Rachel also but he now he has to work another seven years for her.
Poor Leah.
What a horrible way to start a marriage. I guess you could almost classify her as an
unwanted step-wife, excess baggage. Rachel was a
beautiful girl and nicely formed. Leah
we are told had delicate eyes. From what is not told we can assume that maybe
she was not so beautiful and maybe she was not so nicely formed.
I have to
believe that the tenderness of her eyes started from a tenderness of
heart. She was in a very hard situation that no woman would want to be in, but she was very human and she longed to be loved by her husband.
We can learn
some encouraging things from Leah’s life because we all go thru painful
situations. We all long for love and
acceptance from those around us, and sometimes just like with Leah, it is not there.
The Bible
says, (Genesis 29:31) When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her
womb; but Rachel was barren.
God sees
our pain. God sees unfairness. God knows when the scales are
unbalanced. Don’t think for a minute that
God does not see your pain or your situation.
God reacts to our pain. God’s
reaction to our pain is based on His wisdom and not ours. God did not swoop in
and cause Jacob to fall head over heals in love with Leah, instead God wooed Leah to fall in
love with Himself.
In this paraphrase (my own) of these verses we can follow Leah’s struggle. Genesis 29: 31-35. Leah conceived and bore a son; she named him
Reuben which means “see a son” Leah named him this because she knew that the
Lord saw her affliction. She thought, “Now
my husband will love me.” But that did
not happen.
Then she
conceived again and bore a son, she said “Because the Lord has heard that I am
unloved he has given me this son also.”
She named this son Simeon, which means “hearing”. She was still hoping that these sons would
cause her husband to love her.
She
conceived again and bore a third son, and said, “Now this time my husband will
become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” So she named him Levi which means “joined or
attached.”
She
conceived again and bore a son and said, “Now I will praise the Lord.” She named this boy Judah which means “praise.”
I don’t
want to read too much into this, but it seems that there is a change. Her mind is not so much on what she doesn’t
have but it seems that she understands that she has something wonderful in a
God who sees, who hears, who understands, cares, and blesses.
She seems to have a contentment in praising her God.
It is
interesting to follow the heritage of Leah’s six sons. Of the twelve tribes of Israel Leah was
mother of six. Through her son Levi whose
name means “attached” came Moses and Aaron, the priests and high priests. Through her son Judah whose name means “praise”
came King David and then down the line came Jesus our redeemer and Savior.
In the
midst of dysfunctional homes and people God can work miracles and
blessings. He loves you. He sees your pain. He can turn your pain into something
beautiful. Blessings.
