Leah— she must have been a strong woman, a stubborn woman, a determined woman. Maybe more than Rachel, she was Jacob’s match— clever, devious, quick. She deceived the deceiver. Perhaps that is why he didn’t love her; he saw, in her, a mirror of himself . . . and he was repulsed.
And yet she, more than Rachel, was the mother of the nation of Israel. She bore, from her own body, six sons and at least one daughter. Rachel gave Jacob two sons— considering the sons of her maid, four— but Leah’s maid as well bore two sons, which means that Leah still gave Jacob far more children than Rachel did.
It was Leah’s son who stepped up to replace her disgraced eldest son. It was Leah’s son who became a man, going against the grain of his family and his culture. It was Leah’s son who convinced Jacob to allow them to return to Egypt to buy grain to save the family. It was Leah’s son who stood up to the most powerful man in Egypt in order to save a brother who had made his life miserable— doing this for the sake of his father, not himself. It was Leah’s son who became the king-tribe. It was Leah’s son whose line was promised to bring Messiah— the ultimate anointed one.
Leah began badly. Maybe she finished her life badly, too. But no matter what she as a person did . . . she was the mother of Judah . . . the mother of David . . . the mother of Messiah . . . and she was used and chosen by God Himself.
Maybe that is the beauty of Leah’s story, that God does not always choose the righteous ones, the ones who have everything right. Maybe, through Leah’s story, God shows us that He chooses dysfunctional, unlovely, hated people; that He moves in strange ways; and that, He redeems our brokenness and mistakes . . . grave though they may be . . .
And yet she, more than Rachel, was the mother of the nation of Israel. She bore, from her own body, six sons and at least one daughter. Rachel gave Jacob two sons— considering the sons of her maid, four— but Leah’s maid as well bore two sons, which means that Leah still gave Jacob far more children than Rachel did.
It was Leah’s son who stepped up to replace her disgraced eldest son. It was Leah’s son who became a man, going against the grain of his family and his culture. It was Leah’s son who convinced Jacob to allow them to return to Egypt to buy grain to save the family. It was Leah’s son who stood up to the most powerful man in Egypt in order to save a brother who had made his life miserable— doing this for the sake of his father, not himself. It was Leah’s son who became the king-tribe. It was Leah’s son whose line was promised to bring Messiah— the ultimate anointed one.
Leah began badly. Maybe she finished her life badly, too. But no matter what she as a person did . . . she was the mother of Judah . . . the mother of David . . . the mother of Messiah . . . and she was used and chosen by God Himself.
Maybe that is the beauty of Leah’s story, that God does not always choose the righteous ones, the ones who have everything right. Maybe, through Leah’s story, God shows us that He chooses dysfunctional, unlovely, hated people; that He moves in strange ways; and that, He redeems our brokenness and mistakes . . . grave though they may be . . .
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