Leah or Rachel?

The Bible reading I've been steadily working on goes through the Bible chronologically. Not sure if it's 100% accurate, but I always enjoy reading Genesis as a start. Currently I'm reading about Jacob, Esau, and the families that came of it. Clearly a classic tale read hundreds of times in Sunday Schools, sermons, books, and AWANA. I myself have read it many many MANY times due to a certain female character with my name :)

However, Genesis 29 painted a slightly different picture this time. It's when Jacob goes to his uncle Laban's house and works for him for daughters Leah and Rachel. Usually I think of Rachel & Jacob as the Biblical Romeo and Juliet. They were meant to be, but people kept getting in their way! However, I looked at it this time through weak eyes. That's right, Leah's.

Imagine, if you will, that your father gives you away to your cousin whom you learn to love from having been around him 7 years. Imagine if that love is never fully reciprocated, that your husband does his husbandry duties of caring for you and creating offspring, but is looking over your shoulder at your sister, whom your father also promises to him. Then you share your husband with your sister, but still rejoice over each birth of your children as part of God's plan and love over you.

After reading this, I had to look up more about Leah. We all know about her weak eyes, and that her name means wearied or faint, as if she was a weak or sick person. I remember imagining her as some pale, limp creature that rarely ventured outside. Not an ugly creature, just someone that "couldn't be loved." How awful do I sound right now? Probably about as awful as I feel for trying to explain what my preconceived notion is... :-/ Anyway, Leah is shoved into a relationship with the clear prince of our fairy tale. He treats her respectfully, but works harder for the real princess. Once they are together, the 3rd wheel in the lovefest has several kids, a couple by bribing Princess Rachel to let her sleep with Jacob, but otherwise backs out of this story.

How far is this from the truth?! Jacob was set up, kind of as a payback for tricking Esau says one commentary, but there's no evidence Leah played a part in the trickery. She loved Jacob and felt protected by him until her death. She also had great faith in the Lord through this trial of being the 3rd wheel; her kids' names mean "He has seen my misery," "One who hears," "Attached," "Praised," "Good fortune," "happy," and "reward." Does that really sound like the evil creature often painted in Bible storybooks?

I love this part of the commentary I read about Leah:
Whether Leah participated in the deceit to win Jacob from her more beautiful sister we do not know. The moral tone of the home was low, and Leah may have been a child of environment. This much is evident, that although she knew that the love of her husband’s heart was not for her but for Rachel, Leah genuinely loved Jacob and was true to him until he buried her in the cave of Machpelah. While Jacob was infatuated with Rachel’s beauty, and loved her, there is no indication that she loved him in the same way. “Rachel remains one of those women with nothing to recommend her but beauty,” says H. V. Morton. “She is bitter, envious, quarrelsome and petulant. The full force of her hatred is directed against her sister, Leah.”

Leah is documented as one that loved Jacob. Jacob is documented as one that loved Rachel. Rachel is documented as angry, bitter, and pretty. Pretty strong emotions right there.

One thing that I found...that finally HIT ME as I was reading this and reading the commentary....Leah is the father of JUDAH. As in, Lion of JUDAH, part of the direct lineage of Christ. Jacob had many sons (and a few daughters) through his 4 wifes in Genesis, but only one of them bore him the son that God would use to bring His OWN SON into the world! That sends shivers through my spine and all over my skin.

I pray that you have a moment like this. A simple time reading a Bible story that you could practically quote. Pray for God's words to become real, to see beyond our traditional views of what a passage could hold. Pray for the Holy Spirit to be your eyes and let your mind be opened to what the Word of God really is! :)