Here’s a summary of what is coming up in the next chapter of Jacob’s life, before we begin reading the first part of it. Apt that it is Valentine’s Day today.
Jacob fell in love with Rachel, the younger and more beautiful daughter of his uncle Laban. To marry her, Jacob agreed to work for Laban for seven years. However, on the wedding night, Laban deceived Jacob by substituting Leah, the older daughter, for Rachel. When Jacob discovered the switch the next morning and complained, Laban offered him, Rachel as well, but only after completing the wedding week with Leah and agreeing to work another seven years. Jacob accepted because of his love for Rachel. This created tension between the two sisters, as Leah bore Jacob many children while Rachel initially remained childless, despite being Jacob’s favourite wife.
Living in someone else’s shadow is exhausting. If you constantly compare yourself to others, it can destroy the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to truly live. Leah listened and watched her sister. Every compliment she heard, and every loving look she saw coming from Jacob to Rachel, was a reminder of what she lacked. Her heart was constantly wounded.
Here’s the passage:
“After Jacob had stayed with him for a whole month, 15 Laban said to him, “Just because you are a relative of mine, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be.” 16 Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel had a lovely figure and was beautiful. 18 Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, “I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.” 19 Laban said, “It’s better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me.” 20 So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her. 21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to make love to her.” 22 So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast. 23 But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob made love to her. 24 And Laban gave his servant Zilpah to his daughter as her attendant. 25 When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn’t I? Why have you deceived me?” 26 Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one. 27 Finish this daughter’s bridal week; then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work.” 28 And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. 29 Laban gave his servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her attendant. 30 Jacob made love to Rachel also, and his love for Rachel was greater than his love for Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years.” (Genesis 29 v 14-30)
Leah was Jacob’s first wife, but she wasn’t his first choice. He had been deceived by her father. Jacob was in love with her younger sister Rachel.
Genesis 29:17 tells us, “Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel had a lovely figure and was beautiful.” Rachel was more beautiful; every man wanted Rachel. Leah was in the background, ordinary. Added to the problem was that Leah was older. If she had been younger, she might have grown into a beautiful woman. But she’s older, Rachel is more beautiful, and Rachel has more years on her. Sometimes our problems are magnified by our age—time is running out to see that desire or dream fulfilled.
Then there was the weight of comparison.
She had weak eyes. Maybe you look in the mirror and do not like what you see, and you wish something were different about you. You may feel cheated in life because of the way you look, the way you talk, your natural gifts, and your limitations. Leah understood this burden intimately. Every day she lived in the shadow of her sister’s beauty, reminded of what she was not.
She was unloved by Jacob. Verse 18 makes this painfully clear: “Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, ‘I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.'” But the rejection went deeper than just Jacob. She was unloved by other men, Laban himself admitted in verse 26, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one.” Laban had tried to marry her off for years with no success.
She was even unloved by her father. “So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast. But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob made love to her” (verses 22-23). What father would do this? In her day, Leah had to obey, and maybe she thought Jacob would learn to love her. Many women and men feel unloved today. The good news is that God cares about the rejected, and He loves you.
Do you know the feelings of Leah?
Leah would need to know that her value was not determined by how she measured up against her sister. Maybe there is someone reading this today who feels unloved, less than ordinary, in pain, feeling overlooked, second best. Please, hold on, the story of Leah isn’t over, and it isn’t over for you either. These stories in the Bible reveal a God who specialises in lifting the rejected and the overlooked. He hasn’t finished with you yet.
Missions Paul 