Read with Me
Genesis 29:31-35 (HCSB)
When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was unable to conceive. Leah conceived, gave birth to a son, and named him Reuben, for she said, “The LORD has seen my affliction; surely my husband will love me now.”
She conceived again, gave birth to a son, and said, “The LORD heard that I am unloved and has given me this son also.” So she named him Simeon.
She conceived again, gave birth to a son, and said, “At last, my husband will become attached to me because I have borne three sons for him.” Therefore he was named Levi.
And she conceived again, gave birth to a son, and said, “This time I will praise the LORD.” Therefore she named him Judah. Then Leah stopped having children.
Listen with Me
Some have wondered if the seemingly high preponderance of barrenness in the extended family of Abraham, including Sarah, Rebecca, and now Rachel, betrayed a genetic weakness due to extensive inbreeding. But in every case, God showed that it was not genetics, but His own involvement in the process. He repeatedly used that barrenness to demonstrate his power, to drive His chosen people to prayer, and to cause the children that he granted to those barren women to become those who would do great things or those to whom God would choose to pass His promise. This continued through the ages with people like Hannah, the mother of Samson, and Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist.
But Leah, the unloved wife, proved to be quite fertile, and she began having children immediately, much to Jacob and Rachel’s frustration. But Leah was frustrated as well, as was shown by the names she gave to her four sons, and the comments she made after the birth of each one. Even though the conjugal relations continued to be equitable, she knew that for Jacob, they were more of a duty. He loved Rachel.
The situation not only introduced rivalry into the relationship between the two sisters, it also introduced frustration between Rachel and Jacob. Wives in that culture were expected to produce children, preferably sons, and those that could not were considered less valuable, and were often divorced by their husbands. Even though Rachel was dearly loved by Jacob, she felt that it was only a matter of time before she would find herself displaced in Jacob’s heart by her sister.
Pray with Me
Father, even though it would have been difficult for Jacob, Rachel and Leah to see, You were steadily working Your plan for fulfilling the promise You made to Abraham to grow his line into a series of great nations. That included growing the holder of the promise, in this case Jacob himself, into a great nation. Although it seemed like an eternity to those involved, we know that by the time Jacob left Haran thirteen years after his marriages, You will had given him eleven sons, one daughter, and one child on the way. Those children would include Joseph, the first of two sons borne by his beloved Rachel. Your timing is not our timing, but it is always perfect. Help me to be patient and faithful in the waiting times, Lord. Amen.