Running from his past, Jacob found himself in the faraway land of Haran, working for his uncle Laban. In exchange for Rachel, Laban’s youngest daughter, Jacob committed to seven years of labor. Jacob, who had previously deceived his older brother Esau out of his birthright and blessing, met his match in deception when Laban switched Rachel with Leah on Jacob’s wedding night. Although it’s hard to imagine confusing the two, “behold, in the morning, there was Leah!” (Genesis 29:25). Jacob married the woman of his dreams, Rachel, shortly after marrying Leah, but only after committing to another seven years of labor. This odd predicament bound him to Leah as well, thus beginning seven years of sister-wife rivalry.
The Bible explains, “Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance” (Genesis 29:17). The narrative depicts Jacob’s strong aversion to Leah and his profound love for Rachel. Upon meeting Rachel, he was so eager to impress her that he moved a stone from the mouth of a well, a task that typically required multiple shepherds. However, “When the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren” (Genesis 29:31). Let’s take a close look at the hearts of each woman, for a valuable lesson is hidden within their stories.
God blessed Leah with four children. Unlike our modern culture, which sometimes views children as a “burden” (as evidenced by the prevalence of abortions today—an important topic for another time), Hebrew culture considered children a BLESSING from God. Also, unlike our culture, where children are often named based on how it sounds, Hebrew culture assigned significant meaning to each name. By examining the names of Leah’s first three children, we gain insight into her heart:
- Reuben: “Because the Lord has looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me.”
- Simeon: “Because the Lord has heard that I am hated, he has given this son also.”
- Levi: “Now this time my husband will be attached to me because I have born him three sons.”
The Hebrew language is remarkably efficient, isn’t it?! An entire sentence can be encapsulated in a name like Levi!
In all seriousness, can you see Leah’s heart? She constantly compared herself to her sister and coveted Rachel’s possession: the love of her husband. This is entirely understandable as a woman should NEVER have to compete for her husband’s affection. That is why, from the beginning, God designed marriage for one man and one woman to become ONE FLESH (Genesis 2:24 and Matthew 19:4-6). The biblical narrative repeatedly demonstrates that anything outside God’s order of matrimony between one man and one woman reaps chaos.
Finally, Leah named her fourth son Judah, meaning “This time I will praise the Lord.” Consider the length of time it takes to have four sons. Only after bearing her fourth child did Leah arrive at a place of praise and contentment in the Lord. Only then did she stop looking at what her sister had and start appreciating what the Lord had blessed her with (although later in the story she returns to competition with her sister again). It’s shocking to then turn to Rachel, the one whom Jacob loved:
“When she saw that she bore Jacob no children, she envied her sister. She said to Jacob, ‘Give me children, or I shall die!'” (Genesis 30:1).
You can read the rest of the story for yourself and witness the ensuing chaos as the sisters involve their bondservants in bearing children for Jacob in their names. However, I want to emphasize that the root of the issue, the enemy of God’s grace in this story, is the sin of comparison. The last of the Ten Commandments addresses covetousness, which means longing for something that is not rightfully one’s own. In our world today, dominated by social media, we live in a culture of comparison, constantly exposed to others’ accomplishments, possessions, and relationships. We compare ourselves to others daily, which leads us to long for what other people have instead of appreciating what God has for us.
The Lord God Almighty is a provider by nature. He longs to care for His children, who are adopted into His family through the blood of Jesus Christ. His hesed (His steadfast lovingkindness) is extended to those in covenant with Him. As Romans 8:28 states, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” However, the Word of God also convicts our hearts, saying, “You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures” (James 4:2-3).
Brothers and Sisters, comparison is a great enemy of God’s grace. Whenever that feeling of covetousness arises, let us proclaim, “This time I will praise the Lord.”
After Jesus’s resurrection, I am reminded of Peter when Jesus foretold that his death would glorify God. Peter essentially asked Jesus, “What about John?!” (John 21:21). A subtle competition between the two can be found throughout the Gospels. Jesus replied, “If it is my will that he remain until I come back, what is that to you? You follow me!” (John 21:22).
“You follow me!” That is all that matters. Don’t worry about what everyone else is doing or what everyone else has. You just follow Jesus, seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and everything else will be taken care of (Matthew 6:33).
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Great post sir! We need to know our true identity in Him and His will for us, rather than trying to appease our flesh (having the wrong motives). “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and everything else will be taken care of” – absolutely love it.