LESSON 1 VERSE 31:

Her name is Leah.

Her story is one of the saddest in all Scripture. Yet again, due to her amazing character, her story is  one of the most victorious!

Genesis 29:31-35 give us the background. "And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren. And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me. And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the LORD hath heard that I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon. And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi. And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing."

The first thing we learn about Leah is that she was not a pretty lady. Not like her sister Rachel anyway. Rachel is described this way, "beautiful and well favoured." Literally, if I can say this, the Text says she has a very pleasing appearance, her "figure" is great!

But not Leah! The same verse that described Rachel says this about Leah, "tender eyed." Which can mean anything from cross-eyed to one-eyed to deformed eyes, in other words, "not attractive."

And on top of that Leah was "married" to Jacob under false pretenses! Blame her father Laban for this deceit. Jacob spent the first seven years of his married life quite unhappy. Living with the older sister Leah, but loving her younger sister Rachel!

Conditions like that can "warp" a personality!

It appears that Leah spent a number of years trying to "compensate" for these wrongs.

Notice the first verse of our Text. "And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren." Genesis 29:31

Wow!

Take that, little beauty queen!

No children for Rachel, not for a long while anyway!

But with Leah it's another story!

Why?

Plainly says "the Lord saw that Leah was hated!"

If the Lord, from Heaven, could see it ... don't you think Leah knew it too?

Her husband hated her!

The verb "sane" means "to be hated" in this sense," to be treated as an enemy!" As a "foe!"

Not loved, in other words!

I suppose that's one of the countless weaknesses of a man having multiple wives. Each is compared with the other! No doubt. And Leah "lost" in every category.

So God knew how to "even" the score a bit!

Wives in those by-gone days existed for one primary purpose. To bear children, the more the merrier, too.

So Miss Rachel, beauty that she was, remains "childless," by order of Almighty God. Yes, it is the Lord Who "opens the womb." Yet, "Rachel was barren."

And God "opens" Leah's womb!

Boy, does He!

She becomes quite a fertile lady, with ultimately six sons and one daughter!

God's blessings, those children. The very foundation of the Israelite Nation! Jews!

"Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward." Psalm 127:3

Yes, God "opened" Leah's womb. "Pathach" means "to loosen" or even "to allow to break forth."

God did all this for Leah because He saw how "hated" she was!

And God knew how intensely she wanted her husband's love.

All Christian ladies do.

More about Leah tomorrow.

Her saga continues.

Her story is one of "worship."

You will see in a few days!

Le me now interject this. A lady's worth, a wife's value, should not be linked to what she can "do" or what she can "produce" or anything else along such selfish lines!

Nor should a husband be treasured that way.

A wife's delight to her husband should rest in "who" she is!

The "person" God is making of her!

Proverbs 31 did not commend a lady for her "fruitfulness," her child bearing capability. But for her "virtue!" Her character and strength and godly qualities of life!

"Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies." Proverbs 31:10

No physical features mentioned here.

And in Proverbs 18:22 even more is said. "Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD." It does not say a wealthy wife or a stunning wife or a brilliant wife! Just a wife, obviously a God-pleasing one.

Sir, the greatest blessing in your life, next to your very salvation, is your wife!

Jacob ignored his!

No, more than that, he hated Leah!

Shame on him!

Shame on any man who does not at least try to practice the Ephesians chapter five verbs on his wife, like Jesus does on His Bride, the Church!

And those verbs are?

Love her!

Give yourself to her, even unto death if necessary!

Sanctify and cleanse her, helping her live a godly life!

Nourish and cherish her!

Overall, encourage her every way possible.

Tell her these things too! Let he know she is the "delight" of your life!

Brother Bagwell, you are getting all "mushy" today. Too much of this love stuff!

Well, you wouldn't think so if you had buried your wife last January.

I promise you that.

Jacob was wrong!

God tried to correct him, to no avail I fear.

"And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren." Genesis 29:31

Poor Leah!

All she wanted was to "please" her husband.

No wife should be ignored or belittled or certainly not hated.

Ever.

I want to say more.

Lord willing, next lesson.

                                                                   --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 2, VERSE 32:

Genesis 29:32 tells us more about Leah, wife of Jacob. "And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me."

In ancient days, sad as it may have been, a "wife" had value dependent only upon the number of children she bore! Especially the number of boys!

Leah, who is called "less than pretty," and that's being generous, could not compete for her husband's love on that level, on the "beauty queen" level.

But she suspected that she could have babies!

And she was right, all total six sons and a daughter. Not including the children her "handmaid" bore Jacob as well, Zilpah. Add two more boys here, still in Leah's name!

Wow!

This is called "compensation."

Making up for one deficit by excelling in another area.

"And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me." Genesis 29:32 

I am not sure Leah loved children all that much!

But she sure did love Jacob her husband. It's just that he did not love her in return!

And she knew it.

So she sets our to "win" or "earn" or "buy" his love. And that's a love probably not worth having, really. If love is not freely bestowed, graciously given, is it really love in the first place?

Listen to this poor girl!

When her first son is born! "Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me."

The word "affliction" is from the word "anah," meaning "to be depressed, downcast, humbled, troubled, impoverished."

She is of little worth, by their day's standards, due to her "weak eyes" and lack of beauty, especially when compared to her "gorgeous" Sister Rachel. The one whom Joseph really loves! "Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured. And Jacob loved Rachel." Genesis 29:17-18, the inspired Word of God!

Again, all she wants, the ultimate "end" of her desires, is her husband's attention!

Now she will have it!

She has presented Jacob with a son!

His firstborn!

And a boy at that!

She's so proud she names him "Reuben!" It means, "Behold, a son!"

Hear her delight!

"And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me."

She thanks God.

But then she skips Him, the Almighty One, His Pleasure, and goes straight back to Jacob! Jacob's attention, Jacob's approval, Jacob's love! That's all she wants!

Poor girl!

As long as she looks to any human for "meaning" and "satisfaction" and "fulfillment," Jacob included, she will be disappointed!

Man cannot not supply all that!

Or woman!

She wants love!

She wants approval!

She wants significance in her life!

It's just that Jacob is not willing to give those things!

Rachel has them.

I fell so sorry for Leah.

But she's just like millions of other folks alive on earth today!

Looking for acceptance from a friend, a family member, a lover, anyone significant!

But such things cannot come from a mere human!

For these things, if valid and sincere, must come from a Higher Source!

From the Lord Himself!

But don't worry too much.

Leah is a smart lady!

Very intelligent in fact.

Whatever she may have lacked in beauty, she possessed in a dozen other ways.

She will solve her problem.

She will find purpose and contentment in life.

But not until several "pregnancies" later!

And what she finds, though absolutely priceless, is not located in Jacob her rather "selfish" husband! That's my description of him, not hers. To her he's the "best!"

She finds it in her God!

Our God!

The God of Abraham and Isaac and ... Leah too!

Tomorrow, another son, but another lesson too!

Oh, the trouble to which we humans subject ourselves. Needlessly. If only we could lean to trust the Lord!

"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Solomon wrote that, Proverbs 3:5-6. These verses will soon be Leah's motto, though they truly had not been written yet!

God is greater than anyone!

He longs to be the "Supreme" Focus of our emotions!

The "Ultimate" desire of our hearts!

The "Joy" of our lives!

He wants to be our "Lord!"

Is He yours?

Is He mine?

Leah got it right, in just a few verses we shall see.

Have I got it right yet?

                                                                        --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 3, VERSE 33:

The name of Leah's next son, the second of six boys, helps establish a pattern. "Simeon" by definition means "heard."

When the little fellow was born his Mom said, "Because the LORD hath heard that I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon." Genesis 29:33, I've underlined the key verb here.

"God has heard that Jacob my husband does not love me, not like he loves my sister!"

"Now that I've borne him two sons, this will all change!" So said Leah.

But nothing changed!

Leah is still rather plain looking.

Rachel is still beautiful.

Not just to Jacob either. The Bible plainly says so. Genesis 29:17 once again, "Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured."

Here's the point. Leah is living her life, her whole life, around pleasing her husband.

She had apparently elevated the man higher than she should have. Maybe even above the level of her God!

Every child she bears, up to a point anyway, is named in such a way as to make her husband pay her more attention. She wants his approval, his love, his delight!

Do not misunderstand me.

A lady is supposed to love her husband. The Bible says so, almost to an extreme. Peter told the women in his congregation to love their husbands like Sarah loved Abraham, "Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord." 1st Peter 3:6, Wow!

Then Paul, in Ephesians 5:33, adds this. "And let the wife see that she reverence her husband." Mercy! Reverence him!

Yes, the wife is to adore that man!

But not worship him!

That quality, that heart-throb, that devotion belongs to God, to God alone!

Leah will learn this lesson, I think, but it's going to take a few more years. Meanwhile Jacob is the center of all her emotions, the ultimate focus of all her affections, God aside.

Oh, today's full verse. "And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the Lord hath heard that I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon." Genesis 29:33

God has heard.

My husband will now love me.

Remember Genesis 29:18, "And Jacob loved Rachel." This is never said about Leah, not that I can find, not anywhere.

Years and years and years, trying to earn her husband's love!

By bearing him son after son!

Six in all, and a daughter on top of all that!

To no avail!

What frustration that must have brought to Leah's heart!

What confusion!

What desperation!

Let me tell you why this schedule of priorities will not work, "Husband first (or wife or any other family member), God second or third or wherever, and self somewhere in there too, fairly close to the top." This is just not right, not for the Christian.

No priority list can be correct until God is at the very top!

"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." Matthew 22:37

"And God spake all these words, saying, I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me." Exodus 20:1-3

"For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God." Exodus 34:14

Jesus wants so much to be first place in our lives, that He actually said this. "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple." Luke 14:26

Leah, of course you are to love Jacob. That's God's will, even if Jacob never loves you in return. The man is your husband. You married him, nearly by stealth, by trickery. Now love him dearly.

But you will never receive full satisfaction from him, nor from any human! That, absolute meaning in life, complete fulfillment, can come only from God!

And even then, only from one God!

Our God!

That's the God of Abraham and Isaac, and believe-it-or-not, eventually Jacob too!

Here's the right priority, Leah. God first, Jacob next, then those seven children, with yourself somewhere on down the line!

But don't miss the obvious here.

God first!

Like the Man of God said in the last verse of Psalm 87. "Lord, all my springs are in thee."

All of them!

All my blessings come from Thee!

All the answers to prayer I've even experienced!

All my joys!

All my delight!

Thou art my everything!

All other benefits of life flow from Thee ... often through others ... down to me. Yes, I am grateful for all the "others," but I worship Thee, Thee alone!

When Leah reaches this point, she will be fine!

Then even bearing children will be "to God's glory," not simply for Jacob's approval!

Making God first place!

Always, but especially at Christmas!

                                                                            --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 4, VERSE 34:

Someone defined stupidity as "doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results."

Well, no offense to Leah, wife of Jacob, but she nearly qualified.

And a lot of us do the same thing too!

Leah is trying to satisfy the most important person in her life, to gain his love and attention, a person so significant that he even supersedes Almighty God!

She knows that this person wants offspring, children, sons to be specific. So she 'lures" Jacob her husband to the marriage bed. Which is acceptable behavior, of course, since they are married.

But Jacob's attention is elsewhere.

On Leah's sister, Rachel, also a wife of Jacob's!

Sounds like an afternoon "soap opera!"

But this one is in the Word of God.

And it's fact, too!

Leah had one baby boy, Reuben. That will earn Jacob's love! But not so.

Then Leah soon as possible had a second baby boy, Simeon. "Now he will love me," she reasons. It didn't happen yet again.

So here Leah goes a third time.

"Doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results." To which Albert Einstein said, "Insanity!"

Today's verse, even if a little repetitive. "And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi." Genesis 29:34

The verb "joined" is "lavah," related to the name she's going to give this third child, "Levi."

She actually named him after her "goal" in the whole matter! She wants her husband to attend to her, to be closer to her, to love her, or at least not to hate her!

This desire has possessed Leah! It's now an obsession! More than that, it has become her "god."

Here are the first three attempts, risky ones in those days when childbirth was mortally dangerous.

"And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the Lord hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me." This is little Reuben, meaning "look, behold!" Literally, "behold, a son!"

"And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the Lord hath heard that I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon." His name meaning "to hear!"