Leah, Unwanted and Unloved?
While reading Genesis 29 about Jacob and his wives I learned the coolest thing. Leah, Jacob’s first wife was unloved and unwanted. He wanted Rachel but got Leah. So she thinks to herself maybe a baby will make him love me, and God opened her womb. Her first son she named Reuben, which means ‘See a son!’ She is trying to earn the love of her husband with this child. Didn’t happen. So she has another son and named him Simeon which means ‘heard’ for God heard she was unloved (still trying to get that man!). She had a 3rd son and named him Levi which means ‘attached’ because she said maybe my husband will be attached to me since I have given him 3 sons.
All 3 times she is trying her hardest to change her circumstances and make someone love her. This does not work! We cannot make someone love us no matter what we do. Now here comes her 4th son Judah. Judah means ‘praise’ for now she will praise the Lord. She quit trying to win the love and affection of her husband and looked to God to fill her up. Also a side note is that Judah is the line through which Jesus Christ came from.
In my past I have been single and looking. I will tell you it is not always what it is cracked up to be. I used to feel that only a MAN could make me whole and fill up all the emptiness inside in my life. Then God showed me that there was No Man on the face of this Earth other than Jesus that could do that for me. I was not broken or empty because He had made me whole. He lives within me and wants me to desire Him like I desired a man.
As I was reading about Leah, God showed me that she had a man and still had emptiness in her life. She still had needs Jacob would never be able to meet. God told me that No man or woman should or could meet every need in their spouse because we were not designed to do so.
If a physical person could meet all our needs we would not need or want God. He is the Only person who can meet our every need, emotionally, physically and spiritually. Don’t put that pressure on anyone else or on ourselves to be everything to someone else. Let us look to God who made us each unique and loves us as no one else can.
“Once again she became pregnant and had a son. She named him Judah for she said “Now I will praise the Lord!” And she stopped having children.” Genesis 29: 35
