God Chooses the Not Chosen

There is a woman in the genealogy of Jesus we don’t often, if ever, recognize as being in His lineage. She isn’t listed, but she’s there none-the-less.

We find her story tucked into the early pages of Genesis (CH 29). Leah is the oldest daughter of Laban, older sister to Rachel and the first wife of Jacob. As we read her story we learn that Jacob doesn’t love Leah and never wanted to marry her. Laban foisted Leah on him, eager to be rid of a daughter described as having “weak eyes.” Her very name means “cow.” Rachel, on the other hand, was “lovely in form and beautiful” and the object of Jacob’s love and desire.

Leah bears Jacob his first four children, all sons. Let’s pay attention to the names she gives them and why:

Reuben – see, a son: “The LORD has noticed my misery, and now my husband will love me.” (29:32)

Simeon – he hears: “The LORD heard that I was unloved and has given me another son.” (29:33)

Levi – attached: “Surely this time my husband will feel affection for me, since I have given him three sons!” (29:34)

Judah – praise: “Now I will praise the LORD.” (29:35)

This paints a picture for us of a woman who is not valued as a daughter, not loved, not chosen, not wanted. Leah’s heart aches with that knowledge.

Do you ever feel a little like Leah? Has your heart ever ached with the knowledge that you are not the first choice? Mine has. We know when others are the favorite, or the popular, or the beautiful. We know when we aren’t. Sometimes that knowledge just hurts. This is why Leah’s story resonates with our story.

God does something unexpected in Leah’s story that is easy to miss.

Judah, Leah’s 4^th son, is in every lineage account of Jesus. Judah is the patriarch of the tribe from whom David comes, the one from whom the Messiah would come. This is confirmed for us in the Chronicles and again in Matthew 1 and Luke 3. God’s promise of an eternal King is fulfilled through the Judah; birthed from the womb of Leah.

God didn’t choose the lovely and beautiful Rachel. God chose the overlooked Leah.

This is unexpected. Our culture tells us that the favorites, the popular and the beautiful are the ones who get chosen. God tells us differently. He shows us, through Leah, that

He will often choose the not chosen.

What weighs on your heart today? Allow the lesson of Leah to seep into the hurting places, the unsure places, the doubting places, and the seeking places. Let her give you encouragement. The world may overlook you, but God does not.

He chooses me. He chooses you.

Let this be the day we say: “Now I will praise the LORD!”

 

#lifegivingwords #livingholy