“Charm is deceitful, and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised – Proverbs 31:30 (NKJV)
It is the dream of every young woman to be the wife of Prince Charming, raise his children, and be loved by him. In the book of Genesis, Chapters 29-30, we read the account of a young virgin given, unbidden, into marriage. Her Prince Charming, however, had eyes for another woman, her sister. Jacob had travelled from Canaan looking for a wife. He saw Rachel and immediately fell in love with her and proposed, but his father-in-law had other plans. He forced Rachel’s sister, Leah, onto Jacob through devious means, causing her to be unloved.
Can you imagine how Leah, the older sister, felt, seeing her husband’s attention fixed only on her sister? The Bible describes Leah as having” delicate eyes” (cross-eyed), while her sister was “beautiful of form and appearance” (good shape) – Genesis 29:17. This caused her to have low esteem and a feeling of unworthiness. My sisters, make this declaration over your life, ” I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made…” – Psalm 139:14 (KJV).
You may be asking yourself this question, is Leah a part of this scheme to deceive Jacob? The answer is no. The custom or tradition of the people in the land where Jacob dwelled was that the older daughter is the first to be married. Obviously, Jacob was tricked, with Leah experiencing the wrath of his disappointment.
God, however, is faithful. What can this unloved wife do to get love and affection from her husband? The answer is found in verse 31, “When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.” This unloved wife was blessed by God with four sons (Reuben – Beloved Son, Simeon- God hears, Levi – Joined (Attached), and Judah – God be praised). It was not until the birth of her fourth son that Leah finally let go of seeking love and affection from her husband, Jacob, and truly began focusing on God by giving Him praise.
Like Leah, there are so many faithful wives, seeking desperately to be loved and respected by their husbands, who show them little or no affection. The Bible declares, “Husbands, love your wives, and do not be bitter towards them” (Colosians 3:19 – NKJV). This unloved wife had now found love in God. Likewise, you also can find such love in Christ.
Let God be praised.
Read: Psalm 63:3; Romans 5:8
Bible Reading Guide: Proverbs 12:28; Proverbs 13:1-9; John 14; 1 Samuel 14:24-52; 1 Samuel 15
