Reading the Bible for ourselves is the place where the nurturing of our Spiritual Selves begins to edify all the other areas of our lives (Pastor Dharius Daniels). It’s the place where Personal Development happens and we are strengthen physically, mentally, emotionally, and financially. It’s the place where you experience the Bible from the perspective you need it in.
Pastor Daniel’s shares that when we read the Bible (especially the stories of the Old Testament), we should ask ourselves the following questions:
Who are they?
What can they represent?
“Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples. There he saw a well in the open country, with three flocks of sheep lying near it because the flocks were watered from that well.”
“Jacob asked the shepherds, ‘My brothers, where are you from?’
‘We’re from Harran,’ they replied.
He said to them, ‘Do you know Laban, Nahor’s grandson?’
‘Yes we know him,’ they answered.
Then Jacob asked them, ‘Is he well?’
‘Yes he is,’ they said, ‘and here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep.’ ”
Genesis 29:1; 4-6 NIV
Jacob is on the run from his brother Esau, that he has deceived out of his birthright. Jacob does find himself the victim of deception. We reap what we sow. However, the Bible, is full of God using really faulty humans to accomplish big things. We read the Bible, to understand that the things we believe are counting us out, God uses it to connect us to purpose. Jacob can be any one of us, really. As, we have been the perpetrator and victim of deception; but, God judges the heart.
Jacob is there looking for his Mom’s brother, his uncle Laban, and he meets the daughter Rachel. And she takes him home to her father.
“After Jacob had stayed with him for a whole month, Laban said to him, ‘Just because you are a relative of mine, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be.’ ”
“Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel had a lovely figure and was beautiful. Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, ‘I’ll work for seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.’ ”
Genesis 29:14-17 NIV
Laban had two daughters, Leah and Rachel. Rachel has everything that a woman of her day should possess to marry well. Leah has none of those things.
Leah and Rachel can be any one of us.
“Then Jacob said to Laban, ‘Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to make love to her.’ ”
“So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast. But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob made love to her.”
Genesis 29:21-22 NIV
Jacob worked seven years to marry Rachel. The night of the wedding, Laban subs in Leah. Jacob is deceived. Laban tells him, it is there custom to marry the oldest daughter off first. Jacob has to agree to work seven more years and he marries Rachel a week later.
“When the LORD saw that Leah was not loved, he enabled her to conceive, but Rachel remained childless. Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son.”
Genesis 29:31 NIV
Can you imagine how Leah must feel? The only reason she is married (when marriage and family means prosperity) is because her husband was tricked. He doesn’t love her and she is hoping with giving him a son, he will finally see her and love her.
“She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, ‘Because the LORD heard I am not loved, he gave me this one too.’
Genesis 29:33 NIV
Leah has another son in a time where male children are valued above women. Each time, she hopes her husband will see her and love her.
“Again she conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son, she said, ‘Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.’ So he was named Levi.”
Genesis 29:34 NIV
Year after year, son after son, she is doing it all for her husband’s love.
“She conceived, and when she gave birth to a son, she said, ‘This time I will praise the LORD.’ So she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children.”
Genesis 29:35 NIV
Then we see something changed for Leah. Instead of focusing on her husband, she began to praise God as He adds to her family.
“When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children, she became jealous of her sister. So she said to Jacob, ‘Give me children, or I’ll die!’ ”
Genesis 30:1 NIV
Any of us can be Rachel, because the story of jealousy is not realizing your own favor.
Leah and Rachel gave birth to the twelve tribes of Israel.
“Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph,
the son of Heli, the son of Matthat,
the son of Levi, the son Melki,
the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,
the son of Matthahias, the son of Amos,
the son of Nahum, the son of Esli,
the son of Naggai, the son of Maath,
the son Matthahias, the son of Semein,
the son of Josek, the son of Joda,
the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa,
the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel,
the son of Neri, the son of Melki,
the son of Addi, the son of Cosam,
the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,
the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer,
the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat,
the son of Levi, the son of Simeon,
the son of Judah
Luke 3:23-29 NIV
It is through Leah that we have Jesus; he is from the tribe of Judah.
The story of the unloved woman is the story of the woman that believes her value comes from people. The story of the unloved woman is a woman that isn’t connected to her destiny.
A lot of inspiration for this post came from a wonderful pastor, I watched a few days ago. Dr RT Kendall (link to sermon)
