Favor.

Leah was not loved.

We remember her as the unfavored one.

In our minds she remains the unnattractive sister - unwanted by her husband.

It is the legacy we have given her.

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But that is only a small part of Leah's story, and certainly not how it ends - in fact, Leah has one of the most beautiful and incredible stories in all of the Bible, and one that can teach us a whole lot about who God is.

The part of Leah's story that we often miss comes after Jacob has been married to Rachel and Leah for quite some time (both 7 year work contracts have been completed). The Bible at this point in the story informs us that Jacob loved Rachel more than he did Leah. It goes even further to tell us that Leah was not loved by Jacob at all, in fact, the hebrew word that is used denotes a hatred or strong aversion towards someone.

The Bible makes it clear that Jacob didn't just mildly dislike Leah, he actually hated her.

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And so, God steps in. "When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved, he opened her womb" (gen. 29). Leah gets pregnant, has a son, and names him Reuben (meaning: he has seen my misery). She assumes, after giving birth to a son, that Jacob will begin to love her; "Surely my husband will love me now."

Leah assumes that God has blessed her with a child so that her husband will begin to love her.
But the Text implies that Jacob's feeling towards Leah do not change. She then conceives another child, who she names Simeon (meaning: the one who hears), deducing again that "Because the Lord heard that I am not loved, he gave me this one too."

Apparently the favor of Jacob is a hard thing to earn, and despite bearing him two sons, Leah's cirumstances are still the same - she remains unloved by her husband. She conceives a third time, naming this son Levi (meaning: attached), thinking, "now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have bore him three sons."

Leah's desperation to be loved by her husband is so evident throughout her story. Like all of us tend to do, Leah seeks her validity and worth through human relationship. Leah hopes to be valued and chosen by her husband, and she sees God's blessing of sons as a means to that end. She desires so strongly to be looked on by another with desire and love, and despite all the time that has passed, she still hopes that Jacob's love will come.

But, again, the Text implies that it does not. After 3 sons, Leah remains unloved by her husband.

Once again, Leah bears a son, but something has changed this time. When her fourth son is born, Leah simply says, "This time I will praise the Lord." She then names her son Judah, meaning praise.

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Leah finally got it - she finally understood.
The whole time, Leah had been seeking love, and the whole time, Leah had been hoping to be validated and seen by her husband.

But by baby number four, I think she finally began to realize that from the beginning of the story, she had been seen - by God. From the very start, God has chosen her, God had cared for her, God had covered her with His love.

It wasn't about Jacob, it was about God.

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And the beautifiul thing about this story is that God did not bless Leah and give her sons and intervene in her life so that Jacob would love her.

God did it solely because He Himself loved her.

No goal in mind, no secret agenda, no strings attached.
God just loved Leah and wanted her to know it, so He showed her.

And once she realized that those four beautiful sons were simply a gift of love from a gracious God, her whole demeanor changed. Instead of rejection, there was gratitude.

The love of God changed her.

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(But wait, it gets even better...).

Do you want to know the most amazing part of this whole, beautiful story?

Out of the line of Leah - out of the line of Judah - comes Jesus.

JESUS.

Our Messiah, the promised One, traces His lineage back to Leah, the one we remember to be unfavored.

Unfavored? Friends, God lavished Leah with favor.

He saw her, he loved her desperately, and he esteemed her to a position of incredible honor.

Because that's what God is like. He SEES us. He FAVORS us. He CHOOSES us. He LOVES us desparately. And He ESTEEMS us to a place of honor, allowing us to be a part of the family of the One who was Promised.

That is what this is about.

This life of ours comes down to one thing and one thing only: we are desperately and deeply loved by a gracious God.

Nothing more, nothing less.

God loves us and He wants us to know it, so He births in us blessing upon blessing upon blessing upon blessing until we understand. He pours over us grace until we see. He looks upon us with favor until we realize.

He covers us with love
until we can say,

"this time I will praise the Lord."