I just got back a short while ago from the Freed-Hardeman University lectures and it was a wonderful time. It was encouraging to see faces from the brotherhood I don’t often get to see, meet up with college friends who I haven't caught up with since graduation, and to listen again to professors who I once learned so much from. If you weren’t able to attend, the lectureship this year focused its efforts on the book of Genesis. A sprawl of topics lit up lecture halls from the historicity of the book to the walks of faith found within. Of these lectures, one really stuck out to me.
A fellow minister, Neil Richey, who is now also a professor in FHU’s graduate program, presented thoughts on a person of faith my brain doesn’t always jump to. A forgotten wife, who matures from complicit deceiver to devoted partner. Leah, first wife of Jacob, mother of many of the sons of Israel, is a person in the scriptures, (though primarily in the Genesis), who is a Richey presents great thoughts, and if you have the chance to view his thoughts, whether through the digital recordings of the lectures, the lectureship book, or otherwise, I advise that you do.
Leah is Imperfect Like Anyone Else
Brother Richey brought up an excellent point that I hadn’t yet turned over in my mind. Often in the bible class version of events, Leah is depicted as a passenger in this story. The scheme is straightforward, but effective: Convince Jacob that the marriage is worth the labor, get him drunk, and send him the wrong wife, effectively extorting double the labor out of him (Genesis 29:15-30). It is this moment of almost (for lack of a better term) karmic justice. Jacob is the deceiver and has been since the day of his birth (Gen. 25:22-26).
Jacob has woven a web of deceit so far. He has extorted his brother out of his birthright, once again nipping at the heels of the older sibling (Gen. 25:29-34). He then deceives his whole family with help of his mother (a relative of Laban’s), and once again takes the blessing over his brother (Gen. 27). Now on the run from Esau, who is full of murderous rage, Jacob finds himself in the house of a swindler.
Meeting Rachel, he weeps for her, and devotes his life and service to her. Laban, being present for the giving away of his sister to the servant of Abraham to be Isaac’s bride, sees his opportunity. Here is where we teach that Laban deceived Jacob by having him marry Leah. We know Joseph does not prefer her over her sister, being “weak in the eyes” (29:17), and so now we are given an image of a seemingly unwilling bride. Richey, however, points out, “a nuanced reading of Leah’s introduction should not evoke pity for her as an innocent party in the unfolding deception; rather, Leah actively participates in the trickery, remaining silent and sharing the familial guilt of deceiving Jacob” (Richey, 140).
Additionally, we know that Leah takes after her father! When in the competition between the wives of child bearing, Leah shows she is just as much of a match for Jacob as her sister. The oldest child, sensitive, yet scheming still, Reuben brings Leah mandrake flowers, she exchanges them for sex from Rachel, having to deceive to receive her husband’s affection (30:14-18). Leah is crafty, able to get what she wants, and shows evidence of such here.
Leah is Unwanted by Her Husband
To jump ahead into the narrative of Joseph, place yourself in Leah’s shoes as the brothers come back from Egypt. You have been at Jacob’s side for a majority of your life. There has now been a fair share of disaster and misfortune in your lifetime. You have witnessed what you have perceived as the death of a child, and have no evidence to the contrary. Your sister has passed away and you have watched your husband grieve. Your 10 sons that you have sent out have returned as nine, as Simeon has been left behind in Egypt. Your son, flesh of your flesh, your second born, is now a prisoner in a foreign land. Then your husband cries out, at first mentioning your lost boy, but only as a way to lament the son of the other wife. In fact, your son will remain a prisoner indefinitely it would seem, as your husband is more concerned about not losing the son of Rachel. Your son is a bargaining chip in foreign affairs, but your husband, and his father, cannot be bothered otherwise.
One can only imagine the insecurities and anxieties that Leah carried with her throughout her life. She deals with this comparison frequently, and even while undergoing personal turmoil, witnesses tragedy unfold. She is a tragic figure, who it is often painful to read about.
Yet, Leah is faithful. Leah remains by Jacob’s side, where even Joseph, son of the favorite mother, assists in burying Jacob in the family burial grounds alongside Leah. She stays by his side, is faithful to him, and ultimately is laid to rest side by side. She is rewarded later in life as they grow and mature past comparison, competition and deceit.
Leah is Used for a Higher Purpose
Although unmentioned in the genealogies, Leah plays a bigger role in the grand story of God’s design. One boy steps up, placing his life as a guarantee for Benjamin’s safety. That act of courage, despite his own previous shortcomings, makes a difference, allowing the party to return. They not only retrieve Simeon, but return Joseph from the dead in the eyes of his father. That son will have a bloodline, and among them, the best king in the history of Israel will rise up. Courageous like his ancestor, he will lead his people towards God. A promise is given to that descendant, that one of his house will always sit on his throne.
There are pits and valleys til a young girl, betrothed to her future husband, is found pregnant. This almost leads her to become unwanted, put away by this man of upstanding reputation, until some divine intervention changes his mind. This woman, herself a descendent of the courageous son of Leah, bears a child, who rises up. He is mighty like a lion, yet as gentle as a lamb. This child then will put his own life on the line, saving the lives of any who would look to him.
Jesus is not just a descendant of David, or of Judah, but of Leah. God chose the unwanted and frankly unloved Leah when her husband didn’t. God chose the wife whose sons were unfavored to bring about His Son into this world. The wife whose wedding was a product of deceit brought about the Way, the Truth and the Life.
Leah Teaches Us that God Uses the Unwanted for His Perfect Purpose
The story of Leah is not just another historical example of the role of women in the ancient world. God includes Leah by name in Genesis to show us how He is bigger than us. Leah will quickly fade from the accounts after her death in Genesis. She is given as an example in Ruth as a blessing for childbearing (4:11), and her name is spoken no more. Despite this, in her story there is a God who works through even the hardest of circumstances to bring about his plan.
How often are we Leah? Perhaps it is not in a loveless wedding among 2 wives and 2 concubines, but how often are we passed over in this life? Do we often feel as if our names, after our passing, may be regarded as little more than a footnote when we fade into history? How often does this world tell us that we are unwanted, unimportant, and unloved?
We have a God who speaks otherwise. We have a God who sees the broken, the unwanted, and the unloved. We have a God that shows them that the very best is beyond this earth, beyond what they could ever receive, and beyond any ability to imagine. Who can love us more than God? Who can purpose a better plan for us than our Creator? Even more than that, Christ is the Church's bridegroom (Matthew 9:15) who is the perfect partner (Ephesians 5:25-27), and shows no favoritism (Romans 2:11-16). He has chosen us, the church, to be His when no one else would. He has taken us, and loves us more than any other.
Our responsibility, then, is to remain faithful. Even when it seems others are preferred to us, God is loyal. He is working a plan that we cannot see. We cannot rob our own trust or loyalty by giving into the lies of comparison. Jesus speaks similarly. Matthew records a parable of Christ, of three servants who seem to be treated differently. One seems to be preferred, given five talents to keep track of. Another is given two, and the third is only given one. To the two who were faithful and trustworthy, they were blessed. The one who compared himself to the others given more talents robs his own ability to fulfill his purpose. When we mature past comparison into faithfulness, we open ourselves to a greater purpose in a grand design.
Much in the same way, Leah's story is our story. When we find ourselves looking for the one who will want us, let us turn to the one who chose us, and gave his life for us. When we feel unloved, may we turn to the one who has always loved us. When we feel abandoned, let us remember there is only one who has never forsaken us.
Works Cited
Richey, Neal. “Leah.” Promise and Providence: A Faith Journey Through Genesis, FHU Press, 2025, p. 137-154
Photo by Alexandra Fuller on Unsplash
SO good!!! I love this!!!