| Strengths Weaknesses & Mistakes LifeLessons |
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| Leah, the older daughter of Laban, was given to Jacob to marry as payment for seven years of work which Jacob had done, thinking he was going to recieve her sister Rachel. Laban pointed out to Jacob, seven years after the fact, that it was the custom for the oldest daughter to marry first. Even under these circumstances Leah tried to carry out her wifely duties, being very dedicated to her husband and having his children, knowing that Jacob was still working to get and still loved her sister. Leah gave Jacob seven children out of love for him. Since it was obvious that she were not Jacob's first choice, knowing that he was forced into the marriage by her father, she was envious and jealous of the affection that Jacob felt for Rachel and that she felt was being withheld from her. So knowing her sister was barren, she thought that having his children would surely endear her to Jacob. When Rachel's womb was opened by the Lord it appeared to Leah that the only way to win Jacob's love was to out-baby her, or simply put, the more children she could have for him, the more he would care for her. Obviously this had to injure the relationships she had with her sister, her husband, and her father (since he was the one who had tricked Jacob into a marriage that he didn't want.) We can see how destructive these patterns and feelings can be to family relationships. Feeling unloved and that affection is being withheld is an awful position for a wife to find herself in. With nowhere and no one to turn to we can turn our Lord for the love and affection that we desperately need, 'The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying; "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.' {Jeremiah 31:3} Being jealous of her sister prompted her to compete with Rachel for Jacob's affection by trying to show him that she could have the children that he needed to carry on the family lineage, 'And I saw that all labor and all achievement spring from man's envy of his neighbor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.' {Ecclesiastes 4:4} She, as well as we, need to look to the Lord for our needs, 'And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.'{Phillipians 4:19} '...., for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.' {Matthew 6:8} 'Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may recieve mercy and find grace to help us inour time of need.'{Hebrews 4:16} |
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