Leah

Leah, the Unloved Wife

Genesis 29:21-35

by patsy norwood (c) 2005-2017 All Rights Reserved

Mini Lesson # 8

To have children and lots of them was the goal of every young wife during this time in the world’s history.  Happy, honored, and considered blessed were the wives who could give their husbands many children. Rachel and Leah were no different and each wanted to give Jacob as many children as they were able to in fact, their desire to give their husband as many children as they could turned into a competition.   Given the circumstances of their marriages, it’s easy to see how this could happen.  Given the circumstances of their marriages each woman secretly hoped the number of children she would bear Jacob would cause him to love her more.  What a tangled web of hurt and pain Laban’s deception set in motion for his daughters.

Fill in the blanks …

When the Lord saw that  _________ was __________, He ____________ her ____________; but _____________ was _______________.  Genesis 29:31 (NKJV)

Leah is the first to have a child.  What does she name her first born and why?

What does she naturally conclude will happen now that she has given Jacob a child?  Does it?

Leah conceives again.  What does she name her 2^nd child and why?

The Lord blesses Leah a third time with another child.  What does she say her husband will do now?  (Genesis 29:34)

Genesis 29:35 tells us that Leah gives birth to her 4^th son and names him Judah.  She is overjoyed that God has blessed her so.  Reading between the lines one senses that Leah finally feels superior to Rachel.  Why?

The last sentence in Genesis 29:35 states, ‘Then she stopped bearing.’   Who is ‘she’ and what does the phrase ‘stopped bearing’ mean?

patsy

She Hath Done What She Could