God's Compassion for the Unloved: 

The Story of Leah and Rachel

Genesis 29:15-30:24 

The Story of Their Marriage to Jacob 

• Genesis 29:15-30 - Jacob served Rachel's father for seven years so he could marry Rachel.  Leah, Rachel's sister, was substituted for Rachel.  Jacob had to serve seven more years for Rachel to be his wife.  Jacob wanted Rachel, not Leah.

Leah the Unloved Wife

• Genesis 29:30-35 -Leah had children and wanted Jacob to love her.  Her pain at being unloved us being expressed in the names of her children. 
• Genesis 30:1-8, 9-13 -Rachel becomes jealous and gives her maid to Jacob to have a child for her.  Rachel wants to prevail over Leah. 
• Genesis 30:14-21 -Leah and her maids have more children and she is still longing for her husband to love her.
• Genesis 33:1-2 - Jacob meets Esau.  He protects Rachel and Joseph.  Leah is in a less protected situation.

God's Compassion on Leah

• Genesis 29:31-35, 30:17-21 -God saw Leah's situation and he opened her womb. God heard her and she had son's who gave her hope.  Judah means praise and it from her line the messiah comes.
• Genesis 35:16-21 -Rachel's death. She died having her son, Benjamin.  Rachel was buried on the road.  Rachel, who seemed to have all the advantages, doesn't have all the sons and dies early.
• Genesis 37:9-10 -Joseph's dreams.  Look at how long Leah had Jacob as her husband. 
• Genesis 49:28-33 -Leah is buried.  The twelve sons became the twelve tribes.  Jacob was buried next to Leah. 

Even though Leah struggled, she was not forgotten by God and she was blessed by God. 

—Robert Lee, 8-3-08, a.m.