Myles has the coolest Bible story book ever that some friends gave him. He isn’t terribly interested in the stories yet, they are a bit long, but I love the illustration and story telling method in it!! So tonight as I was looking for something to read to Qade, I came across the story of Leah. I suppose since I was named after Rachel that I always kind of took her perspective in the story. 🙂 But the first time I read this story, put this way, my heart nearly broke for Leah! In the Biblical account they ALL made mistakes, but I’ve always tended to think kind of meanly of Leah. Looking at it from her perspective though has put some new life into the old story for me. So… that being said, I’m going to type it out here for YOU to read and think about. Tell me what your perception has always been of “the ugly sister”
The Girl No One Wanted
There were once two sisters. The youngest sister was very beautiful and her name was Rachel. But the oldest sister wasn’t beautiful at all (some thought her quite ugly). and her name was Leah.
Rachel was the kind of girl who always gets invited to parties and chosen for the team. Everyone loved her. And poor Leah? No one hardly even noticed her.
One day, their cousin Jacob came to stay. He was one of Isaac’s sons and he was on the run. (Jacob had stolen and cheated and made some enemies- including his brother- and now he was hiding.)
The funny thing is, Jacob- of all people- was the one God gave the special promise to: “I will rescue the world through your family.” (But then God chooses people we least expect, as we’ll see.)
Jacob stayed a long time working for his Uncle Laban. One day Laban said, “Jacob, I’ve decided to pay you for your work What do you want?” A sudden thought struck him. “How about one of my daughters?”
Jacob looked at Rachel and he looked at Leah. Who would he choose? Of course, he chose Rachel.
“I’ll work seven years for free!” Jacob said. “If I can marry Rachel.”
So Jacob worked seven years and at last his wedding day arrived.
But that night, Laban played a nasty trick on Jacob. Instead of sending Rachel to marry Jacob, he sent Leah. (Now, in those days, they didn’t have electricity, so it was dark in their tent and, besides, women wore veils and you couldn’t see their faces properly. So Jacob suspected nothing.)
The next morning, Jacob woke up- and screamed. His new wife was lying beside him but it wasn’t Rachel- it was Leah. Jacob jumped out of bed. “Laban!” he cried. “You scoundrel!”
But Laban said “Work for me another seven years and then you can marry Rachel.”
So Jacob worked for Laban another seven years and, at last, Rachel became his wife. Now Jacob had two wives, but of his two wives, Jacob loved Rachel the best.
“No one loves me,” Leah said, “I’m too ugly.”
But God didn’t think she was ugly. And when he saw that Leah was not loved and that no one wanted her, God chose her- to love her specially, to give her a very important job. One day, God was going to rescue the whole world- through Leah’s family.
Now when Leah knew that God loved her, in her heart, suddenly it didn’t matte anymore whether her husband loved her the best, or if she was the prettiest. Someone had chosen her, someone did lover- with a Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love.
So when Leah had a baby boy she called him Judah, which means, “This time I will praise the Lord!” And that’s just what she did.
And you’ll never guess what job God gave Leah.
You see, when God looked at Leah, he saw a princess. And sure enough, that’s exactly what she became. One of Leah’s children’s children’s children would be a prince- the Prince of Heaven -God’s Son.
This Prince would love God’s people. They wouldn’t need to be beautiful for him to love them. He would love them with all of his heart. And they would be beautiful because he loved them.
Like Leah.
I know it takes a creative license, but it’s a good story, and makes ya think. 🙂 At least it did me, but simple stories are the best I’ve found.