To the Unloved & Unnoticed
By: Allie Kwok
Have you ever felt invisible? Maybe it was at a class reunion, and you find yourself alone in the crowd with no one to talk to. Perhaps it’s at work where you have gone above and beyond, but no one seems to notice. Or maybe you had once felt left out at a family (or extended family) dinner.
Don’t be discouraged! We have all been there. One woman in the Bible who also felt unloved and unnoticed was Leah.
In Genesis 29, we see that there are two sisters: Leah and Rachel. Leah is the older sister and was described as “one with weak eyes” while Rachel was “beautiful in figure and appearance.” Jacob, the son of Isaac and Rebekah then made his way into this family. Jacob was on the run after stealing his brother’s birthright and was told by his parents to go to Paddan Aram and “take a wife from among the daughters of Laban”. After fleeing his uncle’s place in Paddan Aram, Jacob immediately fell in love with Rachel and was given permission to marry her after 7 years of labor.
Read Genesis 29:21-30
21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to make love to her.”
22 So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast. 23 But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob made love to her. 24 And Laban gave his servant Zilpah to his daughter as her attendant.
25 When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn’t I? Why have you deceived me?”
26 Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one. 27 Finish this daughter’s bridal week; then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work.”
28 And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. 29 Laban gave his servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her attendant. 30 Jacob made love to Rachel also, and his love for Rachel was greater than his love for Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years.
“…and his love for Rachel was greater than his love for Leah.”
Ouch. Could you imagine how Leah must have felt after the wedding day? “I’m finally wedded, I can live a fulfilling life with my new husband… oh, never mind. He wishes I was Rachel.” Have you ever had a Rachel in your life? A friend who just seems to have it together, is pretty, and well liked? And there you are, feeling like you’re living in the shadows of your friend. Well, as the passage progresses in verse 31 it says, “31 When the LORD saw that Leah was hated, He opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.”
Leah was unnoticed and unloved. She couldn’t captivate the heart of her husband. She had even begged her sister with mandrakes to give her a chance to be with Jacob. God saw her pain and opened her womb. She ended up giving birth to 6 sons. Little did she know that from her son, Judah, King David would be born as well as Jesus, the Savior of the world! How awesome is that! God chose Leah to be part of something bigger- the great great great (times something more) grandma of Jesus! Was she loved outwardly by Jacob? Maybe not. But was she favored and chosen by God? YES!
Like Leah, we can feel unloved and unnoticed at times. Yet even in those moments, we are so dearly loved by God. He sees us, He knows our pains, struggles, and sorrows. He is using each of us for a bigger purpose, something beyond what we can ever imagine!
Reflection:
1. Have you ever felt like Leah? How did the Lord comfort you?
2. Where do you see God using you for His greater purpose?
Prayer:
Lord, You alone are enough for me. Please remove any hurt or bitterness in my heart of feeling unloved. You see me and You know me. You knit me in my mother’s womb. You sent Your only son Jesus to die for me. Thank you, Jesus. Your grace is sufficient for all my needs! Help me to remember my purpose here on earth.
