Study The Biblicals – Lea, loved by God

Bible Text: How precious, O God, is your great love! Every human being finds
refuge in the shadow of your wings. Psalm 36:7

Lea, poor Lea, was never lucky in love, since she was born everything went very badly
for her, her family belonged to a clan of nomadic shepherds who lived in Haran, they
were a traditional tribe that thought that every first-born child should be a boy, so that
since his birth his mark of bad acceptance was illustrated in the name they gave him :
COW . A village of sheep farmers names a child a cow when it is evident that he or she
does not fit what they wanted, at least I imagine that was the case of Lea, whose name
represented a cow to all the countrymen who saw her grow up.

Lea's eyes were never happy. How could they be if only by calling her they made her
mockingly remember that she was never longed for, or perhaps they were, but only
when the mother's womb did not warn that the baby that would be born would not be
the dreamed boy. Lea did not feel loved by anyone, not by her parents, not by the locals
of Haran, it was bad enough that no one loved her so that on top of that, another little
person would appear who, in comparison, would end up aggravating her poor
reputation.

Leah had a little sister: Rachel, another woman! I would no longer be alone in this
miserable world! This would be your companion in pain! Suddenly two united in
rejection could face life with dignity! Maybe she would understand her and could
even give her love! No Lea, I'm sorry to tell you that you were wrong, she would not be
your help, your redemption would not come from her.

Raquel was extremely beautiful, so beautiful that her parents, upon seeing her,
immediately called her by the name that deserved so much beauty: SHEEP , she should
be a sheep, she is so charming, even her cry is sweet, she is wonderful, the favorite of
the people, the most beautiful among the beautiful.

And she grew up being the beauty queen of the town, conceited and funny, I imagine
that all the cowboys would fight over who would be the lucky one to marry her, but the
neighbors of Haran also invented stories that one day a prince would come to marry
such a beauty.

Poor Lea, her dreams of feeling understood, loved, vanished just when she saw her little
sister, Lea's eyes could no longer be sadder, she looked like a cow, heavy and graceless,
the other a sheep, agile and desired.

And the prince arrived, his name was Jacob , he had stopped near the land of the
easterners and he stopped when he saw three flocks of sheep drinking near a well:

-Where are you from? Jacob asked the shepherds.

And he began to talk pleasantly with them, when suddenly the shepherds said to him:

-By the way, here comes Rachel with the sheep!-

They seemed so proud of their Rachel, Jacob no longer listened to any more
explanations, he helped Rachel remove the stone from the well so that his sheep could
drink, he took Rachel and kissed her, it was love at first sight, even tears flooded
Rachel's eyes. the young couple, love flooded them with passion.

The whole town entered into a wedding hubbub, the beautiful princess would marry the
handsome Jacob, did anyone imagine how much her older sister was suffering? No,
if no one ever took her seriously, why would they care about her pain.

Raquel's father was never very honest, of course he liked the idea of Raquel marrying
the ideal man, but he wouldn't make it easy for her, so he devised a plan: if this young
man wanted his daughter, he would have to work for seven years. for her, only then
would he hand her over.

The seven years passed quickly for Jacob, the ardor he felt for the beautiful Rachel was
so great that time vanished, Laban would continue with his cruel plan, without
considering anyone's feelings.

“Laban gathered all the people of the place and gave a great feast, but when night
came, he took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob, and Jacob lay with her.”
Genesis 29:22-23

Lea did not want to participate in the expected wedding, for what? Suddenly her
appearance spoiled the ceremony, she was locked in her room, suddenly Laban
appeared, -who would imagine that my father would come to take me himself? Has he
regretted all these years of heartbreak? Maybe now he would take me into account a
little since Raquel would leave for distant lands, so would he finally know the love of
his father?

Laban brought with him a beautiful dress accompanied by an exquisite veil:

-Put it on quickly! Hurry up, the ceremony is going to end! Laban said

Poor Lea, they had never given her such a splendid gift - “how strange, it looks like a
wedding dress, and the veil is perfect, it fits so well with the dress, it covers my face and
you can barely tell who I am, is that why?” - Laban did not want to wait for Leah to
think about it too much: - put everything on quickly, cover your face well and let's go -
Leah's father was never a loving father, it was hard to admit it, but if at least he gave her
would have defended, perhaps she would not have suffered so much, but now,
everything would be different, her father seemed to be trying to ingratiate himself with
her, this beautiful dress, the sandals, the veil...

-Where are we going, dad? - Maybe Lea asked. Laban did not respond, he only took her
to Jacob's tent and gave her instead of Rachel, Leah the ugly, Leah the cow, Leah the
accidental, now she would be Leah the rejected. “The next morning, Jacob realized that
he had been with Leah, and he complained to Laban: -What have you done to me?
Didn't I work with you to marry Raquel? Why have you deceived me?” Genesis 29:25.

Lea was the unloved one, no one ever defended her, no one cared about what she felt,
not even that night that seemed like a dream, when that prince loved her believing she
was another woman, no one asked her how she felt when Jacob never again She didn't
even want to see her and she worked for another seven years for her sister Raquel. Poor
Leah, when would the day finally be that someone would love her for being herself?
“When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved, he granted her children. Leah became
pregnant and gave birth to a son, whom she named Reuben, for she said, The Lord
has seen my affliction; Now my husband will love me.” Leah, although not loved,
was the mother of Jacob's first four children: Reuben:

Which means: “he saw my affliction” ; Simeon: “he who hears” ; Levi: its meaning
is the verb to unite, to love ; and Judah: which is the verb to praise . God did love
Leah, he loved her even though at first she saw in her children an opportunity for Jacob
to appreciate her, that is why Reuben meant “ the Lord has seen my affliction; Now
my husband will love me ”, Simeon: “ The Lord heard that I am not loved, and that
is why he also gave me this son” , Levi: “Now my husband will love me, because I
have given him three children” . Where is your dignity Lea? It makes me want to ask
him, is a man's love that important to you? Don't you realize that God's love can
appease all your need?

Leah understood what God was teaching her, that's why when she had Judah she said:
“This time I will praise the Lord . ” God always loved Leah, so from her son Levi the
Levitical priesthood that began with Aaron would be born, and from her last son
Judah the royal lineage of David and finally Jesus himself would be born. The
Lord gave Leah back her dignity, because when God loves he defends, when God
loves he forgives.

“Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches the clouds.
How precious, oh God, is your great love! Every human being finds refuge in the
shadow of your wings. Extend your love to those who know you, and your justice
to the upright in heart” Psalm 36 .

God gave Lea the greatest prize, not only her children, he gave her something greater,
he gave her the benefit of feeling loved and defended by him, so when she recognized
that the love of the heavenly Father was more valuable than any affection, She praised
the Lord with all her heart, for that sincere praise the Savior redeemed her and rewarded
her with a holy lineage, from her lineage was born the Savior who came to give true
love to humanity.

In Psalm 45 is the description of the royal wedding between the King of Kings and the
beautiful bride. I want to think that the bride represents all the Leahs of the world, who
were perhaps dismissed and relegated by everyone, but that one day the most handsome
of men, whose lips are a source of eloquence, the blessed among the blessed, clothed in
splendor and majesty, girded with a sword, brave and holy, rode victorious and in the
name of truth, humility and justice took his princess , dressed her in fine brocades, and
accompanied by her ladies, he made her enter his royal palace.

“I will make your name remembered for all generations; Therefore the nations
will praise you forever and ever” Psalm 45:17. This is the love of God, the love he
has for you will cause you to be vindicated to the highest place in the name of
truth, humility and justice, out of love he will do so. Believe it.
Martha Bardales.