#genesis29

Jacob the deceiver

As the Lord is teaching Jacob the deceiver what it is like to be deceived by using Laban and tricked Jacob into working and married Leah before Rachel. Of course Jacob was angry, but because of his love towards Rachel. He moved on and worked for another 7 years.

Yet Leah, too, must learn that it is only through the Lord that her identity can be truly established. As she bears Jacob one son after another, she seeks to use her childbearing as a way to get Jacob to love her—“Now this time,” she says, “my husband will be attached to me, because I have borne him three sons” (29:34). She is building her identity on her husband’s love for her instead of on the Lord’s love for her. With the fourth son, however, divine grace breaks through: “This time I will praise the LORD” (29:35). Her fundamental affection has been redirected. And the name of the fourth son? Judah—the one through whom the covenant promises will finally be fulfilled.

A place of praise and worship is always a place we learn that not us but God is in control. He is the Alpha and Omega in our lives, our situation, our story, our universe.

Genesis 29:1-35 (King James Version)

As you know, we were reading Genesis 29 and Sonia Lee happens to be reading the same chapter we were! For those who don’t know who she is, she’s a Korean YouTube singer, along with her twin sister Janice, from Australia. She’s a devoted woman of God and such an inspiration. I think it’s great how she’s so real and expressive of her faith! If you haven’t heard Sonia and Janice’s testimony, check it out here, as well as their YouTube channel here. (I promise, you won’t be disappointed!)

Yesterday Sonia wrote an Instagram post on Genesis 29:35, and I wanted to share it with you! 

“She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, "This time I will praise the LORD." So she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children.” - Genesis 29:35 

“SMITTEN | How many failures does it take for you to never want to try again? Leah wasn't failing no maths exam. She was bearing child after child to try and win the love of her husband Jacob, who was madly in love with her beautiful sister. I'm sure she felt hopeful with her first two sons but by the fourth, any woman would have given up, feeling unloved and rejected. However her fourth son is born and the story takes a turn. Instead of looking to her husband who is busy loving her sister, Leah turns to God who hasn't taken His eyes off her from the moment He saw her. He had been waiting on Leah like she had been waiting on Jacob. She names her fourth son Judah meaning "This time I will praise the Lord".

God can't take His eyes off me even while I am loving and investing myself in things that could never love me back the way He does. Take a moment to stop and look to the one who loves you best.” - Sonia Lee

Thanks for sharing your heart, Sonia!

Firstly, Happy Canadian Thanksgiving everybody! I hope you’re all feeling as joyful and thankful like me in this season of thanksgiving. To end this lovely weekend, I continued on my devotions with Genesis 29. I don’t know about you but this chapter felt like a scene right out of a romance movie. As I was reading about Jacob’s love life, I felt somewhat giddy and happy. 

Jacob clearly loves Rachel, the younger daughter of Laban, but in order to get her hand in marriage, he must work for seven years. Not days or weeks, but for years. That’s a pretty long time. But in the end, Laban deceived him, gave him Leah (the older daughter), and then said:

“Finish this daughter’s bridal week; then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work.” - Genesis 29:27

And what did Jacob do? He worked for another seven years (Gen. 29:28). Wow, in total Jacob worked for fourteen years just to get Rachel. That’s a lot of patience that Jacob had. Spoiler alert, but Jacob did get his happily ever after ending (he’s da man!).

But how did Jacob knew that he loved Rachel? All she did was walk over and then he watered some sheep, and kissed her! Pretty straightforward if you ask me.

Seeing Jacob’s love for Rachel reminded me of my recent prayers. Lately I found myself praying to God for a man of God. I think it’s because all of a sudden, many weddings and engagements are happening this season and I can’t help but wonder when I will meet my future husband (I’m sure every girl asked this question at some point in their life). But of course, I’m in no rush whatsoever and I absolutely do love my single life. I’ve just been thinking about how marriage is such a big milestone in life and like everyone else, I want a good man in my life for that milestone. 

Someone who loves God and leads wholeheartedly, who wants to serve passionately alongside me, who challenges and pushes me, and who can be silly with me.

I know it’s pretty generic, but how do I find someone like that? I have no clue. Maybe I have to wait like Jacob for 14 years but either way, I know God has a greater purpose and a will for me… maybe that means no man for 14 years or a man in a year. Who knows? But one thing for sure, I don’t want my eyes to be solely fixed on searching for someone. How easy it is to let lust take over, and for your heart to give way to our selfish desires. Instead of fixing my eyes on someone, I pray for my eyes to be fixed on the One who has been with me since day one. 

Once again, happy Thanksgiving everyone and continue to have the attitude of thanksgiving everyday!