Genesis 29 (2)

Father, thank you that this is the day that You have made and we shall be glad and rejoice in it. We lift up Your holy name and say may You name be magnified over all the ends of the earth. Let You holy name be magnified in our lives and everything that we put our hands to in the name of Jesus. Indeed let everything that has breath praise the name of the LORD. As we step into this new day, we receive every blessing of love, favor, goodness, mercy, restoration, favor, peace, provision, divine health, oneness with You that You have already prepared for us in the name of Jesus. Thank you LORD and may Your will concerning our lives be done on earth as it is in heaven, Amen.

Today's post is a continuation of Genesis chapter 29. Previously, we looked at how Jacob worked for seven (7) years during his stay with Laban and the wages for this work would be getting married to Rachel. When the appointed time for marriage came, Laban, Rachel's father, prepared a feast and invited people to celebrate this marriage. When it was evening time, Laban handed to Jacob his bride. Unknown to Jacob at the time, Laban gave Leah, Rachel's older sister as his bride (Genesis 29:23). In the morning, a disappointed Jacob asks Laban the reason for this unfairness to which he responds that Leah as the older sister, according to their tradition, had to get married before her younger sister (Genesis 29:25-26). However, Laban told Jacob that after a week, he would also give to him Rachel as his wife on condition that he worked for him for another seven (7) years (Genesis 29:27-30).

Consequently, the two sisters were both married to Jacob but Jacob loved Rachel way more than Leah. Genesis 29:31 NKJV reads, "When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren."

Leah conceived and named her first born Reuben for she said, "The LORD has surely looked on my affliction. Now therefore my husband will love me." (Genesis 29:32) She conceived a second son, Simeon, because she said, "the LORD has heard that I am unloved" (Genesis 29:33). She conceived a third son, Levi, and she said, "now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons." (Genesis 29:34). Leah conceived a fourth son, Judah, and this time she said, "Now I will praise the LORD." (Genesis 29:35).

Leah and Jacob's son, Judah, portrays a change of heart where she clearly decides to consecrate her heart to be content with the LORD's love for her instead of the love of her husband, Jacob.

It is important to note, that the name Judah means praise. I believe the LORD honoured Leah's act of fixing her eyes on Him as the source of her love and not her husband because our LORD and Saviour Jesus Christ, is of the tribe of Judah. Revelation 5:5 NKJV reiterates this, "But one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals."

I'll end with this Word found in 1 Corinthians 9:26 (NKJV)

"And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown."

AMEN. Thank you LORD.

Invitation to salvation: In the same way, God works in His children by giving them the will and desire to receive and walk in obedience to His Son Christ Jesus who washes away all their sins and gives them a brand new life where you will live and abide eternally in God's presence while experiencing all the blessings He has for them.

If you would like to become a child of God as well; I invite you to make this confession:

"I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that; Jesus Christ, the Son of God came in a human body to die for my sins so that I could have a new life where I am dead to sin and alive to God. I repent of my past sins and enter the Kingdom of light where I choose relationship with Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour and with God as my loving Father today and forever." AMEN.

Congratulations, by grace you are saved and are now a new creation in Christ Jesus. The old life has passed away and you have received the free gift of salvation into your life (2 Corinthians 5:17) where you get to freely access everything I've shared in this post. To the glory of the Almighty God. Amen.

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