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.
—Genesis 29:35
The biblical story of Leah is often overlooked. She’s usually talked about in conjunction with her beautiful sister Rachel, the one Jacob loved even though he was married to both women. She is known for having “weak eyes” and being party to Laban’s deception of Jacob.
It’s easy to read Genesis 29 and assume Leah got a raw deal or that she should be held up as an example of what not to be. Today’s verse, though, gives us great insight into who Leah really was.
God did see Leah and have compassion for her. He understood her longing for love, and so He allowed her to have children. Pay attention to what Leah named these children. Her oldest, Reuben, she named because “The Lord has seen my misery.” Likewise, she gave Simeon and Levi names that mean “the Lord hears” and “attached,” hoping that Jacob would hear and understand her desire for love, or at least become attached to her. Leah was a desperate woman, and it’s hard not to pity her.
However, Leah did not wallow in pity. Notice what she says in today’s verse after birthing her fourth son. “This time I will praise the Lord.” The Bible doesn’t say she gave up on Jacob’s love, but she does show great strength here. Leah is determined to be thankful for what she has and give credit to God. Therefore, she names her fourth son Judah, or “praise.”
Praising God when we don’t feel like it, or when circumstances are hard, can be one of the most difficult and painful things about being a Christian. Yet when we choose to praise Him, God will be pleased.
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