Favoritism

DEVOTION

GENESIS

FAVORITISM

Gen 29:31-35

31 When the LORD saw that Leah was not loved, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. 32 Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, "It is because the LORD has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now." 33 She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, "Because the LORD heard that I am not loved, he gave me this one too." So she named him Simeon.   34 Again she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son she said, "Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons." So he was named Levi.   35 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.

NIV

Ruben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, the first four sons of Jacob brought to him by Leah, the wife we are told he did not love. But we had been told that he loved Rachel more before, yet here the Lord sees that Leah is not loved. How does this man Jacob keep taking her to his bed if he does not love her? Is having sons more important than showing love to the woman he engages in this intimate act with? Surely we can see, according to God, this act of procreation is not considered as the definition of love. Although we are seeing that because God caused Rachel to be barren and Leah to be fertile giving Jacob sons, God felt this would bring him into a more loving relationship with Leah. Perhaps Jacob would have thought the promise of God regarding his having so many descendants was going to be due to Leah and not Rachel. This might have given him thoughts that he made the wrong choice in wanting Rachel rather than Leah. He could have been thinking that Leah was the intended mate God had for him. However, we know the rest of the story and how more sons will arrive through those two maidservants before Rachel delivers her two sons. So what can we learn here? If God were endeavoring to teach Jacob a lesson it would be to love Leah as much as he loves Rachel, to not show favoritism. Of course today we do not have multiply spouses and thus we cannot be in danger of showing favoritism to one over another. But we certainly can when it comes to children as we have seen Isaac and Rebekah do with Jacob and Esau. We can also show favoritism to many types of people. We know the teaching of the Lord through James about showing the finely dressed visitor to the best seat while the poorly dressed is told to sit on the floor.  

James 2:1-4

2:1 My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism. 2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. 3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

NIV

It is clear Jacob showed favoritism toward Rachel and God was showing him the errors of his ways, but the question is whether he learned it or not. We know we should not for we have been directly told not to, yet do we? Are we more likely to make friends or treat people more friendlily if they are nice, or good looking, or have a lot of money, then we would to those who are not nice, not good looking and appear to have little money? Do we judge people by their looks, their manner of dress, their demeanor? Why do we do such things? Should we not value all peoples as the same, as God does? Do we allow ourselves to treat people differently because of what they look like? It appears this was the motive of Jacob in the first place, being attracted to Rachel because of her beauty. Of course this is a nature thing when it comes to the selection of a spouse, we should find them attractive, it is the way God has designed us. But when it comes to our relationship with the rest of mankind, we should treat all equal, as Christ does. God makes no distinction between types of sin, all have sinned and fallen short of his glory. All can be forgiven of sin through Jesus Christ. All, no matter how rich, poor, tall, short, skinny, fat, handsome or ugly. It matters not what the color of skin or the language of the tongue, or the country of origin. God sees all mankind as his creation and he sent Jesus to be the sacrifice for sin for all, showing no favoritism. This is how we need to see all peoples we come in contact with. No favoritism.