God Has A Plan

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

GOD HAS A PLAN

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

Now wait just a minute. Is this telling us that Jacob hated Leah, for the Hebrew word translated as not loved has this direct meaning of hate, or to hate. We are not told who hated her, but that Jacob did not love her. How could Jacob lay with her time and time again as she continued to have sons for him and still not love her? In our culture that seems so odd to the point it would not happen. It would seem no one man would lay with a woman, engaging in the most intimate moments all the while hating her, at least in the context of marriage as Jacob and Leah were. We might understand there might not be any love lost between Rachel and Leah as Rachel was unable to have any children and had this desire for Jacob to watch her sister have son after son for him. However, the first four sons, or the first four tribes of Israel have come into this family, especially Judah, although God has yet to rename Jacob Israel. We find that interesting that God chose Leah be the woman through the Lion of Judah would come into the world. Here is where we learn never to put God in a box. We should never expect God to act per our plans. Certainly, we would think that Jacob would rather that Rachel would have borne those sons, but at the same time, he was spending quite a bit of time in the arms of Leah. Nevertheless, God chose Leah to be the mother of Judah through which Jesus would come into the world. Whenever we think God might do one thing, he just might do something else. Our desires or hopeful plans might come true if we put all our efforts into making them true. But then those would be the plans of man and we know we might make our plans, but the Lord orders our footsteps. We might think God is going to go along with our plans, but he has greater plans for us and he will see to it that his plans for us come true. Rachel will eventually have two sons, one being Joseph who we know will someday save all the household of Israel from starvation, yet Jesus will come into the world through the line of Leah’s son Judah. God’s plan is always the best and we should always be willing to follow that path he has lit for us with the Light of Christ. Just as we think it was not Jacob who hated Leah because she bore him sons, we cannot ever dislike in the least bit the plan God has determined for our lives. This could include the greatest of things, or it could include suffering through some things, but it is always God’s plan for our lives, and it is worth everything. No matter how long we live, let us always be aware that God is at work in His plan for our lives, for God has a plan.