” Now Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah’s eyes were delicate, but Rachel was beautiful of form and appearance.” Genesis 29:16-17 (NKJV)
We hear a lot about Rachel, but very little about Leah. Today we’re going to look at the story through Leah’s eyes. Often I’ve heard her eyes described as weak, which is one translation of the Hebrew word used in verse 17. Other translations are: delicate, tender, and soft. From this description Leah might not have been as strikingly beautiful as Rachel, but her heart shown through her eyes with tenderness.
What must it have been like to have a younger sibling outshine Leah every day of the week? By this time Leah had most likely grown used to being in the background, unwanted at least when compared with Rachel.
I have never been described as beautiful like Rachel, but I have been described as having a tender, caring heart. I can easily see myself in Leah’s shoes. She would have loved her sister enough to want the best for her, even to the point of staying in the background as a supporting friend, rather than seeking to be acknowledged in any way.
Outer beauty can fade with time, but inner beauty – that of a tender, caring, soft heart will last as long as there is breath. One might wonder if Jacob could have seen the value of the tender, caring heart of Leah, would his life have been different? Would history have been different?
Listen to Rosemary Seimens singing “Softly and Tenderly.”
Published on MyBibleRoom.com 1/13/24, 6:00 am