Leah: Accepted

For decades, Paul Harvey was a beloved American broadcaster for ABC News Radio. Today, he is best remembered for a popular segment called, The Rest of the Story. At the program’s launch, he was already a popular newscaster who began his career in 1951. It’s reported that as many as 24 million people tuned in to hear these famous segments. My mother was among his devoted listeners. I can still recall his resonant voice, which was confident and smooth like velvet. Needless to say, this master communicator had countless fans. There were many newscasters, but there was only one Paul Harvey! What was so compelling about him? No doubt it was his niche – his heartwarming, human interest, salt of the earth, plain-talk, and common sense backstories!

What's a backstory? It's the composite of our history, heritage, and family dynamics, including the socio-economics and education or lack thereof – plus other opportunities or disadvantages that impact who we become. Consequently, our backstories surface through everyday life. Paul Harvey made it his business to reveal humankind and expose us for who we are. He was born Paul Harvey Aurandt and amassed a huge following by sharing the little-known, behind-the-scenes backstories about people, including their heroics and untold feats of bravery and selflessness. What people did he showcase? All folks, but primarily ordinary commoners - good, hardworking Americans, like us. His stories never stopped short of touching our hearts. He concluded his news segments by inviting his listeners to lean in for the rest of the story. And how ingenious! Since most of us love a good backstory and are naturally curious, we were hooked. We get backstories! We understand them and their relevance, and we're drawn to them because we all have one, whether we share them openly or not. His famous sign-off never changed. It was simply: "This is Paul Harvey, and now you know the rest of the story!" There's more, though. Because we’re all human, even Bible characters had backstories, as we see in Genesis 29.

The Bible says: "Leah was unloved…but Rachel was barren." Did you see it? Perhaps you've read those words numerous times but overlooked the significance in the rest of their story. The passage reads: "When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren" (Genesis 29:31). Indeed, Rachel was barren for years! And Leah was unloved for a lifetime. Note the contrast! What Rachel wanted – Leah had, and what Leah wanted, Rachel had. How incredible to consider the rivalry of the two sisters, which spanned a lifetime! I mustn't neglect to remind you that to make matters worse, they also shared a husband – Jacob. As peculiar as that seems, God was at work behind the scenes. That's the real backstory – as it is with us! What God is doing is always the story! Despite their unique desires and struggles we note the factual results. Rachel complained and nagged, and Leah praised God! Indeed, that's quite a defining contrast!

Although Leah desperately loved Jacob, she was not embraced by him or his first bride-choice. Yet she was chosen by God and wholly accepted. It has been said that Leah, not Rachel, possessed a rare inner beauty and steadfast devotion which made her God’s choice to wed Jacob and to birth sons, including Judah. We see from the Exhaustive Dictionary of Bible Names that Judah means: “Praised; the LORD be praised; object of praise; praise of the LORD. He shall be praised.” As prophesied, you may recall that Jesus would come through Judah’s line. But besides Judah, Leah birthed his five brothers, who also became part of the twelve tribes, and Dinah, Jacob’s only daughter. Why? According to the Bible, God saw that she was unloved and opened her womb! It’s that simple, and it was God’s plan! To her birthing account, we’ll also include Gad and Asher, born through her maidservant, Zilpah. Watch this, though. Despite being lonely and unloved, Leah rose above her circumstances and thrived through motherhood by embracing her call in a way that honors God - with praise and naming Judah accordingly. How incredible are those words! Although Leah was not perfect, history nor scripture records any malice or guile where Leah is concerned.

So what of her backstory? For starters, she was Laban's oldest daughter – a tender spirit but not a beauty like her sister, Rachel. Leah lived in the shadow of Rachel's stunning beauty all her life. How beautiful? Enough so to be noted in scripture. But the reality of beauty is this: The outward is insignificant in light of God's plan. The limitations of our seeing produce ill-conceived biases based on wrong perceptions. We're drawn to what's pleasing, profitable, and pretty - the outward – but God sees things differently! Thank goodness, He sees the heart! Even Samuel received a word of caution concerning what was right in juxtaposition to how things looked. When David, a shepherd and the youngest of Jesse’s sons, was called and anointed king, God advised Samuel that Eliab was not “the chosen one” because looks are deceiving, and “God sees what we can’t.” Therefore, God told Samuel: “Do not look at his [Eliab’s] appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 15:7). (Emphasis added.)

How comforting! God sees what we can’t. Jacob never realized the immense treasure he had in Leah. He couldn’t see it, nor could he get beyond Leah’s outward appearance, contrasted by Rachel’s stunning beauty. I get it! Men are visual, and often, it’s to their detriment. If Jacob could have loved Leah, seen her inner beauty and devotion, and desired her, instead, it might have been a different story. Although it’s sad to consider, long after Rachel had died in childbirth and was buried in Bethlehem, Leah remained under-loved and uncherished because Jacob still pined for his beautiful Rachel. From the day Jacob beheld Rachel’s beauty, he was undone! Isn’t it amazing? Indeed, beauty is perceived, and its accompanying response rests in the eyes of the beholder. Of Jacob’s devoted love, I’ll simply say: His heart was not fickle, it loved who it loved!

What’s the takeaway? We are accepted in the beloved, and that’s the rest of the story – God’s story! Although people may reject us, treat us harshly, or ignore us altogether, we are beloved of God and wholly accepted – called and chosen – and a royal priesthood! What could be better than that? I’ve said before: “One day, everything will come to light as our insides become our outsides, and our inner beauty springs forth in eternity!” Then we will see as God does, and what an astonishing, eye-opening day of rejoicing that will be. The Lord calls us beautiful because we are! Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!

Prayer: Mighty and gracious Lord, gives us eyes to see beyond the surface. Fill us with Your Spirit and empower us to love our neighbors as ourselves because it’s Your plan, and we are commanded to do so. Jesus, keep us faithful! Amen and amen.