Happy early Mother’s Day!
As I think about this special day and those whom it honors, I can’t help but wonder what the women in the Bible would have done if they had the opportunity to be celebrated for their service as mothers.
Throughout the Bible, we’re given a large list of mamas worth noting. A few include:
- Sarah, who gave birth to Issac in her old age.
- Eve, the first-ever mom!
- The praiseworthy Proverbs 31 woman who desired to care for her family well.
- Hannah and her desperation to conceive.
- Of course, Mary, the mother of Jesus!
Yep, the Bible shows us a wide range of motherly examples. But another mother’s story seems to be talked about less – Leah.
In Genesis 29, we are first introduced to the mother in question when we see how her father, Laban, lied and tricked Jacob into marrying her. But the problem was that Jacob didn’t love Leah. Instead, he loved her sister, Rachel, and had worked for seven years to marry her. But Jacob unveiled Leah (the firstborn) instead of Rachel on his wedding day.
Upset, Jacob returns to Laban and asks what he can do to marry Rachel. Laban’s response was to work seven more years. Jacob did, and then he finally married Rachel, the one he adored.
But even in the midst of chaos, what stands out to me in this passage is how the Lord ultimately shows his love and kindness to Leah in the absence of her husband’s affections. Instead of turning away from her and leaving her in loneliness, He begins blessing her in her new role as a mother – while her sister struggles with infertility.
Now the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was barren (Genesis 29:31).
As she begins to bear children, Scripture shows Leah acknowledging the Lord for giving her the gift of children. But there is a caveat: along with the gift of her motherhood, there is something else she desires.
Leah conceived and bore a son and named him Reuben, for she said, “Because the Lord has seen my affliction; surely now my husband will love me” (Genesis 29:32).
For three pregnancies, Leah continued with this mindset. If only she could have more children, she thought maybe her husband would choose to love her.
But then came her fourth child, Judah. And after his arrival, something changed within Leah’s tired, bitter, and worn heart. Instead of looking for worth and acceptance – she praised the only one who mattered.
And she conceived again and bore a son and said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” Therefore, she named him Judah. Then she stopped bearing (Genesis 29:35).
Did she really not know that she needed to praise the Lord for the gift of her precious babies?
As I sat judging this mother, I quickly realized I was guilty of doing the same.
We live in a give-and-take world. If we do something good for someone (or the Lord), you better believe that we expect something good in return. The only problem with this mentality is that this ideology is found nowhere in the Bible. Instead, it tells us to refrain from growing weary and do what is right.
Leah was laser-focused on gaining her husband’s affection, to the point where nothing else really mattered. But when she shifted her focus from her desires and began to praise the Lord, everything changed for her. The same is true for everyone (mom or not).
This Mother’s Day, I hope you celebrate your loved ones, while using Leah’s story as a reminder of the only One Who matters.
Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith (Galatians 6:9-10).
