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“The Loving Husband of an Ugly Bride”

          Jacob’s uncle Laban had two daughters: Leah, who is older and is described as having “weak” eyes or “soft,” and Rachel, who was “beautiful in form and appearance” (Genesis 29:17). Jacob was smitten by Rachel’s beauty and agreed to work for Laban for seven years to have her as his bride. But on the wedding night, knowing that Leah would be harder to find a husband for, Laban deceived Jacob and sent Leah in to Jacob. Jacob the deceiver had now been deceived!
When Jacob woke up the next morning, he discovered that he had slept with Leah, not Rachel, and he was enraged. Laban agreed to give Rachel to Jacob too, if he would work another seven years. So Rachel and Jacob were married, and we are told that “he loved Rachel more than Leah.”

 

         When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He enabled her to have children, but Rachel could not conceive. So Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, “Because the LORD has looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me” (Genesis 29:30-32).
 

         Every time another child came along, Leah named him in a way that evidenced her longing to be loved by her husband. She named her second son Simeon, believing that the LORD heard she was unloved, and her third son Levi, believing that her husband would finally feel for her. But she continued to be unloved by Jacob.
 

         Then she had another son, and this time everything was different. She named him Judah, saying, “This time I will praise the LORD” (Genesis 29:35). Somehow Leah finally saw that God intended to provide her with a divine “husband” who would love her in a far more complete way than Jacob ever could. In fact, this loving “husband” would be a descendant of her son Judah.
 

         Jesus is the loving husband of an ugly bride, the Church—a bride that has not been imposed on Him but chosen by Him and cherished by Him. He has seen her misery, and He loves her. He has sensed her desperation and has committed Himself to her. He has looked deep into her ugliness and given her His own beauty in His death and resurrection. Now, when the time comes for the wedding feast of the Lamb, she will be a “a bride adorned for her husband” (Revelation 21:2).

By Pastor Edwards

redwards281@gmail.com         

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