Leah [Part 1]

Pastor, author and Bible teacher Alan Wright ignoring the biblical teaching that God is already created this person and call all creation good. We attempt to re-create the people we love in our own image of goodness. This is more to do with our own feelings of inadequacy and need than it does the person we are diligently trying to re-create what we really saying is not you are not good enough but you're not meeting my need to feel good about myself faster. Welcome to another message of good news that will help you see your life for no hold. ID print excited for you to hear the teaching today. In the series titled God used to and you may just be surprised as presented it right know the church in North Carolina.

If you're not able to stay with us throughout the entire program I want to make sure you know how to get our special resource right now. It can be yours for your donation this month to Alan Wright Ministry as you listen to today's message go deeper as we send you today's special offer. Contact us at pastor@an.org or call 877-544-4860 that's 877-544-4860.

More on that later in the program but now let's get started with today's teaching here is Alan Wright are you ready for some good news. You don't have to labor for love. Love can't be earned.

It is by its very definition a free gift so I can only be received with gratitude. Once you understand this, it'll lift striving your life in this world were not promised that the people who should love us will love us.

We are promised the love of God is from everlasting to everlasting where going to take a look at hidden Jewel and unheralded woman in the word.

Her name is Leah I one of Jacob's wives in her story is recorded in Genesis chapter 29. This is is no candy coat that this is a dysfunctional family and you got Leah and Rachel and you got there maidservants Philpott and Bill and everybody trying to have babies in not knowing who's in whose bad years ago, I first preached on this text really liked my title was taken from old TV show desperate housewives. This is this is Leah at Genesis chapter 29 and its verse 16 Mallett Ben had two daughters. The name of the holder was Leah and the name of the younger was Rachel Leah's eyes were weak. What's interesting is that scholars don't really know for sure how to translate that whether it should be weak or lovely. Not sure but Rachel was beautiful and form an appearance in Jacob. Love Rachel and he said I'll serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel Layton said it is better that I give her to you than I should give it any other man stay with me, so Jacob served seven years for Rachel and they seem to him that a few days because the love he had for her.

Then Jacob said to Laban giving my wife that I may go into her for my time is completed.

So Laban gathered together all the people the place and made a feast, but in the evening. He took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob and he went to Laban gave his female servant Philpott to his daughter Leah to be her servant and in the morning. The hole was Leah Jacob said the land. What is this economy did not serve you for Rachel. Why then have you deceived me.

Laban said it is not so done our country to give the younger before the firstborn complete the week of this one and will give you the other. Also, in return for serving me another seven years. So Jacob did so and completed her week.

Then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. Laban gave his female servant Bill hi so his daughter to his daughter Rachel to be her servant. So Jacob went into Rachel also and he loved Rachel more than Leah and served Laban for another seven years when the Lord saw that Leah was hated he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.

Leah conceived and bore a son and she called his name Ruben she said, because the Lord is looked upon my affliction for now. My husband left me she conceived again and bore a son and said, because the Lord has heard that I'm hated he's given me this son also. She called his name Simeon again she conceived and bore a son and said now this timeout that will be attached to me Lamborn and three sons. Therefore his name was called Levi and she conceived again and bore assignments at this time I will praise the Lord. Therefore she called his name Judah. Then she ceased bearing. If I change you love me if I do what he wants to love me if I labor and labor and labor. He'll love me.

Leah thinks that it doesn't work. It never works because love can't be bought. You learn all of this from Leah, the man who didn't love her and the God who did well I guess that is a dysfunctional family and it's in a culture where maybe to modern sensibilities. It's enough little offensive to even read a story like this because that lace of women.

Such a low place that they held in many ways that you study that role of women in the Scriptures Way, Jesus interacted women. What you'll see is it really radical appreciation and acceptance of women that was not known in the culture itself and so here's a here's a culture in which Leah found herself to be in a fairly powerless situation not something that identify very well with because America and and also my daughter Abigail our son to college for four years I've been living with two women for last four years. You think that I would learn some things about women from living with four years.

I haven't really that much is confused sometimes and I'm a little worried about them because neither my wife nor my daughter is really a country music fan, but they been recently I have noticed listening a good bet to the music of Carrie Underwood who I thought was because she has some songs like Jesus, take the wheel and a song I think about baptism. I thought maybe was that when I noticed that there actually listening more to some other songs of hers and I'm kind of realizes she has service specializes and songs about women that get back at the man who hurt them and worried about that.

She's got a song is called before he cheats. It goes like this. Right now he's probably slow dancing with a bleach blonde tramp, and she's probably getting frisky. Right now he's probably bonkers and fruity little drink because she can't shoot whiskey right now he probably hide with a pool stick showed her how to shoot a combo and he don't know that Doug Mackey into the side of his pretty little souped-up four-wheel-drive card my name into his leather seats at the Louisville slugger to both headlight/the hole in all her tires.

Maybe next time he'll think before he cheats concern me further. When I looked into some of her other songs and realizing one uncle blown away, it's better girl that lets her abusive father stay drunk on the couch and runs down tornado blows him away and then another one called to Cadillacs about two women that found out they were sharing the same cheap man.

The Cadillacs pull up at the funeral and there winking at each other so they were killed.

Demand when they happen, and that song so I'm little worried about songs that my left. Leah didn't live in a world where she could take a Louisville slugger to Jacobs camels clothes and shoes in a vulnerable position as was Rachel's again this I will Jacob Dutton love me I'll just move on and get a job anywhere wasn't wasn't like them the story to understand it, really you have to you're not familiar with the entrance to the story of Jacob Pistorius is much about Jacob as it is about about Leah Jacob one, favorite character that I was to so identify with Jacob.

He was a struggle or from the beginning of striver. He always had this feeling that he wouldn't blast and he had to be something else. Before he could really be blessed. This is part of the theme of everything that carries and advances. Jacob has his idea that if I could just be my brother Esau that I really be blessed because he was the firstborn and so he actually deceives her father Isaac, and to thinking that Jacob is Esau and Isaac is old and blind and he stripped and he blesses Jacob accidentally and as he does so he is releasing a double portion of the inheritance. He's declaring it is if you're the firstborn, as is Jacob's way of trying to get blessed. He's a trickster is a connive or he striving. He's always wrestling wrestling with God, wrestling with himself wrestling with other people. The reason that Jacob is alone in this scene where we see him marrying Leah and Rachel is because he's on the run. What he did to his brother Esau made is also matter Esau wants to kill him and so he is exiled from his family. He's alone.

He's on the run challenge right will have more teaching moment from today's important series that he believed my experience at the left lever of myself love story from beginning to end spiritual bride of Christ, the perfect bride.

The Bible tells that this kind when you walk for any man who is found in my sweet love for you is pretty woman who searched for 25 2014 Dr. the five love languages size incredible reality that God pursues us in life comes to an lever of myself ancient biblical accounts explode in the heart except this proposal and showing his embrace raveling after the match made in heaven, lever of myself gospel is shared when you get to write ministries. This broadcast is only possible because of listener financial support. When you get today. We will send you a special offer. We are happy to send this to you as our banks from our night ministries, seven 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website past Rowan.like today's teaching now continues your once again is an income to any seas. Rachel, we didn't read this part, but he sees Rachel and it just falls in love instantly just falls in love.

I love at first glance, and is infatuated with her, I don't believe in such a thing as love at first sight.

I know some of you you been married for 50 years and barely knew each other and you got married and praise God for that. But if you want to get married next week and you come to our office with SAO donor minute and take you through the prepare and rich inventory and postpone your engagement until we can be assured that you know each other by this." Love at first sight.

He did know her. He didn't know her at all.

Craig Barnes wrote an excellent book on the life of Jacob called hustling God and I was rereading some portions this week.

He said in his book, it's important to notice that his live had nothing to do with who Rachel was. I think he was in love before he matter he loves not the woman but the fantasy he'd been chasing for a long time you spent a lot of time looking for yours fantasy love then after you find a person who may fit the bill.

You can spend even more time trying to make the fantasy come true for office to work for her. It was customary that in that culture there would be a gift from the groom's family to the bride's family. It was sometimes called the bride price which is not really accurate, especially in the Hebrew culture, because it wasn't like they were selling the bride, but the quote bride price was a maximum of 50 shekels, usually hello Jacob volunteers see is not asked for this. He just offers it to work for Laban for seven years because Jacob doesn't have any anything and so he doesn't have any other way of bringing the gift to the bride's family except is gonna work it off like this and if you think that a shekel is about a month's wage for a laborer or maybe even 1/2 shekel would be a month's wage to work seven years was going to be something that was going to be pretty extravagant really bride price that was paid he signed up to labor this something inside of Jacob. That was always like that. He was one of those guys and thought nothing in this world comes for free and something good you need to work for it to its ways always lived his life. He got to find a way to get what you want. So ironically he labors for love in the same way later as will see Leah labored for his love and I just imagine the harder he worked, the greater the fantasy grew and he just had an image in his mind of this is what's going to make my life complete. This is what's going to make me happy if I could just have Rachel this woman that he fell in love with. At first glance, and fantasies. I don't do us any good dreams and God-given vision and goals for our lives. These are good things, but fantasies they actually just become like idols to us and so he is led down this path of the fantasy.

I think people on drugs have fantasies but when you're really walking with God, who put dreams in your hearts, but it's not a dream.

This is if I can obtain this then I'll be fulfilled. Instead it is a fulfillment that comes through your relationship with God and then you're able to move forward with a sense of destiny, but he's thinking if I can have Rachel then I'll be fulfilled in one of the things that you have to recognize, therefore, is that the cause of everything that had gone on in Jacob's life that when you get to Leah and you see how unloved she is. You realize reading the story. The problem is not Leah. The problem is in Jacob again. Craig Barnes writes, ignoring the biblical teaching that God is already created this person and called all creation good. We attempt to re-create the people we love in our own image of goodness. This has more to do with our own feelings of inadequacy and need than it does the person we are diligently trying to re-create what were really saying is not you are not good enough but you're not meeting my need to feel good about myself spend so much time thinking that his fantasy which is like an idol is the thing that's going to make him finally feel blessed. When Jacob always lived so much time working to obtain the fantasy is ironic that Jacob didn't really know Rachel didn't really know Leah. He thought that he did. That's one thing that happens sometimes with our idols. We think in our mind we think I know exactly what this is.

I know this is going to fulfill me and didn't really know her.

Augustine said that when the great values of marriage.

Is it commits us to a mystery. It's a commitment, marriage is, you know everything about that person that you're marrying that's what's both wonderful and scary about it. You don't know everything and so often in our relationships if we want to bring great pain will say things that box the other one in as if we know everything about them. I told you before Ann's uncle Stanley officiated our wedding the night before. He said let me just tell you a story. He said we were on our honeymoon and we are in a restaurant. We're looking around the restaurant and hardly any of the couples were talking to each other just eating the food out.

If there's one couple and their older couple and they're just leaning for their talking each other and he thought this wonder what is so different about them. I mean there's only ones other than us that seem to be really interested. Take each other so what if there on a honeymoon to the waiter asked the man he said when on our honeymoon and he said that I just noticed you guys are just talking each other like it is so interested in each other and he said there any chance that you guys are newly married man just put his head back a laugh relax at all.

We've been married for 53 years is daily the coming days. I decided right then the never say nowhere like the back of my hand and he looked at Annie looked at me and he said that you both been on this earth, 22, 23 years is that if you were to share everything that's happened in your life and take you 50 for 45 years to do that said, in the meantime, your living life and there's so much other that you can be sharing in the midst of that. He said there is something wonderful you can keep discovering about each other. You see, if you're going to stay in love.

It means that you continue to fall in love because you're discovering more mystery that is there every day but if you just have a fantasy of what you want someone to be an think that if you will be what I want you to be. Then I will be complete, you will be too busy trying to create them into your own image of a fantasy to really actually enjoy the mystery of who they really are. Jacob and so it is that Jacob is deceived, the great deceiver is deceived or not told exactly what it means and when I'm sure the translation.

Leah had weak eyes. Or maybe she had tender eyes.

Or maybe she had lovely eyes. The Hebrew scholars are divided on how it should be translated. Maybe the Lord wants us to see.

It is both depending on who's looking at her, who looks into her eyes and one might see something that's lovely and the other might say something that just seemed weak or unattractive beauty is in the eyes of the beholder was depending on who was looking at her and how he was looking at her, but in any event, what we know is that Rachel was striking in her physical appearance. Leah was the firstborn and she should be the one who was married first. She should be blessed first. With that, and Jacob wanted the second born so lever Laban who is clever figured out a way to get seven years of free labor and get both his daughters married and you wonder how in the world did this happen and it's interesting the Jewish mid rash the rabbinical teachings that come alongside of the word is commentary had created a story that lives in much of the Hebrew consciousness about the story of Rachel and Leah and it goes like this that Rachel and Jacob knew that laymen was a real trickster and that he might try to. Like this in part one of this teaching on leave from the series God used to how God used unheralded women in astonishing ways. We've got Alan back here in the studio. In a moment with additional insight on this for your life. In today's final word. Glad you believed my experience at the left but not of myself love story from beginning to end spiritual bride of Christ, the perfect bride. The Bible tells when you walk with her anymore.

It's gonna member the woman tasted the sweetness of God's love for a woman who searched for 25 Dr. the five love languages size incredible reality that God pursues us in life comes to an F myself ancient biblical accounts explode in the extent this proposal and showing his embrace raveling after the match made in heaven.

F myself. The gospel is shared when you get Alan Wright Ministries.

This broadcast is only possible because of listener financial support. When you get today. We will send you a special offer. We are happy to send this to you as I banks and Alan Wright Ministries, seven 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website past Rowan.like to put a bookmark in the teaching for today but at this moment. At this point in our teaching of Leah and unheralded women in the Bible which the take away what what you want someone listening right now at this moment hanging on to this very next teaching that's coming in the next edition.

The focus becomes the names of Leah's children, Ruben son and Simeon Levi and what we can see is that Leah has live that kind of life. If I produce a son, then my husband really love me as she finds out that doesn't work if you could almost see Daniel what we discover in the naming of her children. The transformation that takes place in her life because you cannot find love by earning it because love is by definition free so no matter what she might do for Jacob was never going to be the answer. She might do more to get his attention, but not his love and so were really learning about that love that comes from God and is got to be that love that comes from God, in which we route our security is got to be in his love, because things in this world are just too transitory and unreliable. So then, in the end, the story of Leah is about learning to live love by today's good news message is a listener supported production Alan Wright Ministries