Today’s Lesson: Do Not Accept Anything Less
Today’s Scripture Inspired and References: Genesis 30:14-16
4 During wheat harvest, Reuben went out into the fields and found some mandrake plants, which he brought to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”
15 But she said to her, “Wasn’t it enough that you took away my husband? Will you take my son’s mandrakes too?”“Very well,” Rachel said, “he can sleep with you tonight in return for your son’s mandrakes.”
16 So when Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him. “You must sleep with me,” she said. “I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So he slept with her that night.
At the beginning of the story, we see how Laban, the father of Leah and Rachel, gave Leah to Jacob as a wife instead of Rachel, the women he loved. I can only imagine Leah’s feeling and the rejection experienced by her. There’s a point in the story where I was shocked by what I read. Is difficult to process and in my opinion, is shameful too. In Genesis 30:14-16 the story tells us that Reuben, Leah’s son, came from the fields with some mandrake plants for his mother. When Rachel see that Reuben is bringing them to Leah, she asked Leah if she can get some of the mandrakes. Just there, you can see the resentment Leah had for her sister Rachel. Her response leaves no doubt She is suffering. She told Rachel: Wasn’t it enough that you took away my husband? Will you take my mandrakes too? This response tells us a lot about Leah’s feelings. It puts into evidence the pain her soul was carrying for a while now. She is extremely sad and bitter. A person who is too tired of the situation she is in.
What happens next is so hard to understand. Rachel makes a deal with Leah. A night with Jacob for some of the mandrake’s plants. This is unthinkable! I don’t think Laban had an idea of the magnitude of the damage he was causing in lives of his daughters. He didn’t think of the hate and discord he planted between them. Leah accepts the deal and waits for Jacob to come back from the field to tell him: Today you will sleep with me, I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes. This remind me another Jacob’s stories when, before he came to Laban house, His brother Esau did as Leah and traded his birthright for a bowl of lentils. Lea and Esau had something in common, They accepted less that deserved. I don’t know what you think, but this is so humiliating, is hard to read. Can you imagine the level of desperation for her husband’s attention Leah was experiencing to pay for a night with Jacob? How many times we have been in the same situation? I’m not talking about renting our husbands but to get to a humiliating point for his attention, love or to feel we are appreciated. Without noticing we start giving up things we like, we allow him to mistreat us and humiliations. How many times we have dealt with infidelities, just because we don’t want to lose him. Love and attention should be equal. Maybe we need to stop for a moment and listen to God’s voice. We will understand that love is not a thing to be bought or negotiated with no one. All the love, attention and worth we can find thru the One that gave his own son for his love for us. Once we see the magnitude of the love God has for us, will be very difficult to accept halfway love or crumbles of love.
It is time to raise our standards and love ourselves more! We were designed by God and for God, we don’t need anything else, we are just perfect! If a person is not capable to see our worth, then you don’t belong there. There is always someone else willing to love every bit of you with all they got.
If you are in a relationship and could identify yourself with Leah, let me encourage you to work with your relationship with God first. Because when God intervenes, things will change for the good. God designed you for bigger and better things. Don’t accept anything less!
God bless you!
