Leah's Four Sons - Genesis 29

 

Leah's Four Sons

Gen 29:32 And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me.

Reuben means "behold a son". Surely now Jacob will love me? We find out about Reuben from Jacob's blessing as an old man.

Gen 49:3 Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:
Gen 49:4 Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch. Reuben went into one of Jacob's harlots.

Gen 29:33 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the LORD hath heard that I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon.

Simeon, hearing, God has heard and blessed Leah with another son.

Gen 49:5 Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations.
Gen 49:6 O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall.
Gen 49:7 Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.

Simeon with Levi instigated the killing of all the males of a tribe of people, after they made a treaty with them and the males were circumcised, so that one of their princes could marry Dinah, their sister who had been molested by him.

Gen 29:34 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi.

Levi, joined, surely now Jacob's affection shall be joined to me.

With Simeon Levi would be cruel. Many who are God's chosen fall because they associate with the unsaved and follow them.

Prov 1:10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.
Prov 1:11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause:
Prov 1:12 Let us swallow them up alive as the grave;and whole, as those that go down into the pit:
Prov 1:13 We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:
Prov 1:14 Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:
Prov 1:15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:
Prov 1:16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.

God separated Levi's people to be servants of the temple of God. Their part was spiritual, and they had no land as their inheritance. Moses was born of Levite parents.

Num 3:6 Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him.

To serve God, we must be separated from the world and not run with people of anger and sin.

Gen 29:35 And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing.

Judah, a confessor, one who acknowledges God; praise.

Gen 49:8 Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee.
Gen 49:9 Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?
Gen 49:10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.
Gen 49:11 Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes:
Gen 49:12 His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.

Judah is the tribe that King David would come from and through and his descendents Mary and Joseph were chosen to be parents of Jesus, the Messiah.

Judah was the greatest of the tribe of Jacob, he would overcome his enemies and the brothers would bow to him.

Heb 1:13 But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?

Phil 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

Judah is as a lion, Jesus, the Lion of Judah.

Rev 5:5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

The sceptre shall not depart from Judah.

2 Sam 7:16 And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.
2 Sam 7:17 According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.

nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come.

Israel had a limited right to self-rule, until in 7 A.D. Under Herod and the Romans, their right to capital punishment was taken away. But Shiloh was come, although unrecognized and rejected.

Shiloh: he whose it is, that which belongs to him, tranquillity

The Prince of peace.

John 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

No question to the popularity of Jesus. He drew crowds of people.

Mat 21:8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strowed them in the way.
Mat 21:9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
Mat 21:10 And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?
Mat 21:11 And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.

He was only seen as a prophet or a teacher.

Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine;

Mat 21:5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.

he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes:

Rev 19:13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

Leah who was rejected by Jacob, bore him 4 son's to begin with. With each son she had hoped to gain his affection. Reuben, the first born, here he is a son for you Jacob. Simeon, hearing, God has heard and blessed me with another son. Levi, joined, surely now Jacob's affection shall be joined to me.

Judah, a confessor, one who acknowledges God. Four son's to take away Leah's reproach, but Jacob loved Rachel who was still without child.

Although Jacob had children by Leah, he still didn't love her. Some young girls give in to a boy friend, hoping to be loved. When a child developes in the womb, the boyfriend is gone. Maybe we will not gain the affection from a mate that is desired, but God knows our heart.

Isa 54:5 For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.

He brought forth Judah, through which the Messiah would come. A woman's sorrow would turn into eternal joy, for through Jesus comes life and peace.

Tags: Isaiah 29, Leah, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah