Envy blinds us to God’s purpose
Rachel and Leah’s rivalry reveals a timeless struggle among believers. Comparing our lack with someone else’s strength instead of trusting God’s wise distribution of gifts. Rachel, loved and beautiful, lacked the fruit of the womb and became consumed with envy, to the point of despair.
Now
when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister, and
said to Jacob, “Give me children, or else I die!” (Genesis 30:1).
Leah, though fruitful, longed for the affection and beauty
that seemed to come so easily to Rachel. Each sister focused on what she did
not have, rather than recognizing that God was at work in both their lives in
different ways. Their story shows how envy blinds us to God’s purpose and
breeds dissatisfaction, even when God has already blessed us.
Jesus addresses this same heart issue in Peter’s question
about John. When Peter asked, “What about this man?” Jesus redirected him:
“What is that to you? You follow Me” [John 21:22]. In essence, Jesus reminded
Peter that God’s will is sovereign and personal. He assigns different paths,
callings, and outcomes to different people. Comparison only distracts from
faithful obedience.
Peter,
seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?” 22 Jesus said to
him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow
Me.” (John 21:21-22).
Like Rachel, Leah,
and Peter, believers today struggle when we measure our lives against others.
The cure is contentment and trust: appreciating what God has entrusted to us
and focusing on following Him, knowing that He does all things wisely and
according to His will.
Leah’s decision to give her maid Zilpah to Jacob reflects
the intense competition and insecurity that had developed between her and
Rachel, even within God’s covenant family. In the cultural context of the
ancient Near East, using a servant as a surrogate was an accepted practice;
children born through the maid were legally credited to the wife. Rachel had earlier
done this with Bilhah in her desperation to overcome barrenness. When Leah
noticed that she had stopped bearing children, she followed the same method,
not out of faith in God’s promise, but out of fear of losing status and
significance in Jacob’s household.
When
Leah saw that she had stopped bearing, she took Zilpah her maid and gave her to
Jacob as wife (Genesis 30:9).
This highlights how human schemes often arise when people
feel threatened or compare themselves with others. Leah, who had already been
greatly blessed with sons, still felt compelled to secure her position through
human arrangements rather than resting in God’s sovereignty. Though God
graciously worked through these imperfect choices to build the twelve tribes of
Israel, the narrative highlights a spiritual lesson, striving, rivalry, and
imitation driven by envy lead to tension and conflict. God’s purposes prevail,
but He calls His people to trust Him rather than compete with one another or
rely on human methods to obtain what only God can give.
God’s sovereignty over the womb
Scripture consistently teaches that the opening and closing
of the womb rests in God’s sovereign hand, even when His purposes are hidden
from human understanding. In Rebekah’s case, God answered Isaac’s prayer by
granting her twins [Genesis 25:21], setting in motion His redemptive plan
through two nations and revealing that His purposes go beyond personal desire.
Leah’s womb was opened when she was unloved [Genesis 29:31], showing God’s
compassion for the overlooked and His ability to work through human weakness
and rejection. In contrast, Hannah’s womb was closed for a time [1 Samuel 1:5],
not as punishment, but as preparation, her prolonged barrenness deepened her
dependence on God and led to a prayer that resulted in Samuel, a pivotal figure
in Israel’s history.
Then
God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb. 23 And she
conceived and bore a son, and said, “God has taken away my reproach.” 24 So she
called his name Joseph, and said, “The Lord shall add to me another son.” (Genesis
30:22-24).
Rachel’s story brings these truths together. After years of
rivalry, striving, and human solutions, “God remembered Rachel”. This phrase
emphasizes divine initiative, God acted at the appointed time, listened to her,
and opened her womb. The birth of Joseph was not merely the end of Rachel’s
reproach; it was central to God’s larger plan of preservation and deliverance
for Israel. Through these accounts, Scripture teaches that fertility and
barrenness are not random or merely biological realities but are under God’s
sovereign control. Though His timing and reasons may be beyond human
comprehension, they are always purposeful, aimed at shaping faith, humility,
and ultimately fulfilling His redemptive plan.
God blesses Jacob
Jacob’s prosperity is best understood through the lens of
God’s covenant faithfulness rather than Jacob’s personal merit. Jacob’s
character was deeply flawed, marked by deception, manipulation, and fear, yet
God reaffirmed to him the promises first given to Abraham and Isaac. At Bethel,
God reaffirmed that He would never leave him [Genesis 28:13–15]. These words
show that Jacob’s future rested not on his goodness, but on God’s unchanging
commitment to His covenant.
Thus
the man became exceedingly prosperous, and had large flocks, female and male
servants, and camels and donkeys (Genesis 30:43).
Comments
Post a Comment