Leah’s Thirty-Three

 Leah’s Thirty-Three

Genesis 46: ⁸ Now these were the names of the children of Israel, Jacob and his sons, who went to Egypt: Reuben was Jacob’s firstborn. ⁹ The sons of Reuben were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. ¹⁰ The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman. ¹¹ The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. ¹² The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan). The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. ¹³ The sons of Issachar were Tola, Puvah, Job, and Shimron. ¹⁴ The sons of Zebulun were Sered, Elon, and Jahleel. ¹⁵ These were the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Padan Aram, with his daughter Dinah. All the persons, his sons and his daughters, were thirty-three.

 

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Jacob was a swindler who cheated his brother Esau out of his birthright and blessing from Isaac. He tried to get Rachel as his wife, but ran into an equal swindler named Laban who gave Jacob Leah as his wife. Jacob had worked seven years as a deal to get Rachel. Jacob did not love Leah, yet he had the most children through her.

 

My Observations:

• Leah had the most children even though she was not wanted.
• Leah prayed and GOD heard her and gave her children.
• Leah gave birth to Levi from which Moses would be born and Judah, from which JESUS would come as a human.

 

Moving to Egypt required an account of Israel’s children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. An entire nation was about to move to Egypt, a land of unbelievers. Genesis is the book of beginnings. This move to Egypt was the beginning of the twelve tribes of Israel.

 

Jacob tried to circumvent tradition by working for a swindler. He got Leah as his wife and did not know that GOD’s promise would be through the one, he did not choose or like. We may feel the same way. There are things placed in our lives that we did not choose or like. BUT GOD’s plan does not look like our selfish plan.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD tell Moses about the lineage of Jacob through Leah?
• Do you think your plan will work if it is not GOD’s will?
• Can you accept that GOD has a plan that may look different than your logic and is greater than your imagination?