For the past year, I have been thinking a lot about Leah, because I’m not particularly pretty. Yet, even though people did not find her attractive, God used her in such a HUGE way. It is through her son Judah that the line of King David was born and through this heritage that Jesus was born. Through someone who was not considered beautiful and who was not loved by her husband, God did great things through.

“‘No one loves me,’ Leah said. ‘I’m too ugly.’ But God didn’t think she as ugly. And when he saw that Leah was not loved and that no one wanted her, God chose her – to love her specially, to give her a very important job. One day, God was going to rescue the whole world – through Leah’s family. … You see, when God looked at Leah, he saw a princess.”

“[God’s people] wouldn’t need to be beautiful for him to love them. He would love them with all of his heart. And they would be beautiful because he loved them.”

When God realized that Leah was unloved, he opened her womb. But Rachel was barren. Leah became pregnant and had a son. She named him Reuben (Look-It’s-a-Boy!). “This is a sign,” she said, “that God has seen my misery; and a sign that now my husband will love me.”She became pregnant again and had another son. “God heard,” she said, “that I was unloved and so he gave me this son also.” She named this one Simeon (God-Heard). She became pregnant yet again—another son. She said, “Now maybe my husband will connect with me—I’ve given him three sons!” That’s why she named him Levi (Connect). She became pregnant a final time and had a fourth son. She said, “This time I’ll praise God.” So she named him Judah (Praise-God).

Genesis 29-30

I am following my friend Amanda’s Advent Stitch-A-Long. You can find instructions for today’s ornament here. Prep instructions by Amanda are here.

The book used for the Advent reading is The Jesus Storybook Bible. You can find more information the book here or buy it on Amazon here.