Breakfast For Your Soul

 

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.

Genesis 29:35

I’ve often said you want drama, suspense, intrigue, romance, action…. read the bible.  In the story of Jacob, Rachel, and Leah.  We find Jacob, who worked 7 years to win the hand of his beloved Rachel… only to discover the morning after the wedding night, that he had been duped, (by her father) into marrying her older, “weak-eyed” sister Leah.  Needless to say, Jacob was furious, so to keep peace, Rachel’s Dad Laban, told him that if he worked for him an additional 7 years, he could have Rachel as well.  It was no secret how much Jacob loved Rachel.  Nobody works 14 years for a person they are not crazy about.  What is interesting is that Leah tried everything in her power to make Jacob love her.  She thought if she gave him a lot of sons, that he would be attached to her.  Finally, with the birth of Judah, she must have realized that it simply was not going to happen.  She turned her worship from  her husband, to the Lord.  She literally named her baby, “Praise”.  What a special child.  He must have been some magnificently gifted and anointed kid, right?…. uhhhh… no.  This same child would later grow up and conspire with his other brothers against his little brother Joseph (Rachel’s son… the golden child), “And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? (Genesis 37:26)”.  It was Judah, who after two of his three sons died from their own wickedness, promised Tamar, his daughter-in-law, that she would marry his youngest son when he reached marrying age.  He lied.  He never had any intention on letting that happen.  So what does she do?  She disguises herself as a prostitute, and Judah –not knowing who she was — solicits her services.  She becomes pregnant.  He hears about it and demands that she be stoned for “playing the harlot”.  Tamar sent Judah a coded message, that let him know that she was pregnant by him.  What a mess!  How’s that for an interesting family tree? … this was the line that our Lord chose to come through.  Forever and always, Jesus is known as the “Lion from the tribe of Judah” (Revelation 5:5)… amazing.  Wonder if the honor bestowed on Judah, had anything to do with the fervent prayer of an unloved, uncared for woman, who was not considered anyone’s first choice.  This woman who, because of the customs of the day, had no choice but to abide by the decisions made for her.  This woman who lived her entire life knowing that she was married to a man, who never really belonged to her, and who would never love her.  That the only love of his life was Rachel, and that Rachel’s children would always carry a favor from their father, that her children would never have.  This woman gave the Lord her best praise, and He gave her a great place in history.  Messiah would come through the loins of her son…. guess Leah really got the last laugh, huh?

Cartoonist’s Comment:

Praise and thanksgiving are the entrance into the courts of God, and the booster rockets to our prayers.

U Blessed!

Have A Fabulous Day!

Regina