Topical Bible: Children in Answer to Prayer: Leah

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Topical Encyclopedia

Leah, the first wife of Jacob, is a significant figure in the biblical narrative, particularly in the context of children as answers to prayer. Her account is primarily found in the Book of Genesis, where her experiences highlight themes of divine intervention, human longing, and the fulfillment of God's promises.

Background

Leah was the elder daughter of Laban and became Jacob's wife through a deceptive act by her father. Jacob had initially worked seven years to marry Rachel, Leah's younger sister, whom he loved deeply. However, Laban tricked Jacob into marrying Leah first, citing the custom of marrying off the elder daughter before the younger (Genesis 29:25-26).

Leah's Prayer and God's Response

Leah's marriage to Jacob was marked by a lack of affection from her husband, who favored Rachel. This situation led Leah to seek solace and validation through the birth of children. The Bible records that "When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren" (Genesis 29:31). This divine intervention is a direct response to Leah's plight, underscoring God's compassion and attentiveness to her unspoken prayers and desires.

The Birth of Leah's Children

Leah bore Jacob six sons and one daughter, each birth reflecting her ongoing dialogue with God and her quest for her husband's love and recognition. Her first son, Reuben, was named with the hope that "Surely now my husband will love me" (Genesis 29:32). With each subsequent child, Leah expressed her evolving relationship with God and her circumstances:

1. Simeon · "Because the LORD has heard that I am unloved, He has given me this son also" (Genesis 29:33).
2. Levi · "Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons" (Genesis 29:34).
3. Judah · "This time I will praise the LORD" (Genesis 29:35). Judah's birth marks a shift in Leah's focus from seeking Jacob's affection to praising God.
4. Issachar · "God has given me my reward because I gave my maidservant to my husband" (Genesis 30:18).
5. Zebulun · "God has given me a good gift. Now my husband will treat me with honor, because I have borne him six sons" (Genesis 30:20).
6. Dinah · Leah also bore a daughter named Dinah, though her birth is mentioned without the same commentary as her brothers (Genesis 30:21).

Significance

Leah's account is a testament to God's faithfulness and His willingness to hear and respond to the cries of the heart. Her children not only fulfilled her personal longing but also played crucial roles in the unfolding of God's covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Notably, Judah, Leah's fourth son, became the ancestor of King David and, ultimately, Jesus Christ, highlighting the profound impact of Leah's answered prayers on biblical history.

Leah's experience serves as a reminder of the power of prayer and God's ability to bring about His purposes through the lives of those who seek Him, even in the midst of personal trials and relational challenges.

Nave's Topical Index

Genesis 30:17-22
And God listened to Leah, and she conceived, and bore Jacob the fifth son.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

Chapter xxxiii
... brothers long estranged, but this reconciliation comes from God as an answer to
earnest prayer. ... So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two ...
/.../leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxxiii.htm

Letter cxxiii. To Ageruchia.
... trust is in God and their only work prayer. ... the other hand taught the children to
answer their parents ... and "thou shalt see thy children's children." [3292] But ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/letter cxxiii to ageruchia.htm

They Shall be Called the Children of God
... You hear no more of them. Before joy and assurance, O the sweet music of prayer
and repentance! ... (iii) I:answer: God may forsake his children in regard of ...
/.../the beatitudes an exposition of matthew 51-12/19 they shall be called.htm

Chapter xxx
... with one another in rivalry and with God in prayer. ... by giving him his wives and his
children that he ... Then my righteousness shall answer for me on any future day ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxx.htm

Chapter xxix
... entire situation it becomes necessary to answer the question ... 6. Jacob's Children
and His Increasing Wealth (29:31-30 ... that she had asked for this child in prayer. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxix.htm

And After. (xxx, xxxi, xxxix-Xliv. )
... 15 And bitterest weeping, Rachel beweeping her children, And will not ... he took ten
days to answer, laying the matter before the Lord in prayer; studying, we ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/4 and after xxx xxxi.htm

Of the Agreement of the Evangelists Matthew and Luke in the ...
... ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come ... man, "why do you marry?" he
would answer perhaps for ... oblige their husbands to give them children in this ...
/.../sermons on selected lessons of the new testament/sermon i of the agreement.htm

Chapter xxxi
... had been submitting his difficulty to his God in prayer. ... So Jacob proceeded to set
his children and his wives upon ... Now Jacob gives an answer but not at once to ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxxi.htm

The Great Reservoir
... been so despicable that even their children have scarcely ... prayer"he who lives with
little prayer"he who ... The heart must again supply the answer, they are ...
//christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/sermons on proverbs/the great reservoir.htm

The Great Reservoir
... been so despicable, that even their children have scarcely ... prayer"he who lives with
little prayer"he who ... The heart must again supply the answer, they are ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/the great reservoir.htm