Worshiping God during uncertain times

Genesis 29:31-35

By: Ysrael De la Cruz

You may be in situations where you wonder how in the world God is going to get out of it.  How could God make something productive or beautiful come out of this mess?  Some of us have had situations very ugly, circumstances where we ask the big question, why God, why is this thing happening to me? I have seen God come through where there was no hope.  We worship a God who can turn ugly situations, evil things for good.  Worshiping God, how is your worship during this pandemic?  Have you learned to worship God even in the midst of trying times?

Job learned to worship amid his suffering.  He still praised the God who gives and takes away. Job 1:21

The Bible is full of stories to remind us that no matter how difficult the situation is; how nasty or tumultuous the circumstances may appear, never count God out, for he knows and can change the situation on our favor at any moment.

There was a man named Jacob, grandson of Abraham.  This man ran away from his brother because he had stolen the birthright.  His brother got angry and vowed to kill him when he found him.  Jacob became a fugitive and fled to Haran (land of the eastern people) 29:1

He began working for a man named Laban who had two daughters Leah and Rachel (v.16-17  Leah had weak eyes (tender or delicate), Leah’s weak eyes were contrasted with Rachel’s beauty.   (but Rachel was lovely in form and beautiful)  Laban told Jacob to name the price for his service.  Jacob said he’ll work 7 years for Rachel.  The Bible tells us that those 7 years seemed like days to Jacob because Jacob was so in love with Rachel.

At the end of the 7 years, Jacob told Laban to give him his wife; then Laban threw a party and at nighttime he took Leah instead of Rachel to be the wife of Jacob. Laban deceived Jacob. Read.  V.25-26   Deception.

It is not our custom or practice to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older.  Leah is your wife, finish the week festivity and work 7 more years for Rachel.  This is really an ugly situation.  Jacob ended up with two wives, but he truly only loved Rachel, not Leah. (v.30)  Jacob worked 14 years for the woman he loved and ended up working 21 years for his father in law.

Leah was miserable, all she wanted was to be loved by her husband.  This is one of the soap operas we find in the Bible.  Help, my husband doesn’t love me!  The battle of the brides!  A tale of two sisters!  Whatever you choose to call this, it is just ugly what went on there.   This is a story deceit, betrayal, anxiety, discontentment.  You name it.

Leah could not compete with her sister; she was unhappy, depressed; it was obvious that Jacob did not love her.

Read verses 31-35

Verse 31 tells us how the story began to change.  God saw she was unloved.  (whatever situation you may find yourself in, the LORD sees it; he knows). God saw her misery.

God began to bless Leah.  God enabled her to conceive.  Rachel was barren, she could not have children.

Leah expressed her feelings through the names she gave to her children. Every child she had would tell you what she was feeling at that time.

1 Reuben =The LORD sees; He has seen my affliction, my misery.  “Surely now my husband will love me”  That was her desires and she thought that now that she had a son her husband would love her.

2 Simeon: Yahweh hears, Yahweh heard that I am not loved.  This must be the reason God gave me another son because he heard that I am unloved.

Leah thought God is giving her children to win the heart of her husband.  Which truly was her biggest desire.  But her husband did not have love for her.

3 Levi: (Joined, attached) Now at last my husband will become attached to me.  Three is the charm.  She thought with this 3^rd son, her husband would truly love her.  But he didn’t love her; mind you he is having sex with her, but there is not love for her.  Jacob had sex with Leah out of traditional duty, but it wasn’t because he loved her; Leah knew sex didn’t win her husband’s heart; not even bearing 3 kids got Jacob to love her.

4 Judah (Praise Yahweh):  This time I will praise the LORD.  Leah finally found contentment in the LORD and not in what she thought she wanted in life.  Now she said, this time I will praise the LORD.  She chose to praise God whether her husband would love her or not.  She finally got the right focus in life, she found contentment in worshiping God whether her husband loved her o not.  She chose to worship even if her situation with her husband did not change.  She made the decision to worship God amid her ordeal. “This time I will praise the LORD.”  What is it in your own life that God has been blessing you with, but you haven’t even acknowledged him and praised his name?  What is it going to take for you to make the decision to worship God?

Will you choose to worship God in the middle of your situation?  Will you worship him whether your situation changes or not?

Leah stopped having children after she had Judah.  She finally got it, she learned to be content despite her situation at home.  She said “this time I will praise the Lord.”  She learned to worship in the midst of her situation.

A huge drama in this family, love, hate, betrayal, misery; the characters didn’t realize that God was writing a beautiful story despite their mistakes.  There was still a grandeur plan they could not see.  God would use their deception, their ugly stories to make something beautiful out it.   Part of the beautiful plan unfolding!

Leah ended up giving birth 6 sons and one daughter to Jacob (Gn.30:20-21)

The sons of Jacob became the patriarchs of the Jewish nation.

Two of Leah’s sons are very significant.

Levi became the priestly tribe of the nation of Israel (Every Jewish priests of God was a Levite)

Judah (this is the tribe from where the Messiah himself came from) Jesus is called the lion of the tribe of Judah.

God is still writing a story amid the crisis.  Never count God out. He is still developing  your own story and he can use every situation, no matter how bad, for his glory.  Whatever situation you may be in right now; it may be filled with drama, fear, insecurities, anxiety, suffering, whatever, do not count God out.  Learn to worship him in the midst of the storm; worship him in the midst of uncertainty.  He can transform our biggest mistakes, and the nastiest sin into something beautiful and significant in our lives and the lives of others.