Monday, June 18, 2012
Leah, The woman lacking loveliness was yet loyal!
Scripture References—Genesis 29; 30; 49:31; Ruth 4:11
Name Meaning—Leah as a name has been explained in many ways. “Wearied” or “Faint from Sickness” with a possible reference to her precarious condition at the time of birth, is Wilkinson’s suggestion. Others say the name means “married” or “mistress.” The narrative tells us that she was “tender eyed” (Genesis 29:17 ), which can mean that her sight was weak or that her eyes lacked that luster reckoned a conspicuous part of female beauty which Rachel her sister “beautiful and well-favoured” evidently had.
Family Connections—Because Jacob was Rebekah’s son he was related to Leah by marriage. Leah was the elder daughter of Laban who, by deception, married her to Jacob, to whom she bore six sons and a daughter. By her maid, Zilpah, Leah added two more sons to her family.
The romantic story of Jacob and his two wives never loses its appeal. After fleeing from and meeting God at Bethel, Jacob reached Haran and at Laban’s well he met his cousin Rachel drawing water for the sheep. It was love at first sight for Jacob, and his love remained firm until Rachel’s death in giving birth to her second child. Going to work for his Uncle Laban, Jacob was offered wages in return for service rendered, but he agreed to serve Laban for seven years on the condition that at the end of the period Rachel should be his wife. Because of his love for Rachel those years seemed but a few days.
At the end of the specified period however, Jacob was cruelly deceived by his uncle. As it was a custom of the time to conduct the bride to the bedchamber of her husband in silence and darkness, it was only with the morning light that Jacob discovered that he had been deceived by Laban as he saw Leah and not Rachel at his side. Laban condoned his unrighteous act by saying that the younger girl could not be given in marriage before the first-born, and Jacob covenanted to serve another seven years for Rachel, his true love inspiring him to be patient and persevering. Perhaps Jacob treated the deception as a retributive providence, for he had previously deceived his blind and dying father.
Whether Leah participated in the deceit to win Jacob from her more beautiful sister we do not know. The moral tone of the home was low, and Leah may have been a child of environment. This much is evident, that although she knew that the love of her husband’s heart was not for her but for Rachel, Leah genuinely loved Jacob and was true to him until he buried her in the cave of Machpelah. While Jacob was infatuated with Rachel’s beauty, and loved her, there is no indication that she loved him in the same way. “Rachel remains one of those women with nothing to recommend her but beauty,” says H. V. Morton. “She is bitter, envious, quarrelsome and petulant. The full force of her hatred is directed against her sister, Leah.”
The names Leah gave her children testified to the miraculous faith God had planted in her heart. Somewhat despised by Jacob, she was yet remembered by the Lord. In spite of the polygamous marriage, she became the mother of six sons who were to become the representatives of six of the twelve tribes of Israel. The names Leah chose revealed her piety and sense of obligation to the Lord.
Reuben, her first-born, means “Behold a son,” and Leah praised God for looking favorably upon her. Thus, divine compassion was carefully treasured in such a name which also the holder tarnished.
Simeon, the second son, means “Hearing,” so given by Leah since God had heard her cry because of Rachel’s hatred. Such a name as Simeon is a lasting monument of answered prayer.
Levi, the next to be born implies, “Joined” and Leah rejoices feeling that her husband would now love her, and that through Levi’s birth she would be more closely united to her husband.
Judah was the fourth son to be born to Leah, and she gave him a name meaning “Praise.” Perhaps by now Jacob had become a little more affectionate. Certainly the Lord had been good to both Leah and Jacob, and with the selfishness in her heart defeated, Leah utters a sincere Soli Deo Gloria —“I will praise the Lord.” Leah had two other sons named Issachar and Zebulun, and a daughter, Dinah. Leah was uncomely when compared to her lovely sister, but what she lacked in beauty she made up for in loyalty to Jacob as a wife, and as a good mother to his children. “It seems that homely Leah was a person of deep-rooted piety and therefore better suited to become instrumental in carrying out the plans of Jehovah than her handsome, but worldly-minded, sister, Rachel.”
One evident lesson we can learn from the triangle of love in that ancient Israelite home is that solemn choices should not be based upon mere external appearances. Rachel was beautiful, and as soon as Jacob saw her he fell for her. But it was Leah, not Rachel, who bore Judah through whose line the Saviour came. The unattractive Leah might have repelled others, but God was attracted toward her because of an inner beauty which the lovely Rachel lacked. “There are two kinds of beauty,” Kuyper reminds us. “There is a beauty which God gives at birth, and which withers as a flower. And there is a beauty which God grants when by His grace men are born again. That kind of beauty never vanishes but blooms eternally.” Behind many a plain or ugly face there is a most lovely disposition. Also God does not look upon the outward appearance, but upon the heart
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Purpose in Life
Anything created for purposes, look around and find a thing that created without a purpose, I suppose there are none. From a smallest thing in the world to the biggest thing was created with purposes, moreover we are as a human, we are God's very special creation compared to His other creations.
So we are as individual created with special mission while we live on earth. Whatsoever it is, each of us created with different purposes because our God love diversity.
We have to discover the purpose God put over our life, because that is the motor that will drive us to the destiny He set for our life. We might have "side" purposes beside our "main" purpose, but still, discovering the "main" purpose of our life is something very essential, vital, and too important to just leave out.
Look at this, hammer suppose created to hit nails, but also can be used to do some other task. And if we let the hammer just sits without somebody get used it to do something, hammer doesn't care. But now imagine the same hammer with a soul that live, sits in the tool box for days, weeks, months or even years, he will feels funny inside his heart, but he never know exactly why he feel that way, emptiness, feeling something is missing that is all he knows.
But then one day somebody get him out of the tool box, uses him to flattened cans, he is so exhilarated the fact he is being held, touched, and being wielded hitting the cans--he loves it. Hitting cans is fun but that was not enough, something is still missing.
Day after day he get used more often for something else, knock a chair's leg to its place, blast through shells, reshape some stuff, but still he felt the sense of unfulfilled. He long for more action to be done, used as much as possible, to break things out, to blast, to dent, and all kind of things. he figures that he hasn't had enough, and feel unfulfilled still.
Then one day someone uses him to hit a nails, and suddenly a light spark in his heart, make him understand what he is truly created for. He was meant to hit nails, all his soul searching, unfulfilled feeling this all along had come to an answer.
The same thing with us, we will have the feeling of emptiness, unfulfilled when we hadn't find our purposes we are created for.
Lets us discover purpose in life that will motivate us ahead.
As for me, He created me to be the salt in the tasteless world, and be the light in the darkness, to testify to others about the goodness of The Creator of The World. Hope for the hopeless, love for the unloved.
God is good at all time.
God bless you all.
So we are as individual created with special mission while we live on earth. Whatsoever it is, each of us created with different purposes because our God love diversity.
We have to discover the purpose God put over our life, because that is the motor that will drive us to the destiny He set for our life. We might have "side" purposes beside our "main" purpose, but still, discovering the "main" purpose of our life is something very essential, vital, and too important to just leave out.
Look at this, hammer suppose created to hit nails, but also can be used to do some other task. And if we let the hammer just sits without somebody get used it to do something, hammer doesn't care. But now imagine the same hammer with a soul that live, sits in the tool box for days, weeks, months or even years, he will feels funny inside his heart, but he never know exactly why he feel that way, emptiness, feeling something is missing that is all he knows.But then one day somebody get him out of the tool box, uses him to flattened cans, he is so exhilarated the fact he is being held, touched, and being wielded hitting the cans--he loves it. Hitting cans is fun but that was not enough, something is still missing.
Day after day he get used more often for something else, knock a chair's leg to its place, blast through shells, reshape some stuff, but still he felt the sense of unfulfilled. He long for more action to be done, used as much as possible, to break things out, to blast, to dent, and all kind of things. he figures that he hasn't had enough, and feel unfulfilled still.
Then one day someone uses him to hit a nails, and suddenly a light spark in his heart, make him understand what he is truly created for. He was meant to hit nails, all his soul searching, unfulfilled feeling this all along had come to an answer.
The same thing with us, we will have the feeling of emptiness, unfulfilled when we hadn't find our purposes we are created for.
Lets us discover purpose in life that will motivate us ahead.
As for me, He created me to be the salt in the tasteless world, and be the light in the darkness, to testify to others about the goodness of The Creator of The World. Hope for the hopeless, love for the unloved.
God is good at all time.
God bless you all.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Peace Child
I am an Indonesian, I came to know Christ 4 years ago and was baptised, right now, I am seeking God's plan for my life, because I believe He has chosen me for reason and purposes. What I understand is that He want me to take part to be His ambassador here on earth on whatever field He appointed me in (which now I still waiting to revealed to me)
I am reading this book called "PEACE CHILD" by Don Richardson, written based on his true adventure story on missionary field to share the Gospel about JESUS to people whom never exposed to outside world, which are very primitive, locked in their own world and where CANNIBALISM is part of their life.
These people are Indonesian, a country where I come from.
As I read through this book (which is not yet completed), I began to see what kind of field God's preparing for me. I want to share the good news about LOVE and HOPE which only be found in JESUS to people whom never hear about.
I admirer the love and passion Don and his wife has for those people in the primitive land. The love they had just overcome everything. Just imagine, these missionaries came from Canada where they live in abudant life, in a sudden they live among CANNIBAL people, live in the jungle where there is no electricity, no car, no decent house, and NOTHING really NOTHING, but yet they were not discouraged to carry on with the mission to bring these CANNIBAL people to Christ. Such love and passion are really a gift from God above.
In the midst of reading this book, I was praying for God to give me such heart, a heart that burdened to share the good news about the Salvation, freedom in JESUS to others.
In reality, we are the "saved" folks in lots of time were being self center, lack of this and that, where actually they are not aware that they are living in the fullest and too many others out there in a condition much worse than ours.
It's time to break down the barrier that covering our vision to see what we need to be doing instead of being busy and occupied with OURSELF, step out of the COMFORT ZONE, searching for the lost soul to bring them back to Jesus The Prince of Peace.
This book is a very good tool,(well, for me personally) because it gives so much lesson, leading me start to see anything from God's own point of view about real love and passion for Him.
God bless you all.
I am reading this book called "PEACE CHILD" by Don Richardson, written based on his true adventure story on missionary field to share the Gospel about JESUS to people whom never exposed to outside world, which are very primitive, locked in their own world and where CANNIBALISM is part of their life.
These people are Indonesian, a country where I come from.
As I read through this book (which is not yet completed), I began to see what kind of field God's preparing for me. I want to share the good news about LOVE and HOPE which only be found in JESUS to people whom never hear about.
I admirer the love and passion Don and his wife has for those people in the primitive land. The love they had just overcome everything. Just imagine, these missionaries came from Canada where they live in abudant life, in a sudden they live among CANNIBAL people, live in the jungle where there is no electricity, no car, no decent house, and NOTHING really NOTHING, but yet they were not discouraged to carry on with the mission to bring these CANNIBAL people to Christ. Such love and passion are really a gift from God above.
In the midst of reading this book, I was praying for God to give me such heart, a heart that burdened to share the good news about the Salvation, freedom in JESUS to others.
In reality, we are the "saved" folks in lots of time were being self center, lack of this and that, where actually they are not aware that they are living in the fullest and too many others out there in a condition much worse than ours.
It's time to break down the barrier that covering our vision to see what we need to be doing instead of being busy and occupied with OURSELF, step out of the COMFORT ZONE, searching for the lost soul to bring them back to Jesus The Prince of Peace.
This book is a very good tool,(well, for me personally) because it gives so much lesson, leading me start to see anything from God's own point of view about real love and passion for Him.
God bless you all.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Black and White House
I lived in Singapore, in Sembawang area in a black and white house. I love to be in here. This house is very unique because of it's design. And black and white are the only color you can find in this kind of house. No other color. And the surrounding community it's very natural. Make me feel so close to the nature. A vast expanse of green grass, tall and big trees everywhere, birds, monkeys, squirrel, and even snake(which I am so scared of the most).
This will be a great experience for me that will stay in my "memory chip" forever, things that will be a story for my next generation.
Thank God for giving me opportunity to experienced all of these. I will treasure all my life.
.
This will be a great experience for me that will stay in my "memory chip" forever, things that will be a story for my next generation.
Thank God for giving me opportunity to experienced all of these. I will treasure all my life.
.
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