Leah lived in her sister's shadow. “Leah's eyes were delicate, but Rachel was beautiful of form and appearance. Now Jacob loved Rachel.” After seven years of work for Rachel, Laban secretly gave Leah to Jacob on the wedding night. In the morning, “behold, it was Leah.” Leah did not choose this deception, but she lived with its pain for the rest of her life.
Genesis gives us God's view of Leah: “When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb.” The same God who saw Hagar saw Leah. Her husband looked past her, but God did not. Her first son she named Reuben, saying, “The LORD has surely looked on my affliction. Now therefore, my husband will love me.”
Listen to the names of her next sons. Simeon: “Because the LORD has heard that I am unloved.” Levi: “Now this time my husband will become attached to me.” Each name is a prayer for her husband's love. Many people live this way — doing more and more, hoping that someone will finally love them the way they long to be loved.
Then something changed. With her fourth son Leah said, “Now I will praise the LORD,” and she called him Judah, which means praise. Her circumstances had not changed; Jacob still loved Rachel more. But Leah's focus had changed. She stopped naming her life by what she lacked and started naming it by the God she praised.
God honored Leah far beyond what she could see. From Levi came the priests of Israel, including Moses and Aaron. From Judah came King David — and the Lord Jesus Christ, “the Lion of the tribe of Judah” (Revelation 5:5). At the end of his life, Jacob asked to be buried in the cave of Machpelah and said, “There I buried Leah.” The unloved wife lies beside him in the family tomb, while Rachel was buried on the road to Bethlehem.