When What We Want Isn’t What We Need - Genesis 29:31-30:24

Have you ever gotten something you really wanted, only to find that it didn’t match your expectations? Sometimes, we get what we want, but end up realizing it’s not all we thought it would be. Other times, we don’t get what we wanted in the first place, and it turns out to be for the better. Clearly, what we want isn’t always what we need.

On Sunday, Michael preached on Genesis 29:31-30:24. We saw that God is working out His plan, even through our sin and the pain it brings. We see this through a story of competing desires.

Jacob favored Rachel over her sister, Leah. Leah longed to bear Jacob a child so that she might receive his love. God had compassion on Leah, and He opened her womb. Leah bore Jacob not just one son, but four! She gave birth to Reuben first, then Simeon, then Levi, then Judah. After giving birth to Judah, Leah praised the Lord.

Rachel, who had not borne Jacob any children, envied her sister. She demanded that Jacob give her children, though Jacob knew that power only belonged to God. Rachel gave her servant Bilhah to Jacob as a wife to bear children on her behalf, and Bilhah gave birth to two sons. Leah copied this plan with her servant Zilpah, who also gave birth to two sons. By this point, Leah and Rachel had formed a bitter rivalry. They competed for the affection of their husband.

One day, Reuben, Leah’s firstborn son, found mandrakes and brought them to his mother. In the ancient world, mandrakes had a reputation for being an aphrodisiac. Rachel desired some of these, but Leah, still bitter towards her sister, refused. Rachel and Leah made a deal that, in exchange for Reuben’s mandrakes, Jacob would lie with Leah. Jacob complied, and God granted Leah a fifth son. She conceived yet again and gave birth to a sixth son, then gave birth to a daughter.

After all this time, Rachel still had not borne Jacob a son of her own. She prayed to the Lord, and God answered her and opened her womb. Rachel gave birth to a son and named him Joseph, desiring another son after he was born. 

In this passage, we see two women who were willing to act foolishly or even sinfully to get what they wanted. At the same time, we see two women who experienced genuine suffering, each longing for the affection of her husband. God demonstrated His grace and compassion by answering Leah’s and Rachel’s prayers. As Dale Ralph Davis said, “Their pleas did not arise from fine motives; they came from aching hearts—and God heard.”

We can hold fast to the truth that God will accomplish His plan despite our sin and suffering. If we are in sin, let’s not take it lightly, but be quick to turn from it. If we are suffering, let’s trust in the faithfulness and nearness of God. He can hear even the faintest prayer, and He is our greatest need, even when our vision is clouded by temporary wants.

Resources:

Reflection questions:

  • Are there any desires in your life that you’re tempted to idolize?

  • How does this passage encourage you to find satisfaction in Christ?

  • How does God’s sovereignty encourage you in your current situation?

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