Lincredible Love Story...in the Bible!

Last week, John Lin wrote a guest post in my blog about what men want. And reading the post, I took it like a stereotypical girl. I (accidentally/purposely...IDK) misconstrued what he was trying to say. When he said "I want Jeremy Lin" my immediate thought was:

"Typical. Another guy looking for a super star."

But at second look I had to admit: Jeremy Lin ain't no superstar. At least, he didn't use to be. Jeremy Lin, until 3 weeks ago, was part of an unrequited love story.

Have you ever been in love with someone who didn't love you? At all.

Jeremy Lin played basketball, the game he loved, in high school...but didn't get an athletic scholarship to play college ball. Jeremy Lin played basketball, the game he loved, in college...and he left Harvard undrafted. Jeremy Lin played basketball, the game he loved in the D-League, and was waived by two teams (Golden State and Houston) before joining the Knicks where he warmed the bench.

Jeremy Lin loved basketball, but basketball clearly didn't love Jeremy Lin back. At all.

It's probable that he had some dark hours, in which he thought: Am I ever gonna play? In the same way, many of us (singles) hit a rock bottom moment when we wonder: Who's gonna love me?

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Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. And Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful of form and face. Now Jacob loved Rachel, so he said, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.”... So Jacob served seven years for Rachel and they seemed to him but a few days because of his love for her. 

Genesis 29:16 - 20

This right here is true love. Jacob is no slave. Jacob is a descendant of Abraham, blessed of Isaac, chosen of God, heir to promise. But he'll be a servant if it means Rachel will be his. Leah sees this love story unfolding in front of her face of 7 years. She knows that what Jacob feels for her sister is real. I bet the "who's gonna love me?" chorus sang daily in her ears.

Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my time is completed, that I may go in to her.”  Laban gathered all the men of the place and made a feast. Now in the evening he took his daughter Leah, and brought her to him; and Jacob went in to her...So it came about in the morning that, behold, it was Leah! And he said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me?

Genesis 29:20-25

After this, Laban made Jacob wait one week, spend time with Leah, and then he could marry Rachel if he consented to work another 7 years. He worked the 7 years, and thus had two wives. But Jacob didn't love Leah:

When the LORD saw that Leah was not loved*, he enabled her to conceive, but Rachel remained childless. Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, “It is because the LORD has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now.”

  She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Because the LORD heard that I am not loved, he gave me this one too.” So she named him Simeon.

 Again she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” So he was named Levi.

She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “This time I will praise the LORD.” So she named him Judah.
Genesis 29: 31-35 

^{Guess what? Still didn't love her. But...Leah is still like Jeremy Lin. She hasn't yet risen to stardom...in Jacob's eyes. Jeremy Lin has been the subject a lot of hate, and he has been written off by some to hype, and though the people at home have "Linsanity", it seems that "basketball" has had a less than warm reaction to his rise to fame.} 

Jacob might not love her, but God certainly did. Remember how I said "Jacob was heir to promise"? Whoever was his wife...both her and her children became joint-heirs with him. God made sure that both Rachel and Leah married into His family. Had it been left to Jacob, Leah would have been outside of the Promise. And Leah's sons?

Do we think God makes mistakes? That this trick of Laban's was outside of God's will? If so, then we have to believe that Jacob + Leah = Disaster. But in fact:

Jacob + Leah = Levi

Levi - the tribe of the priesthood: commissioned by God, separated unto God, and were allowed to approach God. (Numbers 16:5)

Jacob + Leah = Judah.

Judah - the tribe from which the line of kings flowed. King David, and our king forever Jesus Christ.

Just look at what Leah was appointed to! God made choice of someone who was no one's choice.

Her life seemed bad, but it was all for the good (Romans 8:28). She might have seemed like she was in last place, but it seemed like God made her first. (Matthew 19:30)

And hey, when it's all said and done, when Jacob died...he said: Bury.me.next.to.Leah. (Genesis 49:29-32).

Something happened between Genesis 29 and Genesis 49. Something happened after those hard romantic triangle years. Something Leah-nbelievable? Leah becomes a star. Leah gets love.

There's not much documenting Leah's life after those early rough years. So I don't know if she figured out that the most important person who was gonna love her was...God.

But I sure hope she did.




*In other versions, this says she was DESPISED...how hardcore is that?!