Leah: The Bride of Christ: A Nation of Kings and Priests

Leah:  The Bride of Christ:  A Nation of Kings and Priests

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Several biblical symbols represent the church. Among them is the church's calling as the holy, radiant, spotless Bride of Christ, the Lamb of God. Many times women in scripture picture the attributes of the church as that Bride. None is flawless, but each is beloved. Even so, the church, the Bride of the Lamb, though not without flaw, is dearly loved of our Lord.

The story of Leah, the first wife of the patriarch Jacob, begins in Genesis 29:16:  “Now Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.  Leah's eyes were delicate (tender) but Rachel was beautiful of form and appearance. Now Jacob loved Rachel” (Genesis 29:16-18 NKJV).  Jacob loved Rachel, but Leban, because it was the custom for the older sister to marry first, tricked Jacob into marrying Leah. Jacob was allowed to marry Rachel as well.  Rachel was loved, but barren for many years.  Though unloved, Leah was fruitful.

Scriptures tell us, “When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren” (Genesis 29:31 NKJV).  Jacob’s sons became the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel.  Leah was the mother of six of those tribes:  Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun .  She and Jacob also had a daughter, Dinah.  Later, Leah gave her handmaiden, Zilpah to Jacob as a wife.  As was the custom, the children of Zilpah were considered the children of Leah.  The two sons from that union were Gad and Asher.  Asher means “happiness.”  At last Leah was happy.

Through the life of Leah, God teaches that the joy and blessing of the Lord can be ours, not necessarily, because of our circumstances.  In truth, the joy and the blessing of the Lord can be often ours, in spite, of our circumstances.  The blessings on Leah’s life include eternal blessings for those choosing to walk with the Lord.

In Exodus 19:5-6 (NKJV), the Lord spoke to Moses about the divine plan for the twelve tribes, “Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel."  This prophecy had significance for the sons of Leah.

When the tribe of Levi stood with Moses after the incident of the golden calf, God blessed them with the priesthood.  Thereafter, all the priests and temple workers were from the tribe of Levi, the son of Leah.

On his death bed, Jacob blessed the tribe of Judah with the kingship. "Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father's children shall bow down before you. Judah is a lion's whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.”(Genesis 49:8-10 NKJV).   In that blessing is the promise that the Messiah will come from the tribe of Judah, the son of Leah.  Leah’s blessings are not just for time but for all eternity.

1 Peter 2:9 (NKJV) establishes these blessings on the Church: “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”

In his salutation to the seven churches in Asia, John the Revelator wrote, “John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” 

In Jesus Christ, we receive the fruitful blessings of Leah.  

Amen and amen.