This week, we are embarking on a three-post study about the lives of two famous sisters: Leah and Rachel.

Today, we are going to start with the younger sister, Rachel. Tomorrow, Leah. And on Thursday: what we can learn about God from the lives of these two ladies. I hope you’ll join me for all three posts! However, before we get started, I would encourage you to familiarize yourself with Genesis 29-31 especially. If you want to continue through Genesis 35 that would be fantastic as well! However, just having a basic knowledge of the sisters’ lives will help!

Now, let’s begin!

What We Learn from Rachel:

1: Outward beauty doesn’t equal inner beauty, and being favored by man doesn’t equal being favored by God.

Rachel was beautiful (Gen. 29:16-17). Rachel was favored/loved by her husband, Jacob (29:20, 30). But inside? Rachel wasn’t very beautiful. She was deceptive. Manipulative. Dramatic (“Give me children or I’ll die!!”). She was vindictive and envious. These aren’t the qualities God would have His daughters possess. Instead, He says that we are to have an inward, incorruptible beauty of gentle and quiet spirits. Those qualities are far more valuable than being outwardly beautiful (1 Pet. 3:3-4).

We need to realize that being outwardly beautiful doesn’t mean we are inwardly beautiful, and we need to be sure we aren’t giving that impression to others. Do we spend more time maintaining our outward…talking about our outward…perfecting our outward…or do we spend more time in the Word, being perfected through the Spirit? Do we encourage our young girls/teenagers/daughters/granddaughters to have outward beauty or inward beauty? Are we constantly praising the outward to the neglect of the inward? It shouldn’t be that way for Christians. Instead, we should constantly fixate on the inward man, who should be being renewed day by day.

2: Our actions can bring reproach on our husbands.

Rachel stole her father’s household idols, though Jacob had no idea. When Laban comes looking, accusing Jacob, he found nothing (because Rachel lied, btw). Jacob was furious! So much bad blood between the two, and in this particular situation, it was all because of Rachel.

In a similar way, our actions can bring reproach on our husbands. The way we act, speak, and dress, those things affect the way people perceive our husbands. Do our words when we are assembled give the impression that our husband’s aren’t the spiritual leaders in our house? Do our words behind our husband’s backs show respect and admiration? Does our provocative dress make people turn away in shame, leaving a bad impression of our husbands and their care over us? We must be careful that in every way, we are seeking to respect our husbands, not bring reproach on them.

In Proverbs 31, the virtuous woman’s husband is known in the gates. Not for being a moron, not for being subservient in their home. He is known in the gates and respected because his wife places him on a pedestal. Not an inappropriate one (as we are never to put our husbands above — or anywhere near— God!), but still she admires and respects and serves him. That should be our reputation, and thus our husbands.

3: Be careful of the demands you make.

Rachel expresses frustration to Jacob in Genesis 30:1 when she says, “Give me children, or else I die!” What she doesn’t realize is that this demand will be the death of her…literally.

In Genesis 35:16-17, Rachel labors hard with Benjamin, and ultimately dies in childbirth. She didn’t see the big picture, she simply knew what she wanted in that moment and demanded it (though Jacob pointed her to the actual Giver of life). Sometimes, we are guilty of similar demands. We pray for God’s will to be done, but we actually only want our own will to be done. When it isn’t, we don’t take no very well. Instead, we take matters into our own hands and more often than not, make a big old mess.

We need to be big-picture people. We need to see ourselves in light of eternity. Every whim and fancy I have isn’t good for me. But if I will trust in the Living God to do what is best for me, I will be satisfied, contented, when His will is done. Even when that isn’t my will. If that is my mind and my heart, I won’t make ultimatums with God. I won’t make dramatic demands. I will humbly beseech Him in regards to all of my cares, and I will trust His answers, knowing He cares for me (1 Peter 5:7).

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post on lessons we can learn from Leah!