Leah: The Revelation of Judah.

Have you ever felt unseen, unloved, or just not enough? Maybe you’ve poured your heart into something or someone only to be overlooked. If that resonates with you, then you’ll find a kindred spirit in Leah—the woman who wasn’t chosen, yet carried the promise of redemption in her womb.  

When we read the story of Jacob, it’s easy to assume that Rachel was his God-ordained promise. After all, she was the one he loved, the one he worked fourteen years for. But what if the real promise was hidden in Leah, the wife he didn’t choose?  

Leah: The Woman Who Longed for Love 

Leah’s story is heartbreaking. The Bible describes her as having “weak eyes” (Genesis 29:17), while Rachel was “beautiful in form and appearance.” Jacob was tricked into marrying her, and from that moment, she lived in the shadow of her sister. She knew she wasn’t Jacob’s first choice—perhaps not even his second.  

And yet, she longed for his love. You can see it in the names of her first three sons:  

– Reuben (“Because the Lord has seen my misery, surely my husband will love me now.”)  

– Simeon (“Because the Lord heard that I am not loved, he gave me this one too.”)  

– Levi (“Now at last my husband will become attached to me.”)  

With each child, Leah was begging for Jacob’s affection. She thought that if she gave him enough sons, she would finally be enough for him. But something changed when she had her fourth son.  

The Revelation of Judah

When Leah gave birth to her fourth son, she named him Judah, which means “Now I will praise the Lord.” (Genesis 29:35).  

This was a shift. A turning point.  

She stopped striving for human validation. She stopped placing her identity in Jacob’s love. Instead, she chose praise. She lifted her eyes off of her situation and onto God. And from that moment, her story changed.  

Scripture even notes that after Judah, she “stopped bearing children for a while.” It’s as if God wanted her to pause and let that revelation settle deep within her: her worth wasn’t in Jacob—it was in Him.

Why Judah?

I used to wonder—why was Judah the one chosen as the ancestral line of Jesus? Why not Joseph, the golden child? Wasn’t he the promise? He was favored, he saved nations, he walked in integrity… yet, God chose Judah.  

Even Jacob, on his deathbed, prophesied greatness over Judah:  

“Judah, your brothers will praise you… The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come, and the obedience of the nations shall be his.”(Genesis 49:8-10)

This was a prophecy about Jesus. The Lion of the tribe of Judah.  The scepter represents kingship, and this blessing meant that the future ruler of Israel would come from Judah’s line.

Judah didn’t start out as the best person. In fact, his past was messy. He was the one who suggested selling Joseph into slavery (Genesis 37:26-27). Later, he had a scandalous encounter with his own daughter-in-law, Tamar (Genesis 38).

But something changed in Judah. Years later, when his family was facing a crisis, Judah stepped up. When Joseph (now a ruler in Egypt) tested his brothers by threatening to keep Benjamin as a slave, Judah offered himself in Benjamin’s place (Genesis 44:33-34).

This moment was huge. It showed that Judah had changed. He went from being the brother who sold Joseph to the brother who was willing to sacrifice himself. He showed selflessness and transformation, which is exactly what Jesus would later demonstrate—giving Himself up to save others.

The name Judah means praise, and in many battles, the tribe of Judah was always sent ahead of the army. They weren’t the strongest warriors, but they led with worship. Praise went before the victory.

Jesus, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5), came to bring victory through worship, surrender, and sacrifice. His kingdom wasn’t built on power alone, but on love, humility, and redemption—just like Judah’s transformation.

A Quick Side Note on Absalom’s Beauty

Speaking of chosen sons, I sometimes joke with the Holy Spirit that I want my boys to have Absalom’s hair and beauty—because Scripture describes that man as ridiculously handsome!

“In all Israel, there was not a man so highly praised for his handsome appearance as Absalom. From the top of his head to the sole of his foot, there was no blemish in him.” (2 Samuel 14:25)

And let’s not forget his famous hair—so thick that when he cut it once a year, it weighed about five pounds! (2 Samuel 14:26). That’s some next-level genetics.

It makes me wonder—if David wrote parts of Samuel and Chronicles, could Absalom have been his favorite son? His grief when Absalom died was overwhelming. But unlike Judah, Absalom’s story was one of rebellion, not redemption. His beauty didn’t secure him a legacy—his heart did. And ultimately, it was Judah, not the strongest or the most favored, who carried the promise.

The Power of Praise

Leah thought she was unloved, but she carried the lineage of Christ.  

She thought she was rejected, but God had chosen her to birth the tribe that would rule.  

She thought she was second place, but God had given her first place in His divine plan.  

And it all shifted when she praised.  

This is the power of praise—it takes our eyes off our pain and places them on the One who holds our destiny. Leah’s story teaches us that when we stop seeking approval from people and start worshiping God for who He is, our whole identity shifts.  

What This Means for Us

Leah’s story teaches us that God sees those who feel unseen. He chooses the ones the world overlooks. He turns rejection into redemption.

Maybe you’ve been striving for love, approval, or recognition. Maybe you feel like you’re always in someone else’s shadow. But like Leah, you have a choice—to keep seeking validation from people or to lift your eyes and praise God, knowing that you are already chosen, already loved, and already enough.

You carry something greater than you know. And like Leah, your story isn’t over yet.

So no matter what you’re facing today, may you find the courage to say—

“Now, I will praise the Lord.”