Leah was not happy. Jacob had two wives and Rachel was his favorite. Leah was number two—the second fiddle. Although she was the first to marry Jacob, she was not first in his heart (Gen. 29:30). The Bible does not tell us how Jacob expressed his favoritism. Perhaps it was something blatant and obvious—like the coat of many colors he would later give his favorite son (Gen. 37:3). Or perhaps it was subtler, like the look in his eyes or the tone of his voice—something that only Leah could notice. Either way, her second rate status made her miserable. But one day something miraculous happened.

“When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved, he opened her womb . . . 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’ ” (Gen. 29:31-32). That name was very appropriate. In Hebrew, the name “Reuben” sounds very similar to the Hebrew for “he has seen my misery.”

Years later, Reuben would behold the misery of his little brother Joseph. When his brothers were filled with jealously, they sought to kill Joseph. But Reuben stepped in to save him. “So Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan. But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. ‘Here comes that dreamer!’ they said to each other. ‘Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him’ . . . When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. ‘Let’s not take his life,’ he said, ‘Don’t shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the desert, but don’t lay a hand on him.’ Reuben said this to rescue him from them and to take him back to his father” (Gen. 37:17-22).

Reuben, the firstborn of Jacob and Leah, was the oldest of the brothers. By speaking up and putting a stop to their murderous plans, he saved Joseph from certain death. Surely it was because Reuben saw the misery of Joseph that he took pity on him and saved him. Yet, the name “Reuben” in Hebrew means, “behold, a son.” Reuben was the firstborn son of Jacob.

But his act of saving Joseph points to a greater son—Mary’s firstborn, who saw our misery—and in His great pity came into the world to rescue us. Yes, there is misery in this world. There may be misery in your life brought about by yourself or by others. But as with Leah, and Joseph, the Lord has seen your misery. He has heard your cry (Ex. 23:25). He came into the world as a son—the firstborn of Mary, to rescue and comfort us in our darkest hours.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, I thank You that even before I was born You knew me. You knew what challenges, difficulties, and miseries I would have in my life. In Your great mercy, You came into the world as the firstborn son born of Mary to rescue me. Thank You. Amen.

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Updated: Friday February 08, 2008