Israel, who was the betrothed of Jehovah (“Thy Maker is thine husband”; Isa. 54:5), fair through the comeliness that He had put upon her, proves herself barren and without fruit to God, and she is practically set aside. “Lo-ammi” (that is, “not My people”) is written upon her. This is typified in Rachel, one of Jacob’s wives.
Leah, the hated one — figure of the church in its aspect of being gathered from among the Gentiles — is then brought into blessing and fruitfulness; her reproach is taken away, and she who had not obtained mercy now has obtained mercy, so to speak. The result in the names of her children tells its own tale of sovereign grace.
Reuben
Her firstborn brings out an entirely new thing in God’s dealings: Reuben — “see” or “behold a son.” The day of bondage is now passed; the servants are no more to possess the house. “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God” (1 John 3:1). The servants slew the heir, and now the Son had come in and given the freedom of the house, with the title and privilege of sons, to all who received Him. We have no longer “the spirit of bondage again to fear,” but “a spirit of adoption” is ours, whereby we cry, “Abba, Father.” This is your place and mine, beloved, for the “fullness of time” has come. God has sent forth His Son, and we are no more servants but sons; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ (Gal. 4:4-7).
Simeon
How sweetly does her next son carry on the story of grace and tell us how we are brought into this privileged place. She bore another son and called his name “Simeon” — “hearing”; so Paul asks, Was it by works of law or by the hearing of faith (Gal. 3:2) that ye received the Spirit? By the “hearing of faith,” surely; so then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by God’s Word (Rom. 10:17). “He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life” (John 5:24). Simeon typifies God’s principle of action in this present dispensation — grace by the hearing of faith — for it is “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us” (Titus 3:5).
Levi
Leah bore another son and called his name “Levi” — “joined” — for she said, “Now... will my husband be joined unto me.” He that is joined to the Lord is one Spirit — bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh. We are severed from our connections with the first man and united to a risen Christ in glory, made to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Old things have passed away; all things have become new. We are of the new creation, vitally and eternally connected with the second Man, the Lord from heaven — a union which is now the portion of all God’s children, to be known and enjoyed as their proper privilege.
Judah
How fitly does her next born son, the fourth (completing the perfect fruit of God’s grace), bear the name of “Judah” — “praise!” It is our joy and privilege, as those who are sons of God by pure, sovereign grace, to offer up “the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name” (Heb. 13:15). Yes, it is meet that we should praise the Lord and call upon all that is within us to bless His holy name, since He has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. In seeking worshipers to worship Him in spirit and in truth, He has sought and found us. Let us, then, not forget that this is our holy privileged occupation. If in Levi we get the priesthood, and we are — though after another order — a holy priesthood, to offer up sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:5), still more we are a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:7), and the kingdom is ours in joint heirship with Christ. He that loved us and has washed us from our sins in His own blood has made us a kingdom, even priests unto God and His Father (Rev. 1:5-6).
May we not, then, exclaim, as we enter into the blessed fact that we are sons — and sons by pure grace — in union with a risen Christ, privileged to praise our God as we wait for the kingdom to be manifested: “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!... For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be glory forever. Amen” (Rom. 11:33,36).
Christian Truth, Vol. 5 (adapted)