GOD USES THE UNLIKELY

When God Uses the Overlooked, the Imperfect, and the Unexpected

Main Scripture: Genesis 29:31–35

INTRODUCTION

When we read the genealogy of Jesus, we can be tempted to skip over the names. But behind those names is a powerful story of God’s grace.

Jesus’ lineage comes through Leah and Judah.

Leah was the wife Jacob did not love as he loved Rachel. Judah wasn’t the firstborn. And Judah himself had a troubled past.

Yet God chose this unlikely family line to bring forth David, and ultimately Jesus Christ.

That teaches us an important truth:

God’s purposes are not limited by our circumstances, our position, or our past.

Today, I want us to look at four truths from the story of Leah and Judah.

TAKEAWAY ONE:

GOD SEES THE OVERLOOKED

Genesis 29:31–35

“And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb…”

Notice what the Bible says.

It doesn’t say that Jacob saw Leah.

It says God saw Leah.

Leah lived in the shadow of Rachel. She knew she wasn’t Jacob’s first choice.

Imagine the emotional pain of being married to someone who loved someone else more.

But in the midst of her rejection:

God saw her.

That is encouraging because we sometimes measure our worth by how other people treat us.

We wonder:

• Does anyone notice me?

• Does anyone appreciate me?

• Am I important?

• Why does someone else seem to have what I don’t?

Leah’s story gives us an important answer:

Your value is not determined by who overlooks you. Your value is determined by the God who sees you.

And God wasn’t merely watching Leah.

God was working through Leah.

Her fourth son was Judah.

And Judah would become the ancestor of Israel’s kings and ultimately the Messiah.

APPLICATION

You may feel overlooked.

You may feel like someone else gets the recognition.

You may feel like you’re living in somebody else’s shadow.

But remember:

People may overlook you, but God sees you.

TAKEAWAY TWO:

GOD DOESN’T ALWAYS CHOOSE THE OBVIOUS PERSON

Genesis 49:8–10

Judah wasn’t Jacob’s firstborn.

He was the fourth son.

If human beings were choosing the royal tribe, Judah probably wouldn’t have been the first choice.

But Genesis 49:10 says:

“The sceptre shall not depart from Judah…”

The scepter represents kingship and authority.

God chose Judah.

From Judah came:

David → the kings of Israel → ultimately Jesus.

This is consistent with God’s pattern throughout Scripture.

God chose:

• Moses instead of someone who felt qualified.

• Gideon, who considered himself insignificant.

• David, the youngest son of Jesse.

• Mary, a young woman from an insignificant town.

• Fishermen to become apostles.

God often chooses people who don’t look like the obvious choice.

Why?

Because God doesn’t need impressive people.

God needs willing people.

1 Corinthians 1:27

“God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise…”

When God uses unlikely people, there is no question about where the glory belongs.

The power belongs to God.

APPLICATION

We often look at what we don’t have.

We aren’t talented enough.

We aren’t experienced enough.

We aren’t educated enough.

We aren’t influential enough.

But God isn’t limited by what we think disqualifies us.

The question isn’t:

“Am I the obvious person?”

The question is:

“Am I willing to be used by God?”

TAKEAWAY THREE:

GOD CAN REDEEM A BROKEN PAST

Judah’s story becomes even more powerful when we remember his past.

Judah was involved in the selling of Joseph.

He helped make a terrible decision concerning his brother.

Yet years later, Judah stood before Joseph and offered himself in the place of Benjamin.

Genesis 44:33

“Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad…”

Look at the transformation.

Earlier Judah had been willing to sacrifice his brother.

Later Judah was willing to sacrifice himself for his brother.

God had changed his heart.

Judah wasn’t perfect.

But God wasn’t finished with him.

That’s good news for us.

Some people think:

“I’ve made too many mistakes for God to use me.”

But Judah’s life says otherwise.

Your past may be part of your story, but it doesn’t have to be the end of your story.

God specializes in redemption.

He can take failure and produce faith.

He can take brokenness and produce compassion.

He can take a painful past and use it to minister to someone else.

Romans 8:28

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God…”

God doesn’t say everything that happens is good.

He says:

He can work through it for good.

APPLICATION

Maybe when you look at your life, you immediately see the mistakes.

You see the failures.

You see the things you wish you could change.

But God sees something more.

God sees what His grace can redeem.

Don’t allow something in your past to convince you that God cannot use you in your future.

TAKEAWAY FOUR:

GOD’S UNLIKELY CHOICE POINTS US TO JESUS

Ultimately, this isn’t a sermon about Leah.

It isn’t even a sermon about Judah.

It’s a sermon about Jesus.

Judah’s story points forward to the coming King.

Genesis 49 points to the royal authority of Judah.

David comes from Judah.

And Jesus comes through David’s royal line.

Then Revelation gives us the fulfillment.

Revelation 5:5

“Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed…”

Jesus is the Lion of Judah.

Think about the path God used:

The overlooked woman.

The fourth son.

The imperfect man.

The shepherd king.

All of it leads to Christ.

And that’s the message of the gospel:

God takes unlikely people and circumstances and accomplishes His perfect purpose.

Jesus came into a broken world because we are broken people.

He came for sinners.

He came for failures.

He came for the overlooked.

He came for those who know they need grace.

APPLICATION

Sometimes we look at our circumstances and wonder:

“How could God possibly use this?”

But Leah couldn’t see where her story was going.

Judah couldn’t see where his story was going.

David couldn’t see the entire plan.

But God could.

What looks unlikely to us may be exactly what God chooses to use to accomplish His purpose.

CONCLUSION

The story of Leah and Judah reminds us of four powerful truths:

1. GOD SEES THE OVERLOOKED.

Leah was overlooked by Jacob, but she was seen by God.

2. GOD DOESN’T ALWAYS CHOOSE THE OBVIOUS.

Judah wasn’t the firstborn, but God chose Judah’s tribe for the royal line.

3. GOD CAN REDEEM A BROKEN PAST.

Judah failed, but God transformed him and continued to use him.

4. GOD’S UNLIKELY CHOICE POINTS US TO JESUS.

The Lion of Judah is the King who came to save us.

So don’t give up because you feel overlooked.

Don’t disqualify yourself because of your past.

Don’t assume God can’t use you because you don’t look like the obvious choice.

Leah didn’t know what God was going to do through her.

Judah didn’t know what his descendants would become.

But God knew.

And perhaps that’s the word someone needs today:

You don’t have to understand God’s plan to trust God’s purpose.

You may only see your circumstances.

God sees the whole story.

You may see your weakness.

God sees what He can do through you.

You may see your past.

God sees your potential future.

And you may see an unlikely person.

God may see the very person He has chosen.

FINAL THOUGHT

What people overlook, God may choose.
What people reject, God may redeem.
What people consider insignificant, God may use for His glory.

And nowhere is that more beautifully demonstrated than in this truth:

Through Leah came Judah.
Through Judah came David.
Through David came Jesus.
And through Jesus comes salvation.