Genesis 29-30 - Rachel and Leah

These chapters cover a lot -- Jacob's marriages, the births of nearly all of his numerous children, the drama that results from his complex network of wives, his method of escaping the employ of Laban to return to his homeland, and so on. But what caught my attention was the interesting relationship between Jacob and his wives Rachel and Leah. My commentary makes mention of yet another symbolic representation going on here: the synagogue is Leah and the Church of Christ is Rachel. It is written in Genesis 29:30 that Jacob (as a figure of Christ) "preferred the love of the latter (Rachel) before the former (Leah)." As in the case of Isaac blessing the younger Jacob rather than the older Esau, a pattern seems to be developing, wherein the newcomer seems to "win out" over the more established figure.