I would say that males naturally look from the outside in.  They are taken by outward beauty and will generally tolerate a great deal of inferior behavior if they are taken by the woman that they are dating.  Women, too,  in today's culture have taken on the manly perception and are being educated by the media to look the way men look, outside in.  However, it is a gift for some woman to go beyond appearance and look at what is inside, to look inside out, and see as God sees and unless the flesh is mortified, men will respond to the flesh more than the spirit and will not act the way God wishes for them to act.

            Jacob represents the natural man.  He is conniving and self-centered and wants what most men usually want.  Because he has eyes for Rachel, he hates Leah, even though Leah is soft and delicate.  That I suppose, is the natural man.  What the flesh wants dictates his behavior and with Jacob, there is no exception.  Jacob cannot look inside out.  He does not see as God sees and only when God has dealt with Jacob and his nature is changed, does he become Israel, for as a prince hast thou power with God  and with men and thou has prevailed (Gen32:28). 

            Like Jacob, if we are real and act according to our prevailing nature, we will sin, but God, in his mercy, will pardon and forgive.  The difference between the Prodigal Son and the older son lies right here.  The older son plays it safe looking to placate his Father and manipulate him while the Prodigal knows only the flesh and wishes to satisfy its lusts in  honest desire.  The Father, on the conversion of the Prodigal, slays the fatted calf, but to the older, only a word of encouragement.  It seems living by the Law does not produce love, but to him to whom much is forgiven, loveth much.(Lk7:47) 

            When we have crossed the finished line, when we have overcome trial, test, tribulation, and temptation, we begin to see as God sees.  We begin to judge not by outward appearance but on the heart.  God had compassion on Rachel and opened up her womb and God had compassion on Jacob and changed his disposition and altered his nature.  If we are real, if we show God the real me, without making any excuses, God will change us into Israels.  He will make us into the image of His Son.  My flesh was tempted for thirty two years and I did not try to hide it from God simply by following the Law.  I did not try to manipulate God.  I told him exactly what I craved and desired, even though I knew I couldn't have it.  But when the testing was done, He set me free.  He made me free on the inside and I could begin to see from the inside out.  And that is what God wants to do with all of us.  He wants us to be free to love, heal, and forgive.  He wants us to know and understand him and act like him.  We can only get there by being real.

amen