Originally posted 4/30/24
Would you have wanted your parents to pick out your spouse? It seems very foreign to us but it used to be very common for a marriage to be arranged.
Sarah and just been buried and Abraham was approaching the end of his life. He wanted Isaac to marry, He didn’t want Isaac to marry a Canaanite women so he sent his servant to his native homeland to find a wife for Isaac. It was very important that Isaac not go with the servant to finda wife. Genesis 24:7 says, “The LORD, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my kindred, and who spoke to me and swore to me, ‘To your offspring I will give this land,’ he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.”
The servant followed Jacob’s direction amd traveled to Jacob’s homeland. He stopped at the well and prayed for the correct woman to come and water his camels. Rebekah arrived at the well and watered the camels. Gen 24:45 says “Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her water jar on her shoulder, and she went down to the spring and drew water. I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.”
[Genesis 24:45-60 ESV] 45 “Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her water jar on her shoulder, and she went down to the spring and drew water. I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’ 46 She quickly let down her jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I will give your camels drink also.’ So I drank, and she gave the camels drink also. 47 Then I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him.’ So I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her arms. 48 Then I bowed my head and worshiped the LORD and blessed the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me by the right way to take the daughter of my master’s kinsman for his son. 49 Now then, if you are going to show steadfast love and faithfulness to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left.” 50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, “The thing has come from the LORD; we cannot speak to you bad or good. 51 Behold, Rebekah is before you; take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the LORD has spoken.” 52 When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed himself to the earth before the LORD. 53 And the servant brought out jewelry of silver and of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave to her brother and to her mother costly ornaments. 54 And he and the men who were with him ate and drank, and they spent the night there. When they arose in the morning, he said, “Send me away to my master.” 55 Her brother and her mother said, “Let the young woman remain with us a while, at least ten days; after that she may go.” 56 But he said to them, “Do not delay me, since the LORD has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master.” 57 They said, “Let us call the young woman and ask her.” 58 And they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” She said, “I will go.” 59 So they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant and his men. 60 And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, “Our sister, may you become thousands of ten thousands, and may your offspring possess the gate of those who hate him!”
Isaac and Rebekah were married, but she was barren for 20 years. God did bless Rebekah with twins, Jacob and Essau. Genesis 25:23 And the LORD said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.”
If you are a parent, do you love one child more than another? I know there were times when my children thought I did. I did my best to love them the same, but each had different needs at different times. This is not the same thing. Gen 25:28 says, “Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.” The blessing of the father typically went to the first born and not the second born. In Genesis 27 Rebekah helps Jacob to obtain his father’s blessing. Jacob was able to convince Essau to sell his birthright for a bowl of stew. He was also able to trick Isaac into believing he was Essau instead.
What can we learn from Rebekah? Rebekah had qualities we should not emulate. We could certainly make a case that she did not trust God to fulfill His plan. She assisted God by helping Jacob deceive his father. She favored one child over another which is a recipe for disaster. Her children were irresponsible and dishonest. She intentionally deceived her husband.
Rebekah also had qualities that we would do well to emulate. She had a servant’s heart. She was kind, modest, and hospitable. Like so many of us, she thought she knew best. Rebekah’s deception tore her family apart. She never saw her beloved son again because he had to flee to preserve his life. She convinced Isaac to send Jacob away to Laban where he could find a wife that was not a Canaanite.
Jacob’s blessing had a great cost to Sarah. I cannot imagine not being able to see or talk to one of my children ever again. I can’t help but feel sorry for her. She had to know that her actions were the cause of it.
It would do us well to also remember the influence we have upon our own husbands. We should seek to obey the Lord and not surrender to our own selfish desires. I think most of us would agree that we are pretty good at getting our husbands to do things we want them to do. I know at my house we live by the mantra, “Happy wife, happy life.” However, we need to ask ourselves if we are doing anything that is influencing our spouses in a way that does not honor the Lord?
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