Real WOMEN Real FAITH - Rebekah

Rebekah
Rejecting Stereotypes -
Fearfully & Wonderfully Made

- Day 2 -

Shinning a light on the life of a Rebekah....

Yesterday morning, during the Bible study we talked about Rebekah and learned more about her life.  It has brought me joy to learn more about her life and how God used her for His purpose.  It feels as if I can relate to the young dynamic women who is ready to meet the needs of people around her.  If only I was as strong as she was. 

 

Do you remember we read that she gave water to ten camels?  Then she still had enough strength to run home and tell her family what had just happened. The next morning, she was ready to travel to an unknown land.  Not an easy thing to do!  All her life was about to change and she did not seem to hesitate to follow God's will.  There were many unanswered questions about her future.  Has your life ever changed drastically very quickly?  I have to admit that when this has happened to me, my attitude was not as good as Rebekah's.  She was a humble servant who had the strength and courage to leave and go to an unknown land.

 

Lets step over to to the shadow side....

If you continue to read about Rebekah and Isaac in the book of Genesis, you find out how Rebekah uses her strength to put together a plot to deceive her husband.  Once again she is quick to do what needs to be done.  This time, she doesn't think twice about lying so that her favorite son would have a nice future.  She knew God's plan but she took control of the situation and pushed God aside.  She wanted to be sure that her son inherited Isaac's wealth.


Genesis 25:23-28

The Lord said to her: Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.

When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb.  The first to come out was red, and and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau.  After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob.  Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them. The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents.  Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

 

 

Genesis 27:1-10

 

When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see, he called for Esau his older son and said to him, “My son.”  “Here I am,” he answered.  Isaac said, “I am now an old man and don’t know the day of my death.  Now then, get your equipment—your quiver and bow—and go out to the open country to hunt some wild game for me.  Prepare me the kind of tasty food I like and bring it to me to eat, so that I may give you my blessing before I die.”

 

 

 

Now Rebekah was listening as Isaac spoke to his son Esau. 

 

When Esau left for the open country to hunt game and bring it back, Rebekah said to her son Jacob, "Look, I overheard your father say to your brother Esau, 'Bring me some game and prepare me some tasty food to eat, so that I may give you my blessing in the presence of the Lord before I die.'  Now, my son, listen carefully and do what I tell you:  Go out to the flock and bring me two choice young goats, so I can prepare some tasty food for your father, just the way he likes it.  Then take it to your father to eat, so that he may give you his blessing before he dies.

 

PRAY - As we learned from Rebekah, our strengths can have shadow sides. Pray that God would reveal anything in us that might be leading us to act in ungodly ways.

SHARE - What impresses you the most about Rebekah?  What qualities do you admire the most in women you have met?   Share your thoughts with others and write a comment.

Tomorrow, we will look at the different sources we rely on to give us direction in our lives.