Rebekah

Women of the Bible

Rebekah

Scripture References:

Genesis 22:23; 24; 25:19-28; 26:6-35; 27; 28:1-9; 29:12; 35:8; 49:31; Romans 9:6-16

Her God Story:

Read Genesis 24:1-14

Abraham knows the influence of a wife and wants to make a wise decision concerning his promised son! Who you marry is the SECOND most important decision in your entire life. Remember Jesus’ first miracle was at a wedding!

Proverbs 18:22 NKJV

He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the LORD.

Rebekah means “ensnarer” .

Rebekah was a captivating woman and had a lot of influence.

Rebekah is first mentioned in Genesis 22:20-24 in the genealogy of the descendants of Nahor, Abraham’s brother. Nahor had a son named Bethuel who was Rebekah’s father and Laban was Rebekah’s brother.

Rebekah was the wife of Isaac.

She was the first woman in the Bible mentioned to have twins named Esau and Jacob.

In Genesis 24:5 the servant asks Abraham “what if.” Most people take relationship matters into their own hands because they think “well what if…” and they choose not to be wise. Always seek to be WISE when it comes to relationship matters because relationships can be detrimental to us.

Proverbs 3:5-6 NASB

Trust in the Lord will all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.

In Genesis 24:6 –Abraham says “BEWARE”. We need to beware when it comes to major decisions in our lives and not make them carelessly. We need to take a lot of thought and prayer and consideration. We need to seek the book of Proverbs for wisdom and insight.

In Genesis 24:7 –Abraham is saying the Lord who did all of this…He will do this too! Don’t forget all that God’s done in your life. He never wants to stop working that way in yours.

In Genesis 24:8  we see that Abraham thought through the situation and considered “Okay, if she’s not willing, STILL don’t take Isaac back there.” He still chose to be wise about this and remain in the place God called him.

Proverbs 16:9 NASB

The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.

Like Abraham, as a parent, be praying for your children’s future spouses now. Be powerfully involved in the spiritual realm for this HUGE decision. It will also prepare your heart for when the time comes and then there will be joy. You will be involved.

24:11  - Rebekah walked right into God’s plan for her life when she was doing what she was supposed to be doing when she was supposed to be doing it.

Luke 16:10 NKJV

He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.

God is in the details! Ask Him for the ability to see Him working in the details.

God was preparing Rebekah to be the wife of Isaac. She didn’t know this. A lot of times God is preparing us for something we are unaware of. 

Esther 4:14 NKJV

"For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"

When it comes to a marriage partner we need to let God do the choosing! Our job and responsibility is to be faithful to Him and listen to His direction and walk in prayer and in the Spirit. He will bring about circumstances that are His will that we will find ourselves simply walking in.

Read Genesis 24:15-28

Rebekah had a servant’s heart. We need to take each day and let it be of utmost importance in our minds and hearts because each day turns into a week, which turns into a month, which turns into a year, which turns into our life.

Day by Day (Secrets to Success)

-Spending time with God in prayer… do what He asks you to.

“Success is when preparation meets opportunity.”

Principles taken from Charles Stanley’s book How to Reach Your Full Potential for God:

Have a balanced schedule including these things:

1.                        Prayer and the Word

2.                        Church (Worship with fellow believers)

3.                        Family and Friends

4.                        Work

5.                        Relaxation and Rest

6.                        Sleep

7.                        Fitness and Health

Things I must do:

Things I should delegate:

Things I should ignore:

Ask these questions about your schedule: What stresses me? What makes me feel hurried, anxious, or rushed? What am I doing as a result of others insisting that I act or behave in a certain way? Is their insistence justified against what God has called and purposed for me to do?

Reevaluate your schedule periodically.

THIS IS HOW GOD STORIES HAPPEN!  It is when we are doing everyday life. It takes time.

God WANTS to give us stories to tell and testimonies to share.

Read Genesis 24:45-60

24:48 –God WANTS to guide you in the right way and He will be FAITHFUL to do it!

1 Thessalonians 5:24 NKJV

He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.

Rebekah had COURAGE. She was courageous to follow the adventure God had prepared for her and step out in faith.

Her marriage and motherhood:

Read Genesis 24:61-67

24: 67 –God can use marriage as a tool of comfort and healing.

Read Genesis 25:19-23

A pattern of barrenness appears in the lives of the people God calls and chooses. What was their response? PRAYER. God closes the “womb” or closes doors in our lives and allows for barrenness in our life so that we will pray.

Read Genesis 25:27-28

A huge mistake as a parent is showing favoritism. There is no partiality with God. We need to be sensitive to this with our children because it’s very painful to the core of their being.

Romans 2:11 NKJV

For there is no partiality with God.

Read Genesis 26:6-11

Learn from the scriptures and don’t repeat the same mistakes! Here Rebekah makes the same mistake that Sarah does. They both receive a PROMISE from God but do not WAIT ON THE LORD to let it unfold. They start manipulating the situation and use their own devises, scheming and deceiving to try to make the promise of God happen. It ALWAYS leads to pain.

God did not ask Rebekah to do any of this. You never see her seeking God concerning what He told her was going to happen. She never inquired of the Lord. She schemed and planned to fulfill her purposes and brought strife into the home. The ends never justify the means.

Review Genesis 27

The result? Jacob had to leave! Now she couldn’t be with the son that she loved.

Life Lesson:

Let God take the initiative and follow His lead.

Summary:

   “Some people are initiators. They help get the ball rolling. Rebekah would easily stand out in this group. Her life was characterized by initiative. When she saw a need she took action, even though the action was not always right.

    It was Rebekah’s initiative that first caught the attention of Eliezer, the servant Abraham sent to find a wife for Isaac. It was common courtesy to give a drink to a stranger, but it took added character to also fetch water for ten thirsty camels. Later, after hearing the details of Eliezer’s mission, Rebekah was immediately willing to be Isaac’s bride.

    Several later events help us see how initiative can be misdirected. Rebekah was aware that God’s plan would be channeled through Jacob, not Esau (Gen 25:23).  So not only did Jacob become her favorite; she actually planned ways to ensure that he would overshadow his older twin.  Meanwhile, Isaac preferred Esau. This created a conflict between the couple. She felt justified in deceiving her husband when the time came to bless the sons, and her ingenious plan was carried out to perfection.

   Most of the time we try to justify the things we choose to do. Often we attempt to add God’s approval to our actions. While it is true that our actions will not spoil God’s plan, it is also true that we are responsible for what we do and must always be cautious about our motives. When thinking about a course of action, are you simply seeking God’s stamp of approval on something you’ve already decided to do? Or are you willing to set the plan aside if the principles and commands of God’s Word are against the action? Initiative and action are admirable and right when they are controlled by God’s wisdom.”  -taken from Life Application Study Bible, Personality Profiles