Rebekah’s story is told in Genesis 24-27
- Who is Rebekah?
- From the city of Nahor, she is the daughter of Bethuel and an unnamed mother (Genesis 24:24).
- She becomes Isaac’s wife, who is Abraham’s son (Genesis 24:67).
- She is also the mother of the famous fraternal twins, Esau and Jacob (Genesis 25:24-26).
- Strengths and Accomplishments
- Demonstrated an act of kindness by providing water to Abraham’s servant and his camels (Genesis 24:18-20).
- Displayed bravery and faith in agreeing to leave her family and marry Isaac, whom she had never met (Genesis 24:57-58).
- Proved herself a strong woman in barrenness; she prayed to God who answered, leading to the birth of Esau and Jacob (Genesis 25:21-26).
- Weaknesses and Mistakes
- Showed favoritism towards Jacob, leading to family discord (Genesis 25:28).
- Devised a scheme to deceive her husband, Isaac, which led to family conflict and separation (Genesis 27:5-17).
- Lived out the rest of her days without seeing her favorite son, Jacob, again.
- Lessons from Rebekah’s Life
- Kindness is always rewarded – Rebekah’s initial act of kindness to a stranger led to a life-changing moment (Genesis 24:18-20).
- Faith requires action – Rebekah had the courage to follow God’s plan for her life (Genesis 24:57-58).
- Favoritism and deception have dire consequences – her favoritism and trickery led to family divisions (Genesis 27:42-45).
- Key Verses (NIV Version)
- Genesis 24:58 – “So they called Rebekah and asked her, ‘Will you go with this man?’ ‘I will go,’ she said.”
- Genesis 25:21 – “Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. The LORD answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant.”
- Genesis 27:13 – “His mother said to him, ‘My son, let the curse fall on me. Just do what I say; go and get them for me.'”