Rebekah: Mother of Jacob & Esau

Posted on by Shenica R. Graham

Seeds of Promise Series by Shenica Graham

Rebekah: Mother of Jacob & Esau

Women of The Bible

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Seeds of Promise Women of the Bible Rebekah: Mother of Jacob & Esau Genesis 24:7; Genesis 24:14-28, Genesis 25:21-26, Genesis 27:41-46 Audio

Memory Verses: The man bowed down his head and worshiped the Lord. Genesis 24:26 AMP

Devotional Reading: Genesis 24:7 AMP

The Lord, the God of heaven, Who took me from my father’s house, from the land of my family and my birth, Who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, To your offspring I will give this land—He will send His [b]Angel before you, and you will take a wife from there for my son.

Devotional Reading: Genesis 24:14-28 AMP

14 And let it so be that the girl to whom I say, I pray you, let down your jar that I may drink, and she replies, Drink, and I will give your camels drink also—let her be the one whom You have selected and appointed and indicated for Your servant Isaac [to be a wife to him]; and by it I shall know that You have shown kindness and faithfulness to my master. 15 Before he had finished speaking, behold, out came Rebekah, who was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah, who was the wife of Nahor the brother of Abraham, with her water jar on her shoulder. 16 And the girl was very beautiful and attractive, chaste and modest, and unmarried. And she went down to the well, filled her water jar, and came up. 17 And the servant ran to meet her, and said, I pray you, let me drink a little water from your water jar. 18 And she said, Drink, my lord; and she quickly let down her jar onto her hand and gave him a drink. 19 When she had given him a drink, she said, I will draw water for your camels also, until they finish drinking. 20 So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough and ran again to the well and drew water for all his camels.

21 The man stood gazing at her in silence, waiting to know if the Lord had made his trip prosperous. 22 And when the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold earring or nose ring of half a shekel in weight, and for her hands two bracelets of ten shekels in weight in gold, 23 And said, Whose daughter are you? I pray you, tell me: Is there room in your father’s house for us to lodge there? 24 And she said to him, I am the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah and [her husband] Nahor. 25 She said also to him, We have both straw and provender (fodder) enough, and also room in which to lodge. 26 The man bowed down his head and worshiped the Lord 27 And said, Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, Who has not left my master bereft and destitute of His loving-kindness and steadfastness. As for me, going on the way [of obedience and faith] the Lord led me to the house of my master’s kinsmen. 28 The girl related to her mother’s household what had happened.

After Sarah died and was buried in a tomb, Abraham sought a wife for his son Isaac. He commanded his servant to go and choose a wife for his son from the daughters of his kindred. His servant went on the journey and came directly to the house of Abraham’s brother, finding there the daughter of Bethuel, sister of Laban, Abraham’s nephew, Rebekah, first, before speaking with any other maiden. God led Abraham’s servant straight to the house of the woman who would be Isaac’s wife. The servant bowed his head and worshipped the Lord there [[1]]. The brother (Laban) and mother of Rebekah behaved as if they would allow Rebekah to return with Abraham’s servant to be Isaac’s wife. However, when the next day dawned and they assailed to go, Laban and his mother asked Abraham’s servant to let Rebekah stay with them a few, or ten days before leaving them to live in another place. However, it was a disputed request. They allowed Rebekah to make the choice. She chose to go with Abraham’s servant and his host. So Rebekah and her nurse were sent away to the house of Isaac. Now Isaac’s mother Hagar had passed away. He was then comforted by Rebekah who became his wife when he was forty years of age.

Devotional Reading: Genesis 25:21-26 AMP

21 And Isaac prayed much to the Lord for his wife because she was unable to bear children; and the Lord granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife became pregnant. 22 [Two] children struggled together within her; and she said, If it is so [that the Lord has heard our prayer], why am I like this? And she went to inquire of the Lord. 23 The Lord said to her, [The founders of] two nations are in your womb, and the separation of two peoples has begun in your body; the one people shall be stronger than the other, and the elder shall serve the younger. 24 When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25 The first came out red all over like a hairy garment, and they named him Esau [hairy]. 26 Afterward his brother came forth, and his hand grasped Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob [supplanter]. Isaac was sixty years old when she gave birth to them.

Rebekah was the mother of Jacob and Esau. God told her that her sons would be the founders of separate nations, and the elder would serve the younger. There came a day when Jacob swindled his brother’s birthright from him because Esau hungered and was not thinking clearly. Then like father, like son, Isaac told the men of Gerar where he dwelled according to God’s instruction that Rebekah – who was beautiful to look upon, was his sister. Once again, God protected the husband and wife during the time of their deception and afterward. When Isaac was seen caressing Rebekah, it was known that she was his wife and all the people were commanded not to touch either of them lest they [who touched them] be put to death.

When Esau was 40 years of age, he took two wives, Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. They were a nuisance to their in-laws, Isaac and Rebekah. When Isaac was old and his eyes could not see clearly, he told Esau to prepare a sort of last meal for him before he would pronounce a blessing on Esau as the firstborn. However, Rebekah heard their conversation and conspired with her favorite son Jacob to receive the blessing of the firstborn before Esau could return with the food he would prepare. Rebekah and her son deceived Isaac and Jacob received the blessing of the firstborn.

Devotional Reading: Genesis 27:41-46 AMP

41 And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father blessed him; and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are very near. When [he is gone] I will [a]kill my brother Jacob. 42 These words of Esau her elder son were repeated to Rebekah. She sent for Jacob her younger son and said to him, See here, your brother Esau comforts himself concerning you [by intending] to kill you. 43 So now, my son, do what I tell you; arise, flee to my brother Laban in Haran; 44 Linger and dwell with him for a while until your brother’s fury is spent. 45 When your brother’s anger is diverted from you, he will forget [the wrong] that you have done him. Then [b]I will send and bring you back from there. Why should I be deprived of both of you in one day? 46 Then Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth [these wives of Esau]! If Jacob takes a wife of the daughters of Heth such as these Hittite girls around here, what good will my life be to me?

So Rebekah intended to send Jacob to live with her brother Laban for a span of time until Esau’s anger might be ended. Rebekah complained to Isaac about the wives of Esau and convinced Isaac to send Jacob to find a wife of the daughters of Laban. Esau also went to Ishmael and took to be his wife, [in addition] to the wives he [already] had, Mahalath daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth. He did this because he perceived that his father Isaac was not pleased with his wives, who were daughters of Caanan. God was with Jacob when he went as his father has blessed him to go to his mother’s kindred. The first woman he saw there was Rachel, daughter of Laban, who kept his sheep.

Footnotes

[1] Genesis 24:26