Today we are going to learn about Rebekah. Let’s read Genesis 24-28.
When we meet Rebekah, she is a young woman who is full of faith. She is clearly kind and is willing to help a stranger, not realizing that she is changing her life in the process. She had faith in God’s plan for her and was willing to leave her family to marry a man she had never met. When Isaac married Rebekah, it says that he loved her. I love this statement- most passages give the basic description that they married, but here it says that Isaac loved her. Just like Isaac’s mother, Rebekah was also barren for many years. Eventually, God would bless her with twins, Esau and Jacob. Though Esau came out first and therefore declared the inheritor of the birthright, Jacob would claim it for himself. Rebekah played a big part in the event of Jacob claiming Esau’s birthright and blessing because Jacob was her favorite child. Instead of trusting the Lord, Rebekah did things her way, and the consequences included her beloved son leaving and being distant for the rest of her life. Esau and Jacob would also be at odds for the rest of their lives and that rift between brothers would last for centuries. The nations would be set against each other even during the time of Christ when Herod, a descendant of Esau, would seek to kill Jesus, a descendant of Jacob (Luke 13:31). Through all this division, we see how God used Rebekah, though she was an imperfect woman with waived faith, she was used and called by God.
Rebekah’s life reminds us that God uses imperfect women to fulfill His plan. Rebekah made mistakes- she tried doing things her own way, she struggled to trust God and that His plan was better than her plan for her family, yet God used her. We are imperfect, impatient, and stubborn women, but God uses us for His plan. No matter the choices we make, God will use us. He is faithful and He sees us.
Let’s discuss what we just read. I have some questions that I want you to think about, write them down, and if you’d like to comment below we can discuss them together!
1. What did we learn about God and His character in the life of Rebekah?
2. What character qualities, positive or negative, do we see in Rebekah’s life?
3. What can I learn from Rebekah’s story and apply it to my own life?
Our God is gracious and He is faithful. He uses imperfect women to fulfill His plan- He uses me to fulfill His plan. I don’t know about you but I am known to become impatient and take matters into my own hands from time to time. When I get impatient, I don’t seek the Lord’s guidance- I just do. It usually comes back to bite me in the butt. Thankfully, God uses that. He uses my mistakes and He is gracious towards me.
I hope you enjoy this study and decide to come back. Tomorrow, we’ll learn about Rachel and how God moved in her life. I hope you enjoy the beautiful sunset that was made by our loving Father and y’all have a wonderful night.