Rebekah- Mother of Two Nations

 "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'".

                                                                 Genesis 25:23

Rebekah is a woman who is very admired in the Hebrew Bible. She has prominence and is assertive, which breaks all the stereotypical norms of that culture and time.  She is bright and charming, and is not afraid to use her charm to benefit those she loves. Today, we would refer to her as fierce and courageous. Though some of her actions are definitely problematic in a spiritual sense, there are also those who view her boldness as a witness of the deep faith she has in God's promises.

Her story begins in Genesis 24 where she has come to the well to gather water for her family. Abraham's servant, who is unnamed, also comes to the same well and he is on a mission to find a wife for Abraham's son, Isaac. He has been instructed to find a wife for Isaac from his uncle Nahor's family. This means that Isaac and Rebekah are from the same kinship, which stresses the importance of their heritage.

Abraham's servant had previously prayed and asked God that the right wife for Isaac would not only give him a drink but would also give all his camels a drink. Rebekah did just that. What would have probably taken her hours to do, she happily and willingly did for a total stranger.

Wedding arrangements were made and Rebekah had input as to the time of her departure back to Isaac. Instantly there was a connection between Isaac and Rebekah and they were married. For twenty years, they tried to conceive but were unable to do so. Isaac prayed for his wife and God answered his prayer. Not only did they conceive, but it became known to them that Rebekah was pregnant with twins!

Apparently, these two twins fought with each other enough in the womb that Rebekah sought the Lord as to the reason why they were fighting? The Lord not only answered Rebekah's question, but He also gave her a prophecy. "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'" (Genesis 25:23). Yikes.

This brings sibling rivalry to a whole new level! Not only would these two brothers bitterly fight, but it would also be exacerbated by the fact that both of their parents played favorites. Isaac's favorite was Esau;  Rebekah's favorite was Jacob.

As always, God's prophecy came true. Jacob, whose name later changed to Israel, became the Father of the Twelve tribes of Israel. Esau became the father of the Edomites who warred against Israel and were ultimately wiped out (Obadiah 1:1-21). These two brothers obviously had different spirits from one another in that one walked in the will of God and the other fought against the things of God. Even so, God's providence reigns supreme.

Twice, Rebekah deceived her husband. The first time she deceived Isaac was to help Jacob receive the blessing that God prophesied to her would fall to the younger son. The second time Rebekah deceived Isaac was when she learned of Esau's plot to kill Jacob and she made an excuse to send Jacob away to her brother, Laban, to save Jacob's life.

No sin, no manipulation, no conniving can ever extinguish the plans of God (Job 42:2). Because God knows each of us so well, He already knows what each of us will do in any given situation. And, He has already gone before us to accomplish His will. We never have to fret or worry that His plans will come to fruition. 

Because Rebekah is strong and determined, she is highly respected in the Patriarchal lineage. Maybe even more so than Isaac is. Jacob even referred to himself as "Rebekah's son" instead of Isaac's son (Genesis 29:12). Despite her flaws, she is definitely a woman to be greatly admired. So much so that God chose to honor her by making her the Mother of Israel and a matriarch in the lineage of Christ.

God sovereignly orchestrated Rebekah's marriage, answered prayer for Rebekah to conceive, and fulfilled prophecy over her two sons. The rest of the details get messy sometimes, but isn't that how life sometimes works? My personal assessment of Rebekah is that God chose her to manage conflict over two people who, personally and nationally, would generationally battle over providence. That, to me, makes Rebekah a biblical hero because we know that was not a simple task.