A wife for Isaac: A divine provision to a prayer request

Abraham’s son of promise was not going to marry any woman. Isaac himself had no choice in choosing a wife. His father wanted the best for him so he (Abraham) sent his most trusted servant for this task. If this sounds strange to you, even more strange was the servant’s approach to finding a wife for Isaac. The union of marriage has lost most of its glories in the 21st century. It is either a big wedding with no marriage counselling, people signing prenuptial agreements, people marrying to satisfy their selfish needs among many others. Yet, in many other cultures, marriage is still revered and parents have a huge impact on the choice of spouse and even in the planning of the wedding or marriage ceremony. For Abraham, Isaac’s wife was expected to come from a particular nation, and a specific family.

In Genesis‬ 24:2‭-‬4‬, Abraham told his senior servant: “He said to the senior servant in his household, the one in charge of all that he had, “Put your hand under my thigh. I want you to swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, but will go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac.” This outrageous request led the servant to Aram Naharaim, to the town of Nahor. Without delay, the servant did what he had seen Abraham do all these years. He prayed to God to provide a wife for Isaac. This was his prayer: “Lord, God of my master Abraham, make me successful today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. May it be that when I say to a young woman, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too’—let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.” (‭‭Genesis‬ ‭24:12‭-‬14‬).

The servant hurried to meet her and said, “Please give me a little water from your jar.” “Drink, my lord,” she said, and quickly lowered the jar to her hands and gave him a drink. After she had given him a drink, she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels too, until they have had enough to drink.” ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭24:17‭-‬19‬)

Does God care about who Isaac marries? Does God care about who you marry? Is God interested in getting spouses for believers? Let’s consider what happened after the servant prayed. Genesis‬ ‭24:15‭-‬16‬ ‭states that “Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milkah, who was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor. The woman was very beautiful, a virgin; no man had ever slept with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar and came up again.” The servant requested water from Rebekah and this was her response: “Drink, my lord,” she said, and quickly lowered the jar to her hands and gave him a drink. After she had given him a drink, she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels too, until they have had enough to drink.” So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, ran back to the well to draw more water, and drew enough for all his camels.” (Genesis‬ ‭24:18‭-‬20‬). Just to explain how much work Rebekah did, the servant took along 10 camels (Genesis 24:10) and each camel can drink up to 20 gallons of water at a time. So, Rebekah possibly fetched about 200 gallons of water for the camels alone!

The servant ultimately became successful in his journey. Rebekah agreed to follow him to marry Isaac, and Rebekah’s family supported this decision. This story points to the fact that God is interested in your marriage and in who you marry. He made everything possible for the servant to encounter the right woman. Remember, the servant on his part, prayed and trusted God. Rebekah on her part diligently fetched enough water to satisfy the servant and the camels. God’s provision does not mean we should relax and do nothing. We need to be prayerful and proactive. If you are trusting God for a spouse this year, God is a provider but He will not cause you to sleep and provide an Eve for you. You need to put your faith into action. Be careful of red flags and don’t compromise your godly principles. I am praying with you, may God grant you the man/woman of His own heart. We shall celebrate your victory! Congratulations in advance!

Jehovah-jireh: He shall provide the lamb

Unlike many other great Patriarchs in the Bible, Abraham had a special relationship with God. He was called a friend of God (James 2:23). Yet, in his life, Abraham faced different challenges including the difficulty in getting a child. Several years after Abraham obeyed God and relocated to a new land, his wife still remained childless. After Abraham had listened to his wife and gone into their Egyptian slave to have a son with her, God still reminded them that his wife Sarah will have a son in her old age. True to God’s word, Sarah had a child when it was biologically impossible. This miracle child, named Isaac brought joy unto the family and for Sarah, Isaac wiped away her tears caused by her inability to bear a child. Just before long, after Abraham’s first son with the Egyptian slave had been expelled, God made a ridiculous request to test Abraham’s faith.

In Genesis‬ 22:2‬, we read that God told Abraham this: “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.” This was indeed a big test and Abraham obeyed. Without delay, Abraham got up early the next morning and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. ‭( see Genesis‬ ‭22:3‬). What would have been going through Abraham’s mind as he made the three-day journey to Mount Moriah? It would have been a tough decision and possibly Sarah wouldn’t have been notified of the details of the sacrifice. Isaac himself had no idea that he was the sacrifice. When Abraham saw the place in the distance, he kept his servants behind and he and Isaac continued the journey. “Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” (‭‭Genesis‬ ‭22:6‭-‬7‬).

Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.‭‭ (Genesis‬ ‭22:8‬)

This was a much needed question for the innocent Isaac. How can there be a sacrifice without a lamb? Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together. (‭‭Genesis‬ ‭22:8‬). No wonder the place became known as Jehovah-jireh, “The Lord will provide.” Did Abraham make this comment in faith? Or was he trying to avoid telling Isaac that, “You are the sacrifice!” Whatever be the case, Isaac believed his father and when they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood (‭‭Genesis‬ ‭22:9‬). I can imagine the aged Abraham with tears in his eyes as he bound his son Isaac and placed him on the altar. Isaac probably thought that it was over for him. The poor boy would have cried his eyes out. “Why has God not provided the lamb yet?” Isaac would have thought. “Was I the lamb?” Isaac would have whispered to his dad.

However, that wasn’t the end of the story. God indeed provided a lamb for the sacrifice. The selflessness of Abraham to let go of what really matters to him was acknowledged by God. After God had provided a lamb in place of Isaac, “The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”‭‭ (Genesis‬ ‭22:15‭-‬18‬).

As we ponder over this account, let us consider all the time we had lost hope and yet God came through miraculously and provided for us what we needed. We might not have to lay our physical Isaac on the altar, but there are times we will have to be willing to put all our achievements aside and take up the cross. Our time, money, qualifications, possessions among many things could be the Isaac we would have to lay on the altar. Most times, we find it difficult to let go of what we hold so dearly on the altar. However, until Abraham laid Isaac on the altar, the lamb for the sacrifice was not seen. Go the extra mile and serve God with everything you have. He, on His part, will always provide the lamb for the sacrifice.

Be ready to plant!

Times and seasons, they say, wait for no man. When it is the season for planting, no one is exempted for the duration of the season. If the season lasts for three months, it is the same for everyone. If you fail to plant at the right time, you might end up missing the opportunity to harvest. We need to be proactive when it comes to times and seasons. The Preacher in the book of Ecclesiastes noted this and said that, “there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot.” (Ecclesiastes‬ ‭3:1‭-‬2). Understanding the times and seasons helps to navigate life and make the best out of it. In ‭‭1 Chronicles‬ 12:32‬, we are told that from the tribe of Issachar, there were men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do. It is important we do not miss out when it is time to plant.

Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the Lord blessed him. (Genesis‬ ‭26:12‬)

Issac, the son of Abraham, had to travel to a foreign land to avoid a famine. Even at the foreign land, “Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the Lord blessed him. The man became rich, and his wealth continued to grow until he became very wealthy. He had so many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines envied him. (‭‭Genesis‬ ‭26:12‭-‬14‬). Isaac prospered in a foreign land because the Lord was with him and he didn’t miss the opportunity to plant. He worked the land, and sowed seeds and his output was a hundredfold. The Lord favoured him and blessed him. His wealth even caused him to be envied for the Philistines.

When the famine began, Isaac could have left for Egypt as his father did. But, he went to Abimelek, king of the Philistines. While with Abimelek, “the Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live. Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham.” (‭‭Genesis‬ ‭26:2‭-‬3‬). Imagine if Isaac had disobeyed the Lord, He wouldn’t have reaped the harvest he had in verse 12. Isaac’s readiness to plant was a display of his commitment to stay on the land. No matter where you find yourself, without understanding the times and seasons, you will miss the time to plant.

In this new year, be ready to plant. Work on your land, plant your dreams, visions, goals and be conscious to water them. Make use of every opportunity to make your seed count. Don’t procrastinate, don’t miss the time and don’t be in a hurry to leave for Egypt. Listen to God and He will prosper you on the land. May the peace of God be with you.

Wait upon the Lord

Impatience can be caused by several factors including the desire to satisfy ourselves rather than others. Depending on what you are waiting for, your patience level might be high or low. At other times, societal and family pressure can force us to be impatient and look for alternatives to what we are waiting for. Whatever is your motivation for lack of patience to wait, know that whatever step you take in your impatience comes with its own demands. Sarah, the wife of Abraham, came to a point in her life where waiting for God for her promised child meant no sense to her. She was too old physically to conceive a child and all that she was getting from God was one promise after the other. Though she was stunningly beautiful and attractive to men of renown, she was barren. In Genesis 16, right after the Lord has undertaken a covenant in Abraham (chapter 15), Sarah brought a proposal that for centuries has been the cause of divisiveness in the Middle East region.

so she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.” Abram agreed to what Sarai said. ‭‭(Genesis‬ ‭16:2‬)

Maybe like Sarah, you are going through your battles in life and the only way out is to do the impossible, something that can ruin your reputation. Unlike many people with childbearing issues who receive internal pressure from their husbands and external pressures from family and friends, Sarah’s pressure was from herself. She badly wanted a child that she was ready to take the risk of bringing her servant to her matrimonial home. Although that practice was widespread in that generation, for Sarah, she had received specific word from God that she would give birth. In Genesis 12:2, Sarah said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.” Abram agreed to what Sarai said. ‭‭

Hagar, a young Egyptian woman, was given to aged Abraham and that relationship brought forth Ishmael. Sarah received her request but years later, Sarah made Abraham drive away Hagar and her son Ishmael. Why will Sarah do that? Was she not the same person who requested for Abraham to have a child with Hagar? God fulfilled His promise to Sarah and at an advanced age, she gave birth to her own son Isaac. Suddenly, Ishmael became a threat to Sarah and the only way out was for Ishmael and his mother to be driven away.

What we do in our moments of waiting has greater consequences. While you wait, if you move away from the promises of God, it will definitely affect your future. Hagar and Ishmael were not the perfect will of God for Abraham. The permissive will of God allows things to happen but those things don’t align to God’s perfect will. Many of us are impatient and want everything really fast. No wonder our generation is filled with fast foods, fast money, fast glory among many other things that are done with an expedited speed. Waiting in a queue is boring, waiting at the grocery shop is boring, waiting at the doctor’s office is boring and technically, although we all have 24 hours a day, no one has enough time to wait.

Other than the daily struggle to be fast and sometimes extra fast, our biological clocks also keep ticking. Age is not on our side. We grow each day and every 24 hours deduct from us youthfulness and add to us old age. Whether you want to marry, have a child, have a new job or buy a house, etc. all depend on our age. So, in reality, time is limited for us in many ways. If time is limited, then why wait upon the Lord when we can take matters in our own hands? It is important for us to understand that our lives were orchestrated by God. He is our life, our hope, our past, our future and our everything. So technically, we cannot do anything without consulting and waiting for His perfect will and time.

By the grace of God, technology has advanced and now, many people with access to life changing technology are able to do things faster and with speed. Even with that, you still need God’s grace to have success. So while you wait for that blessing, never take a step without consulting God. Sarah and Abraham did not ask God before bringing in Hagar. Thousands of years later, the world has still not recovered from Sarah’s impatience. Precious lives have been lost in a bid to gain recognition and dominion. Abraham’s children have held each other’s neck for years and peace seems to be out of the equation. One question we need to ask is “what if Sarah had waited?”

Rebekah and the stolen blessing

Rebekah and Isaac as we saw earlier, had their favourite sons. Esau was for Isaac and Jacob was for Rebekah. Now, “when Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see, he called for Esau his older son and said to him, “My son.” “Here I am,” he answered. Isaac said, “I am now an old man and don’t know the day of my death. Now then, get your equipment—your quiver and bow—and go out to the open country to hunt some wild game for me. Prepare me the kind of tasty food I like and bring it to me to eat, so that I may give you my blessing before I die.” (Genesis 27:1‭-‬4). Isaac’s love for Esau was so tied to wild game that before he could give his son his final blessing, Esau had to first hunt for a game and make food for his father. That doesn’t sound like unconditional love. “No meat, no blessings”, kind of love is not the one God has shown to us. And this is where it gets messier. Rebekah loved Jacob and would do anything for him. “Now Rebekah was listening as Isaac spoke to his son Esau. When Esau left for the open country to hunt game and bring it back” (Genesis 27:5). “Will Rebekah pretend she didn’t hear what Isaac said?” You know the answer, right?

Go out to the flock and bring me two choice young goats, so I can prepare some tasty food for your father, just the way he likes it. Then take it to your father to eat, so that he may give you his blessing before he dies.” (Genesis 27:9‭-‬10)

What a bag of mess? The couple’s public display of favouritism was about to generate a family feud. After recalling the instruction Isaac gave to Jacob, “Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Look, I overheard your father say to your brother Esau…Now, my son, listen carefully and do what I tell you: Go out to the flock and bring me two choice young goats, so I can prepare some tasty food for your father, just the way he likes it. Then take it to your father to eat, so that he may give you his blessing before he dies.” (Genesis 27:6‭, ‬8‭-‬10). Rebekah wanted Jacob to steal the blessing meant for Esau. Although Jacob protested against the idea because of their physical differences, Rebekah had the perfect work plan to disguise Jacob to make him look like Esau. After Rebekah cooked the food just like Isaac loved it, she went ahead to disguise Jacob to look like Esau. The plan worked and Jacob presented the food to his father. Isaac was surprised at the speed of making the food. Since Isaac was blind, he was deceived by the smell of Esau (Jacob was in Esau’s clothes) and the goatskin body of Jacob. The blessing was given to Jacob fullscore. Isaac blessed him from his heart. Afterall, He thought he was blessing Esau, his firstborn and favourite son. Jacob  through the orchestrated effort of Rebekah stole the blessing meant for Esau.

What was Rebekah’s motivation for helping her son to deceive her husband? Was it because of the prophecy given to her that the oldest will serve the youngest? Was it because of her love for Jacob? Ultimately Rebekah was totally wrong for initiating the biggest sibling rivalry. God didn’t seek for her hand to bless Jacob. Her actions had further consequences. “Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. He said to himself, “The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob” (Genesis 27:41). When Rebekah got to know of Esau’s plan, she hitched her plan B. She told Jacob, “Flee at once to my brother Laban in Harran. Stay with him for a while until your brother’s fury subsides. When your brother is no longer angry with you and forgets what you did to him, I’ll send word for you to come back from there. Why should I lose both of you in one day?” (Genesis 27:43‭-‬45). The fact is, Rebekah never saw her loving son again. By the time Jacob returned from his long journey,  Rebekah had already died. The stolen blessing rid her of her beloved son and officially gave Jacob the tag, “the deceiver”. For most part of Jacob’s adult life, he went through a circle of deception, either from him, from the people around him or from his own children. Years later, Esau would forgive Jacob for stealing his blessing but it took them over 20 years to fix the mess caused by Rebekah. 

Rebekah was beautiful, hardworking, strong, resilient, loving but she had her own flaws that generated into a family feud. Whenever we work on ourselves, we should not only be interested in building our strengths. We should find the best ways to overcome our weaknesses. If we overlook our weaknesses, they will move from a tiny serpent to a big dragon dragging us far away from God’s perfect plan for us. Every lie told is a step away from God and a step closer to the devil. Thou shall not lie!

Parenting gone wrong: Rebekah loved Jacob and Isaac loved Esau

One parenting strategy I learned quite early is to love all your children equally irrespective of their skills and attitudes. A public show of affection one child over the other is a recipe for conflict and confusion. No matter how difficult one child is in comparison to the other(s), parents should be intentional about making all the children feel loved. Imagine showing more affection for other children and less affection for some, the result is hatred and mistrust. Every child deserves to be loved and irrespective of their flaws, parents should be intentional about making them feel loved. Afterall, when the parents pass away without intentionally working to bring peace in the family, they leave behind a baggage of mess and brokenness. The children tend to continue the circle of selective love and end up hating each other for no reason. Rebekah and Isaac were culprits of “Parenting gone wrong.” They publicly showed their preference for one child over the other.

Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob. (Genesis 25:28)

Esau and his brother had different personalities. When they grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents (Genesis 25:27). The two children had different preferences and this is not new. No two people including twins are ever the same. Now this is where the parents got it wrong: “Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob” (Genesis 25:28). Isaac’s love for Esau was based on his taste for wild game but Rebekah just loved Jacob. Now let’s decipher this deeper looking at the other background variables. First, Esau being the first child legally had the birthright and was the heir to Isaac. Rebekah had been told by God that the younger child would be the head over the elder. Jacob being the youngest was also the “mummy’s boy type” who was content to stay home. Could any of these variables trigger the parents’ love? Although Esau foolishly gave away his birthright for a pot of stew, Isaac still considered him as the firstborn and as such worthy of all the blessings that comes to the firstborn son. 

To add more insult to injury, Rebekah and Isaac had to deal with Esau’s choice of wife and the consequences of it. Remember,  Abraham had gone to his family to get a wife for Isaac but, “when Esau was forty years old, he married Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and also Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite. They were a source of grief to Isaac and Rebekah” (Genesis 26:34‭-‬35). Esau definitely did not follow the family tradition of choosing a wife and his actions brought grief to his parents. Ultimately, Rebekah had more issues with Esau and considering all the background information, Rebekah was ready to make sure that Esau wouldn’t enjoy the blessings of the firstborn. Does it really matter to show unconditional love to your children irrespective of their flaws? The truth is it really matters. Just as God so loved us with all our flaws and weaknesses, as parents, we need to be intentional about demonstrating love to our children. Esau might have had enough reasons to be the hated one, but he deserved love and affection from his mother. Isaac might love wild game but Jacob needed all the love of his father.

The consequences of these preferences set the stage for a big drama in the future that led the twins to be on loggerheads. Rebekah might have genuinely expressed her feelings based on both interests and prophesy, but the path she took with Isaac (to love one child over the other) is wrong. What if Isaac receives a fake wild game from Jacob who pretends to be Esau? What if Esau decides to stay in the tent and to marry a woman who will please the parents, will Rebekah’s decision to love him less change?
Before you begin a permanent feud among your children through public display of love for one and hatred for another, read the consequences of the actions of Rebekah and Isaac in Genesis 27. We shall look at that in our next post. 
Big tip: Parents should love all their children equally irrespective of their flaws. Never show favouritism and hatred. These two are a recipe for conflict and confusion. 

Rebekah is my sister: Dealing with a familiar sin

If there are some commonalities between Rebekah and her mother-in-law (Sarah) they include the following: they are both beautiful, they both struggled with childbearing and they were both declared “sister” by their husband’s. Isaac, Rebekah’s husband committed a similar act his father Abraham did; they lied about their wives. Could lying be a family thing? Isaac’s son Jacob also lied and Jacob’s children lied against their brother Joseph. If there is any recurring pattern in your family, it is better to go to the root cause and if possible pray to be delivered from them. Rebekah experienced the familiar challenge of barreness until Isaac prayed for her. Now, she is about to face the second familiar challenge: a lie about who she is. “Now there was a famine in the land—besides the previous famine in Abraham’s time—and Isaac went to Abimelek king of the Philistines in Gerar. The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live.” (Genesis 26:1‭-‬2)

When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” because he was afraid to say, “She is my wife.” He thought, “The men of this place might kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is beautiful.” (Genesis 26:7)

So, the family stayed in Gerar and there the Lord confirmed His promises of blessing to Isaac. Isaac and his family lived peacefully in Gerar and prospered. Genesis 26:7 states that, “When the men of that place asked him (Isaac) about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” because he was afraid to say, “She is my wife.” He thought, “The men of this place might kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is beautiful.” Isaac committed the same lie his father Abraham committed twice against his mum. Like Sarah, Rebekah was the trophy wife. Isaac called her, “my sister” so his life would be spared. Was Rebekah consulted before this? Did she agree to becoming a “sisterly figure” to rescue her husband? Was Rebekah aware that her mother-in-law was passed off as sister twice in her lifetime? The lie has been given and now Rebekah should act “sisterly” as long as they live in Gerar. Can they keep up to the lie? 

I am not sure how long the couple managed to cover up the lie but it seems like the people of Gerar were deceived for a long time. Thankfully, no one requested for Rebekah as Sarah was taken to two kings because she was Abraham’s “sister”. When Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelek king of the Philistines looked down from a window and saw Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah. So Abimelek summoned Isaac and said, “She is really your wife! Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac answered him, “Because I thought I might lose my life on account of her.” Then Abimelek said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the men might well have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.” So Abimelek gave orders to all the people: “Anyone who harms this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.” (Genesis 26:8‭-‬11). So the couple could not keep the lie safe forever. They were caught on spot: siblings don’t engage in caressing each other like the one the king saw happening between Isaac and Rebekah. The couple were having fun and it seemed they were enjoying each other’s touches. I am sure Abimelek might have been so shocked to see Isaac and Rebekah having intimate moments together. Isaac’s defense was just like his father’s defense: he lied to save his life. 

No lie is life-saving and as Revelations 21:8 states, the place for liars is hell. The lie against Rebekah and Sarah represents a generational sin that ends up being part of the next generation even without them trying. We need to understand the place of deliverance in the believers’ life. Fortunately for us, we have been crucified with Christ and we no longer live, but Christ lives in us. The life we now live in the body, we live by faith in the Son of God, who loved us and gave himself for us. (Galatians 2:20‭)

Until we denounce generational pacts, curses, sins, recurrent sins etc. We would still experience traces of it in our lives. Reach out to your church leadership should you discover such patterns occurring in your life and that of your siblings. 

An answered prayer: Rebekah is going to have babies

Eliezer’s journey was successful. Rebekah gladly followed him to become the wife of Isaac. As they approached Isaac’s home, “Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel and asked the servant, “Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?” “He is my master,” the servant answered. So she took her veil and covered herself. Then the servant told Isaac all he had done. Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah. So she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.” (Genesis 24:64‭-‬67). Rebekah’s presence took away the pain that the death of Sarah brought on Isaac. She comforted him and he loved her. But Rebekah had an issue. The same issue Sarah had and battled with it for years. Rebekah was childless. It might have been quite frustrating for the new couple as they had to revisit pain of the past. However, this time, the approach to resolving the issue was different. 

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 25:21)

Sarah’s resolution was to have Hagar to have a baby with Abraham. The implications were not so desirable. Isaac and Rebekah had a better approach. They prayed! Genesis 25:21 states that “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.” Such a joy! It was not a straightforward pregnancy. Rebekah had the most unlikely situation in her womb, “the babies jostled each other within her, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. 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 25:22‭-‬23). Rebekah’s pregnancy was no ordinary pregnancy. She was carrying two nations who will ultimately separate. How did Rebekah deal with this news? Was Isaac aware of the fact that they were going to have two separate nations in the house? As ridiculous as it sounds, Rebekah’s womb was the practice grounds for the rivalry. Right there, the babies refused to cooperate.

Rebekah’s delivery was no ordinary one. “When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau. After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them. (Genesis 25:24‭-‬26). Remember that Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah (Genesis 25:20). Thus, the couple waited for twenty years until Esau and Jacob were born. Rebekah might have been so happy to become a mother. As she looked into the faces of her sons, she also knew that, in the future, she would see two rival nations out of her sons. Rebekah was aware that Esau (the older) would serve Jacob (the younger). As they remained babies, she might have relished every moment spent with them. But deep in her heart, she knew that the future would be a bit messy. Rivalry and hatred might erupt and this would possibly lead to separation. 

What do you do when faced with a future with uncertainty? Whenever we are faced with uncertainty,  we should go back to God and He will show us the way forward. 

Rebekah: I will go!

Most young Christian couples relish their courtship period. They have fond memories of the interesting things they learnt together; the opportunities to know each other, attending Premarital counseling and learning from the counselors etc. For most people, the courtship period helped them to learn valuable lessons to prepare them for marriage. Can you imagine a marriage where the bride and the groom only met each other after the families have concluded the whole marriage process? It might sound odd to some people, but this practice is not new to many cultures around the world. In our previous post, Abraham’s servant had prayed for a sign from God to know the right woman for Isaac. God answered him speedily and Rebekah proved that she was the right choice for Isaac. Now, how will both Rebekah and Isaac deal with the issue of an arranged marriage? Will Rebekah follow these strangers to marry Isaac? Will Rebekah’s family release her to Abraham’s servant? 

So they called Rebekah and asked her, “Will you go with this man?” “I will go,” she said. (Genesis 24:58)

Rebekah had proven beyond any reasonable doubts that she was the wife for Isaac. She was not just an answer to prayer, she was homely, willing to serve and also ready to take the servant to meet her family. Eliezer, Abraham’s servant, wasted no time in telling Rebekah’s family about his mission. Rebekah’s brother and her father were certain that this was the hand of God. “Laban and Bethuel answered, “This is from the Lord; we can say nothing to you one way or the other. Here is Rebekah; take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has directed” (Genesis 24:50‭-‬51). What a joy for Eliezer and his team. Their journey has been fruitful. After Abraham’s envoy had done the needful rites by giving gifts to the appropriate parties, they celebrated their victory. “Then he (Eliezer) and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent the night there. When they got up the next morning, he said, “Send me on my way to my master.” But her brother and her mother replied, “Let the young woman remain with us ten days or so; then you may go.” But he said to them, “Do not detain me, now that the Lord has granted success to my journey. Send me on my way so I may go to my master.” Then they said, “Let’s call the young woman and ask her about it.” So they called Rebekah and asked her, “Will you go with this man?” “I will go,” she said. (Genesis 24:54‭-‬58).

Rebekah’s decision to go with Abraham’s servant was the tie breaker. She was certain of her choice.  She had no doubt that she had made the right choice and she was not worried or scared to go at  once and be with her husband. Rebekah was ready and willing.  She was prepared emotionally and physically. Her marriage happened suddenly but she was so sure that she was willing to leave her parents’ home just the following day. Making life-changing decisions like this requires an amount of faith, determination and preparedness. When Rebekah said, “I will go”, she literally confirmed her willingness and readiness for marriage and her acceptance of Isaac as her husband. Rebekah’s decision did not relocate her from her father’s house to her husband’s house, it ultimately changed her story and she became part of God’s bigger story. In the future, her descendents will be used by God to return humanity to Himself. The loss of Eden and the restoration back to God continued through the descendants of Rebekah. 

“I will go” sounds so easy to say but it comes with the readiness to embrace the unknown future and accept God’s will for your life. Like the marital vows, “I will” changes the single man and woman to a married couple with a one flesh mentality. “I will (go)” does not automatically remove all the barriers. In fact, when crossing the waters with your partner, it is still “I will go”; when in the valleys of life, or the plains of life, or the mountains of life, the charge remains the same, “I will go.” God did not promise Rebekah that the journey would be easy because she was ready and willing. But as we will see in our subsequent post, through the high and low moments, God still proved Himself faithful. Rebekah was never alone!

Rebekah: A speedy answer to prayers

Have you ever experienced a fast answer to prayer? How was your reaction? In our previous posts we saw Sarah whose desire to have a child lingered for years even though God had promised her a child. The child was born at God’s appointed time. The delay was not a pleasant experience and Sarah became impatient in waiting. Until you find yourself in a difficult situation, you might be the first to accuse Sarah of impatience. But if you go through a similar situation and stay till the end, then you are a real warrior. Isaac was old enough to marry but Abraham didn’t want his son to marry among the Canaanites. He told Eliezer, his senior servant, “I want you to swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, but will go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac.” (Genesis 24:3‭-‬4). How is that possible? Eliezer had lived with Abraham and understood that God’s hand is with his master. He had learned from experience that his master Abraham had a special covenant with God. Eliezer had encountered how God miraculously blessed his master with Isaac. With this knowledge, even though the current task looked daunting,  Eliezer was certain that the God of his master would give him victory. 

Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milkah, who was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor. (Genesis 24:15)

As Eliezer and his entourage got to the city of Nahor he prayed, “Lord, God of my master Abraham, make me successful today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. May it be that when I say to a young woman, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too’—let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.” (Genesis 24:12‭-‬14). Eliezer’s faith was based on what he had experienced through Abraham. “Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milkah, who was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor. The woman was very beautiful, a virgin; no man had ever slept with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar and came up again. The servant hurried to meet her and said, “Please give me a little water from your jar.” “Drink, my Lord,” she said, and quickly lowered the jar to her hands and gave him a drink. After she had given him a drink, she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels too, until they have had enough to drink.” (Genesis 24:15‭-‬19). Indeed Eliezer received rocket speed response to his prayers. 

Rebekah was no ordinary woman. She was very beautiful, a virgin and a hard working young woman. A typical camel can drink at least 20 gallons of water at a time. Eliezer and his entourage had 10 camels and Rebekah gave them water until they had had enough. In simple mathematics,  Rebekah might have fetched water worth about 200 gallons for the camels. Fetching the water from the well to the feeding troughs for the camels to drink was a whole work. Rebekah gladly did it without complaining. In fact, she volunteered  her services willingly. Rebekah was not just beautiful, but she was strong, determined and willing to go the extra mile. If Isaac needed a wife, certainly Rebekah is the perfect match. Eliezer was stunned and “without saying a word, the man watched her closely to learn whether or not the Lord had made his journey successful. When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a beka and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels. Then he asked, “Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?” She answered him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son that Milkah bore to Nahor.” And she added, “We have plenty of straw and fodder, as well as room for you to spend the night.” (Genesis 24:21‭-‬25).

Eliezer must have been super excited. God led him to the right person. Rebekah was homely, she informed Eliezer that  we have straw and fodder for your camels and a place for you to sleep. Her kindness, goodness and determination to help was outstanding. Rebekah was an answer to a prayer and she demonstrated her readiness with her character. God wants the best for His children. If you want God to bless you with His very best, be ready like Rebekah to go the extra mile in service. The answer to your prayers might be your willingness to go the extra mile.