CENTRAL THOUGHT
Our actions must be guided by the word of God and the fear of the Lord.
HYMN: I AM THINE, O LORD
Text: Genesis 24:15-25, 27:1-46
INTRODUCTION:
Rebekah was the young woman who became the wife of Isaac, Abraham’s son. She came from a well to do family in upper Mesopotamia, now North-Eastern Syria. She was the daughter of Bethuel, a relative of Abraham; her family background is given in Genesis 22:20-23. Rebekah’s
humility and hospitality earned
her favor before Eleazar, Abraham’s servant. It was common courtesy to give a drink to a stranger, but it took added character to also fetch water for ten thirsty camels. In the study, we shall be looking at her character and attitude, with the view of deriving some lessons.
LESSON OBJECTIVES
The objectives of this study are:
1. To know who Rebekah was.
2. To identify her shining qualities as a girl and a wife.
3. To examine her character and draw some lessons from them.
Bible truth:
Q1. WHO WAS REBEKAH IN THE BIBLE?
Genesis 24:15-20, 24, 67
Rebekah was the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah which she bore unto Nahor Abraham’s brother. She became the wife of Isaac, and mother of Esau and Jacob.
Rebekah was dutiful, chaste, respectful, humble, loyal, loving, obedient, hospitable, good, smart, strong, wise, and faithful.
Q2. HOW DID REBEKAH TREAT ABRAHAM’S SERVANT – ELIEZER, ANY LESSON.
Genesis 24:15-25; Leviticus 19:34; Hebrews 13:1-2
Rebekah treated Abraham’s servant well. She fitted into Eliezer’s prayer and did according to all his desire for the woman who was to marry his master’s son. She did not mind whether he was a stranger; she treated him respectfully.
We should prayerfully do good to all that come across our way for we may at the same time entertain angels unawares.
However, we should be careful the way we receive strangers today because many people especially believers have suffered untold hardship spiritually and physically while trying to show hospitality. We should be wise and prayerfully allow God to lead us to those we can entertain as He did to Rebekah. There is no doubt that Satan has dispersed his demons and human agents to encounter God’s plan of hospitality but God also is there to give His children grace to discern, and wisdom to reject demonic strangers.
Q3. AS A WIFE, HOW WAS REBEKAH TO ISAAC? ANY LESSON FOR TODAY’S WOMAN? “And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent and took Rebekah and she became his wife and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.” Rebekah was a wife to Isaac and comforted him. Wives of today should be a source of comfort to their husbands. She was loyal and submissive to her husband in the face of challenges.
In situations of delayed child bearing, we should encourage ourselves with the scripture. Deuteronomy 7:14, “….there shall not be male or female barren among you…” Believers are expected to solely depend on God who has promised that there shall be no barrenness. Rather than trading blames, partners should pray for each other as Isaac entreated the Lord for Rebekah, Genesis 25:20-21. Patience is also required by those who have such challenge in their homes seeing that God is faithful to fulfill His promise in His own time. Sarah, Rebekah, Elizabeth and Hannah are all examples of God’s faithfulness. We have also heard and seen many women in our time that had their babies after many years of marriage. Such believers should prayerfully and expectantly wait on the Lord. Abraham waited for 25 years before he received the promise child. Like Apostle Paul, we should be fully persuaded that what He had promised, He is able also to perform, Romans 4:21.
Q4a. READ GENESIS 25:22, 28, 27:1-46 AND EXAMINE REBEKAH’S DISPOSITION WITH REGARD TO HER FAMILY’S HARMONY?
Rebekah had faith in God that when the children struggled in her womb, she enquired of the Lord. However, she expressed more love for Jacob than Esau; by conniving with Jacob to rob Esau of their father’s blessing.
A lesson to learn from Rebekah is to enquire of the Lord whenever we have challenges of any kind instead of using other means for solution.
The second lesson is that as parents we should strive to give every child their fair share of things in the home especially love knowing that love is the fulfillment of the law. We should not play any partial role in the family. God had earlier declared that the elder would serve the younger. So Rebekah’s connivance with Jacob to take Esau’s blessing was not what brought Jacob the needed blessing rather it brought hatred, division envy and attempted murder by Esau.
Q4b. DISCUSS WHETHER REBEKAH PLAYED ANY ROLE IN THE PLAN OF GOD CONCERNING GOD’S PROMISE TO ABRAHAM THAT THROUGH HIS SEED ALL NATIONS SHALL BE BLESSED?
Romans 9:8-13
Rebekah played a big role in the plan of God concerning God’s promise to Abraham that through his seed all nations shall be blessed not because she cheated on the elder son but that God in His divine plan had made it so. As the wife of the promised seed (Isaac) Rebekah was the mother of Jacob (Israel) through whom the promise was established. God has a purpose for our individual lives, regardless of the situation we find ourselves in, He can, through it, work out His eternal purpose.
Daily Living Application:
Rebekah was a very faithful woman. Her faithfulness to the Lord was demonstrated in her hospitality and loyalty to her husband. She had faith in God and waited patiently for God to bless her with Isaac. Her example is worthy of emulation. Christians (especially women) should learn to trust God for challenges of life in the family. When it comes to the issue of delayed child bearing, the believer should avoid visiting ‘prophets’, ‘prayer houses’, and so on, because Satan has used this to destroy homes. They should put their trust in the unfailing word of God whose timing is different from man’s timing.
Memory verse:
Hebrews 13:2
“Be not forgetful to entertain strangers; for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”
Daily Devotional Guide:
Monday: Maintain godly character.
Genesis 24:15-20; 1 Timothy 6:6
Tuesday: God rewards faithfulness
Wednesday: Children are God’s gifts, wait on Him.
Psalm 127:3-5
Thursday: Be hospitable.
Hebrews 13:2-3; Genesis 18:2-10
Friday: God answers prayers.
Isaac 58:9; Psalm 65:2, 99:6
Saturday: God will keep His words/promises.
Isaac 55:8-13