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| Author: Dele Oke

Rebekah - Women of the Bible

Genesis Chapters 24 - 27
The wife of Isaac. A woman of godly character but not without her human weaknesses.

Abraham, Isaac's father, had sent his trusted servant back to his country and people to choose a wife for his son. Remember Abraham was now living in the land of Cannan.

Abraham's servant went back to Abraham's country, sought God for guidance and immediately came in contact with a very godly young girl (Genesis 24).

Rebekah, inspired by nothing more than a caring heart, drew water, not only for the servant but also for his carmel's. Supplying water for thirsty camels is a very demanding job.

Rebekah, who was described as very beautiful, put her self through a lot of hard work for no apparent gain. She was a woman of godly character. Something of great worth in God's sight (1 Peter 3:3-4).

As a woman of God, the greatest investment you can make in your life is that of a godly character (1 Timothy 4: 7-8). Let the word of God remould your life. It's in seeking God that you will find fulfilment(1 Timothy 6: 6). As you seek the kingdom of God all other things will be added unto you (Matthew 6:33).

This is the secret to a fulfilled life that so many women have missed. The godliness in Rebekah is what opened the door to her destiny. She was not sitting there complaining of her situation, but rather allowed the love of God to shape her life. As the fruit of the spirit takes root in your life so shall the favour of God follow (Galatians 5:22). As you draw close to God, God will draw close to you. When God is close to you favour will follow (James 4:8)

After providing Abraham's servants with water, Rebekah assured him that there was enough room in her parents house to accommodate him and his carmel's for the night. Again, her kind heart led her to help a stranger. This again exposed her to the blessing of God (Hebrews 13:1-2).

After Abraham's servant made his mission clear to Rebekah's parents they agreed to give her hand in marriage. Notice that she was consulted about this decision and it was only her consent that made it possible. Her discernment led her to make the right choice (Genesis 24:47-60).

According to the culture of the day, Rebekah's initial accepting of the nose ring (Genesis 24:47) was a clear sign of the servant's intention and her acceptance of it.

Woman of God. There are many decisions in life that you are going to have to make. Sometimes making the right one is vital. The closer you get to God, the better the chance of you have of making the right choice.

Rebekah followed the servant back to Isaac and became his wife (Genesis 24:66).

A close relationship between a man and a woman in marriage is vital. Together you can lift one another up spiritually, physically and emotionally. When one is down the other can lift the person up.

This was true of Isaac and Rebekah. Rebekah was barren and Isaac prayed for her and God heard his prayer (Genesis 25:21). Couples need to lift each other up in prayer. There are times when it is your prayers that will help your partner.

Rebekah was a woman of prayer and had no less access to God than Isaac did. Indeed we see her seeking God's face over the issue of her children and getting a clear answer (Genesis 25: 22-25). Maybe she had gained her confidence back after becoming pregnant.

Couples need to support one another. Taking support from your partner is not a sign of weakness. Rebekah could certainly hear from God directly, nevertheless she still allowed Isaac to do it when it regarded child birth. My guess is that they had both been praying for children together and as discouragement set in Isaac took it up more aggressively.

Notice that this was not an easy period for the couple. Even with Isaac's prayer it still took twenty years of marriage before Rebekah had her children (Genesis 25:19-21,26).

Patience is always necessary in receiving from God. Patience is human endurance coupled with God's grace which combines to give us the ability to seek God's face in prayer, without giving up, until the answer is received (James 5: 7-8). Rebekah was a woman of patience. She was also a woman who knew when to lean on her husband. This was part of her strength.

God's favour continued to abide with Rebekah. Being a beautiful woman she soon ran into the same problem Sarah faced. God protected her (Genesis 26: 7-11). Incidentally Isaac showed the same weakness that was in his father Abraham. He too cowardly lied about the true identity of his wife.

A godly woman should know the weaknesses in her husband and pray about them. Do not allow them room to affect or even destroy your marriage. Every human being has weaknesses. We should not resent the weaknesses in our partner but rather prayerfully guard against them. Rebekah was soon to show her weaknesses.

It was Rebekah who pushed Jacob, her son, into deceiving his father and stealing his brothers blessing (Genesis 27:2-13). This resulted in great conflict in the home (Genesis 27:41-43).

Isaac and Rebekah made the same mistake that many parents make; they chose favourites among their children. This is something that all parents should guide against. The results of such actions can cause conflicts in your home that can go on for many years. You have been warned!

Questions

1. What good qualities do you see in Rebekah?
2. What is godly character?
3. What are the merits of allowing God to refine our characters?
4. How did Rebekah cope with unanswered prayers in her life?
5. What does it mean to have patience?
6. What is the danger of having favourites among our children?
7. What weaknesses did you notice in the life of Rebekah?
8. How should couples support themselves during times of hardship?