Rebecca, Amazing Woman of Faith

Rebekah saw a stranger sitting beside the village well. Like most young maidens she had been sent to the well to bring water for the evening meal. On her shoulder she carried a pitcher. She dropped the pitcher into the well on a rope and brought up water.

As Rebekah pulled up her pitcher, the stranger asked if she would give him a drink. He looked tired and thirsty as if he had been on a long journey. “Of course,” Rebecca said as she handed the man her pitcher full of water.

She saw 10 camels lying beside the well. They looked tired and thirsty too. “May I draw water for your camels?” she asked. The stranger nodded with a knowing smile.

You see, the stranger had traveled over 3 months from Canaan to reach the city of Haran. His master had commissioned him to find a wife for Isaac, his son. When he stopped beside the well, he prayed for the Lord’s help. As he prayed, he had an idea. “Lord, show me the maiden I am to choose. When I ask for a drink, she will offer to water my camels as well.”

To draw enough water for 10 camels was a lot of work. Each camel could drink up to 70 gallons of water. Abraham’s servant marveled as Rebekah brought up pitcher after pitcher to pour into the trough until the camels were no longer thirsty.

Rebekah was beautiful. She was about the right age to marry (14 years old). She went about her work happily. Abraha’s servant thought, “Surely this must be the Lord’s choice for Isaacs’s wife.”

Only one question remained. Abraham had specified the maiden should be from his family.

Because of a terrible famine in their area, Isaac and Rebekah had to move. They moved south to Gerar. Abimelech was the name of the king of Gerar. Heathen kings and princes were in the habit of claiming any beautiful woman who caught their fancy.

Abraham’s family was famous for its beautiful women. When Abraham came to Gerar, the king coveted his wife, Sarah, even though she was 90 years old. Now, nearly a century later, Isaac feared the beauty of his wife might cause a similar problem. That a woman was married was of no consequence to these heathens. They could easily have the husband murdered.

So when the king asked Isaac about his wife Isaac said, she is my sister: for he feared to say; she is my wife; Lest the men should kill him for Rebekah; because she was fair to look upon.

After they had lived in Gerar for some time, the king saw Isaac sporting with Rebekah, his wife. Abimelech called Isaac and said, “Surely she is your wife and how did you say she is my sister?” And Isaac told him, “I said it, least I die.”

It was a Hebrew custom to call near relatives “sister” or “brother.” Isaac used this to escape being killed. Isaac followed the same advice the Lord had given to Abraham with Sarah. However, discovering their true relationship, the king commanded, “He who harms this man or his wife will be put to death.”

Later, Rebekah overheard Isaac tell Esau he would give him the blessing belonging to the firstborn. Rebekah knew from a prophecy the Lord had given her before the twins’ birth that Jacob should receive the birthright blessing. Apparently, she could not convince Isaac about the prophecy she received.

She deceived Isaac, whose eyes had become dim with age. She put goat skins on Jacob’s arms and the smooth skin of his neck. Jacob reluctantly put on Esau’s clothes so he would smell like Esau. Jacob brought meat to his father and claimed to be Esau. Isaac did not detect the deception. He gave Jacob the birthright blessing.

Later, Isaac told Esau that Jacob had received the correct blessing. However, Esau would also receive a blessing from his father.

Rebekah’s decision would change her life and her family’s life forever. It would also change the way we look at our world today. Because Jacob’s family became the people who wrote the Bible.

Esau was so angry he was determined to kill Jacob. When Rebekah heard this, she told Jacob he must flee. She suggested he go to Haran and stay with her brother’s family. She hoped Esau’s anger would diminish in time. Then she would send for Jacob.

Rebekah never saw Jacob again. She never met her grandchildren with Jacob. Jacob went to Haran. There he married and fathered 10 sons before he returned to the land of Canaan. By then, Esau had forgiven Jacob and welcomed him home.

The Lord changed Jacob’s name to Israel, and he became the father of the twelve tribes of Israel. Most of the Bible stories are about Jacob’s (Israel’s) family.

Learn more about the 12 Tribes of Israel at: https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-twelve-tribes-of-israel

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