Grandparents - Nahor, MilcahFather - BethuelHusband - IsaacSons - Esau and JacobBrother - Leban. So Jacob set out to go to the home of Rebekahs brother. She seems to have some input into the marriage negotiations, or at least into the decision about her departure from her homeland and birth family (24:5758). What has the author Rebecca Jones written? Genesis 14:13 And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's kinsman, and that he was Rebekah's son, and she ran and told her father. She will do what it takes to ensure her children have what they need. While Jacob received the blessing, he found himself stuck in the cycle of deceit which had followed him and would continue within his household, but which started with fleeing for his life from an enraged brother, Jacob would never see his parents again. Again, Esau made a foolish decision by going to Ishmael to find a wife. Genesis 27:43-28:2. Does this sound familiar to anyone? Have an update or correction? Rebekah took the best garments of Esau her older son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son (Genesis 27:15). After the servant praised God, Rebekah ran home to tell her mother what she had seen. Rebekah spake unto Jacob Rebekah is here contriving to procure the blessing for Jacob, which was designed for Esau. Often the women who appear in the Bible are unnamed. Q. Episode 86: Fat Torah with Minna Bromberg. One of Rebekah's punishments was, that after she sent Jacob to Uncle Laban's to escape Esau's death threat, she never saw him again. As he was praying, Rebekah came,gave the servant and his camels a drink and as a result because his wife. School Liberty University. Many years later, however, Esau forgave Jacob. (See also the midwives in Exodus 1 and Rahab in Joshua 2.) Fanfiction Fantasy Vampires Elijah Bella Swan Vampire Diaries Crossover Time Stood Vampire Twilight. There is no record that Rebekah ever sees Jacob again, but her actions do yield a rich reward for the future nation of Israel. They used their children as pawns and established teams, winners, and losers. Genesis 18:1 And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; And Jacob came unto Isaac his father, unto Mature, which is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned, Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular, Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular, Isaac -- 'he laughs', son of Abraham and Sarah, Mamre -- a place in Palestine, also an ally of Abraham, Kiriath-arba -- 'city of the four', an older name of Hebron, Hebron -- 'association, league', a city in southern Judah, Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that, Abraham -- 'exalted father', the father of the Jewish nation, Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular, Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular, To turn aside from the road, sojourn, to shrink, fear, to gather for, hostility. Alter, Robert. Hes the One who has kept you from having children. - Genesis 30:1-2. Here was a weak point in this godly family. Rebekah Mikaelson (Elder Futhark: ) is the former female protagonist of The Originals. Special thanks to John R. Cross, The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus, GoodSeed International. Rachel travails of Benjamin, and dies in the way to Edar. The Three Wife-Sister Tales of Genesis. In A Prelude to Biblical Folklore: Underdogs and Tricksters, 2369. Rebekah first watered the camels of Abraham's servant who was sent to find a bride for his son Isaac. Sometime yus nurse Deborah died and was buried. Esau and Jacob would reunite one day, but the mistrust and lack of foundational affection was evident. Jacob's Arrival in Canaan. Ask: Who else did we learn about who did this same thing? Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women. Fortunately, while we cannot trust human beings to bring Gods purposes to fruition in their own strength (not Rebekah, and not any mother), we can rely on God to bring his good works to completion. Along with the help of his mother Rebekah, Jacob deceived his father in order to uphold the covenant. Her relationship with her husband is consistently monogamous, unlike the other matriarchs of Genesis: Sarah, who provides her husband with the slave wife Hagar and perhaps has extramarital sex with the pharaoh; and Rachel and Leah, who are co-wives and also provide slave wives to Jacob. Rebekah did not tell Isaac that Esau threatened Isaac. He turned the stone that was under his head up on its side to be a pillar. Gen 28:5 Then Isaac sent Jacob off, and he went to Paddan-aram, to Laban the son of Betuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, mother of Jacob and Esau. So He let Leah have children. Application: We must remember that sin always hurts people. We should trust God, rather than take charge. Likewise, Jacob paid for his deception by having to leave his home. Battle Of Calais, 1944, He told her who he was, and Rachel ran home to tell her family about him. Find out more about herhere. Laban brought Jacob home to stay with him. Explain your answer. Zavada, Jack. She said she was sending Jacob to Haran because she had wearied of Esau 's Hittite wives and wanted Jacob to marry a woman from her family . Jacob had to know and trust God for himself. Once she arrives in the promised land, she enters Isaacs home (called his mother Sarahs tent, 24:67). Jacob helped Rachel water her sheep. There are many women in Scripture who do extraordinary things. Just like his grandfather had, he took matters into his own hands. When Abimelech asked Isaac of Rebekah, he told them that she was his sister, so that he might not be killed because of her beauty. But in context of the entire book of Genesis, the motives of the two parents are quite different. Bethuel (father), Laban (older brother), Milcah (grandmother), Abraham (grand uncle/father-in-law), Reuben, Judah, Levi, Naphtali, Issachar, Zebulun, Simeon, Dan, Gad, Asher, Joseph, Benjamin, Dinah. Instruct our children, rather than run interference for them. "'Behold your brother Esau is consoling himself concerning you by planning to kill you. Rebekah was Isaacs wife and Jacob and Esaus mother. One cannot blame Rebekah for the choices her children made or lay all parental blame on her. Genesis 28:5 And Isaac sent away Jacob: and he went to Padanaram unto Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob's and Esau's mother. When Rebekah died, she was buried in the family tomb, a cave near Mamre in Canaan, the resting place of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, and her daughter-in-law Leah. However, a long time later, Abimelech saw Isaac showing love to his wife, and he told Isaac to tell the truth, which he did confess that Rebekah was not his sister, but his wife. Since Jacob was smooth and Esau was hairy, Rebekah told Jacob to wear a fur, which Isaac would mistake for the older boys hairy skin. He promised to give back to God one tenth of everything God gave to him. - Isaiah 25:1. Getting , through fleshly means, never really works out. Because of the centrality of Rebekah, in contrast to Isaac, the ancestral sequence might more accurately be called Abraham, Rebekah, and Jacob. Each person must own and repent of his or her sin individually. Jacob went along with his mothers deceptive plan. [Gen 27:24] "And Esau (sic Jacob) again unashamedly answered, "I am."' This narrative, similar in many ways to two such accounts about Sarah, at first seems to contribute little to the role or character of Rebekah. Remember, Rebekahs family lived in Paddan Aram. Ratings 100% (1) 1 out of 1 people found this document helpful. Use your free hand to pull away the bandana (AND pull away the candy hidden by the bandana). Then God listened to Rachel. Furthermore, Rebekah is said to have had a nurse (Gen 35:8), a highly unusual circumstance in the Hebrew Bible and one that thus signifies her unusual stature. I do not know the day of my . And Esau said, I have enough, my brother; keep that thou hast unto thyself. Laban ran out to greet his nephew. May He increase your numbers until you become a community of nations. But Rebekah never saw her beloved Jacob again. Engar, Ann W. Old Testament Women as Tricksters. The Bucknell Review 33 (1990): 143157. Isaac loved Esau, but Rebekah favored Jacob more. God came to him in a dream and spoke to him. And Isaac sent away Jacob: and he went to Padanaram unto Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob's and Esau's mother. Email: soccer@maestrosoccer.com, Maestro Soccer In this we see that God does not insulate us from the consequences of our actions. She became pregnant. Another tradition declares that Rebekah originally should have given birth to 12 sonsthe fathers of the 12 tribesbut after the birth of Esau she became barren again (Pesik. He showed concern for her. Then you can take over the land where you now live as an outsider. Along with the help of his mother Rebekah, Jacob deceived his father in order to uphold the covenant. Course Title BIBL 410. And he said, These are to find grace in the sight of my lord. Adelman, Rachel. This oracle foreshadows the tensions that will characterize the relationship between her sons, Jacob and Esau, as figures in the Genesis narrative and as eponymous ancestors of Israel and Edom. God saw the broken heart of Leah. 23 June 2021. But, then he agreed to marry Rachel's servant girl. Thus, by suggesting the ruse that achieves this, Rebekah is carrying out Gods will. It signifies the important role of the senior woman in a family household, at least when considered from a female perspective, as does the use of the phrase his mother Sarahs tent for Isaacs home. We will see that in the years that followed, the two sisters suffered greatly because of Labans deceptive plot. You may want to practice in front of a mirror. We know she didnt trust Him, not just in this emergency, but generally. The Lord saw that Jacob didnt love Leah as much as he loved Rachel. Esau despised his birthright (Genesis 25:34). In His kindness, He gave a son to Rachel. So she became jealous of her sister. However, do not miss the fact that sin always has consequences. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milkah, who was the wife of Abrahams brother Nahor. At that point she shows her faith in God and it says in 25:22 that because of this she went and inquired of the LORD. God had already told the couple that the blessing would go to Jacob. I worked for you to get Rachel, didnt I? You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. Another type-scene, that of the barren wife, thus enters the Rebekah story, calling attention to the special role of the children ultimately born to her. Ephesians 5:22 says, Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord., Isaac avoided conflict by avoiding honest conversation, so Rebekah had made a habit of eavesdropping. He came to a well near Haran. Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2015. If you missed the previous parts of this study, you can find the previous posts HERE. c. 1896-1902. It always blows up in one's face. Candice Luceyis a freelance writer from British Columbia, Canada, where she lives with her family. Just the same, it is not enough for our parents, grandparents, brothers, or sisters know the Lord. The Lord stood above the stairway. The authors were told there was no interest in their devotional for women. Jacob was overjoyed to meet his cousin. Say: Okay, look up Psalm 33:4 (For the word of the Lord is right and true; He is faithful in all He does. Point to Bethel. While quiet JacobRebekah's favoriteprefers the more ordered life around the tents (vs. 27-28). This would have made Rebekah a great-niece to Abraham and second cousin to Isaac. I am with you. But her story is more extensive; she is a dynamic character in a long narrative describing how she becomes Isaac's wife. - Genesis 29:20. I am the God of your grandfather Abraham and the God of Isaac. Chapter 16: Jacob and Esau. I will honor You. Laban told Jacob that he could also marry Rachel. The very idea is enough to persuade Isaac to order Jacob to avoid such a marriage and to send him to Rebekah's family to find a God-fearing wife. Jacob was allowed to marry Rachel one week later, but Jacob had to stay with Laban and work another seven years for her. yes, Bella, Jacob, then Bella again. PDF THE STORY JACOB: THE TO PADDAN-ARAM - abiblecommentary.com When Esau discovered Jacob and Rebekah's deceit, he planned to kill Jacob. Two millennia of Jewish and Christian biblical interpretation have focused largely on the male ancestorsthe patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Rebekah later became the mother of Jacob and Esau and she helped Jacob deceive Isaac into giving Jacob the family blessing. No, Rebekkah's deceit caused her to have to send Jacob away, because Esau out of jealousy was going to kill Jacob. He may say, Thats not fair! or you can ask the group, Is that fair? Say: I promised him the candy if he found the verse first. Leah was older, and she had weak eyes. (Genesis 27:2-4) Isaac s action alerted Rebekah and she conspired with Jacob to seize Esau s birthright. Spurgeon said cunning seems to have been stamped in them by their progenitors. The family was deeply entrenched in a cycle of generational deceit. (2021, February 8). What does this mean emulate what you respect in your friends? Wing Commander: Privateer, She said, God has taken my shame away. - Genesis 30:22-23. God hears the cries of His people (Exodus 3:7). Mothers and Sons in Ancient Israel. In Ihr Vlker alle, klatscht in die Hnde! Festschrift fr Erhard S. Gerstenberger Zum 65. Indeed, Jewish tradition in general elevates her, considering her a righteous woman and even a prophet. Rebekah is far more dynamic and proactive than Isaac, for whom no independent episode is reported. Genesis 14:13 And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederate with Abram. The story of the wooing of Rebekah unfolds in Genesis 24, the longest chapter in the Book of Genesis. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. We and our partners store and/or access information on a device, such as cookies and process personal data, such as unique identifiers and standard information sent by a device for personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, and audience insights, as well as to develop and improve products. Help us elevate the voices of Jewish women. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1987. So he said to Laban, What have you done to me? Perhaps neither man was prepared to trust the other. So, Jacob fled to the house of his mother's brother, Laban. So Esau went to Isaacs half-brother, Ishmael, and married one of Ishmaels daughters. Do Those Who Commit Suicide Go To Hell? Genesis 27:43-45 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; and arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran; . She was also the sister of Laban and the aunt of Jacob's future wives: Leah and Rachel . Niditch, Susan. (Genesis 25:21, NIV), She was the mother of twin sons, Esau and Jacob, who were the progenitors of two nations In Beth-El he erected an altar at the place where Gd had appeared to him when he fled from Esau. Genesis 13:18 Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD. Why Was it Important for Joseph to End Up in Egypt? The second (after Sarah) of the matriarchs in the ancestor stories of Genesis, Rebekah is one of the most prominent womenin terms of her active role and her control of eventsin the Hebrew Bible. She disguised him with the skins of [] young goats (Genesis 27:16) and now the boy was ready to deceive his father. Isaac favours Esau because he is a great manager of things in the physical domain. Esau was a hunter who did not care about the things that should have been most important to him. Rebekah came up with a plan to ensure that Jacob received the blessing from the aged Isaac. Isaac was gentle, too gentle to encounter opposition. Both he and Rebekah were true believers according to Spurgeon, but Isaac sinned in that he was forgetful of the mind of God. Both of them were guilty of this sin. Those few days, however, turned into 20 years and Rebekah never lived to see her "favorite son", Jacob, again. Obviously, Isaac engaged in underhanded operations as well. Jacobs twin brother, Esau, felt that he should have the blessing. (See also the midwives in Exodus 1 and Rahab in Joshua 2.) However, it does differentiate her in a significant way from Sarah; in one of the two wife-sister episodes in which she figures (Gen 12:1314, 19), Sarah seems to have had sexual relations with Pharaoh to ensure the safety of her husband and their household, although this is not the case in the second wife-sister story involving Sarah (Gen 20: 18). Neither brother would see the other for many years. Later, as Isaac was dying and his eyesight had failed, Rebekah helped Jacob deceive Isaac into blessing him instead of Esau. Her agency continues when she bears twins and secures the birthright for her favored son. Here are some mistakes Rebekah made: 1. Rebekah's deception caused strife between Esau and Jacob. Then the servant had a second son named Naphtali. As soon as you find the verse, stand up. Many years later, Esau was able to forgive Jacob. This quality helped her become Isaac's wife but caused trouble when she pushed one of her sons ahead of the other. - TheTorah.com Once again, as God's "providence" would have it, Rebekah hears (from an unmentioned source) of Esau's plans to kill Jacob as soon as Isaac dies. In addition, Rebekahs behavior in Genesis 24 is depicted by a series of action verbsshe runs, draws water, fills jars, and rides a camelthat contribute to a sense of her individuality and vitality in contrast to Isaacs passivity. THE PENTATEUCH PART I: GENESIS LESSON 13: Genesis 27:46-30:24 Jacob's Journey from Refugee Son to Patriarch Part I Lesson 12 Genesis Lessons List Lesson 14 Beloved Father, Guide us in our study of the journey of Your servant Jacob, a man who struggled with his sinful human nature but who, through trials and sufferings, learned to trust You and to serve You in faith and obedience. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. He placed the female servants and their children in front followed by Leah and her children. If the end were good, the means were bad, and no way justifiable. Remember, he was a homebody who always stayed near to his mother. Charles Spurgeon points out that Rebekah and Isaac lacked confidence in God, in doing the right thing, or in their respective spouses. Main Point: God is faithful to keep His promises, even when people fail. She became pregnant with twins after years of infertility In Genesis 27:5-7, Rebecca overhears Isaac tell Esau, "Bring me venison and prepare a savoury food, that I may eat, and bless thee before the L ORD before my death." So Jacob gets directed to HER brother Labans family and goes and marries his first cousin Rachel AND Leah. - Genesis 28:13-15. When Jacob woke up, he was amazed at the things God had said. I will give you and your children after you the land on which you are lying. In verses 14 through 25, we see Jacob carrying out Rebekah's plan. Rebekah was Isaac's wife and Jacob and Esau's mother. Lord, You are my God. He sent his servant to the city of Nahor to find her. Did Rebekkah ever see Jacob again? Jack Zavada is a writer who covers the Bible, theology, and other Christianity topics. Rachel's servant had a son and Rachel named him Dan. She will do what it takes to ensure her children have what they need. Q. Unfortunately after many years of marriage, Rebekah and Isaac did not have any children. I will watch over you everywhere you go. There is no record that Rebekah ever sees Jacob again, but her actions do yield a rich reward for the future nation of Israel. Next, Leah had Levi, and then she had Judah. Jacob was very concerned with his heritage and the blessing of his father. 10. Rebekah later became the mother of Jacob and Esau and she helped . Afterwards, the servant gave her a golden nose ring and two bracelets and he asked whose daughter she was and she replied her father was Bethuel and she offered him straw, feed and lodging in her home. We receive a hint for this in 27:27 where Isaac rejoices that Esau smells is like the smell of the fields which the Lord sanctified. Isaac was forty when he married Rebekah. In Beth-El he erected an altar at the place where Gd had appeared to him when he fled from Esau. She agreed to go back with the servant and became Isaac's wife. Honor our husband, rather than deceive him. If God did not use imperfect people, who would He use? When Abraham was getting very old, he sent his oldest servant to find a wife for his son Isaac, from among the women of Abraham's home land. (Genesis 24:15, NIV). Did rebekah ever see jacob again explain your answer. "In their eagerness to find material for separate documents, or evi- dence of duplicate accounts, the critics seem to be ever Probably not, she is never mentioned again as being alive when Jacob returned and she never sent for him (27:45) No, Rebekkah's deceit caused her to have to send Jacob away, because Esau out of jealousy was going to kill Jacob. Through clever manipulation, whereby Isaac is deceived, she achieves her purpose and controls the family destiny. There she is loved (24:67) by her husband, the first woman in the Hebrew Bible for whom marital love is proclaimed. As Esau advanced, Jacob went ahead and bowed seven times to his approaching brother. Finally he arrived in the area of Paddan Aram. --Better rendered Kirjath-arba in Genesis 23:2, where see Note. Then, when Rebecca proposes that Jacob disguise himself as Esau in order to "steal" his berachah (blessing) from Isaac, Jacob protests-not because of the deception involved, but because he fears getting caught and consequently cursed by his father. (Gen 25:28.) Instead he got something he really did not want. The term mothers household, for example, appears in 24:28. Finally, Rebekah conceived and she gave birth to twins: Esau and Jacob.
