Tag Archives: Rebekah

Friday Bible Study Notes

Genesis 27: Rebekah, Protector of the Promise

Scene 1 v1-4 Isaac prepares to bless Esau

Blessing bestows physical property and tribal leadership. Isaac will follow social norms and bless his eldest son – however, normally done in a gathering of whole family – so Deception 1 – Isaac keeps arrangements private and attempts to thwart God’s plan (25:23)

Scene 2 v5-17 Rebekah schemes for Jacob

Rebekah overhears – is this sneaky? or social norm where women are confined to inner tent and not consulted? As Issac seeks to subvert God’s plan, Rebekah sees a way to keep that plan, “the younger shall serve the older” on track – but it also involves deception! Are these the ploys that vulnerable powerless people have to use?

In addition – is she righting Isaac’s failure to provide a suitable endogamous marriage for Esau?

“Obey my word” –  Mother’s boy? Tied to apron strings? Resolute? resourceful? 

Jacob fears discovery and the power of a curse – Rebekah, self-sacrificial? courageous? reassuring? practical. 

Scene 3 v18-25 Jacob deceives Isaac

Tension – uncertainty – suspicion – hearing – touch – smell – deception 2

Blessing – land, abundance, leadership, curse, blessing, 

Scene 4 v 30-40 Isaac & Esau grief 

Esau arrives too late, and Isaac realises the moment he is offered more food – no doubts for either about who has deceived them. 

Esau begs a blessing – but the original can not be taken back – he is to live away from earth’s riches, serve his brother, and throw off his yoke. 

Scene 5 41- 48 Rebekah: Protector of the Blessing

Rebekah overhears Esau platting to kill and Jacob. 

Instructs Jacob – advises Isaac – reassures Jacob – circumvents Esau. 

they will never meet again.

“Rebekah is truly a remarkable women. Having shown that in leaving her country and her kin her trust was equal to that of Abraham, she now challenges social mores in order to ensure that God’s plan will be accomplished, and she does this more than once. In violation of hierarchical standing in the family, she manoeuvres her second-born son into the position of privilege, thus demonstrating that social customs can sometimes be a hindrance to the working of God in the lives of women and men. Although ordinarily the primary man in the household arranges marriages, it is Rebekah who steps forward to do so on behalf of her new blessed son. She also saves the lineage determined by God by preventing the violent death of this son.” Bergant p115

Friday Bible Study Notes

Genesis 25: Isaac & Rebekah

The beginning of  a series of conflict tales – Esau v Jacob, Isaac and the Wells, Rebekah & Jacob v Esau, Jacob v Laban, Jacob, Leah, Rachel v Laban, Jacob v YHWH, Jacob v Esau.

v 19 Isaac’s descent 

v 20 Rebekah’s descent

v 21 barrenness again. Despite the careful arrangements to ensure “good stock” “ there are no natural guarantees for the future and no way to secure inheritance” (Bruggemann) 

“The role of the mother and father in this birth narrative is prayer. It is their task to cast themselves solely on God. To pay as they must is to know that life is given as a gift.”  cf John 1:12-13, James 1:18, 

“When Jacob and Esau are born, their life is already decisively shaped by this Other One to whom their parents pray. their life is encompassed in a mystery of graciousness before they see the light of day” (WB) 

v22 “struggle” – ‘means “smash” or “crash against” implying a violent encounter … represent the rivalry of siblings, the strife between two opposing nations, and the conflict between two competing ways of life.” (Dianne Bergant)

Jacob, “is born to a kind of restlessness so that he must always insist, grasp, and exploit. His life is trouble not only for himself but for those around him” (WB) 

v23 this struggle will reverse social customs of primogeniture. “the first will be last and the last will be first”

God does not align Gods-self only with the obviously valued ones, the first born. Matt 5:3-7. Social privilege is not to be taken for granted in the way God orders matters. Human conventions are not to be taken for granted.

“God chose what is low and despised in the world to bring to nothing the things that are.” 1 cor 1:28

v24 Esau named for his appearance, Jacob for his character – “supplanter,” which is often interpreted as someone who seizes, circumvents, or usurps. or “heel, – one who kicks his way out.”

v27 The boys have different ways of life – hunter/urban, rough/sophisticated, loud/quiet, irresponsible & boorish/shrewd and sophisticated, Edom\Israel

v 28 The parents have chosen sides. 

“Jacob is a scandal from the beginning. the powerful grace of God is a scandal. It upsets the way we would organise life.”

v 29 The brothers negotiate what God has already determined! 

  • Jacob drives a hard bargain – but Esau gets his food
  • Esau/Edom is destined for pottage and no more – Jacob/Israel is destined for birthright. Birthright concerns security, prosperity, fertility, and land.
  • Esau is hungry and can not wait, Jacob may also be hungry – but he can wait. Waiting can be done if one trusts God and does not doubt the outcome
  • contrast between material blessings that can be taken managed and controlled and well-being that must be received only as a gift. “Here (but not always in his life) Jacob is a man who will depend not on seizing  and grasping but the sureness of God’s promise. 

Hebrews 11:20-21 – By faith Isaac invoked blessings for the future on Jacob and Esau. 21 By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, “bowing in worship over the top of his staff.”

Hebrews 12:12-17 See to it that no one becomes like Esau, an immoral and godless person, who sold his birthright for a single meal. You know that later, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, even though he sought the blessing with tears.

Romans 9:6-13 This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as descendants. … Even before they had been born or had done anything good or bad (so that God’s purpose of election might continue,not by works but by his call) she was told, “The elder shall serve the younger.” As it is written,“ I have loved Jacob, but I have hated Esau.”

Friday Bible Study Notes

Genesis 24: Rebekah

This is a long tale, told twice. Abraham has decided that he needs to be proactive in ensuring that there will be future generations, as Isaac has been a bit slow in getting on with things. He entrusts his [unnamed] servant to journey to Abraham’s own people to find the right wife for Isaac. In doing so he puts faith in the servant, but also that God will guide the venture. At the well, we see the wisdom and faithfulness of the servant. He waits at the right place, he offers prayers for guidance and he sets a test that will observe the young woman’s hospitality, and ability to work hard. Offering water to a train of camels is (apparently) no easy matter! In doing so, he discovers Rebekah, not only is she from the right family and is wise enough to allow the correct protocols to be followed, but she is ready for a new adventure. 

Walter Brueggemann says of this encounter that it is a story of faith set “between the old place abandoned and the new place not yet received.”

1-9 Preparation & Instruction.

Exogamous marriage – unions between different tribes or clans. Will often involve treaties and the exchange of daughters in marriage to strengthen the ties between the two groups and foster cultural exchange. Often used by groups enjoying a strong sense of identity, not threatened by diversity of change.

Endogamous marriage – unions between people of the same tribe or clan. Groups that practice  this form of marriage determine the degree of blood relationship. True siblings rarely marry, Marriages between cousins however are quite common. These marriages ensure the purity of the male bloodline. (Dianne Bergant)

11-27 Servant & Rebekah

The servant trusts God. We have no direct intervention by God, but the servant (and Abraham) trust that God will reveal the right woman to be Isaac’s wife.

Rebekah’s qualities – fair to look upon, a virgin (her dress would show she is unmarried), hardworking, generous, hospitable, and finally – from the right family.

Isaac’s qualities – a gold nose-ring, two gold bracelets.

v 27 & 48  nahah – led. Only occurrence in Genesis. It will return in Exodus and in the Psalms. cf Ps 23 He leads me beside still waters/he restores my soul/He leads me in path of righteousness/for his names sake. 

28-61 Servant and Rebekah’s kin.

running to her mother’s household

Hospitality, Introductions, story repeated for Laban 

– bounded by blessing (v 31,35 & 48,50)

– Laban shares trust in Yahweh (unless you are cynical in which case he puts his trust in the gold and says the right things to make a deal) 

– Even if Laban’s motifs are not pure – God is at work here. v44 “let her be the one whom the Lord has appointed.”

– v50 “The thing comes from the Lord … let her be the wife of your master’s son.”

v 58 “Will you go with this Man” She said, “I will” Rebekah seems to have a degree of choice, her servants on the other hand do not.

62-67 Servant introduces Isaac as my master – has Abraham died?

Rebekah – ground level & veiled. 

Sarah’s tent? Is she still alive, or is tent prepared for new matriarch?

He loved her …  ahem – “covenantal connotations implying an enduring legal commitment”.

“The faith offered her is for those who are willing to be led. The mandate of Abraham (v7) looks back to 12:1, and sets faith precisely where it must be lived, between the old place abandoned and the new place not yet received. In retrospect, such persons are able to confess God’s incredible and prompt attentiveness. (v15: cf Isa 65:24) (Bruggemann)