REBEKAH'S PAIN

This is our fourth, and final, portrait of our scriptural sister, Rebekah, daugther of Bethuel, sister of Laban, wife of Isaac, and mother of Jacob and Esau. We've certainly seen Rebekah to be a multi-faceted woman. I deliberately listed all those "titles" because I want us to realize that Rebekah wore many of the same relational "hats" that you and I do - daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother. In each of those relationship roles we are a bit "different," aren't we? Our sibling would know us differently from our parent, our husband or our child. Our child would know us differently from our husband .... you get the picture - we are all multi-faceted women - and many generations ago, our scriptural sister, Rebekah, was too. Within her many relationship roles, Rebekah was a bundle of contradictions.

We have seen her exhibit great personal strength and gracious hospitality as she served Abraham's servant. We have seen her be decisive and strong-willed in her decision to go to Canaan to marry Isaac. We have seen her endure twenty long years of infertility while maintaining a faithful relationship with the husband who fell in love with her at first sight. We have seen her endure a difficult pregnancy and watched her seek the answers she needed directly from God. And we have seen her home life spiral downward into dysfunction after her children were born because she and her husband played the dangerous game of favoritism.

In our last look at Rebekah we saw the most dismal portrait yet. . . one of a deceptive manipulator determined to get what she wanted in life no matter the cost. Sadly, that picture of our strong-willed sister set the stage for this final portrait of Rebekah's life . .. a portrait of pain. . . for what could cause a mother more heartache than to be separated from the child she loves more than life itself? Such was the source of

REBEKAH'S PAIN

After the ruse perpetrated by Rebekah and Jacob to steal Esau's family legacy, Esau immediately began plotting his revenge. Without delay he determined that as soon as their father, Isaac, died he would kill his brother. Rebekah caught wind of Esau's plan and quickly devised a plan to save her precious Jacob. " ... she sent for her younger son Jacob and said to him, Your brother Esau is consoling himself with the thought of killing you. Now then, my son, do what I say: Flee at once to my brother Laban in Haran. Stay with him for a while until your brother's fury subsides." Genesis 27:42-44

I guess we have to admire (at least a little) Rebekah's ability to think on her feet and devise "Plan B." But yet, we also have to see the controlling nature that instigated her decisions. Without a doubt, our sister, Rebekah, was the Queen of Control! All around her lay a carnage of emotional damage - a distraught husband, an enraged and menacing son. I think Rebekah had greatly underestimated the damage her "Plan A" would cause. Rebekah seemed to think only about the now.

Does the weakness of only thinking about now hit as close to home for you as it does for me? I can't count the times I've started "fires" without thinking about the "ashes" I'd have to sweep up later. How many times have I put a band-aid and a little antiseptic on a problem only to watch it fester into infection later on? Too often I am just like Rebekah. In my hurry to solve the crisis of the hour, I fail to consider the long-range consequences of my short-term solutions.

Rebekah had painfully learned that her elaborate ruse to gain Isaac's blessing for Jacob instead of Esau had achieved nothing. Yes, Jacob had the blessing - but for how long with a fire-breathing brother on his trail? Rebekah had to sacrifice the daily companionship of her beloved Jacob and bid him farewell. I'm almost glad she didn't realize at the time that she would never see her precious son again. Even our strong-willed Rebekah might have had difficulty enduring that pain.

It's been very interesting to me, as I've studied about Rebekah, the differences of opinion about her among Bible commentators. Some pummel her with words like "shrewd, unscrupulous, folly and wickedness." Others write her off as "a deceiving, lying woman." Yet other scholars sing her praises as "clever, active and energetic, clear-sighted and courageous." One even called her "a woman ahead of her time." So what should we think of this scriptural sister? Was she good? Or, was she bad? Perhaps we should take a balanced view and say that Rebekah was all these things and more. She was a bundle of contradictions. She was good. And she was bad - just like we are.

What we can clearly see in Rebekah's portraits is a beautiful picture of our Sovereign God who allowed Rebekah to stumble along with all her flaws so that His flawless glory might be revealed as he brought good out of evil. Only our great and awesome God could use such an imperfect woman to accomplish His perfect will. Only a loving Heavenly Father could embrace Isaac and Rebekah and claim them both as His chosen ones for "both deceived and deceiver are His." Job 12:16

I don't know about you, my friends, but Rebekah's story gives me great hope. Hope that Sovereign God will use me - with all my flaws - to accomplish His will and bring glory to Himself. Hope that assures me my Heavenly Father calls me HIS daughter - His child - His own - even when I disappoint him. I am eternally grateful that GOD is in control - not me!

"The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all." Psalm 103:19