Today we would be looking at Rebecca playing God. in Genesis 27
In this study, the tools we would use for this study are
- Who, What, When, Where, and How tool
- What does it mean?
- How does it apply to me today?
So let’s dig in and turn the bible to Genesis 27
Who, What, When, Where, and How tool
Rebecca had a favourite child which was Jacob.
Rebecca heard Isssc wanting to bless Esau. She came up with the plan for Jacob instead of Esau to receive the first born blessings.
She created a sequence of events on deceit. The meal prepared, the disguising of Jacob as Esua and the instructing Jacob to lie to his father.
Rebecca on hearing Esua plan to kill Jacob urged Jacob to go to her brother Laban but in order to get Isaac to agree without telling him Esua was planning to kill Jacob she comes to Isaac about a concern they both had. Rebecca and Isaac were not pleased with Esua’s choice of wives. And since in the land where they lived in, they were surrounded by the canaanites. She used the reason of marriage partner for Jacob to be sent to his uncle Laban.
By sending Jacob away, Rebecca tried to prevent Esua from killing his brother. For if Esua killed Jacob, by law Esua would be killed. Meaning Rebecca losing both her sons.
What does it mean?
While she may have known God’s prophecy in regards to her sons. She tried to play God!
Rebecca asked her son to deceive his father Isaac. Rebecca didn’t trust God to fulfill His prophecy without her interference.
Rebekah knew that the blessing was intended for Jacob, and expected he would have it. But she wronged Isaac by putting a cheat on him; she wronged Jacob by tempting him to deceive his father and create more animosity between the two brothers. She put a stumbling-block in Esau’s way, and gave him a pretext for hatred to Jacob and to religion. Although all were to be blamed in the decisions they made..
Why did Rebecca start this deception scheme after displaying all such admirable characters? – Perhaps she wanted to step in to ensure what God told her before the boys were born was fulfilled.
Rebecca tried to preserve her household by sending Jacob away so that Esau would not kill his brother.
Rebecca was not pleased with the wives that Esau picked, among the Canaanites women. She created an environment for Jacob to find a wife from her own family.
Why Rebecca wasn’t totally honest when she told Isaac of the reason why Jacob should be allowed to go to Laban. – Perhaps she didn’t want to inform her husband that she had come up with the plan to deceive him.
How does it apply to me today?
Don’t pick favourites amongst your children, it encourages sibling rivalry
Rebecca did not resolve the rivalry and friction she had caused between her sons instead, she asked for Jacob to leave the area that eventually Esua will forget what Jacob had done to him. She was trying to preserve her household – Where there is conflict we should try to resolve it because after 20 years Easu was still planning to kill his brother Jacob if not for God intervening.
We should promote cordial relationships amongst all family members
We must not do evil that good may come out of it.
While God overruled the bad decisions and actions recorded in this chapter, to fulfil his purposes, yet we see God’s judgment of them. They all had painful consequences for their actions some of which lasted decades.
We must not do evil that good may come out of it.
Thank you