Rebekah’s Deception

You can watch the video for the message here.

Last week we learned the apple does not fall far from the tree as Isaac did to Abimelech exactly what Abraham did to Abimelech. Isaac lies about Rebekah’s identity and Abimelech finds out and perhaps he was told of the previous encounter with Abraham and Sarah. Wells were dug and argued about before Isaac settled in Beersheba. A covenant was made between Isaac and Abimelech and last week ended with the ominous and foreboding verse, “And they brought grief to Isaac and Rebekah.” This morning, we see a deceptive side to the very beautiful Rebekah and her favorite son Jacob.

Take the time to read Gen. 27:1-29 so you know what’s happening in our story for today.

There is a simple lesson here, don’t play favorites. Isaac is getting on in years and his eyes are failing him. He calls Esau and shares that he doesn’t know how much longer he’ll live, and it would be wonderful if Esau would take his bow and hunt him up some of the wild game he is so fond of. He has always enjoyed the food that Esau provided and Isaac requests a last meal. With this potential last meal, Isaac promises to bless Esau before he takes his last breath. Esau is the first born to Isaac and would be entitled to the blessing of the first born over the second born Jacob. Rebekah is listening while this conversation takes place between Isaac and Esau. What Isaac asks is a simple request that turns into an opportunity for deception. Rebekah knows that Esau would be blessed, but she likes Jacob more than she likes Esau and the wheels start spinning on how she could get Jacob to be blessed. This is completely backwards of how she was earlier. Remember she was barren and Isaac interceded for her, “and the Lord answered him and his wife Rebekah conceived.” (Gen. 25:21) The children struggled in her womb and she wondered why it was happening and Gen. 25:22-23 says, “She went to inquire of the Lord. The Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb; and two peoples will be separated from your body and one people shall be stronger than the other; and the older shall serve the younger.” Remember that last line.

After Esau left to hunt, Rebekah fills Jacob in on the conversation his dad had with his brother. Without skipping a beat, Rebekah seems to have all this planned out. She tells Jacob to get two goats from the flock and she’d prepare the kind of savory meal that Isaac loves. Keep in mind, this is Isaac her husband she is planning to deceive in order to rob Esau the blessing of her son in favor of Jacob her other son. Jacob points out what is obvious to everyone. Esau is hairy and Jacob is smooth. Given the failing eyesight of age, Isaac probably got into the habit of feeling the arm or face of whoever is speaking to him. Jacob does not want to get caught and be accused as a deceiver. And then not only would he not get a blessing, but he’d end up with a curse. Rebekah assures Jacob that she will take responsibility for anything that goes wrong even if it is a curse. Jacob is only to do as she says – no arguing.

So, Jacob grabbed two goats from the flock and brought them to Rebekah who cooked up a savory meal. Knowing that Isaac would likely touch Jacob, Rebekah gets some of Esau’s clothes and gives them to Jacob to put on. She goes a step further and gets the hides from the goats just slaughtered and puts them on Jacob. Those skins will help the ruse that Jacob is Esau in order to steal the blessing away. Jacob is dressed in Esau’s best clothes; he’s got the animal skins covering his smooth skin and he takes the savory food, some bread, and walks into where Isaac is apparently waiting to die. The stage is set for the epic deception. Keep in mind, Jacob is merely a pawn in this game in order for Rebekah to get the patriarch’s blessing for her favored son even though he was born second. He raised an objection to Rebekah about the difference in the skin and did not want to risk receiving a curse, but he succumbed to the command of his mother.

The meal is brought to Isaac. Look at vs. 18-20. Isaac immediately recognizes something is not quite right. Isaac asks the boy, “Who are you, my son? I am Esau your firstborn; I have done as you told me.” Those are two lies. It’s really Jacob and Isaac hadn’t told him to do anything. Too little time has elapsed for Esau to hunt, kill, butcher the wild game and then prepare him the kind of meal that the loves. Jacob declares that it all happened so quickly because God helped him – lie #3. What Isaac says next must have caused Jacob’s heart to beat faster and his stomach to do a flip flop. “Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come close, that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not.” Isaac had to know that something was up. Maybe it was the voice that said he was Esau, but sounded like Jacob. Jacob gets closer to Isaac who touches him. You can hear the confusion in Isaac’s voice as he says, “The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” Perhaps in his old age, Rebekah was counting on Isaac’s mind to not be as sharp as it once was to complete the deception. The next verse is very troubling, “He did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother’s Esau’s hands; so he blessed him. And he said, “Are you really my son Esau? And he said, “I am.”  Lie #4 if you’re keeping count. Isaac did not recognize the son that was in front of him and counted on the boy’s honesty to be sure who was there. “So he said, “Bring it to me, and I will eat of my son’s game, that I may bless you.” And he brought it to him, and he ate; he also brought him wine and he drank. Then his father Isaac said to him, “Please come close and kiss me, my son.” So he came close and kissed him; and when he smelled the smell of his garments, he blessed him and said, “See, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field which the Lord has blessed.” Two final tests remain to determine the identity of the boy in front of him. Isaac wanted to eat the food that had been prepared and then he wanted the boy to kiss him. Isaac knew the type of food Esau normally prepared and he would know how he smelled. He eats and smells and concludes that the boy is Esau and pronounces a blessing over who he thinks is his first born.         The deception is complete. In the beginning, Jacob was merely a pawn in the game, but then became a willing participant by lying to his father four times. Rebekah never gave him instructions on how to speak or what to say. Remember that she was only going to take the fall if Isaac discovered that is was Jacob. Look at the blessing in vs. 28-29. The blessing from Isaac is for the land to produce bountifully for his son. That peoples would serve him and nations bow down to him. That he would be master of his brothers and his mother’s sons would bow down to him. Finally, those that bless the son would be blessed and those that curse the son would be cursed. Isaac blesses his son and it appears that the course of history is altered forever.

And then the deception is discovered. Read vs. 30-40. The timing of this is very interesting. “Now it came about, as soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had hardly gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting. Then he also made savory food, and brought it to his father; and he said to his father, “Let my father arise and eat of his son’s game, that you may bless me.” Jacob had barely left the room when Esau comes in with a plate of steaming hot, savory food that Isaac loved so much. Did they pass by in the hall and Jacob gave Esau a smug grin that said, “I know something you don’t.” Did Esau suspect any wrong doing? Did Jacob’s demeanor betray him? Esau brings his father the savory food as requested and expects a blessing, but is shocked when Isaac says, “Who are you?” Maybe Esau has grown accustomed to his elderly father asking who he was because of his poor eyesight. Maybe Esau didn’t think anything about it because he says, “I am your son, your firstborn Esau.” I am certain the response from Isaac was not was Esau was expecting, “Then Isaac trembled violently.” The reality of what just happened became clear to Isaac. Trembled violently literally means trembled a great trembling exceedingly. It conveys a physical shaking and gives us a clue to the severity and ramification of what had just occurred. Isaac said to Esau, “Who was he then that hunted game and brought it to me, so that I ate of all of it before you came, and blessed him? Yes, and he shall be blessed.”           Isaac understood the long-lasting consequences of this action. Esau also understood the long-lasting consequences of this action. Esau’s reaction says it all: “When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry,” The reality of what just occurred has come crashing down on Esau. He bursts into bitter and wild sobbing. Esau understands the implications, but not fully. Esau says, “Bless me, even me also, O my father!” This is a reasonable demand, I think, but Isaac says, “Your brother came deceitfully and has taken away your blessing.” The reality of this deception is out in the open. The blessing intended for Esau has been stolen by Jacob under the guidance of the scheming Rebekah. Esau lashes out at his father and says, “Is he not rightly named Jacob, for he has supplanted me these two times? He took away my birthright, and behold, now he has taken away my blessing.”

Names used to mean a lot and Jacob is no exception. From the twin’s birth story, the first born came out all red and hairy and was named Esau. The second baby came out grabbing the heel of the first and was named Jacob which means heel grabber and supplant which means to take the place of, as through force, scheming, strategy, or the like. According to The Complete Who’s Who in the Bible, Jacob is an opportunist, seizing the advantage by fair means and foul. We certainly saw that in the birthright selling story. As a point of clarification, Esau seems to be forgetting the part he played when he sold his birthright for some stew. There was some drama on the part of Esau. Remember he acted like he was going to die if he didn’t get something to eat and he figured his birthright was of no use if he were dead. Was that right or good? No, but there was no trickery involved. In this case, his blessing was stolen by trickery and he implores Isaac, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me? But Isaac replied to Esau, “Behold, I have made him your master, and all his relatives I have given to him as servants; and with grain and new wine I have sustained him. Now as for you then, what can I do, my son?” This is pitiful. Isaac wanted to bless Esau, but he had given it away to Jacob. “Esau said to his father, “Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, O my father.” So Esau lifted his voice and wept.” Esau would take whatever blessing he could get no matter how small, whatever was left, anything that Isaac had to offer. Instead of receiving the blessing, Esau could only weep. The blessing of the firstborn would not come and in fact, Isaac tells Esau what will happen.

Read vs. 39-40. This sounds an awful lot like a curse. If you notice, this is nearly opposite of what Isaac said to Jacob. No fruit of the land. No dew from heaven. He will live by the sword. He’ll serve Jacob like an ox serves his master, but there will come a time when he will break the yoke around his neck.

And not for the rest of the rest of the story. As you might expect, this pronouncement by Isaac into Esau’s future does not sit well with Esau. Read 41-44. As a consequence of Jacob’s trickery, Esau immediately plots to kill Jacob. Out of respect for his father, Esau will wait to kill Jacob until Isaac dies. As Esau comforted himself with the thought of killing Jacob, he must have vented his anger within earshot of others because word got back to Rebekah. As soon as she hears of the plot, she once again leaps into action. She lets Jacob know about Esau’s plan to kill him and sends him away to her brother Laban in Haran. Remember from Chapter 25, Esau was a skillful hunter and a man of the field and in contrast, Jacob was a peaceful man that lived in tents. The likelihood of Esau making good on his plan to kill Jacob was a very real possibility. Esau held a grudge against Jacob. Jacob did Esau wrong, there is no doubt about that. Grudges are a terrible thing to have. Grudges will dominate your thought life and consume you with bitterness and anger. You can have a grudge against someone and it can drive wedges between you and others as you try to persuade others to see how you have been wronged. It’s unhealthy, it’s damaging, it’s ungodly, and it’s unholy.

Rebekah is not done with her trickery because the story ends with her saying to Isaac, “I am tired of living because of the daughters of Heth; if Jacob takes a wife from the daughters of Heth, like these, from the daughters of the land, what good will my life be to me?” She fabricates a reason for Jacob to leave Heth in favor of her hometown that we’ll see next week. The story of Esau and Jacob has all the makings of a great movie. There is deception, lies, betrayal, hidden motives, revenge, and a potential murder. All things that draw people to the movies except this movie would be based on a true story. There are few redeeming qualities in the actions of the people in the story, but the principles are groundbreaking. Trust God. Remember His promises. Allow Him to work in His time.

Don’t try to take control of situations that are in God’s hands. Don’t try and manipulate circumstances to control the outcome. Don’t lie, don’t cheat, don’t steal. Don’t murder. Are these things really things we need to be reminded of? Absolutely.

Isaac gets a Girl

You can watch this message here.

Last week we learned of Sarah’s death. Abraham was well respected in Canaan and we saw the generosity from the sons of Heth when Abraham negotiated to purchase a burial plot for Sarah. Abraham wanted a cave in Machpelah and was willing to pay for it, but Ephron wanted to give him the cave and the field the cave was in. They went back and forth before Abraham convinced Ephron to take 400 pieces of silver for it and Sarah was laid to rest, “in the cave of the field of Machpelah facing Mamre (that is, Hebron) in Canaan.” This morning, Abraham sends his oldest servant on a mission to find a wife for Isaac.

We’ll look at all of Chapter 24 in this post, but we’ll break it down into several sections. First, take a look at Gen. 24:1-9.

Cue the mission impossible theme song. Abraham is getting up in years and it seems that he is growing concerned that Isaac does not have a wife. He calls for the oldest servant in the house, probably the most trusted, loyal servant he has. Abraham tells him to place his hand under his thigh. I know at first glance, this seems like a very strange thing to do. Think about Abraham observing the solemn promise of the pinky swear. This was a symbol a very solemn oath. We’ll see it again later in Genesis. Abraham asks his servant to take a two-part oath, that is sworn, “By the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth.” First, the wife that is chosen for Isaac was not to be a Canaanite. The God of Abraham is not the same as the gods that are worshipped in Canaan. Abraham does not want any problems arising from a Canaanite woman that does not worship the one and only true God. This is the same reason why you don’t date and definitely don’t marry someone that does not hold the same fundamental beliefs as you do. There is no such thing as missional dating. You don’t marry a fixer upper. I’m not suggesting that you must be at the same level of spiritual maturity, but if you’re a believer, the other has to at least be spiritually reborn. In 2 Cor. 6:14-16a Paul said, “Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols?”

Abraham wants someone for Isaac that will be compatible with him spiritually. Second, the woman should be taken from Abraham’s relatives. This is no small task and the servant is being asked to swear to do it by the God of heaven and the God of earth. Before accepting the assignment, the servant wants some clarification. If I find a girl and she’s not willing to come here, should I grab Isaac and go there? The servant did not rise to be Abraham’s #1 servant because he was dumb. The servant anticipates a potential problem and pushes it back to Abraham. It would be normal in that day for a potential suitor to be interviewed by the father of the potential bride. There were details to be haggled out. Perhaps there were possessions to be exchanged. You don’t just go into a new place as a stranger and say, “I want that one, come with me.” Abraham gives the servant an out by saying, “If the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this my oath; only do not take my son back there. So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.” Mission accepted.

The story shifts to the servant’s journey. Look at vs. 10-21. The servant packs up 10 camels and takes the best Abraham has to offer and heads to Aram of the two rivers and to the city of Nahor. Nahor is not the name of the city, but who resides there. Nahor is the name of Abraham’s grandfather and also Abraham’s brother. The city is most likely Harran. The servant has traveled back to the land that Abraham left all those years ago. Like most people after a journey, the servant stops at the well outside of town to water the camels. The picture of a train of ten camels loaded with all the best Abraham has to offer shows a picture of the blessings of God. The servant stops at the watering hole and it’s not just to get water. It is evening time, the time when women go to the well to get water and the best opportunity to spot a woman that would serve well as Isaac’s wife. Not wanting to leave the success of this important mission to himself or to chance, the servant calls on the God of Abraham and prays for success. This is a good principle to follow. Prayer should always be a first choice, not a last resort. All too often, we get the call when someone is on the brink of disaster. A marriage is one step from total breakdown. A believer is one step from walking away from church. Use the privilege of being in the presence of God to allow Him to guide your path to achieve success in His eyes.

The servant prays a very specific prayer that could only be answered by God. It was an impossible prayer in man’s eyes. It was a very specific prayer that could only be answered by an all knowing, all seeing God. This prayer represents an unmistakable method to ensure that the servant selects the right girl. Before the servant even finishes, up walks Rebekah. Rebekah was the daughter of Bethuel who was the son of Milcah, the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor. What are the odds? The odds are excellent because the Father knows what you need before you even ask. (Matt. 6:8) This was no ordinary girl. She was not just beautiful; she was very beautiful. She was a virgin. Those two qualities are great, but there was another quality the prospective wife of Isaac had to meet. Remember in Chapter 18 when Abraham beseeched the three visitors to allow him to entertain them. This idea of hospitality was very important in that culture. The servant knows this and not only is Rebekah very beautiful, a virgin, and a relative of Abraham, she demonstrated the hospitality that set her apart as the one for Isaac. Some say Rebekah was a female Abraham who was as virtuous as Abraham in this area.

“Then the servant ran to meet her, and said. “Please let me drink a little water from your jar.” The next series of verses are very important as we see the Lord working. Immediately Rebekah responds by saying, “Drink my lord,” and she lowered the jar down. When the servant finishes, she says, let me get some water for your camels too. A thirsty camel can drink over two gallons of water a minute. Remember there are ten camels; that’s a lot of water. Rebekah quickly lowered her jar to let the servant drink, she quickly emptied her jar in the trough, and ran to the well to get more water. Rebekah is a picture of hospitality and the servant is carefully watching her to see if she is the one which would make his journey a success.

A decision is made in the matter. Look at vs. 22-27. Without a word, the servant gives Rebekah a nose ring and bracelets and asks, “Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room for us to lodge in your father’s house?” This is not the kind of question we would ask a complete stranger, but remember back then, it was customary to expect and provide hospitality. Keep in mind, we know her lineage, but up to now, the servant does not. Rebekah provides the answer he prayerfully hoped for and he falls to the ground in worship. God has answered his specific prayers and he knows that Rebekah is the one for Isaac. What’s Rebekah do? Read vs. 28-33. She runs home and tells everyone what just happened. Laban, Rebekah’s brother, sees the golden jewelry, hears what happened, and runs outside to the spring. Laban says to the servant, “Come in, blessed of the Lord! Why do you stand outside since I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels?” So the man entered the house. Then Laban unloaded the camels, and he gave straw and feed to the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. But when food was set before him to eat, he said, “I will not eat until I have told my business.” The hospitality showed by Rebekah is mirrored in the hospitality demonstrated by Laban and the entire household. Laban takes care of the camels, gets water so the men can wash their feet, and sets food before them. The servant says, hold on just a minute. I can’t eat until I tell you about the mission I am on. Laban says, “Speak on.” In my mind, Rebekah’s family is seated around the room all looking at the servant expectantly.

And now vs. 34-48. The servant tells the family what we already know and comes to the ultimate question: “So now if you are going to deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, let me know, that I may turn to the right hand or the left.” If this is going to work, let me know. If not, I’ll be on my way. Look at Laban’s and Bethuel’s response: “The matter comes from the Lord; so we cannot speak to you bad or good. Here is Rebekah before you, take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has spoken.” You cannot stand in the way of what God is going to accomplish. This entire series of events was put in motion by the prayers of Abraham and the prayer of the servant. Rebekah and her household had to be in tune with the Lord because they followed His direction. Can people choose to ignore God’s will and go their own way? Of course. We can choose disobedience, but that’s never part of God’s plan. This will be the last time we hear Bethuel weigh in on the discussion. “When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed himself to the ground before the Lord.” Once again, we see the acknowledgment from the servant that God is the God that made it happen. He worships again. We saw the generosity of the servant to Rebekah in the form of gold jewelry, and now he lavishes additional gifts on Rebekah and also Rebekah’s mother and brother. This wonderful time culminates in a meal for everyone gathered before they retire for the night.

When they woke up the next morning, the servant says, “Send me away to my master.” Laban and his mother say, “Let the girl stay with us a few days, say ten; afterward she may go.” The Lord had prepared the way so carefully. Everything fell into place so beautifully and now we seem to have hit a snag. Laban and his mom want Rebekah to stay ten days. It was customary in those times for the eldest brother to negotiate marriage arrangements for a sister. Rebekah’s brother and mother want her to stay another ten days. Now this might be a problem. The servant has just made a huge request to give Rebekah to Isaac, someone she has never even laid eyes on. You’d think that this simple request made by Rebekah’s loved ones would be something that was doable. But Abraham’s servant says, “Do not delay me, since the Lord has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master.” The servant is ready to begin the journey back to Abraham and does not even want to spend another day there. There is a sense of urgency in the servant’s request. I don’t know if Laban and his mother knew what Rebekah might be thinking, but they say, “We will call the girl and consult her wishes.” After hearing from the servant about his journey and his mission, after all the decision making by Laban and his mother, they decide to ask Rebekah what she wants to do. “Then they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” And she said, “I will go.” The decision is quickly made.

Look now at vs. 59-61. Rebekah leaves her household blessed by Laban. The hope is for thousands upon thousands of offspring. This blessing is similar to God’s blessing of Sarah in Gen. 17:16 where God tells Abraham that she will be the mother of nations and kings. It is also similar to the blessing in 22:17 when the angel tells Abraham that his descendants will number like the sand on the seashore. Rebekah plays a significant part in the future of Israel.

Isaac sees Rebekah for the first time. Read vs. 62-67. As their journey comes to an end, Isaac is in the Negev meditating in a field as evening approached. He looks up and sees the entourage coming. At the same moment, Rebekah looks up and sees Isaac looking toward her and she asks the servant, “Who is the man walking in the field to meet us?” The timing of this is very important and points to God’s perfect timing. Isaac looks up and Rebekah looks up. Earlier in the story, as the servant was finishing his prayer, Rebekah walked up. As Abraham was about to sacrifice his one and only son, he spots a ram caught in the thickets. As Ishmael was about to die of thirst, Hagar’s eyes are opened and she sees a well. God’s timing is important. Rebekah gets off her camel and covers her face. “The servant told Isaac all the things he had done. Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and he took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her; thus Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.”

We have come to the end of the longest chapter in Genesis. The mission Abraham sent his servant on has ended in complete success. This wasn’t just an arranged marriage or a marriage of convenience. The perfect wife has been found for Isaac and he loved her. The stage now shifts from Abraham and Sarah to Isaac and Rebekah. Will Isaac and Rebekah find happiness in their new marriage? Will there be children? Will they live happily ever after? What will happen next? You’ll have to wait until next week.