Rebekah: In Charge of Her Own Destiny

Rebekah was married to Issac, the son of Abraham. She was also, and perhaps more importantly, the granddaughter of  Milcah. Like her grandmother before her, Rebekah had a powerful prophetic gift. She used this gift to forge her own destiny, in a world where women were rarely allowed to do so. Rebekah was a woman in charge of her own destiny.

Rebekah Meets Abraham’s Slave

We first meet Rebekah when Abraham sends his slave to find a wife for Issac, amongst his own family. The slave says to Abraham but what if the woman will not come with me? Abraham tells him an angel will go ahead of him to ensure it, but if she does not, he will be relieved of his oath to Abraham.

When the slave comes to the well outside of the city, he prays that the woman who Issac should marry will give him a drink and offer his camels a drink. Rebekah just so happens to come to the well at that moment and say those exact words. The story does not say so, but from the facts that Abraham said an angel would go before him and  Rebekah’s gift for prophecy, which we see later in her story, it seems likely the angel had told her where to be and what to say. Had Rebekah heard the voice of G-d?

Rebekah In Charge of Her Own Destiny

After Rebekah takes the slave to meet her family they agree she should marry Issac, but they request she stay with them for 10 more days. The slave pleads with them to let them take her now, so they call  Rebekah and ask her if she wants to go with him. This was unheard of at the time.  Rebekah was not forced into an arranged marriage. She was asked, “Will you go with this man?” Her family, therefore, must have greatly respected Rebekah’s judgment. Perhaps, they knew of her prophetic abilities already.

Rebekah’s Children Blessed

Once she agrees to go her family blesses her and her future children. This is important to the rest of the story, and a piece that is often missed. Rebekah’s family too is  Abraham’s family. Therefore, Rebekah’s children have double blessings from the line of Abraham. These Children were bred to be leaders of G-d’s people. Of course, in Jewish culture, the oldest child should inherit the biggest portion and blessing.

Rebekah Hears From G-d

Yet, when Rebekah realizes she is pregnant with twins, the twins are struggling in her womb. She asks G-d, why is this happening to me?  G-d answers Rebekah saying “Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.”  Rebekah heard from G-d before her children were born, who should carry Abraham’s blessing into the future.

Rebekah, In Charge of Her Own Destiny, Comes Up With A Plan

So, Rebekah, in charge of her own destiny, came up with a plan. She needed to make the words of G-d come to fulfillment. Though the blessing should have passed to the eldest child Esau, whom Issac loved, Rebekah had heard from G-d. She loved Jacob, the younger son, whom she knew was destined to lead the elder.

So, when Isaac was old, blind, and about to die, Rebekah waited for him to tell the oldest son he was going to bless him. When she heard Issac tell her eldest to go hunt and make him food so that he could bless him, Rebekah sent Jacob to get one of the herd. Rebekah prepared it and covered Jacob’s hands and throat in the fur. She did this so when Issac touched Jacob he would believe it was Esau, who was hairy. Then she sent Jacob to Issac with the food she had prepared. He felt Jacob’s hands and neck, and when Jacob kissed him he smelled the goat on him. By this, he thought it was Esau, who was hairy and smelled of animals because he was a hunter. So, Issac blessed Jacob. Rebekah had created the destiny G-d had revealed to her.

The Women Know What Is Best

What we have seen throughout the Women in the Bible series is that it was the women who heard from G-d. It was the women who made the decisions.  The women did what needed to be done to move the story of G-d’s people along. Let us honor our mothers and wives, for like Rebekah they hear the voice of G-d, and they know what destiny holds for their families.

Please stay tuned for the continuation of The Women In The Bible Series. Click here and subscribe to the newsletter to be informed when new articles are published. This Wednesday our guest blogger, Joseph Parks, will return with an article about the influence Egypt had on The Torah. You don’t want to miss it.