This post is from Moms Take Ten episode 93, “Moms in the Bible–Rebekah part 2”, which you can listen to wherever you listen to podcasts or at https://sites.libsyn.com/403493/moms-in-the-bible-rebekah-part-2
We are a week away from Christmas. It might seem an odd choice, then, to look at Rebekah’s story for our Moms in the Bible episode. Surely Elizabeth or Mary would make more sense. In fact, Elizabeth was on my calendar. She’s amazing! I can’t wait to talk about her. But I want to look at Rebekah instead. She actually reminds me a lot of Mary.
If you remember last month, we study Sarah, Abraham’s wife. After years of waiting for a child, the Lord enabled Sarah and Abraham to have a son. This boy was named Isaac. Sarah got to be the mom she always dreamed of being for 37 years. They were close. Isaac loved his mother. And when she passed away, he mourned her. What a gift they were to each other for those years.
After her death, Abraham began to think about the future. He knew that he too would be leaving this world soon, and he wanted to see his son well established. The inheritance was secured, and quite impressive at that, but Isaac needed a wife, a family. Abraham sent his most trusted servant on a quest to find that wife. His requirement was that she would be from his homeland, from his people, which also means from his faith. Abraham believed that God would send his angel ahead of his servant to guide him to the right woman.
The servant made the journey to the town of Nahor, and prayed to the Lord saying, “O Lord, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show steadfast love to my master Abraham. Behold, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. Let the young woman to whom I shall say, ‘Please let down your jar that I may drink,’ and who shall say, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels’—let her be the one whom you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I shall know that you have shown steadfast love to my master.” (Gen. 24:12-14).
Continuing in verse 15 of Genesis 24, we find God answering his prayer.
“Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, came out with her water jar on her shoulder. 16 The young woman was very attractive in appearance, a maiden[c] whom no man had known. She went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up. 17 Then the servant ran to meet her and said, “Please give me a little water to drink from your jar.” 18 She said, “Drink, my lord.” And she quickly let down her jar upon her hand and gave him a drink. 19 When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking.” 20 So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough and ran again to the well to draw water, and she drew for all his camels. 21 The man gazed at her in silence to learn whether the Lord had prospered his journey or not.
22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring weighing a half shekel,[d] and two bracelets for her arms weighing ten gold shekels, 23 and said, “Please tell me whose daughter you are. Is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?” 24 She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.” 25 She added, “We have plenty of both straw and fodder, and room to spend the night.” 26 The man bowed his head and worshiped the Lord 27 and said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his steadfast love and his faithfulness toward my master. As for me, the Lord has led me in the way to the house of my master’s kinsmen.” 28 Then the young woman ran and told her mother’s household about these things.”
The servant had prayed humbly yet boldly, carefully and specifically, and the Lord was faithful to answer just as Abraham had promised he would. Rebekah was the woman that the Lord led the servant to, the one he had chosen for Isaac. The servant spent the night at her home, speaking with her father and brother. He told of his journey, of his prayer, of Abraham’s wealth and reputation and family. He shared all the details a family would want to know before entering a marriage agreement. By the end, it was clear to her family as well that Rebekah was intended for Isaac.
The following morning, the servant was ready to return home. His mission would only be completed when he had seen Isaac and Rebekah joined together. For a woman just learning of a man, and just becoming betrothed, this was a rather quick turnaround time. The family said as much when they answered, “Let the girl remain with us ten days or so; then you may go.” (Gen. 24:55) Give her time to get ready. Allow her to say her goodbyes. Remaining firm in his desire to depart, the family put the ball in Rebekah’s court. “Will you go with this man?” they asked. “I will go,” she said.
This young woman had been going about her day, doing her usual tasks, when an unexpected encounter changed everything. Suddenly, a decision was set before her, with evidence of God’s hand in it, and with three short words (only one in Hebrew), “I will go” she chose to follow his plan.
In the book of Luke, we find another young woman going about her day, doing her usual tasks, when an unexpected encounter changed everything. A virgin, awaiting her marriage to a man named Joseph, Mary could never have guessed that she would be visited by an angel and given an opportunity to play an incredible role in God’s plan of redemption. Let us read in Luke chapter 1, beginning in verse 26.
“In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.”
Here too, as with Rebekah, a decision was set before Mary, with evidence of God’s hand in it, and she chose to follow his plan.
There are testimonies all throughout scripture of what happens when people choose to trust and obey God’s leading; when they say, “I will” and step into the good works that he has prepared for them. For both Rebekah and Mary, sacrifice was required, life as they knew it was changed, but such good came from it.
In each of our days, in little and big ways, God invites us to follow him, to obey him. Where is he leading you today? Is it to call a friend who is struggling this holiday season and be a source of comfort and encouragement? Is it to pause in the midst of the busyness to hug your child and play for a minute? Is it to turn off the tv or put down the phone and read his Word? Is there a new venture or ministry opportunity he has been pressing on your heart? A relationship? A change in career? A visit to the doctor? In the mundane, he calls us. In the hustle and bustle, he calls us. In the quiet and in the noisy, he calls us. Psalm 128:1 declares, “Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways!”
Let us follow the example of the women who have gone before us, the moms in the Bible who model faith and obedience. You never know where one, “I will” will take you.
Image from John Heseltine / Pam Masco / FreeBibleimages.org.
Lyssa Stoyko 