Genesis 25:21-28 (New Living Translation)
21 Isaac pleaded with the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was unable to have children. The Lord answered Isaac’s prayer, and Rebekah became pregnant with twins. 22 But the two children struggled with each other in her womb. So she went to ask the Lord about it. “Why is this happening to me?” she asked.
23 And the Lord told her, “The sons in your womb will become two nations. From the very beginning, the two nations will be rivals. One nation will be stronger than the other; and your older son will serve your younger son.”
24 And when the time came to give birth, Rebekah discovered that she did indeed have twins! 25 The first one was very red at birth and covered with thick hair like a fur coat. So they named him Esau. 26 Then the other twin was born with his hand grasping Esau’s heel. So they named him Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when the twins were born.
27 As the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter. He was an outdoorsman, but Jacob had a quiet temperament, preferring to stay at home. 28 Isaac loved Esau because he enjoyed eating the wild game Esau brought home, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
Dear God,
It is interesting that you gave Rebekah some insight into her boys while she was still pregnant with them. I mean, it is not unusual for there to be conflict between two brothers, but the part about two nations and the older will serve the younger is unique. I wonder who she told this to and when. Did she tell Isaac immediately? Did she tell both the boys? She obviously told someone because I just read about it.
What an interesting thing to know about your children ahead of time. Did you tell her so that she would be more inclined to meddle in Isaac’s blessing when they were older or to change how she felt about him? I have found that you keep me on a need-to-know basis, and I rarely need to know. Apparently, Rebekah needed to know this for your plan. Interesting.
I wonder if Rebekah would have favored Jacob without this prophecy. Or would his deceitfulness have driven her crazy. Of course, we will learn that Jacob comes by his deceitfulness naturally. Both his mother and her brother, Laban, are very deceitful. Perhaps they were more kindred spirits, and Esau, although not a great guy, was more straightforward and a what-you-see-is-what-you-get kind of person.
I have to admit that I have always judged Rebekah for the role she played in deceiving Isaac. Maybe Isaac was foolish and needed her to deceive him. I do not know. And maybe she was not allowed to plead her case to Isaac or make an argument for favoring Jacob, so she felt she had no other choice than deception. It does, however, leave me wondering about her relationship with Esau. Did she love him? Did she “get” him? Did she regret him and wish she had only had Jacob? A hard question for a mom to answer, but one that I suppose she did answer through her actions.
Father, help me to see my own children with your eyes. I do not think either of them will lead a nation, and there should be no need for competition for power between them. They are living and leading different lives. They each have their own needs. Help me to love each of them well and to give them what you need them to have from me.
I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,
Amen
