Day 3 of 12
Rebekah: Courage and the Promise
A Woman Who Acted on What She Believed
Scripture Readings
Today's Reading
Read Genesis 24:58-60: "And they called Rebekah and said to her, 'Will you go with this man?' She said, 'I will go.' So they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, and Abraham's servant and his men. And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, 'Our sister, may you become thousands of ten thousands, and may your offspring possess the gate of those who hate him!'"
Then read Genesis 25:23: "And the LORD said to her, 'Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.'"
Reflection
Rebekah enters the biblical story with an act of extraordinary courage. A servant arrives from a distant land with an astonishing proposal: leave your family, leave your homeland, and travel hundreds of miles to marry a man you have never met — because the God of that man's father has a plan for the world, and you are part of it. Her family asks, "Will you go with this man?" Rebekah answers with two words that changed history: "I will go."
This is not the cautious acceptance of an arranged marriage. This is a woman stepping into the unknown on the strength of a divine call. She leaves everything familiar — her family, her culture, her security — because she believes that the God of Abraham is real and His purposes are worth risking everything for.
Years later, pregnant with twins and in great distress, Rebekah does something unusual for a woman of her time: she "went to inquire of the LORD." She received a direct oracle — two nations, two peoples, the older serving the younger. This was an extraordinary communication. God spoke to Rebekah directly, not through Abraham, not through Isaac, but to her.
The story grows more complicated in Genesis 27, when Rebekah engineers Jacob's deception of Isaac to secure the blessing. Here the biblical narrative refuses to sanitize its heroes. Rebekah believed the promise — the older would serve the younger — but she chose manipulation rather than trust. The result was a family torn apart, with Jacob fleeing for his life.
N.T. Wright observes that God's purposes are not thwarted by human failure or even by human scheming. They work through the mess of real human lives. Rebekah's faith was real. Her methods were deeply flawed. And God used it all.
Going Deeper
Rebekah's story holds two truths in tension. First, she is a woman of genuine faith and remarkable courage — she said "I will go" and she sought God directly. Second, she is a woman who tried to manage God's promises through human cleverness, with devastating consequences for her family. The Bible does not ask us to choose between these portraits. It presents both, because redemption history is not carried forward by perfect people but by a faithful God who works through imperfect ones.
Key Quotes
“God's purposes are not thwarted by human failure or even by human scheming. They work through the mess of real human lives, through real decisions made by real people with mixed motives.”
“The biblical writers do not airbrush the stories of the patriarchs and matriarchs. They tell them warts and all, because the point of the story is not human perfection but divine faithfulness.”
Prayer Focus
Asking God for the courage to step into the unknown when He calls, and for the humility to trust His purposes even when your own methods are flawed
Meditation
Rebekah received a direct word from God about her sons' destiny. How do you discern God's purposes for your life, and how do you balance that with trusting His timing?
Question for Discussion
Rebekah believed God's promise about Jacob but resorted to deception to bring it about. Can you think of times when believers have used questionable means to achieve what they believed were God's purposes? Where is the line between bold faith and manipulative scheming?