Love and Marriage: Isaac and Rebekah – A Walk with God

In Genesis Adam and Eve forgave one another, Noah and his wife faithfully obeyed God’s command to save life on the earth, and Abraham and Sarah believed God’s promise to have a son in whom all nations would be blessed. Here we will learn from another married couple, Isaac and Rebekah, and their walk with God when faced with challenging situations.

Finding a Wife for Isaac

Abraham wanted to find a wife for his son God’s way. So he sent Eliezer of Damascus, the steward of his house, to find a wife for Isaac in the city of Nahor in Mesopotamia (Genesis 24:1-4). God worked in Eliezer to know what to look for when he arrived there. And God worked in Rebekah to be at the right place at the right time and to say the right things.

Genesis 24:14-20:
And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master.
And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder.
And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up.
And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher.
And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink.
And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.
And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels.

Rebekah offered water from the well to Eliezer and his camels. This spiritual awareness of God’s direction opened the door for Rebekah to be selected as a wife for Isaac. When her family tried to delay her departure to be with Isaac, Rebekah once again exercised spiritual insight as to the right action to take.

Genesis 24:55-59:
And her brother and her mother said, Let the damsel abide with us a few days, at the least ten; after that she shall go.
And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the Lord hath prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master.
And they said, We will call the damsel, and enquire at her mouth.
And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go.
And they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant, and his men.

Rebekah knew it was God’s will for her to leave her family and marry Isaac, and she said so. She was able to accompany Eliezer back to Isaac’s home.

Genesis 24:63-67:
And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming.
And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel.
For she had said unto the servant, What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master: therefore she took a vail, and covered herself.
And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done.
And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.

Isaac was also walking with God. He meditated on what the Lord would have him to do. When she arrived, Rebekah saw Isaac as he meditated in the field—and knew there was something special about this man. Soon they were married and shared a loving relationship with God at the center.

Spiritual Awareness in Marriage and Raising Children

This spiritual awareness of God’s will and direction for their lives continued in their married life together. Isaac knew that God could help them have the children they desired, and his prayer was answered—Rebekah conceived twins.

Genesis 25:21-24:
And Isaac intreated the Lord for his wife, because she was barren: and the Lord was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the Lord.
And the Lord said unto her, 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.
And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.

Look at Rebekah’s spiritual awareness. She felt a “struggling” in her womb and asked God what was going on in her body.  In His foreknowledge, God knew what each of these boys would be like. God knew that Jacob would choose to be a spiritual man who loved Him, and He knew that Esau would choose to be a natural man who judged by his five senses. Rebekah took heed to what God revealed to her about her children.

As Esau grew, Isaac became endeared to him because of his skill as a hunter. Although Isaac was looking at Esau’s natural abilities, Rachel remembered what God had shown her about Jacob.

Genesis 25:28:
And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob.

Later, Esau sold his birthright to Jacob in order to have his immediate physical need met (Genesis 25:34). He did not see things spiritually. Even his lack of spiritual awareness in choosing wives continued to be a grief to his parents.

Genesis 26:34,35:
And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite:
Which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah.

Rebekah saw the good in Jacob and helped him secure Isaac’s blessing. He had been born after his twin brother, Esau, but Jacob had tried to get out first.

Genesis 25:26:
And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau’s heel; and his name was called Jacob.

Jacob followed his mother’s godly advice and was able to convince Isaac that the blessing of the firstborn should be his. Remember that it is through Jacob’s (not Esau’s) line that Jesus Christ was eventually born. God has foreknowledge. He was able to tell Rebekah what her sons would be like before they were born. The New Testament shows this.

Romans 9:10-14:
And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;
(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.

God is not unrighteous. He gave Rebekah the foresight she needed to help Jacob carry out God’s will. And when Isaac gave Jacob his blessing, Isaac was doing God’s will “by faith.”

Hebrews 11:20:
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob….

Saving Jacob’s Life

Although the first twin born, Esau had sold his birthright and lost his blessing. He was deeply angry and resentful of his twin brother. Esau’s evil heart conspired to kill Jacob, even looking forward to committing the deed after Isaac died. Rebekah was again spiritually aware enough to find this out. She warned Jacob and encouraged Isaac to send Jacob away for his safety. She did not want to lose both her husband and her beloved son in the same day!

Genesis 27:41-46:
And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.
And these words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah: and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him, Behold, thy brother Esau, as touching thee, doth comfort himself, purposing to kill thee.
Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; and arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran;
And tarry with him a few days, until thy brother’s fury turn away;
Until thy brother’s anger turn away from thee, and he forget that which thou hast done to him: then I will send, and fetch thee from thence: why should I be deprived also of you both in one day?
And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?

Isaac had the spiritual awareness to know that what Rebekah recommended should be done was from God. He sent Jacob away and blessed him. So often when attending a bachelor party, I give the groom the same advice: “Listen to your wife!” Of course, the premise is that she is a faithful believer who is spiritually aware of God’s will for their lives. I can think of countless times when Sherry has helped me make good decisions that have blessed us for years to come.

Genesis 28:1-3:
And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.
Arise, go to Padanaram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother’s father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother’s brother.
And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people.

By being spiritually aware and listening to God, Isaac and Rebekah were able to carry out God’s will and help Jacob prepare for his own marriage and life. This couple shows us the great value in listening to the Father when we raise our children. That is what it means to be “parents in the Lord” (Ephesians 6:1).

Next time we will see the great love that Jacob had for his wife Rachel and how their son, Joseph, saved the world from a great famine.