Stories Seldom Heard

122^nd  Edition - October 2009

Genesis 24-30    Rebekah

Welcome to Stories Seldom Heard.  I would especially like to welcome St. Christopher’s Parish in Buffalo, New York and Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in Pompton Plains, New Jersey.  There are many great women in the First Testament: one of them is Rebekah.

In order to understand the story of Rebekah, it would be helpful to read chapters 24- 30 of Genesis.  It is an easy read.  Well written, it is filled with family issues that we experience even today and details about the customs and the world in which Rebekah lived.  Rebekah is portrayed as a decision maker and a strong and prayerful woman.  In fact, after her death when Jacob meets his bride to be, Jacob identifies himself as “Rebekah’s son” not Jacob’s son.  (Gn 29:13) But that is getting ahead of our story.

Chapter 24 opens with Abraham as “an old man well on in years and God had blessed him in every way.” (Gn24:1)  Abraham’s concern, however, is that his son Isaac is not married.  So Abraham calls his eldest servant and sends him to seek out a wife for Isaac.  Before the servant leaves Abraham gives his servant specific instructions: “place your hand under my thigh” and swear to God “that you will not choose a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I live.”  Abraham also tells his servant not to take Isaac with him.  Abraham doesn’t give a lot of information as to the quality of woman his servant should be looking for except that the woman must come back willingly.  If she doesn’t the servant is free from his pledge.  The servant has a huge responsibility: choosing a wife for Isaac.  How is he going to find this woman and how will he know if she is the right woman for Isaac?

The servant leaves Abraham and takes with him ten of Abraham’s camels to seal the deal.  When the servant arrives outside Aram of the Rivers and Nahor’s town, he sees many women going to the well for water.  So he implores God’s help.  The servant prays.  “God, of my master Abraham, be with me today…  To one of the girls I will say, ‘Please tilt your pitcher and let me drink.’”  If she says, “‘Drink, and I will water your camels too, may she be the one...’” (Gn 24:14)  In one sense this prayer of the servant is not a surprise.  If we were to place ourselves in his position, my suspicion is that we too would pray hoping that God would guide our choice.  This prayer also reminds us that this is a religious history even if many of the people are novices when it comes to knowing God and following God’s laws.

Trusting in God’s guiding hand the servant makes a bargain with God.  On the first try the servant gets it right!  Rebekah passes the test.  In fact, she excels.  Not only does Rebekah respond correctly to the question the servant asks, but also the Bible tells us she is “very beautiful and a virgin.” (Gn 24:16)  The servant wastes no time. After the camels drink the servant puts a gold ring weighing half a shekel through Rebekah’s nostrils and “on her arm two bracelets weighing ten gold shekels.”  Rebekah then explains her lineage and offers hospitality to the man and his camels.  What happens next is rather unusual because the story becomes quite elaborate.  Over the evening fires the servant retells every detail. In fact, it is the longest story in Genesis. 

One of the twists in the story is that even though Rebekah is not asked to give her permission for the married, she is asked when she wants to leave with the servant to go to Canaan.  Like the servant, Rebekah too, wastes no time.  After a dramatic family blessing which echoes God’s promise to Abraham and Sarah, Rebekah leaves. (1)  Not much seems to happen on the journey home to Canaan, but as soon as Rebekah sees Isaac in the distance the story explodes with energy.  Rebekah veils her face.  The servant tells the whole story to Isaac who then leads Rebekah into his tent, makes her his wife and loves her.  This line is something memorable because it is the first time in the Hebrew Bible that marital love is proclaimed. (2)

Rebekah’s story continues in chapter 25:19.  After twenty years of marriage she still has no children.  Both Rebekah and Isaac must have prayed diligently throughout those years and when Rebekah finally conceives she and Isaac are blessed with twins.  But the pregnancy is not easy.  The twins struggle within her.  Since she has no recourse to modern drugs, no doctors at her side and no emergency services she must have been in terrible pain because we hear her lament.  ”If this is the way of it, why go on living”.  In her distress Rebekah turns to God for help.  God speaks to Rebekah directly. (3)  God tells Rebekah that the twins she will birth will father two different nations that will rival each other.  God also says that “the elder will serve the younger.” (Gn 25:23) 

We don’t know exactly how God communicated with Rebekah, but we have some understanding of the power of prayer.  Like Rebekah, we too have heard ourselves or another person say, “I prayed and I feel like God has guided my thoughts and helped me make a wise decision.”  God speaks in many ways: strengthens us in times of doubt and clarifies our thinking in times of confusion.  How ever God communicated, Rebekah trusted the insight she received and acted on it. 

Our ancestors lives are extremely different from ours, but the thread of faith that began with them continues to weave through our faith experiences also.  We like them know prayer is important.  So as we read their stories their lives and faithfulness question us: are we as attentive to our daily prayers as they were?  Do we pray in good times and in difficult times?  Do we find words and prayers of thanksgiving coming as easily as prayers of petition?   Do we start and end each day with prayers of gratitude?  If we don’t we might want to write ourselves a note and place it on our pillow or mirror to remind ourselves to take a few minutes each night and morning to give thanks to God for just being alive and being present in our lives.

Most of us know the complicated story about Rebekah and Isaac that follows.  Ordinarily the first born son receives his father’s blessing and his inheritance, but Rebekah intervenes.  She remembers God’s message to her while the twins were in her womb.  “There are two nations in your womb…and the elder will serve the younger.” (Gn 225:23)  Perceiving this information as an invitation from God to help bring this prophecy to fruition Rebekah tricks Isaac who is blind into thinking he is blessing Esau, his first born son.  In truth, Isaac blesses Jacob: a blessing that cannot be taken back.  God has more than one blessing we have seen in other stories, but Isaac has only one.  “‘Was that your only blessing, father?  Father give me a blessing too.’ Isaac remained silent, and Esau burst into tears.” (Gn 27:39)   The description of the brother’s struggles from then on is very real.  It is worth a careful reading. 

Ordinarily the Bible traces the genealogy of a person through their father’s lineage. 

But there are some major problems with this custom: one of which is that many important women are excluded or at least side lined by this method.  We can see this in the story of Isaac and Rebekah.  Rebekah is a major player not only in the story, but also in the history of the Israelite nation.  Her approach to life is proactive.  Her actions are dynamic and they move the story line forward.   She is also a practical woman who recognizes that Esau’s anger could bring about the death of Jacob.  So she tells Jacob to wait until Esau’s anger cools lest she lose two of her loved one in one day. (Gn 27:45) Rebekah is a resourceful woman of prayer who listens to God and finds creative ways to bring about the results God promises.  In other words through her choices God’s work becomes realized.  Because of this many modern writers refer to the great patriarchs and matriarchs of Israel beginning with Abraham and Sarah, followed by Rebekah and Isaac and Jacob and Rachel.

We don’t know when Rebekah dies, but we who are alive must not let her memory die. (4)  She is a great matriarch and it behooves us to remember her in the list of wise and courageous First Testament believers who helped God’s promise be fulfilled.  When we look for saintly and valiant women, we don’t have to look far.  Their stories fill the scripture and our daily lives – stories we need to tell our children and grand children.

1.  “Sister of ours, increase to thousands and tens of thousands!  May your descendants gain possession of the gates of their enemies.”  (Gn 24:60)

2.  Women in Scripture, ed. Carol Meyers, William B Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan/Cambridge, U.K. 2000.  p. 143

3.  When scripture says that God speaks to a person we don’t really know how they perceive it, but some communication takes place.  When Hagar and Ishmael are sent out of Abraham and Sarah’s home into the desert to die God speaks to Hagar “and opened Hagar’s eyes and she saw a well…”  God also blesses Ishmael.  “Come pick up the boy and hold him safe, for I will make him into a great nation.”  (Gn. 21:17)  God also speaks to Moses in the burning bush (Ex3) as well as many other people throughout the Bible.  

4.  We do know that Rebekah and Isaac are buried together in the same plot of ground with Abraham and Sarah. (Gn 49:31)  

Special thanks to Mary Ellen Green, Maria Hetherton and Jeanne Keating who have helped edit this month’s SSH.

Stories Seldom Heard is a monthly article written by Sister Patricia Bruno, O.P.  Sister is a Dominican Sister of San Rafael, California.  This service is offered to the Christian community to enrich one's personal and spiritual life.  The articles can be used for individual or group reflection.  If you would like Stories Seldom Heard sent to a friend, please send a note to "purple115@juno.com".