The NIV 365 Day Devotional

Rebekah’s Deceptive Ways

Rebekah was the sister of Laban. She married Abraham and Sarah’s son, Isaac. Abraham sent his servant to Harran to find a wife for Isaac from his own people. Abraham’s servant prayed for God to make clear who the wife should be, and God answered his prayer by having him meet Rebekah (Ge 24:15).

Rebekah returned with Abraham’s servant, and she married Isaac. Like Sarah, she was unable to conceive, but when Isaac prayed to God for her, God blessed her and Isaac with twin sons. God told Rebekah the older would serve the younger and they would both become fathers of nations (Ge 25:23). The older twin, Esau, was a hunter and outdoorsman; Isaac favored him. The younger twin, Jacob, liked to stay inside, and Rebekah loved Jacob more.

When Isaac was old and blind, he intended to bless his favorite, Esau—a binding blessing that would determine the path of his future. Rebekah wanted the blessing for her favorite child. So she helped Jacob fool Isaac so that Jacob would receive the blessing instead. The plan worked: Isaac was fooled, Jacob received the blessing, and what the Lord had said to Rebekah before the twins were born was proven true.

APPLICATION Despite Rebekah’s deceptive ways, God used her to continue his redemptive plan and his blessing through the line of Jacob. Rebekah’s life demonstrates the sovereignty of God, who is always working things together for his “higher story” no matter how chaotic things may appear in the “lower story” of our lives. We need to trust that human foibles, failures and deceit cannot undermine God’s good plan to redeem and restore creation and to bring about God’s kingdom. In the chaos, there is hope.

Taken from the NIV Application Bible.