Wednesday: Isaac and Rebekah
Daily Lesson for Wednesday 16th of April 2025
When Abraham was old and no doubt thinking about the promises made to him by God about his posterity (see Genesis 15:5), he gave his oldest and most trusted servant a solemn task.
Read Genesis 24:1-4. Why was it so important to Abraham that his son not marry “ ‘from the daughters of the Canaanites’ ” (Genesis 24:3, NKJV)?
Image © Pacific Press at Goodsalt.com
However exclusivist his admonition could seem, the issue for Abraham was spiritual, not ethnic; it was theological, not national. Abraham knew very well the moral degeneracy of Canaanite religious practices, not to mention their worship of false gods, and he knew how easy it would be for his son to fall into these practices were he to marry from among them.
Indeed, the story of so much of ancient Israel, and even of the Christian church through the centuries, has been one in which God’s people—who should have been witnessing to the world—get caught up instead in the world and in its false teachings and religious beliefs. Perhaps the greatest example of this sad reality has been the introduction of Sunday, the pagan day of the sun, in place of the biblical seventh-day Sabbath, a reality that will play a prominent role in the last days.
Read Genesis 24:57-67. What lessons can we glean about Christ and His church from some details we find in this story? What is there to learn, for instance, about our fallen state from the fact that Rebekah was a distant, separated relative to Isaac?
We are undoubtedly related to our Creator, having originally been made in His image. We have been separated from Him by sin, and yet, we are still considered to be the right bride for Him though our choices can make the marriage more turbulent than it needs to be.
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Yes, God loves us, His bride, more than we love Him. What are the choices we can make—and should make—every day that can strengthen our love for God? At the same time, what choices will only deaden our love? |
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Isaac married his first cousin Rebekah. If this happens in my community it will be a taboo. Even though marrying first cousin is not outlawed in the Bible, I am wondering whether such practice can be seen as “normal” in my community. If one does so, it will lead to excommunication from the church and rebaptism will be required before readmission. Secondly, it will cause great upheaval, tension, division and will be offensive. This will be seen as the bad news of the year. It will bring disrepute to the church and negative witnessing. As we have many communities who are introduced into the biblical culture, how can cultural differences be reconciled?
“You say, “I am allowed to do anything but not everything is good for you. You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is beneficial” (1 Corinthians 10:23, NLT).
Omwenga, things were different back then. God's people weren't many in number and they were surrounded by pagan and heathen nations. To secure a godly spouse would often require marrying from within your own clan. Consider that Abraham married Sara, his half sister, and God was good with it.
While we hear in the Bible of Abraham being anxious that his son not marry a daughter of the Canaanite's and Rebecca not wanting Jacob to marry one of the “daughters of Heth” (Gen. 27:46), when we get to Jacob’s sons we do not read of the same anxious concern. Where did their wives come from?
It does mention that one of Simeon's sons was the son of a Canaanite woman and Judah also had some sons with Canaanite women (one of which, Tamar, likely became a believer - at any rate, she was in Jesus geneology). It doesn't say anything about the others. Based on that, I don't think most of Jacob's sons married Canaanites. I suspect that they got wives from Ishmael's descendents or Laban's descendants or maybe Abraham's sons through Keturah. Though these people were not perfect (Laban certainly had flaws), they were closer to an understanding of God than the Canaanites would be.
We remember that Cain married his sister, and so did the godly Seth. There were no unrelated women to marry.
Marrying close relatives worked fine when humans were perfect, fresh from the Creator's hands. But over time, mutations in the genetic make-up of humanity caused significant damage that resulted in various abnormalities in babies being born. People noticed these were more frequent in offspring from close relatives, and societies developed taboos and laws against such marriages.
God Himself codified laws against having sexual relations with parents, siblings, half-siblings, aunts and uncles in Leviticus 18:6-9, 12-14. He thus protected His people from the damaging effects of two people with the same mutated recessive genes marrying each other. (Damage to recessive genes does not show up unless two recessive genes come together.)
I would think that explanation makes sense to most people.
I feel there's more than the genetic factor at play. Many of the forbidden relationships are not genetic (for example an aunt through marriage). Incest as a whole is very destructive. This is true whether children are conceived from it or not. If our only reason to avoid it is the physical element, I think there are still problems. The nature of the relationship has a huge impact. That's why I would never be comfortable with stepsiblings getting together or adopted siblings etc. Sex in a family should only be within the marriage relationship and anything else messes with what other relationships should be like.
Now that doesn't explain Cain and Seth and Abraham, though yes, Inge, you're right that there were no other options for Cain and Seth besides sisters. But when you look at the geneologies and how long the patriarchs lived and when they had sons, I think it's quite possible that Cain and Seth married sisters that were born after they grew up. They were not necessarily living in a close family relationship with them as we would know it. The same would be true of Abraham, to some extent. He was 10 years older than Sarah and they didn't have the same mothers so it's hard to say how much contact they would have had with each other when Sarah was a young child. At any rate, the taboo of being with sisters existed already at that time or Abraham and Isaac's lies about their wives being sisters would not have worked.
That's how I make sense of it all, though admittedly I have a Western worldview on this subject. It's not necessarily right, but I like it better than the alternatives.
The law not to marry nearest kin was only during Moses. Before Moses, that law does not exist. God had seen the evolution of man's generation to have a bad outcome when they are to marry nearest kin. Only in Lev. 18 that that law emerged/exist. And that law is binding till now. Abraham married his half sister Sarai/Sarah. That's the best choice in their time. But afterward when human varied, it is nevermore even a good choice.
Marriage to a woman of the same faith has a significant parallel to church of choice. If we join a church or marry a church member of other beliefs than what ours is, we will have trouble. It, in fact can be as harmful as marrying a woman of no faith.
I thank God that I chose my wife of the Seventh-day Adventist faith almost 40 years ago, and still in a strong relationship. Praise be to God.
Choices that strengthen our love for God.
1. A daily fellowship with God.
2. We may start our day with asking God to bring us someone to cross our path who may need spiritual encouragement. Be ready, you may be surprised that you get what you asked for.
3. Do some kind deeds for someone, not to chock up a list of see what I did. Rather a deed to fulfill our burning love for God.
4. Above all be happy, joyful and rejoice in the Lord.
Philippians 4:4.
Revelation 19:6-10.
Hosea 10:12 AMP
[12] Sow with a view to righteousness [that righteousness, like seed, may germinate]; Reap in accordance with mercy and lovingkindness. Break up your uncultivated ground, For it is time to seek and search diligently for the Lord [and to long for His blessing] Until He comes to rain righteousness and His gift of salvation on you.
John, I do agree that marrying outside of our own faith may cause issues for some. But were it not for my wife of 50 years taking a chance on me, I may not be alive to tell you about it. My son who is a Seventh-day Adventist pastor married outside of our faith to a devout Christian girl, is now a baptized member of the Seventh-day Adventist faith , we have four wonderful grandchildren all baptized Seventh-day Adventist. My wife and I have a song that is special to us that has the words, “It was no accident me finding you, someone had a hand in it long before we ever knew”. And yes, I tip my hat to the Keeper of The Stars!
Yes, Terry, God does work in marvelous ways. Your story is great. Thank-you for it. Shows what Christian, unwavering love, and prayer can do. Thanks also for the apropos song by Tracy Byrd.
God Bless you and your family.
It's been said that love awakens love. In other words expressing love in one's love language, causes them to experience love in It's fulness, which in turn causes love to develop and grow. God has lavished his love on humanity through giving Jesus to die for our sins. As we take the time to revisit the life of Christ on this earth, and remember why he came, a love should be stirred in our hearts because of the great love bestowed upon us, in Jesus Christ.
Especially during this week of Christ's Passion may we take time to read, beyond the lesson study, God's love letter to us, the Bible. May we soak it in, and experience the sights and sounds of our Saviour's last days leading up to Calvary. May we realize that he did that just for "me" individually, and collectively.
When we make the choice to spend more time in God’s Word, it will strengthen our love for him, and build a immovable foundation to anchor us to to face the coming crisis. We must be firmly anchored on the Rock before the storms come, else we will be swept away.
This is a beautiful story of how a happy marriage should be formed-not that parents should choose their children's mates, but that the Lord's guidance should be sought and followed.
In the first place, the story teaches us that those to be married should have the same values and beliefs in order to live happily together, for knowing God is the deepest and most important thing in determination of standards of right and wrong. Both Isaac and Rebecca knew and feared the Lord in line with Jeremiah 9:23–24 (KJV)"Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord..."
Just like christ seeks that we as the church should not be conformed to the world but be Christlike in our value system. Isaac and Rebecca both wished above all things to do the Lord's will, when Rebecca would not get children Isaac sought the Lord in prayer, when the children were fighting in her womb she sought the Lord on what was happening to her implying that both husband and wife were aware of the fact that if the Lord does not build a home those who build do do in vain. Psalms 127:1 "If the Lord build not a home those who build, will do it in vain....."
If husband and wife would be like Isaac and Rebecca they will agree in their aims for their own lives and for their children, and their home will be founded on unselfish love of knowing the Lord John 17:3 (NIV) "Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."
— True life and happiness are found in knowing God.
Question: How was Abraham's decision to pick a wife for Isaac spiritual and not ethnic? When God called Abraham out of Ur, I was always under the impression that those around him were not following the true God. It seemed like his family around him didn't follow God either. Is that false thinking?
Hello Nina. I think that you answered your own question. Indeed, Abraham was surrounded by pagan and heathen people which is why God impressed him to find a wife for Isaac from his extended family that were walking with God. It was spiritual protection and not ethnic.
When you are confronted with two goods, choose the better. But when confronted with two evils, choose the lesser.
In your sight, they're both not good.
Abraham just chose the lesser evil.
I confess I feel very uncomfortable with the implications of this question:
The clear implication is that the Holy Spirit intended us to see a parallel and learn a lesson.
This type of biblical interpretation is usually called the "allegorical method." This method relies more on personal imagination than biblical principles and was popular in the Dark Ages when it led to teachings in the Roman curch which we recognize as unbiblical.
I know of no Bible writer who suggests an inspired parallel between Isaac and Christ and between Rebekah and the bride of Christ in this instance.
It's fine to say, "In some ways I see a parallel between Isaac and Christ and the church." That wording makes clear that it is the author's imagination that perceives a parallel, rather than a Bible teaching. And, for sure, the parallel breaks down in many ways. Christ came to this earth in person. He did not send a servant, for instance. (I could go on at length, but see no point in it.)
Just please don't set out on a hunt for more "inspired" allegorical meanings. The Bible is meant to be read literally, unless there are clear indicators for a different reading.
I agree. That was a strange connection to make. Rebekah did not do anything wrong that put her in the position she was in. I know some people in the church look for symbols in everything, but when a text is clearly historical, we should read it that way. Principles can be gleaned from it, but when everything becomes a symbol, we actually are at risk of seeing either Genesis as allegory (which is what the evolutionists want) or God as puppet master, working the strings to make every detail of people's lives to fit with Jesus. The first is obviously dangerous, but I think the second could be too.
Today, I had the opportunity to see a cousin I hadn't seen for almost 24 years. Of course, a geographic and time-lapse distance existed before this moment between us, but the loving, warm memories kept my desire to see her when the chance passed.
Keeping up with our relationship with God, who loves us the most, should be strong enough to draw us closer daily. We need a daily walk with God, not an occasional one.