Get Righteous, Godly Girl

Chapter Two Let's Talk About Rebecca God commands that we be obedient. As Godly girls we want to be obedient and understand this is God's command. Those who hear the word of God and practice it will be blessed, Luke 11:28. Rebecca was a loving wife and mother who wanted to be obedient. What could cause a loving wife and mother to behave otherwise? Just like all of us, Rebecca was a good girl who at times found it hard to be righteous. She was married to Isaac. Isaac loved Rebecca. Rebecca and Isaac were married for twenty years before they had children. Rebecca had a good bit of discomfort during her pregnancy. She asked God why she had to suffer so intensely. The response was that she was pregnant with twins which were fighting while in her womb. They would continue to fight for their entire lives. This news saddened Rebecca. Rebecca was informed that the older twin would serve the younger twin, and one would be stronger than the other. She did not share this news with Isaac. When Rebecca had her twins, she delivered two boys. The first born was named Esau. Esau was hairy all over. The second born was named Jacob. Jacob was born grasping the heel of his brother Esau. When the boys were young they seemed very similar in nature but began changing with age. Jacob was good and wholesome. Esau was more of a rough man who enjoyed hunting. Though Isaac and Rebecca had good intentions and did not plan how their relationships would develop with their twins, each began to favor one of the two boys. Isaac loved Esau. Rebecca loved Jacob. As Isaac began to get older, he began losing his eye sight and decided it was time to give the blessing to one of his two sons. He decided the blessing would go to his firstborn son, Esau. Isaac told Esau to go hunting and bring back the game that he hunted. Once Esau returned with the game Isaac would eat and give Esau his blessing. Rebecca overheard Isaac's message to Esau. Rebecca's heart was heavy when she heard that Isaac's blessing would go to Esau rather than to Jacob. The thought of Jacob not receiving Isaac's blessing devastated Rebecca. She began planning for Jacob to go to Isaac in Esau's place to receive the blessing. Rebecca made food for Jacob to take to his father. She told Jacob that with Isaac becoming blind, he would not know that it was him instead of Esau. Jacob feared that his father would find out that he tried to deceive him. Rebecca convinced Jacob that his father would not know. Before Esau could come back from hunting, Rebecca draped Jacob in goatskins so that if Isaac touched him, he would have hairy skin like Esau. Jacob took the food to his father and told him he was there to receive his blessing. Isaac was confused. He heard the voice of Jacob and asked him to come closer. Jacob moved closer to his father but Isaac was unable to see him clearly. He reached out to touch Jacob and felt the hairy goatskins. Isaac ate the food that Jacob brought and said I am confused because you have the voice of Jacob but the hands of Esau. Isaac then gave Jacob the blessing. When Esau came back from hunting he came to his father to receive his blessing. Isaac was disheartened to find that he was deceived by Jacob. Isaac had already given the blessing to Jacob, so could not give it to Esau. At this time, Isaac realized that Jacob was good at heart and Esau was not as pure as he thought. Esau's heart was broken that he could not have his father's blessing. Esau begged his father to give him his own blessing. Isaac could not because he had already given it to Jacob. Isaac told Esau that Jacob was ruler over him now. It was at Rebecca's direction that Jacob did these things to his father. She advised her son to go to his father and deceive him by pretending to be Esau. She told him to take from her brother what was promised to him. Rebecca made food for Jacob to take to Isaac and helped disguise his skin like that of his brothers. As you read this story I am sure you are thinking that this is very deceptive of Rebecca. What did Rebecca do that was not Godly? Should a mother and father favor one child over another? Should a mother tell her son to be dishonest with his father? Should a mother help her son take what was promised to her other child? Should a wife plan and orchestrate the deception of her own husband? Things we discussed as being Godly are obedience, honesty, and kindness to others. Rebecca was none of these things in regards to Isaac, Jacob, or Esau when she told Jacob to deceive his father. This was not Godly behavior. Does this mean Rebecca is a bad girl? Why did Rebecca do all of these things? Do you think she is mean and decided to behave badly? I am sure that is not the case. Rebecca did not plan that she would love Jacob or that Isaac would love Esau. She did not plan that Isaac would want to give the blessing to Esau or that her twins would fight their entire lives. The only thing Rebecca did was love her son Jacob. She wanted him to have the things she felt he was entitled too and longed for his happiness. This is much like what we want for the people we love. This is one example of why it can be hard to be righteous. Take a look at Rebecca. Rebecca is a girl who loves her family but finds her heart belongs mostly to Jacob. Does this make her a bad girl? Or was she a mother who was trying to do what she felt was best for her son? Scripture clearly states that wives are to be submissive to their husbands. 1 Corinthians 11:3 says that we should understand that Christ is the head of every man, the husband is the head of every wife, and God is the head of Christ. Ephesians 5:22-24 tells us that wives are to be subject to their husbands for the husband is the head of his wife, as Christ is the head of the church. Wives as subject their husband as the church is subject to Christ. Colossians 1:18 says that wives must be subject to their husbands as it is fitting in the Lord. Titus 2:5 advises that wives must be submissive to their husband so that the God's word is not discredited. God understood that there would be desire for women to rule over their husbands. He even tells Eve that he knew she would desire to rule over her husband but that Adam would rule over her. This was God's command and is stated repetitively in scripture. Rebecca tried to take things into her own hands and was not obedient in God's word. She also advised her son to sin. She placed her own personal wants and needs for her son, Jacob, before God. We all are guilty of making this mistake at times. We all try to take things into our own hands and make choices when it may not be the Godliest choice. What can we do to be Godly girls? What can we do as an attempt to discontinue this pattern of trying to do it ourselves and being in control? Great question! Let's get rolling!