In Genesis 24-28, the readings for week 3 in the Chosen: 30 Days with the Patriarchs Scripture Plan, we move to the next generation of the fulfilment of God’s promises to Abraham. It is time to find Isaac a wife. God chooses Rebekah as his wife, and their son Jacob to inherit the promise. As we read these verses we learn how to respond to God’s promises – from good and bad examples!
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God chooses Rebekah
Genesis 24 is one of my favourite Bible stories – God chooses Rebekah as Isaac’s wife.
When Abraham sends his servant to get a wife for his son Isaac, his servant is not only obedient to Abraham’s instructions but also shows that he has great faith in God.
The servant prays to God and asks for a sign to show him who God has chosen for Isaac. And God answers his prayer. The servant then carries out the necessary arrangements in order to take Rebekah back to Isaac.
In this part of the story, Isaac and Rebekah also show faith in God’s plans. Rebekah is immediately willing to travel with the servant, and Isaac welcomes his new wife.
What can we learn about how to respond to God’s promises from the actions of Abraham, his servant, Isaac and Rebekah?
In this story, everyone plays their part in order for God’s plans to progress.
- Abraham is obedient to God in sending for a wife from his homeland rather than letting Isaac marry a Canaanite woman.
- The servant is obedient to Abraham and has faith in God to not only fulfil his promises but also give him guidance.
- Rebekah is obedient to God’s calling and has faith in God’s plans.
- Isaac also shows trust in God’s plans by accepting God’s choice of a bride.
Faith and obedience are key responses to God’s promises. Like Abraham’s servant, we need to know when to act, when to pray and when to depend on God.
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God chooses Jacob
The story of God choosing Jacob to inherit the promise, however, is not so full of characteristics to imitate. This is more a story of how not to respond, rather than how to respond to God’s promises.
In Genesis 25:23 we read that God had chosen Jacob to inherit rather than his older twin, and had told their mother, Rebekah, before they were even born.
However, Isaac, Rebekah and Jacob all try to manipulate this promise for their own gain.
- Jacob tricks Esau out of his birthright
- Isaac tries to give the blessing to Esau in secret.
- Rebekah plots for Jacob to trick Isaac into blessing him instead.
- Jacob tricks his father into blessing him.
All this trickery is not part of God’s plan and is not necessary. It was God’s plan for Jacob to inherit the promise, so if everyone had been patient and trusted in God, things would have worked out as God intended. And the consequences would have been very different. Jacob would not have had to flee and stay away for so long that he never saw his mother again.
What can we learn about how to respond to God’s promises from the actions of Isaac, Rebekah and Jacob?
Often we learn more from our mistakes than from our successes, but if we learn from the mistakes of others it will be less painful! Jacob and Rebekah suffered for their mistakes.
God does not need us to interfere in order for his promises to be fulfilled, especially if in involves acting in an ungodly manner.
Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. 2 Corinthians 7:1
How to Respond to God’s Promises
In the following verses from Peter, we read that God has given us ‘great and precious promises’ and we must ‘make every effort to respond to God’s promises’. Then Peter gives us some instructions on how best to do this.
“And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Let’s look briefly at these instructions.
Faith
When Abraham, Rebekah and Isaac put their faith in God they simply followed his instructions and let his promises come to fulfilment. Unfortunately, they did not always show this faith. Abraham’s servant, however, is a great example of faith.
Then his people believed his promises. Then they sang his praise. Psalm 106:12 NLT
Moral excellence
We can see from this week’s readings that a lack of faith was quickly followed by a lack of moral excellence! When Isaac, Rebekah, and Jacob thought they needed to fulfil God’s promises through their own actions, instead of putting their faith in God, they resorted to cheating, secrets and lies.
Knowledge
We must always turn to God’s word for reassurance of his promises. If we are in doubt we must search for his appropriate promise. Build your knowledge and equip your faith with this list of 50 promises from God from Bible Study Tools.
Self-control
Jacob did not show self-control when he saw an opportunity to take his inheritance from Esau. Instead of trusting in God to give him the inheritance as promised, he took it for himself.
Patient endurance
Patience is vital if we are going to wait on God’s timing to fulfil his promises.
For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. Hebrews 10:36
Godliness
Abraham’s servant is a great example of Godliness. He was obedient to his master, focused on the task, prayed for guidance, trusted in God and gave glory to God. Praise and thanks is a proper response to God’s promises.
Then I will praise you with music on the harp, because you are faithful to your promises, O my God. I will sing praises to you with a lyre, O Holy One of Israel. Psalm 71:22
Brotherly affection and love
Well, Jacob certainly didn’t show brotherly affection! Our efforts to respond to God’s promises should not be at the expense of others. God knew that Jacob was the right twin to inherit the promise, but by cheating his brother, Jacob had to pay dearly and fled in fear.
How will you respond to God’s promises?
Get the Bible Study Guide and Workbook
If you have not already purchased your copy of the Bible Study Guide and Workbook to go with the Chosen: 30 Days with the Patriarchs Scripture Plan it’s not too late! Here you will find a page for each day of the study. The daily worksheets use my 5L Bible Study Method: Letter, Look, Learn, Live, Love which encourages and guides us to look deeper into the text we are reading.
You can also find the other posts about this Scripture Plan here:
Introduction: Patriarchs Scripture Plan
Week 1: God’s Promises to Abraham
Week 2: How to Trust God in times of doubt, sorrow and testing
Week 3: How to respond to God’s Promises: Lessons from Isaac and Rebekah
Week 4: What does it mean to be chosen by God?
I hope you are being blessed and encouraged through these reflections and the Scripture Plan. I’d love to know what you have learned about being chosen by God from this study. Please leave a comment to let me know!
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