Rebekah (Part Two)

by Christa Flannery

One thing that I have noticed about us as women, is that often we are well intentioned in trying to serve God -- but don't always trust that He can complete the task without our help. Have you ever found yourself in a situation like this?

A few years ago, I had a dear friend who was struggling with God and making some poor life decisions. I watched, knowing that God had great plans for her and wanted to give her so much more than what she was settling for. I knew that it was breaking His heart to see her turn away and make a mess of His glorious plan. Something had to be done.

If only I could convince her to refocus on God's love for her. If only I could direct her back to the path that she should be walking. But, in the midst of my good intentions and hopes to rescue my friend, I found myself communicating judgment, not grace -- and nearly destroying one of the most valuable friendships of my life.

We find Rebekah (our heroine from Genesis 24, with the amazing servant heart) in a similar situation. In the midst of an uncomfortable pregnancy, she asks God what's going on. He says her twins will become two nations and the younger of the sons will rule over the older. This was a direct contrast to traditions and the societal norms of the time. Rebekah loves Jacob, the younger son, who was foretold to be the one who would become the father of the Hebrew people (Genesis 25).

The problem comes in Genesis 27 when it is time for Rebekah's husband to give his blessing to the eldest, Esau, and name him the father of God's chosen people. What will Rebekah do? God clearly told her that it was Jacob who was supposed to receive this blessing. So, like any well intentioned servant of God, she took matters into her own hands. She cooks her husband a meal using Esau's recipe and convinces Jacob to disguise himself as his brother, thereby stealing the blessing.

Reading the story, I can't help but feel bad for Rebekah. She was simply trying to help God carry out His will and the process causes a few problems. Jacob ends up fleeing for his life from his very angry older brother. And can you even imagine the marital dispute her and Isaac had that evening??? In the end, Jacob and Esau make peace (as do Rebekah and Isaac) and God's will is accomplished. But, I can't help but wonder if things would have worked out a little more smoothly if Rebekah had just stayed out of God's way.

Like Rebekah, I made a huge mess with my friend. While I knew that God wanted better for her even more than I did, I took matters into my own hands. Subconsciously I believed God could not redeem her situation without my help. With the friendship on the rocks, I finally apologized to her for my lack of faith. After all, I am not God.

Completely without my help, God did rescue her from the situation and brought her back to Himself. He orchestrated for her a beautiful redemption story so much better than any I could have written. And by the grace of God, He also rescued our friendship.

While God often chooses to use us to carry out His purposes, He is also big enough to do things without our help. May we find the balance between serving Him and trying to steal His thunder by taking matters into our own hands.