Zone1 Rebekah's Deceptions

[Meriweather]

Isaac's wife, Rebekah, the mother of Esau and Jacob is considered one of the great Jewish Matriarchs. I see her as one of the great deceivers.

Her meddling seems to have been at the root of great wars and bloodshed between the descendants of Esau and Jacob. Had Rebekah trusted God, would there have been greater peace among nations?

Does anyone else see Rebekah and Jacob's treatment of Esau as unfair?

 

[seaofnails]

this all depends, are we to look to the situation through the eyes of a modern Roman perspective or through the eyes of the Bible, Esau was not interested in living a life that was pleasing to God and Isaac and Rebecca could determine this very easily.

one of the main focuses of this was that Esau married from the pagan women and refused to marry the wives that God would have rather he married.

Isaac could have been a very good father, in fact he could have been the very best father who ever lived and loved and treated his son Isaac with wonder, respect and in a perfect family relationship.

the blessing that Rebecca took from her son Issac only to give the blessing to Jacob, this was related to a relationship with God concerning the future, we would have to assume perhaps that Rebecca was not a spiritual person or perhaps some type of a mentally challenged individual or even unknowledgeable about God and what is important in God's eyes.

A father and mother of two children can love and adore and respect all of their children while realizing that one of the children will follow God and that only one of the children are going to follow the path that are important to to a Godly family.

today, most fathers do not even have the spiritual concept to give a blessing to anyone. this was a bonus given to the child who would uphold a Godly path. not really about human form of love and human affections.

 

[seaofnails]

Isaac made a choice to marry from pagan and Ishmaelite women, his wives families the Canaanites and Ishmaelites eventually joined together to attempt to exterminate the seed of Jacob.. Isaac and Rebecca instilled and taught Isaac and Jacob the importance of marrying the right women.

Isaacs family, his wives were from the enemies of Israel,

Israel eventually destroyed all Ishmaelites and all of Esau - completely removed from the earth, - as a people.

Esau was a great nation among the pagans... maybe if the Palestinian terrorists today next to Gaza today could make the claim to be descendants of Esau - the pope could help Esau become a great nation

 

[Meriweather]

this all depends, are we to look to the situation through the eyes of a modern Roman perspective or through the eyes of the Bible, Esau was not interested in living a life that was pleasing to God and Isaac and Rebecca could determine this very easily.

Recall that Rebekah and Jacob had to fool Isaac, who thought he was passing the blessing onto Esau.

As you mention later, Esau went on to build a great nation himself, but there were still the hard feelings among the two because Jacob stole what was Esau's. If Esau could go on to build a great nation without what was his, and Jacob had God's favor, why couldn't have Jacob done the same? There would have been no reason for hard feelings or enmity between the two. Neither Esau nor Jacob were perfect.

Where was Rebekah's faith that God could work with Esau? Further, deception is not God's way, nor is stealing. Ever wonder since Isaac was aging and Rebekah younger, whether her own self-interests were involved?

Had it not been for Rebekah and Jacob's deception, would peace, rather than enmity have had a chance to build in the Middle East?

Could this also be seen as an account of how God can work with us despite our own thefts and deceptions? If He can work with those in Rebekah and Jacob, why not work with Esau who took an outsider as a wife? Remember Ruth who was also an outsider? It took some time, but remember the famous verse of, Where you go, I will go. Your God will be my God. Your people my people.

God couldn't work with Esau, but he could work with thieves and deceivers? God couldn't have worked with Jacob unless Isaac gave him the blessing? Rebekah's faith seems to also have been about the customs of who got the most.

By the way, just thoughts! Other than all the wars and unrest in the Middle East, good came from Jacob's inheritance. I am only wondering if good might have also come to Jacob and his descendants without him taking what was his brothers. How necessary was that?

 

[seaofnails]

i understand, you are right, Esau would have felt better about his life had he also received some type of ceremonial blessing that was comparable to Jacob