The Deciever’s Mother

Jacob is often referred to as a deceiver, and if you’re familiar with the first part of his life as recorded in Genesis 25-27, you would probably say that the description fit. However, another look at the events surrounding Jacob’s deceit show that he wasn’t the only one involved in the scheme. His mother, Rebekah, pushes him along so blatantly, we can’t help but see where Jacob got his deceitful streak.

In fact, if you read the narrative closely, you’ll see that Rebekah was the architect of the scheme. Not only that, it was she who cooked the goat meat to mimic the taste of Esau’s venison, it was she who prepared the goat skin disguise and tied it on her son, and it was she who took some of Esau’s clothing and put it on her son to complete the deception.

Jacob actually protests at one point, saying,

“Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man: My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing.”

Jacob definitely saw the risk involved in the scheme and feared being found out. In essence, his mother responds with a dismissive remark, and rushes him on to action. While the act of deception was Jacob’s, and he was definitely responsible for his part, Rebekah is the one who deserves the reputation for deception.

The sad thing is, Rebekah probably thought she was doing the will of God. In Genesis 25:23, when Rebekah was concerned about her pregnancy, God had told her,

“Two nations are I thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.”

Rebekah knew that God’s plan was for Esau to serve Jacob.

In those days, the eldest son was given the birthright, a double portion of the inheritance with which to care for his parents. With the birthright came a position of leadership in the family–hence the idea of one brother serving the other. (As it happened, Esau ended up forfeiting his birthright, selling it to Jacob in return for a bowl of lentils, apparently regarding the birthright as no big deal.)

In the case of Isaac’s heir, the birthright would also come with a special blessing, a sign of the continuation of God’s covenant promises to Abraham. By saying that the elder would serve the younger, God was essentially declaring His choosing of Jacob as the heir to both birthright and promise.

But despite this direct revelation from God, Genesis 27 begins with Isaac preparing to give the blessing not to Jacob, but to Esau. We are not told why he did this, but we are told that Rebekah heard about it, and took matters into her own hands.

She was perhaps also motivated by the fact that Esau had married two Canaanite wives, which, as Genesis 26:35 states, “were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah.” So Rebekah sprang into action, enlisting her son into the scheme that would define his reputation throughout ages to come.

Rebekah had started off well in Genesis 24, generously and energetically volunteering to water the thirsty camels of a stranger and then choosing in faith to journey to a far-off land to marry Isaac, but you will notice that she does not make it into the “hall of faith” in Hebrews 11. (Unlike Sarah, who had her own failings, yet ended well.)

Rebekah’s downfall was that she did not trust God to fulfill His own will. And that’s where it hits home for you and I. How many times do we similarly spring into action on behalf of God, instead of taking the matter to Him and waiting to see what He will do?

As women, we have a great ability to influence the men in our lives. Whether as a wife, daughter, sister, aunt, niece, teacher, or friend, we have the responsibility to influence the men in our lives toward godliness. Rebekah’s influence on her son led him not only to deceive and belittle his father, her take-charge attitude pushed Isaac out of the role of leader.

Isaac was responsible to God for his decision regarding the blessing, but Rebekah felt it was her responsibility to make him do the right thing. I wonder what would have happened if she had made a humble appeal instead of pushing her way through the situation?

There was much wrong in this episode of Old Testament history, and each individual involved displayed some weakness or sin, but Rebekah’s misplaced desire to make God’s will happen serves as a warning to us. God knows what He is doing, and you and I are only responsible for our response to the happenings of life.

Try as we might, we cannot control what others do, but we can choose to do right ourselves, seeking God’s guidance instead of taking matters into our own hands and barging ahead. And as we do, we will set an example of godliness for the generations to come.