Rebekah's Bad Example: Deception Backfires

When Rebekah was pregnant with the twin brothers Esau and Jacob, the Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger” (Genesis 25:23).

Because Rebekah favored Jacob, she decided not to wait for God to fulfill this prophecy. Instead, she took matters into her own hands and convinced Jacob to deceive his blind father and “steal” Esau's first-born blessing (Genesis 27). 

When the deception was revealed, Esau was enraged and Jacob fled for his life.

Because Rebekah didn't trust God, she not only sinned against God, her husband, and Esau, but she also influenced Jacob to sin. In the end, her plan prevented her from ever seeing Jacob again.

And for Jacob's part, he not only had to flee from his home, he met his match when his father-in-law deceived him into marrying a different sister (Genesis 29:1-30)!

Romans 15:4 says that everything written in the Old Testament was written to teach us. So let's learn from Rebekah's and Jacob's bad examples. God never uses selfish, ungodly plans to accomplish His purposes for our lives!

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You can do a short Bible study based on this devotion on Bite Size Bible Study: The Solution to the Mess in Genesis 27.

For additional insights see It's Serious, No Lie! 

And if you own Wisdom for Life, you can find additional wisdom about dishonesty in Day 36.

Bible Love Notes