What lessons on obedience can we learn from Rebekah's plan in Genesis 27:6? Setting the Scene “Rebekah said to her son Jacob, ‘Behold, I overheard your father saying to your brother Esau…’” (Genesis 27:6). With that one sentence, Rebekah launches a daring, deceptive scheme to secure Isaac’s blessing for Jacob. Her plan immediately pits two kinds of obedience against each other: • Jacob’s duty to obey his mother (Exodus 20:12; Ephesians 6:1). • The higher duty for both mother and son to obey God’s moral standards of truth and honor (Exodus 20:16; Proverbs 12:22). What Rebekah Got Right • She valued God’s covenant blessing. Genesis 25:23 had revealed that “the older shall serve the younger,” and she believed that word. • She acted quickly, showing that spiritual matters are urgent, not casual. • She trained Jacob to appreciate the blessing instead of despising it, unlike Esau (Hebrews 12:16-17). These positives remind us to cherish God’s promises and seek His favor above earthly gain. Where Obedience Broke Down • Substituting deception for faith. Rather than wait for God to fulfill His word, Rebekah chose manipulation, contradicting Psalm 37:5—“Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act.” • Leading her son into sin. “Woe to the world for the causes of sin… but woe to the man through whom it comes!” (Matthew 18:7). • Ignoring the cost of sin’s consequences: family division, Jacob’s exile, and years of grief (Genesis 27:41-45). Key Lessons for Our Own Obedience • Honor God’s hierarchy of authority. When human instruction violates God’s commands, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). • Means matter as much as ends. A righteous goal pursued by unrighteous methods is still disobedience. • Faith waits; flesh schemes. True obedience trusts God’s timing (Isaiah 64:4). • Parental influence is powerful. Parents shape children’s conscience; therefore, model integrity, not expediency (Deuteronomy 6:6-7). • God redeems but does not excuse sin. Though He used Jacob to carry the covenant forward, the pain that followed shows sin’s lingering sting (Galatians 6:7). Personal Takeaways • Ask: Does my obedience align with both the letter and spirit of God’s Word? • Guard against justifying wrong actions with “good” intentions. • Teach and model honesty so the next generation learns to obey God first. Supporting Scriptures • Genesis 25:23; 27:6-17 |
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