Rich, Revolutionary And Reflective Rebekah
“Every successful man has a woman behind him,” often
I see this locution as I scroll down my Facebook account and some extent it’s
factual too. Weeks ago my philosophical mind clinched to find a protagonist
against the notion. I hope the feminist won’t label me as a cynic. Esau the
Genesis Character is petrified gazing at the avowal. Yes I can construe the
question words in your mind Why and How. To keep your hair on queries, kindly
read Book of Genesis chapter 27 in the Holy Bible. Rebekah being only the woman
in the extract becomes fibber and fetches Esau a life of failure. I recall very
vividly a dialogue from the Malayalam movie Kuttisrank
in which a young girl says to a young Buddhist Monk and I quote “A woman can
take a man to anywhere.”
Being a novice in the realm of theology I cleave on to the view that nobody can presage and plot one’s destiny. Blessing as the main theme and the word that used 28 times throughout the story, it was not Rebekah who meddled to lose the birth right and blessings of Easu. Bible itself particularly the previous chapters in the book of Genesis very clearly describes that Esau was not the chosen one. “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples born of you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the elder shall serve the younger.” (Genesis 25: 23). “When Esau was forty years old he married Judith daughter of Elon the Hittite; and they made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah.” (Genesis 26: 34). The above verses expounds that he himself made his situation pathetic not to be the chosen one. Son who makes the life of his parents acrimonious will be repudiated off many things.
Intervention of Rebekah was not accidental to evict Esau from God’s plan for the humanity. The inheritance promised by God was firmly fixed in her mind; she knew that it was decreed to her son Jacob. There are three essentials that made Rebekah to play a pivotal role in the story, The reflective journey through the passage substantiate that the story is emphasized on the feelings of Seeing, Hearing, Tasting, Touching, and Smelling. Sensual feelings play huge amount of role in one’s life but it is also important to use the capacity of tongue to understand the feelings. As a family it’s necessary to have communication among all the members, but in this family the scenario of communication is entirely different. Jacob and Esau never appear together in the four major scenes of this story, nor do Rebekah and Esau, which symbolizes a lack of communication within the family.” Lack of communication among the family members made Rebekah to communicate with the Yahweh where she could realize that Jacob was the chosen one. It wouldn’t be a fate for Esau if Isaac had properly communicated with Rebekah because she really knew the plan of God about Esau. God really exposes Himself about his steps and strategies to the one who always communicates with him. And Rebekah was rich in communication with God; as she attuned to the oracle that she received during the birth of Esau and Jacob. Communication among the family is to be fostered to have better understanding of God’s plan about oneself.
The passage commences with the discourse between Isaac and Esau in which Isaac highlights about his days on the earth and the savoury food. These two concepts clearly state that how Issac was oriented to the physical enrichments. It was not necessary that the tasty food should be served before the paternal blessings, but Isaac insists and this gives a picture of a failure father. Isaac’s attachment towards physical desires exposes that he relies on his own understanding not on God’s indulgence. He was pleased with the son who fills his stomach. The physical wishes lead him blindly for the love of his firstborn son, to prefer him to the other; and in this way he contended against the oracle of God, which God had pronounced before the children were born. Isaac who denies the power and promises of God and trusting in himself could be a stumbling block for the fulfillment of planned salvation. He was gratifying his sensual desires in opposition to God’s plan. Here Rebekah contradicts Isaac as a woman who attentively moves around with God’s plan and prophecies. The character of Isaac as a father who seeks physical fostering clearly describes that the intervention of Rebekah was not fortuitous but preplaced.
The character of Rebekah is introduced in the book of Genesis as an icon of listening. Her entry before the senior servant of Abraham will underline the fact that Rebekah formed herself as a woman of listening. (Genesis 24: 12-19) And again we could see the quality of listening in Rebekah before the birth of the twins. “She went to inquire of the Lord.” (Genesis 25: 22). Finally, the passage reinforces her uniqueness in listening by saying that, “Now Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to his son Esau.” (Genesis 27: 5). The concept of ‘listening’ has got a spiritual tone in the Bible. Rebekah did not just happen to overhear the whispering of Isaac and Esau as they plotted the diversion of divine promises to the elder son. The Hebrew form that is used in the original text suggests that this was a habit, a pattern of behavior, not a happenstance. It was after all this quality of listening that made Rebekah to be reflective and walk along with the Plan of God. The intervention of Rebekah to fulfill the Plan of God was not accidental and the quality of listening in her life depicts that she was attuned to do so.
Rebekah as a character in the passage can be mistreated negatively as a woman who deceives her husband and partial to her elder son. But as God oriented home maker she plays a pivotal role in the household endeavors. Rebekah prepared herself by developing her qualities and acted prudently to be part of God’s intervention towards the salvation of human being. The character of Rebekah blows the wind of mother hood and its role in the family. Her positive qualities can really be inculcated among the contemporary mothers. To say as a mother, a woman in this pragmatic world needs to be rich in communication both vertically and horizontally that is with God and her family members. A wife should not take the advantage of her husband’s weakness rather be a facilitator for him to get together. Be a revolutionary in home making. The world today presents lot of break-up families and the reason for it could be lack of listening. As women and mother the modern era should set reflective Rebekah as the icon for this quality. It would be better if the women today emulate Rebekah in this regard for a home to be a God dwelling abode. Let Rebekah be the mediator for the women today, and which can lead to a paradigm shift in women perception in this generation, that still struggles to view women as equal beings to enhance the society at large.
Being a novice in the realm of theology I cleave on to the view that nobody can presage and plot one’s destiny. Blessing as the main theme and the word that used 28 times throughout the story, it was not Rebekah who meddled to lose the birth right and blessings of Easu. Bible itself particularly the previous chapters in the book of Genesis very clearly describes that Esau was not the chosen one. “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples born of you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the elder shall serve the younger.” (Genesis 25: 23). “When Esau was forty years old he married Judith daughter of Elon the Hittite; and they made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah.” (Genesis 26: 34). The above verses expounds that he himself made his situation pathetic not to be the chosen one. Son who makes the life of his parents acrimonious will be repudiated off many things.
Intervention of Rebekah was not accidental to evict Esau from God’s plan for the humanity. The inheritance promised by God was firmly fixed in her mind; she knew that it was decreed to her son Jacob. There are three essentials that made Rebekah to play a pivotal role in the story, The reflective journey through the passage substantiate that the story is emphasized on the feelings of Seeing, Hearing, Tasting, Touching, and Smelling. Sensual feelings play huge amount of role in one’s life but it is also important to use the capacity of tongue to understand the feelings. As a family it’s necessary to have communication among all the members, but in this family the scenario of communication is entirely different. Jacob and Esau never appear together in the four major scenes of this story, nor do Rebekah and Esau, which symbolizes a lack of communication within the family.” Lack of communication among the family members made Rebekah to communicate with the Yahweh where she could realize that Jacob was the chosen one. It wouldn’t be a fate for Esau if Isaac had properly communicated with Rebekah because she really knew the plan of God about Esau. God really exposes Himself about his steps and strategies to the one who always communicates with him. And Rebekah was rich in communication with God; as she attuned to the oracle that she received during the birth of Esau and Jacob. Communication among the family is to be fostered to have better understanding of God’s plan about oneself.
The passage commences with the discourse between Isaac and Esau in which Isaac highlights about his days on the earth and the savoury food. These two concepts clearly state that how Issac was oriented to the physical enrichments. It was not necessary that the tasty food should be served before the paternal blessings, but Isaac insists and this gives a picture of a failure father. Isaac’s attachment towards physical desires exposes that he relies on his own understanding not on God’s indulgence. He was pleased with the son who fills his stomach. The physical wishes lead him blindly for the love of his firstborn son, to prefer him to the other; and in this way he contended against the oracle of God, which God had pronounced before the children were born. Isaac who denies the power and promises of God and trusting in himself could be a stumbling block for the fulfillment of planned salvation. He was gratifying his sensual desires in opposition to God’s plan. Here Rebekah contradicts Isaac as a woman who attentively moves around with God’s plan and prophecies. The character of Isaac as a father who seeks physical fostering clearly describes that the intervention of Rebekah was not fortuitous but preplaced.
The character of Rebekah is introduced in the book of Genesis as an icon of listening. Her entry before the senior servant of Abraham will underline the fact that Rebekah formed herself as a woman of listening. (Genesis 24: 12-19) And again we could see the quality of listening in Rebekah before the birth of the twins. “She went to inquire of the Lord.” (Genesis 25: 22). Finally, the passage reinforces her uniqueness in listening by saying that, “Now Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to his son Esau.” (Genesis 27: 5). The concept of ‘listening’ has got a spiritual tone in the Bible. Rebekah did not just happen to overhear the whispering of Isaac and Esau as they plotted the diversion of divine promises to the elder son. The Hebrew form that is used in the original text suggests that this was a habit, a pattern of behavior, not a happenstance. It was after all this quality of listening that made Rebekah to be reflective and walk along with the Plan of God. The intervention of Rebekah to fulfill the Plan of God was not accidental and the quality of listening in her life depicts that she was attuned to do so.
Rebekah as a character in the passage can be mistreated negatively as a woman who deceives her husband and partial to her elder son. But as God oriented home maker she plays a pivotal role in the household endeavors. Rebekah prepared herself by developing her qualities and acted prudently to be part of God’s intervention towards the salvation of human being. The character of Rebekah blows the wind of mother hood and its role in the family. Her positive qualities can really be inculcated among the contemporary mothers. To say as a mother, a woman in this pragmatic world needs to be rich in communication both vertically and horizontally that is with God and her family members. A wife should not take the advantage of her husband’s weakness rather be a facilitator for him to get together. Be a revolutionary in home making. The world today presents lot of break-up families and the reason for it could be lack of listening. As women and mother the modern era should set reflective Rebekah as the icon for this quality. It would be better if the women today emulate Rebekah in this regard for a home to be a God dwelling abode. Let Rebekah be the mediator for the women today, and which can lead to a paradigm shift in women perception in this generation, that still struggles to view women as equal beings to enhance the society at large.
