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Rebekah: She Who Went The
Second Mile
from sermon series
“Standing on the Shoulders of Giants”
by
Pastor Dave Strem
Used by
permission
How do you feel
when someone does something for you that is above and
beyond what you expect? How do you feel? Do you feel
loved, treasured? Do you feel that he or she cared
enough to do something beyond what you would expect?
This paper will focus on a woman, a girl who went beyond
expectations to reach out to someone she did not know.
We are going to look at the life of Rebekah. We are
going to stand on her shoulders and get a viewpoint of
life above and beyond our normal viewpoint. Rebekah
wants you to be an above-and-beyond person. To be that
kind of person that lets others feel treasured, that
communicates love and value to others.
God promised
Abraham that He would make him a great nation.
Twenty-five years after Abraham left Haran and journeyed
to the land that God promised to him and his ancestors,
the child God promised to him, Isaac, was born. God
promised Abraham that his descendants would be many.
But forty years after Isaac’s birth, Isaac was the only
descendant of promise. Sarah has been dead for thirteen
years and Isaac is not even married. He has no wife.
How can you have a great nation without descendants?
When Abraham was a very old man he recognized that Isaac
needed a wife. “Abraham was now a very old man, and the
Lord has blessed him in every way. One day Abraham said
to the man in charge of his household, who was his
oldest servant, ‘Swear by the Lord, the God of heaven
and earth, that you will not let my son marry one of
these local Canaanite women. Go instead to my homeland,
to my relatives, and find a wife there for my son
Isaac’” (Genesis 24:1-4). Abraham knew that the one we
marry will have a great influence on our life. The
Bible is filled with examples of the negative effects of
marrying the wrong mate. Solomon, the future king of
Israel, who asked for wisdom to judge and rule his
people, was brought low by his attachment to idolatrous
and sensual wives. Israel was split because of his
disobedience. The one you choose to marry can have a
profound influence on your spiritual life. Abraham knew
this. He sent his servant, Eleazer, to Haran, 500 miles
away, to find a wife for Isaac.
Eleazer loaded
ten camels with the supplies necessary to make the
500-mile trip. If someone traveled twenty-five miles a
day, it would take close to three weeks to travel across
the desert to Haran. It is miserable territory.
Eleazer was not a young man. He was Abraham’s oldest
servant. But Abraham chose him for this task because he
was the most trustworthy servant he had. The odds were
stacked against him, however. Think about it. How many
women do you know who would leave their family and
homeland and travel 500 miles through the desert to
marry a man she never meet? Eleazer realizes the
difficulty of his task and prays for God’s help and
direction. When he arrives in Haran he prays the
following prayer: “O Lord, God of my master Abraham give
me success today and show kindness to my master
Abraham. I’m standing beside the spring and the
daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw
water. May it be that when I say to a girl please let
down your jar that I may have a drink, that she may say,
‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels, too.’ Let her be
the one you have chosen for your servant, Isaac. By
this I will know you have shown kindness to my master”
(Genesis 24:14). Eastern hospitality dictated that when
anyone asked for a drink you would comply. That was
just common courtesy. But your camels, that is a
different matter. You were responsible for your own
livestock. If you were rich enough to have a caravan of
ten camels, you would also have enough resources to hire
a servant to water those camels. It is a big job to
water ten camels. Each camel will drink 20-30 gallons.
It is not a matter of simply turning on a spigot and
holding a hose in a tub, it involved taking a two-gallon
jar, pitcher, or bucket and dropping it down 50 feet
into a well and pulling it back up, hand over hand, and
carrying it over to a trough separated from the well, so
the animals don’t contaminate it, and dump it. This had
to be done ten-to-fifteen times for each animal. That
is 200+ times that someone would have to
lift, haul, and dump two gallons of water. Does that
sound like something any teenage girl you know would
want to do? It is unnatural and that is what makes it
special. Eleazer was looking for someone special.
Genesis 24:15-22
records what happened when Eleazer arrived at the well.
“As he was still praying, a young woman named Rebekah
arrived with a water jug on her shoulder. Her father
was Bethuel, who was the son of Abraham’s brother Nahor
and his wife Milcah. Now Rebekah was very beautiful,
and she was a virgin; no man had ever slept with her.
She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came up
again. Running over to her, the servant asked, ‘Please
give me a drink.’ ‘Certainly sir,’ she said, and she
quickly lowered the jug for him to drink. When he had
finished, she said, ‘I’ll draw water for your camels,
too, until they have had enough!’ So she quickly
emptied the jug into the watering trough and ran down to
the well again. She kept carrying water to the camels
until they had finished drinking. The servant watched
her in silence, wondering whether or not she was the one
the Lord intended him to meet.” This job probably took
her 2-3 hours to complete. Can you imagine that rope
cutting blisters into her hands? She had gone to the
well unprepared for such arduous labor. She was not a
large, powerful person but her stamina and determination
were extraordinary. God strengthened her that day,
because she was His choice to be Isaac’s wife. Because
Rebekah was willing to go above and beyond what was
expected of her, God strengthened her to complete this
task.
Rebekah had no
idea that the simple statement, “I will draw water for
your camels, too,” would change her life forever. She
did not know it would lead to a husband, to a fortune,
to a legacy, to a place in history, to a place in
eternity. She did what she did because she believed it
was the righteous thing to do. Maybe she even did it
out of obedience to God’s command to love and care for
others in need of help. God had arranged circumstances
perfectly and Rebekah showed herself worthy.
Rebekah and her
family agreed that it was God’s will for her to become
Isaac’s wife. Rebekah went by faith. She wanted to be
involved in what God was doing. She heard the story
that Eleazer told about Abraham and the promises of God,
and she wanted to be a part of it. Her family wanted
her to be a part of it: “Our sister, may you become the
mother of many millions! May your descendants overcome
all their enemies” (Genesis 24:60). Rebekah followed
through on her commitment and married Isaac.
After twenty
years of marriage, while Rebekah was still childless,
Isaac pleaded with God to give them a child. God
answered his prayer by giving them twins. While the
twins were still in Rebekah’s womb, they struggled with
each other in an extraordinary way. Rebekah went to God
and asked him, “Why?” God told her, “The sons in your
womb will become two rival nations. One nation will be
stronger than the other; the descendants of your older
son will serve the descendants of your younger son”
(Genesis 25:23). In other words, the younger son was
God’s heir through whom the promise to Abraham was going
to be fulfilled. The younger son’s name was Jacob. His
brother’s name was Esau.
While both sons
were to be loved by their parents, Jacob was the one
that was to be favored as heir of God’s special promises
to Abraham. And that is what Rebekah did. She spent a
lot of time with Jacob. But Isaac preferred Esau. Esau
was a manly-man, a good hunter who provided Isaac with
the benefit of wild game to eat. Esau was someone he
could be proud of. Esau, however, was not a spiritual
man. His concerns were earthly and sensual (of the
senses), he was a profane man. He did not value his
future Abrahamic inheritance. But because of Rebekah’s
influence, Jacob did.
We can only
assume that Rebekah told Isaac about what God said to
her concerning Jacob, that he was the one that God chose
to be heir to the promises given to Abraham. Scripture
does not record it for us, but can you imagine that this
conversation did not occur in their many years of
marriage. I think it did. I think Isaac knew. Isaac
was being disobedient to God by favoring Esau. Rebekah
was faithful to what God wanted.
Usually family
blessings are passed on to surviving children just
before the death of the family patriarch. But forty
years before his actual death, Isaac decided to give his
blessing to Esau. It seemed to come up in Isaac’s mind
suddenly. Rebekah was surprised by what was about to
take place. How could she stop Isaac from making such a
terrible mistake? From going against God’s
wishes? Remember Abraham? Remember when he and Sarah
tried to fulfill God’s plan in their own strength and
wisdom? Remember the disastrous results? Remember that
Ishmael, the future enemy of Israel, was born? Ishmael
was the progenitor of the Arab nations who are Israel’s
sworn enemies. Rebekah was in a similar situation. She
was faced with an obstacle that she perceived to be
against God’s plan and promises. Unfortunately, she
repeated the mistake of Abraham and Sarah. She took it
into her own hands and tried to fulfill God’s will in
her own strength and wisdom. And the results were also
disastrous.
Genesis 27:5-14
tells us what happened: “But Rebekah overheard the
conversation. So when Esau left to hunt for the wild
game, she said to her son Jacob, ‘I overheard your
father asking Esau to prepare him a delicious meal of
wild game. He wants to bless Esau in the Lord’s
presence before he dies. Now, my son, do exactly as I
tell you. Go out to the flocks and bring me two fine
young goats. I’ll prepare your father’s favorite dish
from them. Take the food to your father; then he can
eat it and bless you instead of Esau before he dies.’
‘But Mother!’ Jacob replied. ‘He won’t be fooled that
easily. Think how hairy Esau is and how smooth my skin
is! What if my father touches me? He’ll see that I’m
trying to trick him, and then he’ll curse me instead of
blessing me.’ ‘Let the curse fall on me, dear son,’
said Rebekah. ‘Just do what I tell you. Go out and get
the goats.’ So Jacob followed his mother’s
instruction….” Rebekah’s plan worked. Isaac was
deceived and Jacob received the blessing meant for the
heir to Abraham’s promises. Everything that God
predicted and wanted came to pass. Then why the
problem? The problem lies in Rebekah’s method. God is
a righteous and holy Being. He does not approve of
lying and deception as a means to fulfilling His will.
The end does not justify the means!
Scripture records
the consequences of Rebekah’s and Jacob’s deception.
Jacob had to flee from Esau and move to Haran. An
enmity was created between the two sons that lasted
decades. After Genesis 27:46, Rebekah never saw her son
Jacob again. After this passage, her name is never
mentioned again until Genesis 49:31 when she is
mentioned in relation to her burial place. Even the
death of her nurse is acknowledged in Genesis 35:8, but
her actual passing is never mentioned. It is like she
dropped off the scriptural scene, never to be heard from
again. I do not think this is a coincidence. God is
letting us know how much He disapproved of what she
did. Her deception besmirched biblical history and
Jacob’s character. Jacob was well known as a man
capable of lying to get what he wanted. It is a grave
mistake to try to fulfill God’s will in worldly,
sensual, deceptive ways. Both Abraham and Rebekah
remained believers in God, but the consequences of their
unfaithful deeds hurt God’s best plan for the situation.
How did Rebekah
move from such a sweet and committed disposition to be
such a schemer? I think the text shows that Rebekah was
not a full-time, committed schemer. She was a desperate
woman who did not stop to ask God what He wanted her to
do! She acted out of unbelief and consequently received
the curse of God (27:13) on her deed. It is a shame.
Instead of always being remembered as the one who went
above and beyond at the well in Haran, she is remembered
more for her deception of Isaac. Paul asked the
Galatians, “Have you lost your senses? After starting
your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now
trying to become perfect by your own human effort”
(Galatians 3:3)? Rebekah’s act is an example of this
principle. Her life and her reputation suffered because
of her deceptive scheming. Parts of Rebekah’s life are
commendable and are worthy of being good examples for
us. But this one incident was enough to damage her
reputation.
For her
above-and-beyond attitude, she should be commended, and
followed. How can we implement the above-and-beyond
principles? Let me give you three insights that will
encourage an above-and-beyond attitude. First, to
become above-and-beyond people we have to work on our
hearts. The clearest picture I can give you is that of
a measuring rod. A measuring rod measures things. The
measuring rod I have in mind measures relationships. It
strives for an “I do this, you do that” mentality. It
is like Aristotle’s friendship based on utility.
Aristotle observed his world and taught that there were
three kinds of friendship. Friendships based on
pleasure, utility, and nobility (or virtue). Pleasure
friendships were good as long as each party continued to
give pleasure to the other. If one party grew tired of
the other, the friendship would end. Utility
friendships were perhaps the most distant. They
characterized merchant relationships. Bargaining unto
mutual satisfaction is the key activity. Fairness is
the key idea. These relationships use a measuring rod
to gauge personal satisfaction. To be an
above-and-beyond person you have to break the measuring
rod. A measuring rod is a way to keep score. We need
to realize that following ‘fairness’ in every minutia of
life quenches the Holy Spirit in our lives. It is to
walk by flesh and not the spirit. This does not mean
that we can be insensitive and grasping toward others
without any concern for ‘fairness’. We need to value
others. But on our part we are not to enter into
utility relationships with everyone we meet, especially
our friends and spouses, in order to preserve our
share in the relationship.
The third type of
friendship is the kind that is primarily based on
nobility or virtue. Exchange between these friends is
based on what the heart wants to do for the other, not
on what the mind deems proportionately correct. It is
this type of heart that God can lead on a day-to-day
basis.
The second step
to becoming an above-and-beyond person is to go the
extra mile with a smile. Jesus taught His disciples to
turn the other cheek and go the second mile. In order
to go the second mile, we need to go the first mile. We
need to be involved in the lives of people, one way or
another. Our method of involvement may vary but
involvement is necessary for the Christian Life. And in
the course of this involvement opportunities arise that
require something extra. This something extra is going
the second mile. Going the first mile means helping
someone who needs help during the daily activities of
life. Going the second mile means going above and
beyond to help another. It does not mean thrusting
yourself on someone so that you
can go the second mile, be a second-miler, but that if
the person needs extraordinary help you provide it!
Rebekah went the second mile for Eleazer. Let us review
who Eleazer was. He was Abraham’s oldest and most
trustworthy servant. He needed help to water his
camels. To repeat, it was the custom in that time that
if someone asked for a drink from the well the hearer
was to draw water for him or her. It was expected, as
good manners are expected. But watering the camels was
the responsibility of the owner of the camels. Rebekah
took a look at Eleazer and his camels and saw a need.
She volunteered to water his camels. She was able and
he was not. She went the second mile for Eleazer.
Would she have done the same thing for a young, healthy,
strong man? I do not think so. Going the second mile
does not involve taking the responsibility away from
someone who is capable of doing it himself. Going the
first mile with this person is the right thing to do.
Help him, yes, but stop when it is his responsibility to
continue. There must be a balance between helping and
allowing someone to carry out their own
responsibilities. In order to be balanced, one must be
capable of going the second mile. In order to be
balanced, one must be capable of not going the second
mile. The inability to say, “No!”, is not a virtue.
Eleazer was looking for someone who was capable of going
the second mile. He found that person in Rebekah. She
went the second mile for him with a smile on her face.
He watched her and liked what he saw. She was the one
he wanted to bring home to his master, Abraham.
Finally, to be an
above and beyond person, you’ve got to let God’s grace
flow. Being an above-and-beyond person is not natural.
We need God’s grace. God’s grace is not something that
we earn. It is not that He recognizes our goodness and
then gives us extra grace to do more, but that we
recognize our need and ask Him to help us. It has to be
Him in us to strengthen and encourage our hearts,
helping us to do these things. We have to allow Him to
have more room, more reign in our lives. We need to let
the grace of God flow.
I recognize this
is a tough message. I recognize many of you have very
difficult people in your lives, difficult situations,
difficult problems you are facing. But none of them are
a stretch for the Jesus that lives within you. None of
them are a surprise to God. You cannot out-give God.
He wants to bless and enrich your life. Oswald Chambers
in My Utmost For His Highest, in the July 7th
entry, wrote: “If we are going to live as disciples of
Jesus, we have to remember that all noble things are
difficult. The Christian life is gloriously difficult,
but the difficulty of it does not make us faint and cave
in, it rouses us up to overcome. Do we so appreciate
the marvelous salvation of Jesus Christ that we are our
most for His Highest?…. Thank God He does give us
difficult things to do! His salvation is a glad thing,
but it is also heroic, holy thing. It tests us for all
we are worth. Jesus is bringing many “sons” unto glory,
and God will not shield us from the requirements of a
son. God’s grace turns out men and women with a strong
family likeness to Jesus Christ, not milksops. It takes
a tremendous amount of discipline to live the noble life
of a disciple of Jesus in actual things. It is always
necessary to make an effort to be noble.” Chambers says
that the Christian life is difficult, gloriously
difficult. It is hard. But there is a richness to it,
a depth that reaches down to things that really matter.
Rebekah was not
perfect. But we should allow her to teach us how to go
the second mile, to go above and beyond for those who
need our help. We should also learn from her sins. To
use unholy means to fulfill God’s plan angers God. It
pollutes His perfect plan, which always brings negative
consequences to both the sinner and His plan. Let us
let Him work His perfect work through our lives with no
negatives consequences created by us!
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