OT Characters: Rebekah

<p>For more notes and resources check out Douglas' <a href="https://www.douglasjacoby.com/ot9-rebekahmp3/" target="_blank">website</a>.</p><p><strong>Hebrew words:</strong></p><ul><li><i>Rivqah</i> (Rebekah). In the OT Greek Bible (the Septuagint [LXX]), her name is rendered <i>Rebekka.</i></li><li><i>Berekhah</i> (blessing) -- a near anagram of Rebekah's name.</li></ul><p><strong>Further study:</strong></p><ul><li>Genesis:<ul><li>22:23; 24 (all)</li><li>25:21-23; 25:20,26; 26:7 (see  Genesis 12 and 20)</li><li>26:35</li><li>27:1-28:3; cp. 27:44 and 29:20</li><li>35:8; 49:31</li></ul></li><li>Study the character of Laban, Rebekah's older brother (Genesis 24-25, 27-32).</li><li>Extrabiblical: Archaeologists have discovered documents from the period (2nd millennium BC) directing that if a girl's father is deceased and another male relative is doing the negotiating, she must give her own consent before being married off. (Yet Bethuel is still alive -- 24:50 -- even though Rebekah's brother Laban seems to be doing the negotiating.)</li><li>The New Testament:<ul><li>Romans 9:10ff -- God's choice is not made on merit, but by grace.</li><li>Note: She is not mentioned in Hebrews 11, the "Hall of Fame of Faith."</li></ul></li></ul><p><strong>Some things we learn about God:</strong></p><ul><li>While we ought not to grow lazy (giving up industriousness and responsibility), we do need to leave the outcomes to God. When we hold on to things too tightly, or scramble to reach what the Lord has promised us anyway, we are likely to lose them.</li><li>As we age, we tend to revert to patterns of thinking and interaction that characterized our families of origin. Rebekah started out vibrant, giving, and faithful; as she got older, though not relinquishing her faith, she did succumb to temptations to take matters into her own hands. To stay close to the Lord, we need to resist the temptation to give in to fear; we must be more like Sarah in this regard (1 Peter 3).</li><li>He will often bless us even though we are not acting in full