Isaac walked to his rock overlooking the valley he called home. He didn’t come to try to count the herds of sheep or goats. The cattle were of no interest today, neither.
Instead of sitting on the rock to study his surroundings he fell to his knees and placed his forehead against the stone. His arms hugged the structure. His heart was heavy.
“When, Lord? When will You come through for us? You promised my father a nation would come from him. I’m the only one born to his wife, Sarah. Now I have a wife from the family to keep us pure, but there’s no offspring, yet. I don’t understand. Will children only come to us when we’re old, too? If there’s something more for me to do then please tell me and I’ll do it.”
The sun hung low in the sky when he returned home after that day of anguish.
****
A month later Rebekah was nauseous at breakfast. This continued for several days. She finally broke the news to Isaac who fell over in laughter at the thought of becoming a dad.
A few months later an almost constant churning in her abdomen drove Rebekah to Isaac’s rock to talk to God.
“God of Abraham and Isaac what is going on here? I’m told of a nation being made with me, but I don’t understand why it must be so miserable. How much longer will I have to endure this? I can’t sleep much with whatever is going on inside me. Is there some way to make this stop?”
“Two nations are in your womb.”
The voice was so clear Rebekah turned to see who was talking to her. She looked up when she found nobody else around. “I’m listening.”
“Of the two nations one will be stronger than the other. The younger will be served by the elder.”
Rebekah’s smile turned into a laugh. “Twins…I’m going to have two children. Thank You.”
****
At the end of the nine months the first son came into the wold. The midwife’s mouth hung open at the sight of him. “He’s ready for the wild with this much hair all over. I’ve never seen one so hairy. Esau will fit you for a name. I think.”
As the boy exited the birth canal she felt a tug instead of the expected slip into her hands. She spied a hand on Esau’s heal. “Jacob, you let go of your brother, you scoundrel.”
When Rebekah was nursing them she smiled at the midwife. “At least we’ll be able to tell them apart with no problem.”
The midwife shook her head. “That little man is definitely the leader of the two. Most grown men don’t have that much hair all over them.”
Rebekah rubbed her cheek against Jacob’s head. “God promised me this one will rule over the first born.”
“Only time will tell on that.”
********
The Bible doesn’t tell us much about Isaac. This passage is the only mention of him talking to God. It’s still common for many folks to wait until they have a deep desire or need to come to God in prayer.
Rebekah was still learning about this God of the family she married into. She was told about Him, but didn’t know Him until her pregnancy drove her to come to Him in search of an answer to what was happening inside her.
They both received a positive response to their prayer requests. Isaac finally became an abba and Rebekah heard from God directly.
I often wonder if Isaac had been told about the younger son ruling over the older one if Rebekah’s deception would had been necessary many years later. We’ll never know. We also don’t know if she ever told her husband what God told her.
I hope you don’t wait until you feel there’s no where else to turn before you take your burdens to God in prayer. Too many people do.
We tend to do all we can to make a situation work out in our own power before we trust God to do His work. That’s so sad.
Why do we spin our wheels so long before we go to the source of progress and purpose to begin with? That’s just crazy.
God made people to have a relationship with Him.
That relationship is meant to be intimate not an emergency.
God wants us to work with Him in all we do. He has plans in every aspect of our lives. The good things and the bad times each have their place.
You can fight Him and try to get things done your way. A lot of stress is built that way.
You can wait until you feel at peace about what you do first. That’s no guarantee of God’s purpose.
You can turn to God’s guidebook and seek His counsel. That’s the type of relationship He designed for us.
Prayer should be the steering wheel that guides out lives not the spare tire we pull out only in an emergency.
Look at every event in your life as something ordained by God to build you into the person He wants you to be, because it is.
See God’s fingerprint on each person who comes in your life to help you and for you to help them in return. That’s why they’re there.
Observe the needs you see as something you can impact with God’s strength and guidance. You’re the instrument of God’s choosing.
Your prayers shouldn’t always begin with why or what, but contain more how and when questions.
God wants to use you to fill the needs in this world. You shouldn’t always expect God to explain what He’s up to.
Don’t be afraid if things don’t make sense to anyone else.
If you’re doing your best to live by God’s book you’ll stand out more times than not.
Isaac and Rebekah didn’t understand this because they didn’t understand God.
Our relationship is that of a Father and child.
Keep it close.
I’ll see you later. Wade
