the Manipulative Mother Bad Girls of the Bible Rebekah: the Manipulative Mother

Rebekah as an example of motherhood Favoritism (Gen. 25:28): Rebekah loved Jacob more than Esau, without shame (25:28) Isaac did the same with Esau (25:28) She allowed her preference to direct her actions toward her family Does God show favoritism with His children? Acts 10:34-35 Romans 2:11 1 Peter 1:17 Should we? (James 2:1-4)

Rebekah as an example of motherhood Manipulation (Gen. 27:6-10): Rebekah shamelessly manipulated her family to get what she wanted Her husband (27:10, 15) Her son (27:17) How does God feel about manipulation? Matthew 5:37 What are some ways that we use manipulation in our relationships with others?

Rebekah as an example of motherhood Deception (Gen. 27:11-17): Rebekah deceived her husband, and led her son to lie to his father She orchestrated this deception (27:6-7, 14-15) She and Jacob stole something very precious from Esau (27:35-36) How does God feel about deceit? Revelation 21:8 Proverbs 6:16-19, 12:22 Psalm 5:6 Are we being examples of honesty to those around us?

Consequences of rebekah’s actions Rebekah’s Immediate Family Rebekah loved Jacob more than Esau (25:28) Esau, furious at the favoritism, wanted to kill his brother (27:41-42) Their family was fractured when Jacob was forced to flee (27:43-46) Rebekah’s Descendants Jacob favored his son, Joseph, over his other children(29:30, 37:3-4) Joseph’s brothers were furious, and sought to kill their brother (37:18) Joseph was sold into slavery, fracturing their family and devastating Jacob (37:12-36)

rebekah’s Lessons for Us Are we showing favoritism in our interactions with those around us? How often do we resort to using manipulation to accomplish our goals? How much a part of our dealings with others employ the use of deception? How will our actions today affect our family, and affect the course of our family’s history?