The story of Jacob’s parents is a very unique story.  His parents were Isaac and Rebekah.  Isaac was the promised son of Abraham.  We read in Genesis 24 how Abraham sent out his most trusted servant to find a bride for Isaac.  Let’s read verses 10-20 of this amazing account of how Rebekah was chosen to be Isaac’s wife.  “And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor. And he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water. And he said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham. Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water: And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master. And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder. And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up. And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher. And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink. And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking. And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels.”  The servant asked the Lord for His guidance over his situation and the Lord answered quickly and accurately.

I encourage you to read this entire chapter, but I want us to particularly look now at verses 64-67, “And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel. For she had said unto the servant, What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master: therefore she took a vail, and covered herself. And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done. And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.”  “SHE BECAME HIS WIFE; AND HE LOVED HER.”  What a fantastic thought.  Isaac trusted that the woman the servant brought to him was the one chosen by the Lord.  He married her and he loved her…which shows us that love is a choice that we make.  Isaac chose to love Rebekah!

In Genesis 25, we learn of the birth of Isaac and Rebekah’s two sons: Jacob and Esau.  There was much trouble in this family because, as parents, this couple make a terrible mistake.  We read in verse 28, “And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob.”  FAVORITISM!  Isaac preferred Esau and Rebekah preferred Jacob and this caused much problems between Jacob and Esau.

In Genesis 27, Isaac thought his death was near and he called Esau to him.  He asked him to prepare him some venison so that he might eat before he died.  He intended to give Esau the blessing of the first born.  Rebekah conspired to trick Isaac into giving Jacob the blessing.  Her trickery worked and Isaac wound up giving Jacob the blessing.  We read in verses 41-45, “And ESAU HATED JACOB because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I SLAY MY BROTHER JACOB. And these words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah: and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him, Behold, thy brother Esau, as touching thee, doth comfort himself, purposing to kill thee. Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; and arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran; And TARRY WITH HIM A FEW DAYS, until thy brother’s fury turn away; Until thy brother’s anger turn away from thee, and he forget that which thou hast done to him: then I will send, and fetch thee from thence: why should I be deprived also of you both in one day?”  Esau’s fury was tremendous, and he vowed to kill Jacob.  Rebekah sent Jacob to live with Laban for a FEW DAYS until Esau’s anger subsided.  Sadly, the few days, turned into about twenty years before Esau and Jacob met again and reconciled with each other.  Even more sad, it seems that Rebekah never saw her favored son again.

While the Bible does not mention Rebekah’s death, there is nothing more told to us about her activities after she sent Jacob to live with her brother, Laban.  Most writers think that she died before Jacob and Esau were reunited in Genesis 32. 

It was many years after blessing Jacob that Isaac actually died.  We read in Genesis 35:28-29, “And the days of Isaac were an hundred and fourscore years. And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered unto his people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.” 

Considering Jacob’s death, we read in Genesis 49:29-31, “And he charged them, and said unto them, I am to be gathered unto my people: bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, In the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a buryingplace. There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; THERE THEY BURIED ISAAC AND REBEKAH HIS WIFE; and there I buried Leah.” This lets us know that Isaac and Rebekah were buried together.  (413.6)