Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 27:46

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 27:46
"And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?"

I was drawn to understanding why Rebekah felt this way. I pondered on the covenant line. Abraham did not want Isaac to take a wife among the Canaanites, where they dwelt. He sent his servant to find a wife among Abraham's kindred.

"And I will make thee swear by the LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell:"
(Genesis 24:3)

Isaac and Rebekah experienced much sorrow and grief when Esau married outside of the covenant.

"And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite:
Which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah."
(Genesis 26:34-35)

I could just see their concern after Abraham being promised to be the father of many nations and then Isaac and Rebekah struggled to have children. If these children, especially the promised birthright son, marries outside of the covenant, what would be the purpose of her life. Not only have they been commanded to not marry outside of their faith, there was danger in their hearts being turned from God. It wasn't simply an issue with blood line, it was an issue of faith and belief in the one true God and protecting and honoring that.

"When the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou;
And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them:
Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.
For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly."
(Deuteronomy 7:1-4)

"But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites;
Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.
And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.
For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.
For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.
And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father."
(1 Kings 11: 1-6)

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