Hearing the words of God
January 5, 2015
It’s hard to imagine how Rebekah must have felt when someone arrived from another country with 10 camels in a caravan, loaded with golden gifts for her and her family. This unknown man told her a magnificent story of how the God of her Uncle Abraham had led him to her, so that she would go back with him to a foreign land to be the wife of Abraham’s son, Isaac, her cousin. (Genesis 24)
Surely Rebekah had heard stories of this Uncle all of her life. Abram had claimed to hear from God, who had told him to leave everything, family and home, and go to a land that God would show him. And he did. He journeyed 500 miles away following God. There’s no way to know if Rebekah’s family knew anything about what happened to Abram.
Years have gone by, and proof that Abram had been successful in that quest was right before her. Now the same question was coming to her: Will you leave home and family and go to the land where Abram’s son Isaac now lives? Will you believe in the God of the man now called Abraham?
She didn’t get to hear the words of God for herself. She had to depend on the faith of the man in front of her, and the man he represented (Abraham). I’m wondering how much she understood. How much did she know about the promise God had given Abraham? Did she know that she would become the next matriarch to what would become God’s chosen people?
God’s paths lead us to his promises. Sometimes we get to hear from Him ourselves, and we know exactly what He wants us to do. And sometimes we have to rely on what others tell us that they have heard from God.
Either way, God is faithful. He will keep His promises, even when we are not faithful. He did that for both Abraham and for Rebekah. Abraham got to hear straight from God, and when he did, he obeyed. Rebekah heard God’s words through someone else, and she too, chose to believe, and follow the man to her new home and new husband. There she found God’s promises to be truth for herself.
Whose faith am I following? We all need heroes of faith to follow when the path is unclear.
Who is following my faith? It is our responsibility to speak the words God says to us. He may use us to show the path to someone else.
Some days we are the follower, and some days we have others follow us. Consider today who has spoken God’s words to you and be thankful for them. Consider also the words God has spoken to you, and how you should share them.
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