Worthiness of Life

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

WORTHINESS OF LIFE

Gen 27:42-46

42 When Rebekah was told what her older son Esau had said, she sent for her younger son Jacob and said to him, "Your brother Esau is consoling himself with the thought of killing you. 43 Now then, my son, do what I say: Flee at once to my brother Laban in Haran. 44 Stay with him for a while until your brother's fury subsides. 45 When your brother is no longer angry with you and forgets what you did to him, I'll send word for you to come back from there. Why should I lose both of you in one day?" 46 Then Rebekah said to Isaac, "I'm disgusted with living because of these Hittite women. If Jacob takes a wife from among the women of this land, from Hittite women like these, my life will not be worth living."

NIV

There are two concepts to ponder within this text. First, we wonder why Rebekah thought that she would lose both sons if Esau's hatred drove him to want to kill Jacob. If Esau killed Jacob, wouldn't Jacob be the only one she would lose? However, when Noah came out of the ark, the LORD commanded him that whosoever sheds the blood of man, by man will his blood be shed. So it would seem right that a blood relative of Jacob would be obligated to avenge his death by killing Esau, which could have taken place the very same day that Esau took the life of Jacob. The truth God revealed in that command was that man is made in his image, and therefore the life of all men should be sacred. It would be good for us to consider the sacredness of each other as seen by the Lord. Another example is the hurt Esau caused his mother when he married two Hittite women. We are told she was disgusted with living because of those Hittite women in her household. Were there cultural differences that great; were they completely incompatible? Research suggests they worshipped many deities, were polytheistic, and believed in some form of communication between the living and the dead. Is it any wonder that Rebekah could not tolerate them practicing their religion within her household? She served the One  True God, the only God, the creator of heaven and earth and all that is in them. This should give us enough to ponder how many concepts in the culture we live in are so completely incompatible with the ways of God, which should be our ways. However, we should not adopt the same disgust Rebekah felt; instead, we are told to love one another, for all people were created in God's image. That does not mean we should approve of those corrupt ways in this world's culture. However, we also cannot let the world's ways influence our lives so much that we become accustomed to them and begin to accept them as normal, or possibly even adopt some of them without realizing it. Although Rebekah thought that if Jacob took a Hittite wife, her life would not be worth living, we know without a shadow of doubt that because He lives, we can face tomorrow; in other words, we know our lives are worth living. We should never give in to disgust, despair, or disappointment, because He lives, and He holds our future, and life is worth living.