Rebekah of the Old Testament was a gorgeous woman. She married into an incredibly wealthy family and her husband adored her. (Jealous? Just wait.) She was decisive, a go-getter with a servant’s heart, and a mother of twin boys – a double blessing in ancient times.
But her mothering left something to be desired. She played favorites.
Worse, it was under the pretense of helping God. Rebekah knew God had destined her younger son to rule over her first-born. When it appeared as if the younger might lose that role, she entangled him in a web of deceit. Some of the resulting consequences were that her favorite child fled for his life, she lost the trust of her husband, and caused a grudge between brothers.
Lots of mistakes.
We all make them. We decide God needs our help. We poke and push and maneuver (manipulate is such an ugly word), others into doing our will our way. We interfere, intervene, rescue, ignore, or ______ (fill in the blank).
Here’s the good news.
Our God is the Redeemer, the God of redemption.
Ever hear your grandparents mention Green Stamps? Green Stamps were earned at the grocery store and then pasted into booklets. The booklets were surrendered/exchanged/redeemed for luggage, croquet sets, kitchen appliances or a myriad of other prizes.
God is waiting for us to surrender our failures, poor judgments, and blatant sins. In exchange, He offers peace and forgiveness. He redeems the mistakes we make as parents. No purchase necessary.
