Daily Devotions

Genesis

Genesis 
Day 
Day 168

"Hear me, O Lord, for Your lovingkindness is good; Turn to me according to the multitude of Your tender mercies." Psalm 69:16

Text: Genesis 25:1-34

A STARTLING PROPHETIC ANSWER

Isaac had prayed for Rebekah, and the Lord heard his plea and enabled his wife to conceive. Rebekah, in turn cried out to the Lord for an explanation of the great discomfort she felt in her pregnancy. God gave her a startling prophetic answer.

“And the Lord said to her:
‘Two nations are in your womb,
Two peoples shall be separated from your body;
One people shall be stronger than the other,
And the older shall serve the younger.”

GENESIS 25:23

“Two nations are in your womb”

Rebekah was going to have twins! But what a way to describe them! The Lord used the words “two nations” to describe the twins that she would have! This prophetic word was God’s special of saying that He would continue to bless the generations of the as yet unborn twins! To emphasise the truth, the Lord used another phrase to describe the twins. They were prophetically called “two peoples”.

“One people shall be stronger than the other”

The twins that would be born would be “unidentical twins”. They would differ from each other quite significantly! The slightest hint of trouble between the twins was intimated in this text!

“And the older shall serve the younger”

What does this phrase actually mean? Rebekah must have been puzzled by this word from the Lord. She could not, of course, fully comprehend the significance of this prophetic word from God!


A MERE REQUEST

Rebekah had merely asked how she was faring in her pregnancy. God had given her assurance that she was indeed all right in a truly unique way! He gave her an idea of the future of her twins! A mere request was answered with a profound prophetic word!


SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROPHETIC WORD

God seemed to have always spoken prophetically! He spoke in this manner to Abraham. He gave a similar word of prophecy to Hagar. And now the Lord gave yet another prophetic word to Rebekah. What is the significance of speaking prophetically?

The Lord wanted those who had found faith in Him to continue to exercise faith in Him! The Lord knew what lay ahead! He is involved not only in the present moment, but also in the future! As He had always honoured His word in the past, He can be trusted to fulfill all that He had said! The challenge is to truly walk in faith!