Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are considered to be the three patriarchs of the nation of Israel, God's chosen people. God made the Abrahamic covenant with Abraham, Isaac was the promised son, and Jacob was, in addition to being the father of the twelve tribes of Israel, was renamed, by God, Israel. The latter two of the trio, Sarai/Sarah already having been discussed, had wives that were talked about in great detail in the Word, and mothers of the nation of Israel.
When it came time for Isaac to take a wife, Abraham sent a servant out to his homeland to find a suitable girl (Gen. 24:3-4). This is extremely important, because it shows the importance of the "right" woman. No woman from Canaan would be suitable for the job. The servant did go to Abraham's homeland, and among his people began his search for the girl God had chosen. The servant prayed to God, asking that whichever girl gave not only him a drink, but also his camels, from her jar would be the one. Rebekah was the girl who fulfilled this request, although we don't know how many girls were actually asked. In describing Rebekah, Moses (the human author of Genesis) shows God's standard for women. Rebekah is "...beautiful, a virgin..." (Gen. 24: 16). In this simple line, God shows the world that he viewed this girl as beautiful not because of her hair or figure, but because she had kept herself pure, pursuing self-control rather than pleasure. The servant immediately made a proposal of marriage, which was accepted by Rebekah's father and older brother. This seems very much like an arranged marriage, until Rebekah's relatives want her to stay at home for over a week. She shows her feelings in the matter by telling them she wished to go when they asked her opinion (Gen. 24:55-57). This occurrence is completely opposite our modern stereotypes of ancient Middle Eastern social life. A woman being asked her opinion? Unthinkable!
Rebekah and Isaac's son Jacob found not one but two wives in the land of his forefathers when he was running from his brother. Unfortunately, after deception on the part of the girls' father, Jacob had to marry two sisters. This caused a lifetime of tension, because the one sister, Rachel, was loved while Leah was not. God saw this and Leah's despair and blessed Leah with a multitude of children, while Rachel remained barren (Gen. 29:31). This wasn't a punishment on Rachel, for it wasn't her fault that Jacob couldn't conceal his favor for her. But the moral of this story is not God's way of telling men not to date the sister of your former girlfriend. This particular account demonstrates woman's acute need for her husband's love and acceptance. All of the children's names, of Leah, Rachel, and their respective maidservants, had to do with Jacob loving or accepting them now that a child was born. Around the world, a woman's worth is derived from both the love of her husband and her ability to produce sons. Even in America, women are torn apart every day as they learn their husbands no longer love them. Rachel and Leah's story shows the pitiful, simple existence of women after the fall. These women did not have the satisfaction of dwelling in their husband's love as the one and only. They had to share, and the affect was devastating.
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