I have been working on a painting series called “Women of the Bible.” Here is the first in that series, “Rebecca at the Well.” She was highly influential, decisive, and a woman of action. Rebecca was the granddaughter of Nahor and Milcah, great-niece of Abraham, wife of Isaac, mother of Jacob and Esau, mother-in-law of Rachael and Leah, and grandmother of the Twelve Tribes of Israel.
When Abraham was very old (Gen. 24) and living as a foreigner in Caanan, he sent his most trusted servant back to his home in Haran to find a wife for his son, Issac. When Abraham summoned his servant, he made him take an oath “by putting his hand under the thigh of his master” (a euphamism for testicle) and swear that he would not take Isaac to Haran, but go himself to search for a wife for him in Haran. (The word ‘testament’ comes from the Latin word for testicles and refers to this custom of oath taking.)
Why did Abraham insist that the servant go back to the land of his birth to find a wife for his son? One writer, Miki Raver, suggests that, ” the culture in Haran - the homeland of all the women in the first family of Genesis - was matriarchal and matrilineal. In Haran, women were recognized as individuals with rights, they were not just considered property. A woman’s strength was valued and her sexuality honored as sacred. Abraham wanted Isaac’s mate to have the same ideas of her worth as a woman that Sarah had.” (Listen to Her Voice: Women in the Hebrew Bible, p.50)
Whether this is true or not, I’m not sure. But it does seem from the biblical account in Genesis that she was indeed a very strong woman. Not only could she lift a heavy jar of water to her shoulder repeatedly and draw enough water to quench the thirst of ten camels (my inspiration for this painting), but at a very young age she made the decision to leave her family and marry a strange man - Isaac. After her marriage she became pregnant - which was difficult to say the least. She pleaded with the Lord, “Why is this happening to me?” The Lord spoke directly to Rebecca and said, “There are two rival nations in your womb….and your older son will serve your younger son.” I think Rebecca knew and understood that her purpose was to insure Jacob’s leadership.
Rebecca intervened when the aging and mostly blind Isaac gave his blessing to his oldest son, Esau. With his mother’s help Jacob received the blessing meant for his brother and solidified his place in history as the Father of the Twelve Tribes of Israel.
But I think what we don’t see in this story is Rebecca’s grief at deceiving her beloved husband, hurting her older son Esau, and living with the consequences of sending Jacob away never to see him again.
The Lord’s plan for his people was revealed to Rebecca, not Isaac, and she became the instrument of His Will. Because of her decisiveness and courage to act, she helped determine the direction of history.
“Rebecca at the Well” - oil on canvas. The original is 22 x 28 and Giclee prints are available for .25 cents a square inch. “Giclee” is a French word meaning “forced spray” or “spray of ink.” Its a new technology that allows prints to be made on various surfaces such as canvas or watercolor paper. It is the closest duplication of an original art work that is humanly, mechanically, or technically possible. I stretch all my prints onto a wood frame that is ready to hang or frame. I paint a medium onto the print that gives it texture and depth. If you are interested in purchasing a print of any of my paintings, please let me know.
