The beautiful love story of Isaac and Rebekah is found in Genesis 24. The beginning of their marriage was splendid in every way and carefully ordered by the guiding hand of the Almighty. 

Their story involved Isaac patiently waiting and meditating in the field, trusting his father and his God to provide the best bride for him. Rebekah was diligent in watering the camels, eager to serve God and others, and she was modest upon meeting Isaac for the first time. Isaac’s bride Rebekah was also a comfort to him after the loss of his mother, Sarah. 

Isaac entreated the Lord for his barren wife. The Lord answered their prayer by giving them twin sons. Their marriage began well.

But as time progressed, Isaac and Rebekah were slowly but surely driven apart. They repeated the sins of Abraham and Sarah when they lied about their identities and hid the fact that they were husband and wife. 

Their marriage was strained by the effects of sin and strife over their twin sons. According to Genesis 25:28, “Isaac loved Esau, . . . but Rebekah loved Jacob.” Isaac admired the wrong things in Esau; he praised Esau’s outdoorsman abilities rather than being concerned with spiritual virtues. Rebekah deceived her husband and lost the very thing she sought to obtain as Jacob fled far from the family. When Isaac sent their son Jacob away to find a wife with her brother Laban, she was separated from her beloved son. 

Isaac and Rebekah’s story provides many practical lessons that we can apply to our own marriages. Hopefully, we can learn from their marriage and save our own families from heartbreak and ruin.

Lessons from Isaac

1. Do not expect your wife to treat you as your mother did or even replace your mother.
2. Humbly avoid repeating the marriage problems of your parents.
3. Entreat the Lord on behalf of your wife’s physical and spiritual needs.
4. Beware of the pitfalls that come when you show favoritism to one of your children.
5. Praise your children for spiritual virtues rather than mere physical abilities or achievements.
6. Never allow your children to drive a wedge between you and your wife.
7. Seek to care more for your family than for yourself. 

Lessons from Rebekah 

1. Rewards come when you cheerfully and willingly volunteer “to water the camels.”
2. Be kind and compassionate to comfort your husband when he experiences loss. 
3. Trust God and your husband, even when you do not fully understand the situation.
4. Never allow love for a child to drive a wedge of distrust between you and your husband.
5. Do not deceive your husband, even if you think you are justified to do so.
6. Never do wrong, even if it is merely to please your husband.
7. Prepare your children carefully for marriage to avoid grief of mind.