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[This post is a part of my series on infertile women in the Bible, Barren + Biblical. Click here to return to the Barren + Biblical homepage.]
Of all the infertility stories in the Bible, Isaac and Rebekah’s seems to be the simplest, with the least amount of commentary and information. In just one verse, we find out that Rebekah is barren…and also that she gets pregnant:
“Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant.” (Genesis 25:21)
That’s literally it. (But pause here and read Genesis 25 for all of the background surrounding this story!)
And that should tell us something. (A few things, really.)
First off, God can give us blessings from prayer alone.
Many times we’re tempted to think that God can only grant us blessings from prayer AND…science. Or prayer AND…help from others. Or prayer AND…just fill in the blank.
We like to make things very complicated.
While I am a firm believer that God may be calling you to action, too (prayer and science can definitely coexist)…I think sometimes we forget that in reality, God can do anything. And sometimes it really is that simple. Sometimes all it takes is prayer, and that’s all. (And sometimes, it takes years of prayer — 20 of them, in Isaac and Rebekah’s case.)
But whether God is calling you to take action or not, prayer should be the FIRST action, not the last resort.
*It’s also worth noting here that the Bible specifically tells us that Isaac prayed for his wife. Don’t underestimate the power of prayers from your husband (or anyone else!) on your behalf.
Secondly, blessings from God (even if they are promises!) don’t always come quickly or easily.
In order to fully understand the extent of this, we have to remember that God promised Abraham that his descendants were the chosen people of God; that they would be as numerous as the stars in the sky (Genesis 26:4). Interestingly enough, both Abraham’s wife, and now Isaac’s wife, and then Jacob’s wife (Abraham’s descendants) all had trouble conceiving.
What should this tell us?
Sometimes we have to wait for God’s promises. Sometimes it’s a struggle. (I’m not talking about having babies in this case — God never promised you a pregnancy.) Instead, what I’m talking about is God’s promise of eternal life. Just because God promised us that, it doesn’t mean we won’t have sufferings here on earth.
Not to mention: The blessings that we hope for on earth — like the blessing of children — may not be quickly or easily received, either. It may take hard decisions or years of prayer…or God may have a different plan, too. Therefore, it’s important to remember the final lesson from Isaac and Rebekah’s story:
Lastly, getting what you want on earth won’t solve all your problems or bring you contentment.
Have you ever noticed that the very next verse after Rebekah gets pregnant reveals a problem?
“The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, ‘Why is this happening to me?'” (Genesis 25:22)
How interesting. We typically ask this question in the midst of our infertility: God, why is this happening to me?
However, Rebekah asked this question AFTER she got pregnant, not before.
After waiting 20 years for children, Rebekah is finally pregnant — with twins, no less! — and then she finds out that she has two nations in her womb, and that the older will serve the younger (Genesis 25:23).
Nice. How comforting for her.
And if you read the rest of her twins’ story in Genesis, you’ll realize that this was only the beginning of the whole mess.
We always seem to think that getting what we want will bring us everlasting joy and contentment. In reality, chasing after things here on earth do not bring contentment; trusting God and faith in Jesus does that.
“I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”
Philippians 4:11-13
*As a side note: Remember that Isaac is the offspring of Sarah and Abraham, another infertile couple? Read that story here.
[This post is a part of my series on infertile women in the Bible, Barren + Biblical. Click here to return to the Barren + Biblical homepage.]
