Isaac and Rebekah - Genesis 24 (Bible lesson for teens)

In Genesis 24, Abraham sends his servant to find a wife for his son, Isaac. The servant prays to God that he may be successful in his task, and God grants him success. He meets Rebekah, who later marries Isaac.

Key Points

We can ask God for help.
An attitude of service.
Testifying to God’s Work.

BIBLE READING: Genesis 24

MEMORY VERSE: “And he said, “O Lord, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show steadfast love to my master Abraham.”- Genesis 24:12

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Isaac and Rebekah pdf – preteen and teen Bible lesson

BIBLE STUDY NOTES FOR TEENS

BACKGROUND TO THE PASSAGE

1. SEEK GOD’S GUIDANCE AND HELP – GENESIS 24:12

Abraham’s servant was Eliezer. In Hebrew, his name translates to mean “God has helped.” When sent to find a wife for Isaac, Eliezer understood the great responsibility that he had been given. He prayed earnestly to God, asking for guidance and help in his task, and God answered his prayer. Eliezer knew to be successful, He needed God’s help.

We, too, must seek God’s guidance and help in all aspects of life. When we pray to God and ask for His wisdom, He will certainly provide it.

God promises to guide us. We see this promise throughout the Bible in verses such as Proverbs 3:5-6, which says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

When faced with difficult choices in school or life, turning quickly to God in prayer is essential. Seeking out His guidance and help can provide us with the peace of mind that comes from knowing we have done all we can to make wise and informed decisions.

God guides His people in many ways. But He does this mainly through His Word – the Bible. The Bible is full of wisdom and knowledge that can be used to make decisions and navigate life.

2. AN ATTITUDE OF SERVICE – GENESIS 24:19

In Genesis 24, Rebekah displays an exemplary attitude of service and serves as a model for us to follow. She goes above and beyond what is required, showing true humility and selflessness.

Rebekah first meets Eliezer when he asks her for water to drink. Instead of simply providing Eliezer with a drink, she also offers to water his camels. Eliezer is astonished at her kindness and immediately knows that God has answered his prayer.

Camels drink enormous amounts of water. In fact, camels can drink up to 30 gallons of water. Verse 10 informs us that Eliezer took ten of Abraham’s camels. This means Rebekah would have had to fetch around 300 gallons (1363 litres) of water. It was no easy task!

Rebekah’s selfless service is an example of how we should strive to serve others. We can show humility and kindness by going above and beyond what is required of us.

What does this look like in practice?

When you see the dishes in the sink that need washing, you clean them up. Despite not being your job or your mess, you take the initiative and wash all the plates and bowls.
When you arrive at church to attend a service, you willingly arrive 15 minutes early and offer to help set up the chairs. You take it upon yourself to ensure that all the chairs are placed in neat rows facing the right direction.
When you hear of someone unwell, you call them and seek ways to help.

We can follow Rebekah’s example by gracefully going above and beyond what is expected of us and serving others.

3. THE REWARD SHOULD NOT BE THE MOTIVATION – GENESIS 24:22

God rewards service and can provide us with many blessings when we do our part to serve others. However, we must refrain from seeking these blessings as motivation for our actions. We should act out of love and obedience to God, not because we expect any reward.

In Galatians 6:9-10, Christians are encouraged to “do good to all people, especially those of the household of faith.” This means we should serve others out of love and kindness rather than gain something.

Service is a form of worship to God. We can show our love and devotion to God through our service to others. Jesus spoke on the importance of service in Matthew 25:35-40 when He said, “For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger, and you invited me in.”

Rebekah was unaware of the reward when she began to serve.

4. TESTIFY TO GOD’S WORK IN YOUR LIFE – GENESIS 24:45

When Laban ran out to speak to Eliezer, Eliezer was full of praise for God and his work in his life. He shared how God had answered his prayers and sent Rebekah as a suitable bride for Isaac. Eliezer explained that he had prayed for a woman who was kind, generous and of Abraham’s kinsmen, and Rebekah was the perfect bride chosen by God.

This shows us that we, too, should be vocal about God’s work in our lives. We can share how God has answered our prayers and how He is working in our lives. This is one way to witness His faithfulness and provision in our lives.

Too often, we forget to thank God, never mind sharing the answered prayer with others. When we share the story of how God has answered our prayers, it encourages others and glorifies God.

A prayer diary is invaluable for keeping track of answered prayers and God’s faithfulness in our lives. It allows us to look back on the specific ways God has worked in our lives and be reminded of His goodness and mercy.

CONCLUSION

Rebekah shows us that love and obedience to God should motivate our service and kindness. We should follow her example by going above and beyond what is expected of us and serving others with grace.

We should share with others how He has answered our prayers as a powerful witness to His faithfulness and goodness.

Read full notes in the pdf lesson

YOUTH GAMES AND ACTIVITIES – Isaac and Rebekah

BUCKET FILL

Materials: Two large buckets, Several smaller cups, Water source

Divide the players into two teams and have them stand in two lines behind their team’s bucket.
Place the smaller cups or containers near the water source.
On “go,” the first player from each team should run to the water source, fill their cup with water, and race back to their team’s bucket to pour the water in.
The next player on each team should repeat this process until one team fills their bucket to the designated line or mark.
The winning team is the first team to fill their bucket to the designated line or mark.

“FIND THE REBEKAH” SCAVENGER HUNT

In Genesis 24, Abraham’s servant looks for a wife for Isaac by testing women at a well. In this game, players will go on a scavenger hunt to find hidden items related to the story of Rebekah.
Hide items such as a water jug, a bracelet, a ring, and a veil in various locations around the playing area.
The first player or team to find all the items and return them to a designated location wins the game.

GUESS THE WEIGHT AND MEASUREMENTS

Materials: Items, A scale or measuring tape to verify the correct weight or measurement

Show an item such as a cup of water, a fruit, bag of coins etc. You could also use items related to the passage such as water, toy camel, bracelets, rings, and veils.
Have players take turns selecting an item and guessing its weight or measurement. They must write their guess on a piece of paper.
After all players have guessed the weight or measurement, use a scale to find the correct weight or measure the item.
The player whose guess is closest to the actual weight or measurement wins that round.