Feeling needy, exhausted, or lost? Then join Rebecca for a fresh look at Genesis 28 (“Jacob’s Ladder”), in which time spent in a physical location leads to spiritual revelation. Perhaps what Jacob learns about God will encourage you too.
Rebecca is a contributor to these podcasts
One thing I have learned through my years of study is that the Bible is an inexhaustible well, both in terms of its substance and its beauty. The time I have spent examining the language and poetics of the Hebrew Bible (known to Christians as the Old Testament) shows me again and again how important it is to approach a text humbly, assuming that it will take several close readings to even begin to understand what it might be saying.
It’s also important to note that Biblical Hebrew depends heavily upon repetition (of words, images, and themes) with variation to speak to the reader. It also “rings bells,” in the sense that one part of the Bible often illuminates our reading of another.
All this to say that I am a synchronic rather than diachronic reader. I focus on the final form of the text before me, rather than pursuing how individual pieces might have come together during its long years of composition. I don’t believe we can fully map out the miracle of how the Bible came to be. Happily, there is plenty for us to study and savor in the text before us today.
“Rebecca’s brain is a tour de force. She is bright and disarming, thorough and spontaneous. When she speaks you’ll want to listen and then re-listen. When she writes, you’ll want to read and then re-read. I like her vulnerability and humility. I am humble too, but the difference is I brag about it and she doesn’t.”
Bill Arnold
Feeling needy, exhausted, or lost? Then join Rebecca for a fresh look at Genesis 28 (“Jacob’s Ladder”), in which time spent in a physical location leads to spiritual revelation. Perhaps what Jacob learns about God will encourage you too.
Ever catch yourself committing a sin too late? Join Rebecca in exploring how an ancient king’s trespass relates to some very modern mistakes. Listen to King Saul and the prophet Samuel wrestle with the exact fulfillment of God’s commands — and how that struggle informs our own pursuit of divine plans for us.
Ever wonder why you’re here and what would happen if you didn’t fulfill your purpose? If so, listen to Rebecca’s latest teaching based on the book of Esther, where she explores the significance of a Jewish Queen stepping up to the plate during a life-and-death crisis.
Ever wonder why the act of receiving can get so complicated? Then listen to Rebecca’s latest teaching on the challenges of receiving, as laid out by the story of Elijah and a widow in 1 Kings 17.
Peter and Anna Kapsner from the Deeper Magic podcast welcome Rebecca to go through the beauty and pain of Ishmael and Hagar. Rebecca is on parts 2 & 3 of this podcast miniseries.
Peter and Anna Kapsner from the Deeper Magic podcast welcome Rebecca to go through the beauty and pain of Ishmael and Hagar. Rebecca is on parts 2 & 3 of this podcast miniseries.
Rebecca Rhee talks about the story of Tamar on Reading the Bible Together, a Faith Radio podcast, for the YouVersion Bible App exploring five women in the lineage of Jesus.
Tempted to take matters into your own hands when the going gets tough? Then take a listen to this latest podcast from Rebecca, which discusses the consequences of doing so.
Exercising self restraint is a universal problem today in both public and private life. Join Rebecca in studying a story (1 Samuel 24) that gets into the specifics of how to lay hold of more self-control when facing conflict.
Calling all underdogs: Join Rebecca in exploring the David and Goliath story in 1 Samuel 17. What might God be looking for when His children face “unbeatable” odds?
Rebecca ventures into one of the most violent war stories in the Hebrew Bible (see Judges 4) to ask what makes its heroine an example to follow. Why might God have chosen Yael to serve as His instrument to save Israel? What can we learn from her choices?
Rebecca takes on another New Testament text, this one centered upon truths that Jesus reveals (John 8:32) that prove especially painful. How do long-term, agonizing revelations become the stuff of “setting us free?” Using a story from 2 Kings 6, as well as narrative from her own life, Rebecca demonstrates how bringing different texts into dialogue with each other opens the door to insight and encouragement.
Rebecca switches gears and delves into a New Testament story in Mark 9, while exploring the text of her own life as a mother of a child with autism. Hear about how Jesus deals with a burnt-out, “unbelieving,” caregiver and the special needs son he wants to see healed.
Did you know that David’s second wife, Abigail, was a master of persuasive speech? Rebecca explores how this quick-thinking, well-spoken woman restrains the future king from making a violent, far reaching mistake — all by her choice of words to him during a pivotal moment. (See 1 Samuel 25).
Rebecca listens carefully to Naomi’s speech in the book of Ruth, exploring how we may yet fulfill our purpose in times of pain and utter depletion.
Join Rebecca for an in-depth look at Tamar, a resourceful woman who perseveres to obtain the impossible: children from a family that both condemns and nearly kills her. How does her choice to play a prostitute before Judah in Genesis 38 give rise to her inclusion in the list of Jesus’s honored progenitors in Matthew 1? What can we learn that will strengthen and inspire us in our own life journeys?
Rebecca shares her training in Hebrew narrative and talks about the Shunammite woman from 2 Kings 4, whose speech rivals the prophet Elisha’s in power and teaches us to speak more wisely and effectively.
Rebecca’s struggle with an eye injury reveals how ready God is to support those who cling to Him, in both good times and bad.
Covers blog post: Eye
Rebecca’s discovery of a nightlight teaches her a profound lesson about responding well to provoking circumstances.
Covers blog post: Nightlight
Rebecca’s discovery of a dandelion in her driveway leads to an exploration of how to cope when we labor much but receive little in return. How do we avoid becoming bitter? Does Jesus offer us any insight from his own interaction with flowers?
Covers blog post: Dandelion
Rebecca describes how seemingly “random” acts of kindness can reveal dark areas in our hearts that God is intentionally trying to illuminate and heal.
Covers blog post: Golden Sheep
Surprised by pain in your life? Listen to Rebecca interpret a Bible story that offers wisdom and encouragement to those confronting chaos and woe, whether old or new.
Covers blog post: Deodorant Cap
Rebecca uncovers the source of some hidden anger against God — by purchasing a frying pan during the pandemic.
Covers blog post: The Pan
Rebecca shares a story about her son that reveals how God can restore what is lost to us — even when our faith is weak and our heart is overwhelmed.
Covers blog post: Stick
Rebecca delves into the topic of human fragility—how we often despise it in ourselves when it is actually something God has woven into the very fabric of creation.
Covers blog post: Nest
Rebecca compares the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on her autistic son to our human condition before God. How might we hear His voice more clearly during this (and other) catastrophes? How do we truly surrender ourselves to His care?
Covers blog post: Bedsheet / Sock
Rebecca’s search for a pair of glasses speaks to her struggle with rejection. The challenge of teaching her son about Jesus shows how we all need compassion in our areas of unbelief.
Covers Blog Posts: Silver Glasses and Pasta Jesus
Rebecca’s encounter with an old car sparks discussion of how strong the pull of the past can be and how believers can use memory to find encouragement. She also describes how throwing her son a birthday party taught her lessons about ingratitude – where it comes from and how to respond to it constructively.
Covers Blog Posts: Old Car and Superhero Splits
A shopping trip with her autistic son deepens Rebecca’s understanding of how God deals with open-ended difficulties in our lives.
Covers Blog Post: The White Van
Rebecca speaks of the necessity of surrendering the things that are holding us back in life. Hidden insights arise when she inters her father’s ashes, specifically that long-term wounds can be a two-way street.
Covers Blog Posts: Hotel Beds and The Dirt
Rebecca delves into the idea that great change starts with small shifts in our thinking. She shares how a close call with food poisoning provided new insight into divine protection. She also describes a divine appointment that occurred while shopping for a new bed. Finally, Rebecca explores the hidden blessing that sometimes happens when people—and God—ignore us.
Covers Blog Posts: The Battery, New Bed, and The Laundry
