Genesis 24: 1 – 67
An Impossible Prayer Answered
24 Now Abraham was old, well advanced in age; and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things. 2 So Abraham said to the oldest servant of his house, who ruled over all that he had, “Please, put your hand under my thigh, 3 and I will make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell; 4 but you shall go to my country and to my family, and take a wife for my son Isaac.” 5 And the servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I take your son back to the land from which you came?” 6 But Abraham said to him, “Beware that you do not take my son back there. 7 The LORD God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my family, and who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, ‘To your descendants I give this land,’ He will send His angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. 8 And if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be released from this oath; only do not take my son back there.” 9 So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter. 10 Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed, for all his master’s goods were in his hand. And he arose and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor. 11 And he made his camels kneel down outside the city by a well of water at evening time, the time when women go out to draw water. 12 Then he said, “O LORD God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham. 13 Behold, here I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. 14 Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, ‘Please let down your pitcher that I may drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink’—let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. And by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master.” 15 And it happened, before he had finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, came out with her pitcher on her shoulder. 16 Now the young woman was very beautiful to behold, a virgin; no man had known her. And she went down to the well, filled her pitcher, and came up. 17 And the servant ran to meet her and said, “Please let me drink a little water from your pitcher.” 18 So she said, “Drink, my lord.” Then she quickly let her pitcher down to her hand, and gave him a drink. 19 And when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking.” 20 Then she quickly emptied her pitcher into the trough, ran back to the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels. 21 And the man, wondering at her, remained silent so as to know whether the LORD had made his journey prosperous or not. 22 So it was, when the camels had finished drinking, that the man took a golden nose ring weighing half a shekel, and two bracelets for her wrists weighing ten shekels of gold, 23 and said, “Whose daughter are you? Tell me, please, is there room in your father’s house for us to lodge?” 24 So she said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, Milcah’s son, whom she bore to Nahor.” 25 Moreover she said to him, “We have both straw and feed enough, and room to lodge.” 26 Then the man bowed down his head and worshiped the LORD. 27 And he said, “Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His mercy and His truth toward my master. As for me, being on the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master’s brethren.” 28 So the young woman ran and told her mother’s household these things. 29 Now Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban, and Laban ran out to the man by the well. 30 So it came to pass, when he saw the nose ring, and the bracelets on his sister’s wrists, and when he heard the words of his sister Rebekah, saying, “Thus the man spoke to me,” that he went to the man. And there he stood by the camels at the well. 31 And he said, “Come in, O blessed of the LORD! Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels.” 32 Then the man came to the house. And he unloaded the camels, and provided straw and feed for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. 33 Food was set before him to eat, but he said, “I will not eat until I have told about my errand.” And he said, “Speak on.” 34 So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. 35 The LORD has blessed my master greatly, and he has become great; and He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. 36 And Sarah my master’s wife bore a son to my master when she was old; and to him he has given all that he has. 37 Now my master made me swear, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell; 38 but you shall go to my father’s house and to my family, and take a wife for my son.’ 39 And I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’ 40 But he said to me, ‘The LORD, before whom I walk, will send His angel with you and prosper your way; and you shall take a wife for my son from my family and from my father’s house. 41 You will be clear from this oath when you arrive among my family; for if they will not give her to you, then you will be released from my oath.’ 42 “And this day I came to the well and said, ‘O LORD God of my master Abraham, if You will now prosper the way in which I go, 43 behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass that when the virgin comes out to draw water, and I say to her, “Please give me a little water from your pitcher to drink,” 44 and she says to me, “Drink, and I will draw for your camels also,”—let her be the woman whom the LORD has appointed for my master’s son.’ 45 “But before I had finished speaking in my heart, there was Rebekah, coming out with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down to the well and drew water. And I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’ 46 And she made haste and let her pitcher down from her shoulder, and said, ‘Drink, and I will give your camels a drink also.’ So I drank, and she gave the camels a drink also. 47 Then I asked her, and said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ And she said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him.’ So I put the nose ring on her nose and the bracelets on her wrists. 48 And I bowed my head and worshiped the LORD, and blessed the LORD God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the way of truth to take the daughter of my master’s brother for his son. 49 Now if you will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me. And if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left.” 50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, “The thing comes from the LORD; we cannot speak to you either bad or good. 51 Here is Rebekah before you; take her and go, and let her be your master’s son’s wife, as the LORD has spoken.” 52 And it came to pass, when Abraham’s servant heard their words, that he worshiped the LORD, bowing himself to the earth. 53 Then the servant brought out jewelry of silver, jewelry of gold, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave precious things to her brother and to her mother. 54 And he and the men who were with him ate and drank and stayed all night. Then they arose in the morning, and he said, “Send me away to my master.” 55 But her brother and her mother said, “Let the young woman stay with us a few days, at least ten; after that she may go.” 56 And he said to them, “Do not hinder me, since the LORD has prospered my way; send me away so that I may go to my master.” 57 So they said, “We will call the young woman and ask her personally.” 58 Then they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” And she said, “I will go.” 59 So they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant and his men. 60 And they blessed Rebekah and said to her: “Our sister, may you become the mother of thousands of ten thousands; And may your descendants possess the gates of those who hate them.” 61 Then Rebekah and her maids arose, and they rode on the camels and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and departed. 62 Now Isaac came from the way of Beer Lahai Roi, for he dwelt in the South. 63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field in the evening; and he lifted his eyes and looked, and there, the camels were coming. 64 Then Rebekah lifted her eyes, and when she saw Isaac she dismounted from her camel; 65 for she had said to the servant, “Who is this man walking in the field to meet us?” The servant said, “It is my master.” So she took a veil and covered herself. 66 And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. 67 Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent; and he took Rebekah and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.
I like to inform people that there are three things we need to do as Christians. They are;
1. Read your Bibles – Our Holy Lord will use His Holy Word to communicate with you.
2. Pray – To develop a relationship communication is crucial. By praying you are communicating with our Holy God.
3. Fellowship – As believers in this world we need to communicate with other especially in these last days.
So today we are going to look at prayer. We all want our prayers to be effective. In fact I can say without a doubt that we want our prayers to be like Abraham’s servant. To a large extent he asked our Holy God to answer an almost impossible prayer request. And what is so great is that before he even finishes his prayer our Holy Lord God has kicked into action the answer for him. Our God Is The Lord of the Impossible.
To encourage you our Holy Master encourages us to pray. Here are some for you to set aside as reminders.
Mark 11:24 - Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive [them], and ye shall have [them].
1 John 5:14-15 - And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
John 15:7 - If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
Matthew 7:7 - Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
Hebrews 11:6 - But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
John 15:16 - Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
Jeremiah 33:3 - Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
Isaiah 65:24 - And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.
1 John 3:22 - And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 - Pray without ceasing.
Psalms 37:4 - Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
James 5:16 - Confess [your] faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
2 Chronicles 7:14 - If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Jeremiah 29:12 - Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
Luke 18:1 - And he spake a parable unto them [to this end], that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
John 16:23-24 - And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give [it] you.
1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Matthew 21:22 - And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
Matthew 18:19 - Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
24 Now Abraham was old, well advanced in age; and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things.
This verse is a brief summary of Abraham’s life which is now coming to its end. It deliberately emphasizes that the future is now with Isaac. The blessings were now to begin on him.
We would not gather from this that after the death of Sarah Abraham would remarry, would father six sons, and would see them live to sufficient maturity to be sent away to live lives independently of the tribe (chapter 25). But that is only incidental to the main record and the maintaining of the covenant line. Before that is introduced the covenant succession must be made clear and sure.
2 So Abraham said to the oldest servant of his house, who ruled over all that he had, “Please, put your hand under my thigh, 3 and I will make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell;
It was in the normal course of events that Abraham would arrange Isaac’s marriage for it was the custom of the time. There is a suggestion in Abraham’s words that he is not sure whether he will still be alive by the time the servant returns. Sarah’s death has aged him and he is aware of his mortality. He feels that death may be near and acts accordingly.
This man is no ordinary servant. He is a man of great prestige and position and the fact that he is sent demonstrates the importance Abraham places on assigning him to act for him. Abraham has a strong sense of family purity. He instructs his chief representative -‘That you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I dwell.’ His objection contained an element of morality for the Canaanites had religious and life practices that were grossly offensive.
4 but you shall go to my country and to my family, and take a wife for my son Isaac.” 5 And the servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I take your son back to the land from which you came?”
The steward’s point is well thought out. Perhaps the woman will not leave her family and come to this land. Which is more important, that Isaac stay in the land or that he marry a relative?
6 But Abraham said to him, “Beware that you do not take my son back there. 7 The LORD God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my family, and who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, ‘To your descendants I give this land,’ He will send His angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.
Abraham’s reply is unequivocal. Under no circumstances is Isaac to be taken out of the land which God has given to him and his children, for he is there under the promise of YHWH, the God of heaven. Indeed the reason they are there is because YHWH has taken him away from all his past in order that he may receive this land. YHWH’s will comes before all else.
He has left both home and country. His native land was Ur. His adopted land was Haran. But he has left both. And any wife for Isaac must be willing to do so too.
Please note the interesting remark of Abraham to his servant - ‘He will send His angel before you.’ Abraham is confident that ‘the angel of YHWH’ Who has acted in the past, watching over the interests of his family will not fail him now. Perhaps he remembers how the angel of YHWH had watched over the affairs of Ishmael and how much more now over the affairs of the promised son.
8 And if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be released from this oath; only do not take my son back there.”
But whatever does happen Isaac is to remain in the Promised Land. If the woman will not come then the servant may forget his oath for it will have been cancelled.
9 So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.
The steward makes his solemn oath that he will do exactly as required. He will be in Abraham’s stead, will ensure that Isaac does not marry a Canaanite, will seek out a member of Abraham’s family and if possible bring her to the Promised Land, but under no circumstances will he allow Isaac to leave it.
10 Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed, for all his master’s goods were in his hand. And he arose and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor.
Camels were known in the area around this time but were the possessions of the very wealthy. This was therefore a deliberate attempt to impress those to whom he is going. It would be a rich caravan that went forth, loaded with valuables and well protected by armed guards.
11 And he made his camels kneel down outside the city by a well of water at evening time, the time when women go out to draw water. 12 Then he said, “O LORD God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham. 13 Behold, here I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. 14 Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, ‘Please let down your pitcher that I may drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink’—let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. And by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master.”
Now if you really want to know that a positive answer to your prayer is accurate do the same as this servant. He practically asked the impossible. Camels can drink a lot of water. In addition to get the water you had to go down steps and lug the heavy water back up. This would have to be done numerous times. So you can see how unique his request to Almighty God was.
15 And it happened, before he had finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, came out with her pitcher on her shoulder.
Now here is what I previous mentioned as far as prayer goes. There is an immediate response before he finished his prayer. Out to the well comes Rebekah a kinswoman of Abraham. The family details refer back to the opening genealogy (22.23).
16 Now the young woman was very beautiful to behold, a virgin; no man had known her. And she went down to the well, filled her pitcher, and came up.
The steward moves quickly to intercept her as she comes up from the spring and asks for a drink. But in his heart is an anticipatory excitement as he waits for how the woman will respond.
17 And the servant ran to meet her and said, “Please let me drink a little water from your pitcher.” 18 So she said, “Drink, my lord.” Then she quickly let her pitcher down to her hand, and gave him a drink. 19 And when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking.” 20 Then she quickly emptied her pitcher into the trough, ran back to the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels.
The well is clearly a large, deep hole in the ground with steps leading down to the spring. It is also clear that there was a trough by the well for the feeding of animals, and without hesitation Rebekah fulfils the steward’s requirements in accordance with the prayer he had made with YHWH. Ten camels would take a lot of satisfying which is a testimony to the goodness of her heart.
21 And the man, wondering at her, remained silent so as to know whether the LORD had made his journey prosperous or not.
Have you ever experienced something like this servant has just seen? You wind up having the same reaction as he did. You are not sure that it is really happening as you have asked for. It is too good to be true.
Rebekah was aware of the man watching her intently but knew nothing of what was in his heart. However, Abraham’s steward knew a mounting excitement as she carried out her ministrations. This was one of the great moments in his life. Never had he experienced contact with YHWH in this way. He had made his firm prayer request with God and now he was watching it unfold before his eyes.
22 So it was, when the camels had finished drinking, that the man took a golden nose ring weighing half a shekel, and two bracelets for her wrists weighing ten shekels of gold, 23 and said, “Whose daughter are you? Tell me, please, is there room in your father’s house for us to lodge?” 24 So she said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, Milcah’s son, whom she bore to Nahor.” 25 Moreover she said to him, “We have both straw and feed enough, and room to lodge.”
We do not know at what stage in the conversation he gave her the jewelry, possibly after he had learned who she was, But he was now satisfied that YHWH had brought to him the woman of His choice and makes moves to receive hospitality in her father’s house. She would almost certainly realize that something special was afoot by the nature of the gifts but the heavy gold pieces are not the kind to be given lightly.
Her description of herself was spoken proudly, connecting herself through her father with Nahor whom she clearly considers a man of some substance. She wants the man to know that she is no ordinary woman and that her family is well able to make provision for any number of camels.
26 Then the man bowed down his head and worshiped the LORD. 27 And he said, “Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His mercy and His truth toward my master. As for me, being on the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master’s brethren.”
The words convey the depth of the man’s feelings as he recognizes the fulfilling of God answer to his prayer. Primary is the fact that YHWH has been faithful and true to Abraham in accordance with their covenant relationship. But more overwhelming to him is the fact that YHWH has wonderfully led and guided him to the very people he was seeking without any effort on his part.
His words are deliberately spoken in the presence of the young woman. He wants her to know that his mission is directed by YHWH and that she is involved.
28 So the young woman ran and told her mother’s household these things.
Aware that something out of the ordinary is taking place Rebekah races home to lay the position before her mother’s household. She describes in detail the words of the steward so that their significance might be considered. The position would now be laid before Bethuel and the family. It is clear from what follows that Bethuel is somewhat indisposed, probably through illness or disability, for otherwise it would be he who led the way to welcome the stranger. Thus the responsibility is taken by his son Laban, who is Rebekah’s brother.
29 Now Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban, and Laban ran out to the man by the well. 30 So it came to pass, when he saw the nose ring, and the bracelets on his sister’s wrists, and when he heard the words of his sister Rebekah, saying, “Thus the man spoke to me,” that he went to the man. And there he stood by the camels at the well.
Laban examined the expensive jewelry and listens to what Rebekah tells him, recognizing deep significance in the man’s words. He knows that this is far more than a man seeking shelter and hospitality. Thus he goes to meet the man on his sister’s behalf, to find out what is happening.
31 And he said, “Come in, O blessed of the LORD! Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels.”
Laban greets him making clear that he is aware of all that has been said, and invites him to accept the hospitality of his family.
32 Then the man came to the house. And he unloaded the camels, and provided straw and feed for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. 33 Food was set before him to eat, but he said, “I will not eat until I have told about my errand.” And he said, “Speak on.”
Once the necessary preliminaries have been complied with that is first the valuable camels must be seen to. Then the stranger along with his men is provided with water with which to wash their feet and then a meal is set before them.
It would be normal for a visitor to eat first and then for his purpose in visiting to be introduced into the conversation. Thus these words would be attention catching. They suggest also that the man feels that he has a sacred duty to YHWH not to eat until his side in the mission is completed. His hearers would no doubt read into them the sacredness of his mission. They are already aware that he feels he is on a mission for YHWH.
The steward now lays out the terms and details of his assignment, making clear in the meanwhile the splendid prospects of the intended bridegroom. The speech is long and flowery outlining the details of the mission in full. This would be in accordance with expectations. Such a speech revealed that the steward was cultivated and well taught, and would enhance his master’s reputation. It was also designed to impress and to make his hearers aware that this was no ordinary matter and no ordinary marriage request. This was at the instigation of YHWH.
34 So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. 35 The LORD has blessed my master greatly, and he has become great; and He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. 36 And Sarah my master’s wife bore a son to my master when she was old; and to him he has given all that he has.
The worthiness of the bridegroom is described. He is the son of Abraham and Sarah, both of whom were related to Nahor and were well known to them. Moreover the wealth and success of Abraham is made clear and the fact that Isaac is his main heir. He is thus a worthy husband for such as Rebekah.
37 Now my master made me swear, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell; 38 but you shall go to my father’s house and to my family, and take a wife for my son.’
The steward now makes clear that he is acting under oath, and the content of that oath. His words would bring approving nods from the hearers. They too recognize the importance of marriage within the family. Notice that Abraham speaks of ‘my father’s house’. It is of course now the house of Nahor but Abraham is stressing through his steward that they and he are of one household. They are all of the family of Terah. While he may have separated from them, the ties of blood hold firm. Thus he wishes his son to marry within the family.
39 And I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’
The steward now delicately makes clear that they recognize that the woman and her family have a free choice. They are not making demands but seeking a favor. When Abraham exacted the oath he would recognize that his stipulations would be used in the bargaining that would result.
40 But he said to me, ‘The LORD, before whom I walk, will send His angel with you and prosper your way; and you shall take a wife for my son from my family and from my father’s house. 41 You will be clear from this oath when you arrive among my family; for if they will not give her to you, then you will be released from my oath.’
The sacredness of his mission is now described. It is YHWH Himself Who has accompanied him for the purpose of obtaining a bride of suitable parentage. But he quickly and courteously assures them that this does not put them under necessary obligation, although that is in fact his intention.
42 “And this day I came to the well and said, ‘O LORD God of my master Abraham, if You will now prosper the way in which I go, 43 behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass that when the virgin comes out to draw water, and I say to her, “Please give me a little water from your pitcher to drink,” 44 and she says to me, “Drink, and I will draw for your camels also,”—let her be the woman whom the LORD has appointed for my master’s son.’ 45 “But before I had finished speaking in my heart, there was Rebekah, coming out with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down to the well and drew water. And I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’ 46 And she made haste and let her pitcher down from her shoulder, and said, ‘Drink, and I will give your camels a drink also.’ So I drank, and she gave the camels a drink also. 47 Then I asked her, and said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ And she said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him.’ So I put the nose ring on her nose and the bracelets on her wrists. 48 And I bowed my head and worshiped the LORD, and blessed the LORD God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the way of truth to take the daughter of my master’s brother for his son.
This passage is the steward’s proposition as to why Rebekah should be given to Isaac. It begins and ends with reference to ‘YHWH, the God of my master Abraham’. The work is His doing and to go against it would be to go against Him. It is His work from start to finish. The specific connection to Abraham indicates that he does not expect them to acknowledge YHWH as their God. But he does expect them to honor His revealed power and authority.
He expects them also to see in what happened was truly by divine action. What other explanation can there be? Outwardly it could have been any woman who came to the spring, and they must surely see that the fact that it was the one woman whom the steward was seeking could only be attributed to the direct action of YHWH. That he had fully recognized this comes out in the fact that he gave the valuable gifts to Rebekah and his openly expressed gratitude to YHWH. He now calls on his hearers to grant the same recognition.
49 Now if you will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me. And if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left.”
He now asks for their response. Will they accept his proposal? If they are not then he will he will go his way and return to his master with their negative answer. For up to this point he has had one purpose in mind, he has looked neither left nor right. Now he has reached the end of his mission. If it is unsuccessful that will be that. There is no way forward and he will therefore no longer pursue it. (It is a request for genuine and honest commitment.
50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, “The thing comes from the LORD; we cannot speak to you either bad or good.
This is the decisive turning point. The decision is made. Laban acknowledges that YHWH, Abraham’s God, has clearly taken control and that he cannot therefore go against Him. The steward has put his case well. The writer, Moses, wants us to know that even those who do not worship YHWH have to admit His power. But there can be no doubt that they are also swayed by awareness of who Abraham is and his evident wealth.
51 Here is Rebekah before you; take her and go, and let her be your master’s son’s wife, as the LORD has spoken.”
The steward receives what he had asked for, permission to take Rebekah back to his master to marry Isaac.
52 And it came to pass, when Abraham’s servant heard their words, that he worshiped the LORD, bowing himself to the earth. 53 Then the servant brought out jewelry of silver, jewelry of gold, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave precious things to her brother and to her mother.
When the steward receives this response he can only offer his gratitude to YHWH. Rebekah is then loaded with presents which will be befitting as a wife to Isaac.
54 And he and the men who were with him ate and drank and stayed all night. Then they arose in the morning, and he said, “Send me away to my master.”
Now that his mission is accomplished the steward accepts the hospitality of the house. He and his men are well entertained and finally go to rest. But the steward is aware that his master is eagerly awaiting word and next day insists that he must return immediately.
55 But her brother and her mother said, “Let the young woman stay with us a few days, at least ten; after that she may go.”
To just have accepted the steward’s haste would have been impolite, and there was a natural reluctance on the part of Laban and his mother to lose their sister and daughter so quickly. After all, up to the previous day there had been no thought of her going. So they suggest a short period prior to their departure, but assure him that this does not imply reluctance on their part.
56 And he said to them, “Do not hinder me, since the LORD has prospered my way; send me away so that I may go to my master.”
The steward does not want to be delayed and uses as grounds for his quick departure the fact that he has been on a divine mission determined by YHWH. The implication may be that his return is also as a result of YHWH’s instigation.
57 So they said, “We will call the young woman and ask her personally.” 58 Then they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” And she said, “I will go.”
Rebekah must have been swept up with all that was happening. To finally be asked if she would accept to leave her mom and the rest of the family was a serious question. She was all in to what was rolling out so she without hesitation said she would go.
59 So they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant and his men. 60 And they blessed Rebekah and said to her: “Our sister, may you become the mother of thousands of ten thousands; And may your descendants possess the gates of those who hate them.”
They can now agree to the quick departure and make preparations for them to leave. Their blessing, an important part of the procedure which demonstrated that she was leaving with their approval, is interesting. Their concern is that she may have a position of female authority over a goodly sized army which is successful against its enemies. To ‘possess the gate’, which was where the elders of a town ruled, was to have power and control. They are probably aware of something of Abraham’s set up and will have gleaned more from the steward. Their aim is not necessarily belligerent but a concern for her continued safety and prosperity which they recognise is dependent, among other things, on armed force. Abraham would not have remained wealthy long without his private army.
61 Then Rebekah and her maids arose, and they rode on the camels and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and departed.
Some of the camels we loaded with gifts for the family of Isaac’s bride. They would now be the means of transportation to take her and her maid back with them to Canaan.
62 Now Isaac came from the way of Beer Lahai Roi, for he dwelt in the South.
The end of the story is foreshortened. No mention is made of the return to Abraham which may well have taken place before this incident, for Isaac is well south of Beersheba in ‘the land of the South’, almost at the Egyptian border. What is clearly important to Moses is the satisfactory union of Isaac and Rebekah. All attention is on Isaac who is the new beginning and Abraham slips into the background. The account begins with the ancient Abraham and ends with the two young lives who represent the future. Thus it is the place where they will dwell in the not too distant future which is the centre of attention.
Isaac clearly has a liking for Beer-lahai-roi for after his father’s death he goes there to live. It is the place where the pregnant Hagar met the angel of YHWH when she had deserted the tribe to return to Egypt. Its meaning is probably ‘the well of the living one who sees me’, or ‘the well of he who sees me lives’. It is quite possible that he went there to meet up with his brother Ishmael, and was there on a visit at this time. They seem on good terms which we find out in chapter 25.
The sight of the camels, fairly rare and therefore quite probably carrying the expected bride, must have stirred something within Isaac. Then their eyes met.
63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field in the evening; and he lifted his eyes and looked, and there, the camels were coming. 64 Then Rebekah lifted her eyes, and when she saw Isaac she dismounted from her camel; 65 for she had said to the servant, “Who is this man walking in the field to meet us?” The servant said, “It is my master.” So she took a veil and covered herself.
Rebekah too has an instant response. Something tells her that this man she can see walking in the open country is her future husband and she slips from her camel. Then she seeks confirmation from the steward, who replies “It is my master.”
Some have been bothered at this statement on the grounds that Abraham is his master, but it has always been commonplace for the son of the house to be thought of as ‘the young master’. There is a delicacy of touch in his slightly exaggerating Isaac’s status in the eyes of the future wife. He wishes Rebekah to know that he will be as faithful to her future husband as he is to her future father-in-law.
Rebekah has been travelling unveiled but now modesty requires that she veil herself to meet her betrothed, for this is a formal meeting and she does not wish to appear forward.
66 And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done.
If you have ever been a recipient of God’s direct and personal intervention then I can tell you first hand that you cannot wait to tell as many people that you come into contact with.
Through direct influence of our Precious Holy Spirit Moses is trying also to show that Isaac is now taking over Abraham’s mantle. He can now be seen as ‘the master’ and receive briefing from the steward. The old is passing and the new is here.
67 Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent; and he took Rebekah and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.
Rebekah takes the place of his mother as mother of the family. The point is rather the status and position she receives.
