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Last week we learned of Sarah’s death. Abraham was well respected in Canaan and we saw the generosity from the sons of Heth when Abraham negotiated to purchase a burial plot for Sarah. Abraham wanted a cave in Machpelah and was willing to pay for it, but Ephron wanted to give him the cave and the field the cave was in. They went back and forth before Abraham convinced Ephron to take 400 pieces of silver for it and Sarah was laid to rest, “in the cave of the field of Machpelah facing Mamre (that is, Hebron) in Canaan.” This morning, Abraham sends his oldest servant on a mission to find a wife for Isaac.
We’ll look at all of Chapter 24 in this post, but we’ll break it down into several sections. First, take a look at Gen. 24:1-9.
Cue the mission impossible theme song. Abraham is getting up in years and it seems that he is growing concerned that Isaac does not have a wife. He calls for the oldest servant in the house, probably the most trusted, loyal servant he has. Abraham tells him to place his hand under his thigh. I know at first glance, this seems like a very strange thing to do. Think about Abraham observing the solemn promise of the pinky swear. This was a symbol a very solemn oath. We’ll see it again later in Genesis. Abraham asks his servant to take a two-part oath, that is sworn, “By the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth.” First, the wife that is chosen for Isaac was not to be a Canaanite. The God of Abraham is not the same as the gods that are worshipped in Canaan. Abraham does not want any problems arising from a Canaanite woman that does not worship the one and only true God. This is the same reason why you don’t date and definitely don’t marry someone that does not hold the same fundamental beliefs as you do. There is no such thing as missional dating. You don’t marry a fixer upper. I’m not suggesting that you must be at the same level of spiritual maturity, but if you’re a believer, the other has to at least be spiritually reborn. In 2 Cor. 6:14-16a Paul said, “Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols?”
Abraham wants someone for Isaac that will be compatible with him spiritually. Second, the woman should be taken from Abraham’s relatives. This is no small task and the servant is being asked to swear to do it by the God of heaven and the God of earth. Before accepting the assignment, the servant wants some clarification. If I find a girl and she’s not willing to come here, should I grab Isaac and go there? The servant did not rise to be Abraham’s #1 servant because he was dumb. The servant anticipates a potential problem and pushes it back to Abraham. It would be normal in that day for a potential suitor to be interviewed by the father of the potential bride. There were details to be haggled out. Perhaps there were possessions to be exchanged. You don’t just go into a new place as a stranger and say, “I want that one, come with me.” Abraham gives the servant an out by saying, “If the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this my oath; only do not take my son back there. So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.” Mission accepted.
The story shifts to the servant’s journey. Look at vs. 10-21. The servant packs up 10 camels and takes the best Abraham has to offer and heads to Aram of the two rivers and to the city of Nahor. Nahor is not the name of the city, but who resides there. Nahor is the name of Abraham’s grandfather and also Abraham’s brother. The city is most likely Harran. The servant has traveled back to the land that Abraham left all those years ago. Like most people after a journey, the servant stops at the well outside of town to water the camels. The picture of a train of ten camels loaded with all the best Abraham has to offer shows a picture of the blessings of God. The servant stops at the watering hole and it’s not just to get water. It is evening time, the time when women go to the well to get water and the best opportunity to spot a woman that would serve well as Isaac’s wife. Not wanting to leave the success of this important mission to himself or to chance, the servant calls on the God of Abraham and prays for success. This is a good principle to follow. Prayer should always be a first choice, not a last resort. All too often, we get the call when someone is on the brink of disaster. A marriage is one step from total breakdown. A believer is one step from walking away from church. Use the privilege of being in the presence of God to allow Him to guide your path to achieve success in His eyes.
The servant prays a very specific prayer that could only be answered by God. It was an impossible prayer in man’s eyes. It was a very specific prayer that could only be answered by an all knowing, all seeing God. This prayer represents an unmistakable method to ensure that the servant selects the right girl. Before the servant even finishes, up walks Rebekah. Rebekah was the daughter of Bethuel who was the son of Milcah, the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor. What are the odds? The odds are excellent because the Father knows what you need before you even ask. (Matt. 6:8) This was no ordinary girl. She was not just beautiful; she was very beautiful. She was a virgin. Those two qualities are great, but there was another quality the prospective wife of Isaac had to meet. Remember in Chapter 18 when Abraham beseeched the three visitors to allow him to entertain them. This idea of hospitality was very important in that culture. The servant knows this and not only is Rebekah very beautiful, a virgin, and a relative of Abraham, she demonstrated the hospitality that set her apart as the one for Isaac. Some say Rebekah was a female Abraham who was as virtuous as Abraham in this area.
“Then the servant ran to meet her, and said. “Please let me drink a little water from your jar.” The next series of verses are very important as we see the Lord working. Immediately Rebekah responds by saying, “Drink my lord,” and she lowered the jar down. When the servant finishes, she says, let me get some water for your camels too. A thirsty camel can drink over two gallons of water a minute. Remember there are ten camels; that’s a lot of water. Rebekah quickly lowered her jar to let the servant drink, she quickly emptied her jar in the trough, and ran to the well to get more water. Rebekah is a picture of hospitality and the servant is carefully watching her to see if she is the one which would make his journey a success.
A decision is made in the matter. Look at vs. 22-27. Without a word, the servant gives Rebekah a nose ring and bracelets and asks, “Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room for us to lodge in your father’s house?” This is not the kind of question we would ask a complete stranger, but remember back then, it was customary to expect and provide hospitality. Keep in mind, we know her lineage, but up to now, the servant does not. Rebekah provides the answer he prayerfully hoped for and he falls to the ground in worship. God has answered his specific prayers and he knows that Rebekah is the one for Isaac. What’s Rebekah do? Read vs. 28-33. She runs home and tells everyone what just happened. Laban, Rebekah’s brother, sees the golden jewelry, hears what happened, and runs outside to the spring. Laban says to the servant, “Come in, blessed of the Lord! Why do you stand outside since I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels?” So the man entered the house. Then Laban unloaded the camels, and he gave straw and feed to the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. But when food was set before him to eat, he said, “I will not eat until I have told my business.” The hospitality showed by Rebekah is mirrored in the hospitality demonstrated by Laban and the entire household. Laban takes care of the camels, gets water so the men can wash their feet, and sets food before them. The servant says, hold on just a minute. I can’t eat until I tell you about the mission I am on. Laban says, “Speak on.” In my mind, Rebekah’s family is seated around the room all looking at the servant expectantly.
And now vs. 34-48. The servant tells the family what we already know and comes to the ultimate question: “So now if you are going to deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, let me know, that I may turn to the right hand or the left.” If this is going to work, let me know. If not, I’ll be on my way. Look at Laban’s and Bethuel’s response: “The matter comes from the Lord; so we cannot speak to you bad or good. Here is Rebekah before you, take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has spoken.” You cannot stand in the way of what God is going to accomplish. This entire series of events was put in motion by the prayers of Abraham and the prayer of the servant. Rebekah and her household had to be in tune with the Lord because they followed His direction. Can people choose to ignore God’s will and go their own way? Of course. We can choose disobedience, but that’s never part of God’s plan. This will be the last time we hear Bethuel weigh in on the discussion. “When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed himself to the ground before the Lord.” Once again, we see the acknowledgment from the servant that God is the God that made it happen. He worships again. We saw the generosity of the servant to Rebekah in the form of gold jewelry, and now he lavishes additional gifts on Rebekah and also Rebekah’s mother and brother. This wonderful time culminates in a meal for everyone gathered before they retire for the night.
When they woke up the next morning, the servant says, “Send me away to my master.” Laban and his mother say, “Let the girl stay with us a few days, say ten; afterward she may go.” The Lord had prepared the way so carefully. Everything fell into place so beautifully and now we seem to have hit a snag. Laban and his mom want Rebekah to stay ten days. It was customary in those times for the eldest brother to negotiate marriage arrangements for a sister. Rebekah’s brother and mother want her to stay another ten days. Now this might be a problem. The servant has just made a huge request to give Rebekah to Isaac, someone she has never even laid eyes on. You’d think that this simple request made by Rebekah’s loved ones would be something that was doable. But Abraham’s servant says, “Do not delay me, since the Lord has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master.” The servant is ready to begin the journey back to Abraham and does not even want to spend another day there. There is a sense of urgency in the servant’s request. I don’t know if Laban and his mother knew what Rebekah might be thinking, but they say, “We will call the girl and consult her wishes.” After hearing from the servant about his journey and his mission, after all the decision making by Laban and his mother, they decide to ask Rebekah what she wants to do. “Then they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” And she said, “I will go.” The decision is quickly made.
Look now at vs. 59-61. Rebekah leaves her household blessed by Laban. The hope is for thousands upon thousands of offspring. This blessing is similar to God’s blessing of Sarah in Gen. 17:16 where God tells Abraham that she will be the mother of nations and kings. It is also similar to the blessing in 22:17 when the angel tells Abraham that his descendants will number like the sand on the seashore. Rebekah plays a significant part in the future of Israel.
Isaac sees Rebekah for the first time. Read vs. 62-67. As their journey comes to an end, Isaac is in the Negev meditating in a field as evening approached. He looks up and sees the entourage coming. At the same moment, Rebekah looks up and sees Isaac looking toward her and she asks the servant, “Who is the man walking in the field to meet us?” The timing of this is very important and points to God’s perfect timing. Isaac looks up and Rebekah looks up. Earlier in the story, as the servant was finishing his prayer, Rebekah walked up. As Abraham was about to sacrifice his one and only son, he spots a ram caught in the thickets. As Ishmael was about to die of thirst, Hagar’s eyes are opened and she sees a well. God’s timing is important. Rebekah gets off her camel and covers her face. “The servant told Isaac all the things he had done. Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and he took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her; thus Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.”
We have come to the end of the longest chapter in Genesis. The mission Abraham sent his servant on has ended in complete success. This wasn’t just an arranged marriage or a marriage of convenience. The perfect wife has been found for Isaac and he loved her. The stage now shifts from Abraham and Sarah to Isaac and Rebekah. Will Isaac and Rebekah find happiness in their new marriage? Will there be children? Will they live happily ever after? What will happen next? You’ll have to wait until next week.
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