Geneses Chapter 24- Isaac and Rebekah

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Geneses Chapter 24- Isaac and Rebekah

The Text from https://www.bible.com/bible/111/GEN.24.NIV

Isaac and Rebekah

1 Abraham was now very old, and the Lord had blessed him in every way.

2 He said to the senior servant in his household, the one in charge of all that he had, “Put your hand under my thigh.

3 I want you to swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, 4 but will go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac.” (Abraham commissioned his faithful servant, maybe Eliezer of Damascus, to find a girl for Isaac from his own people. He didn't want to have in-laws from the local people because they were far from God's demand.)

5 The servant asked him, “What if the woman is unwilling to come back with me to this land? Shall I then take your son back to the country you came from?”

6 “Make sure that you do not take my son back there,” Abraham said. (Separation from God's choice has no place for Abraham.)

7 “The Lord, the God of heaven, who brought me out of my father’s household and my native land and who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, ‘To your offspring I will give this land’—he will send his angel before you so that you can get a wife for my son from there.

8 If the woman is unwilling to come back with you, then you will be released from this oath of mine. Only do not take my son back there.” (The girl should be depart from her family, and Isaac can't be separated from the chosen family. It's all so because of God's promise, the divine covenant.)

9 So the servant put his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and swore an oath to him concerning this matter. (The oath of the servant was very intimate and loyal.)

10 Then the servant left, taking with him ten of his master’s camels loaded with all kinds of good things from his master. He set out for Aram Naharaim and made his way to the town of Nahor(1) (Abraham's brother, Refer to Note 22-3,).

11 He had the camels kneel down near the well outside the town; it was toward evening, the time the women go out to draw water. (Arrived.)

12 Then he prayed, “Lord, God of my master Abraham, make me successful today, and show kindness to my master Abraham.

13 See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water.

14 May it be that when I say to a young woman, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too’—let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.” (His prayer was very specifically detailed and faithful to Abraham and God who will lead him to the solution.)

15 Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milkah, who was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor.

16 The woman was very beautiful, a virgin; no man had ever slept with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar and came up again. (The right girl showed up without delay, which means he prayed accordingly to God.)

17 The servant hurried to meet her and said, “Please give me a little water from your jar.”

18 “Drink, my lord,” she said, and quickly lowered the jar to her hands and gave him a drink. (The woman served the servant with hospitality.)

19 After she had given him a drink, she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels too, until they have had enough to drink.”

20 So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, ran back to the well to draw more water, and drew enough for all his camels. (Not only for him but also for his camels, which consumes a lot of water.)

21 Without saying a word, the man watched her closely to learn whether or not the Lord had made his journey successful. (The God's intervention was pretty obvious but the servant was prudent enough to confirm‎ if it is.)

22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a beka and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels. (The servant awarded the girl with expensive jewelries.)

23 Then he asked, “Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?” (He checked up her family background.)

24 She answered him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son that Milkah bore to Nahor.” (She was from the right family. Abraham is her four step grandfather, and Isaac is five step uncle. Refer to Note 22-3)

25 And she added, “We have plenty of straw and fodder, as well as room for you to spend the night.” (The girl invited him and his animals to her place.)

26 Then the man bowed down and worshiped the Lord, 27 saying, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness to my master. As for me, the Lord has led me on the journey to the house of my master’s relatives.” (Now the servant thank to God in his prayer for His guidance. But it is not over yet.)

28 The young woman ran and told her mother’s household about these things.

29 Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, and he hurried out to the man at the spring.

30 As soon as he had seen the nose ring, and the bracelets on his sister’s arms, and had heard Rebekah tell what the man said to her, he went out to the man and found him standing by the camels near the spring.

31 “Come, you who are blessed by the Lord,” he said. “Why are you standing out here? I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.”

32 So the man went to the house, and the camels were unloaded. Straw and fodder were brought for the camels, and water for him and his men to wash their feet. (Laban, Rebekah's brother welcomed the servant of Abraham into their household.)

33 Then food was set before him, but he said, “I will not eat until I have told you what I have to say.” “Then tell us,” Laban said. (But for him there was something more urgent than eating; Abraham's intension, and God's sovereignty.)

34 So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. (He began to report what is what.)

35 The Lord has blessed my master abundantly, and he has become wealthy. He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys.

36 My master’s wife Sarah has borne him a son in her old age, and he has given him everything he owns.

37 And my master made me swear an oath, and said, ‘You must not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live, 38 but go to my father’s family and to my own clan, and get a wife for my son.’

39 “Then I asked my master, ‘What if the woman will not come back with me?’

40 “He replied, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked faithfully, will send his angel with you and make your journey a success, so that you can get a wife for my son from my own clan and from my father’s family.

41 You will be released from my oath if, when you go to my clan, they refuse to give her to you—then you will be released from my oath.’

42 “When I came to the spring today, I said, ‘Lord, God of my master Abraham, if you will, please grant success to the journey on which I have come.

43 See, I am standing beside this spring. If a young woman comes out to draw water and I say to her, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar,” 44 and if she says to me, “Drink, and I’ll draw water for your camels too,” let her be the one the Lord has chosen for my master’s son.’

45 “Before I finished praying in my heart, Rebekah came out, with her jar on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water, and I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’

46 “She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too.’ So I drank, and she watered the camels also.

47 “I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ “She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel son of Nahor, whom Milkah bore to him.’ “Then I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her arms, 48 and I bowed down and worshiped the Lord. I praised the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me on the right road to get the granddaughter of my master’s brother for his son. (Reporting what's happening, reports ends.)

49 Now if you will show kindness and faithfulness to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so I may know which way to turn.” (It's time for the family to make an informed decision on this matter.)

50 Laban and Bethuel answered, “This is from the Lord; we can say nothing to you one way or the other. 51Here is Rebekah; take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has directed.” (The father, Bethuel, and the brother of Rebekah, Laban agreed the marriage.)

52 When Abraham’s servant heard what they said, he bowed down to the ground before the Lord. (The servant gave thanks to God for the marriage talk completed.)

53 Then the servant brought out gold and silver jewelry and articles of clothing and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave costly gifts to her brother and to her mother. (He delivered betrothal gifts to the family to seal the talk.)

54 Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent the night there. When they got up the next morning, he said, “Send me on my way to my master.” (The loyal servant said to them he would return to his master immediately after the meal.)

55 But her brother and her mother replied, “Let the young woman remain with us ten days or so; then you may go.” (But the family asked to stay for ten more days for Rebekah.)

56 But he said to them, “Do not detain me, now that the Lord has granted success to my journey. Send me on my way so I may go to my master.” (Finishing his important business for his master, however, is the first priority for him.)

57 Then they said, “Let’s call the young woman and ask her about it.”

58 So they called Rebekah and asked her, “Will you go with this man?” (They delegated the decision to Rebekah.) “I will go,” she said. (Knowing God's sovereignty, Rebekah agreed to leave home immediately.) (2, More on Rebekah)

59 So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way, along with her nurse and Abraham’s servant and his men. (They must let Rebekah go.)

60 And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, “Our sister, may you increase to thousands upon thousands; may your offspring possess the cities of their enemies.” (They blessed departing Rebekah.)

61 Then Rebekah and her attendants got ready and mounted the camels and went back with the man. So the servant took Rebekah and left. (So they came back to Canaan.)

62 Now Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi, for he was living in the Negev.

63 He went out to the field one evening to meditate, and as he looked up, he saw camels approaching. (Isaac met Rebekah in his meditation in the Negev.)

64 Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel 65and asked the servant, “Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?” “He is my master,” the servant answered. So she took her veil and covered herself. (Meeting each other Rebekah covered herself as a bride. Making fuss?^^)

66 Then the servant told Isaac all he had done. (The servant reported to Isaac what God has done in his trip.)

67 Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah. So she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death. (Isaac took Rebekah as his wife and was comforted by her, filling emptiness of the late mother.)

In this chapter I see:

※Abraham's unchanging standard as a chosen.

※Faithful, loyal, and detailed service of the servant.

※Firm and sacrificially detailed hospitality of Rebekah.

※Calm, pious, and obedient Isaac.

(1, The City of Nahor)

The city of Nahor (or "city of Nahor") is a biblical location mentioned in Genesis 24:10 as the destination of Abraham's servant searching for a wife for Isaac. It is situated in Mesopotamia (Aram-naharaim) near Haran, traditionally identified as a place where Abraham’s brother, Nahor, settled and raised his family.

Key Biblical and Historical Details:

Biblical Reference: The city is most notably mentioned when Abraham’s servant travels to "the city of Nahor" and finds Rebekah at a well outside the city (Genesis 24).

Location: Situated in Northern Mesopotamia, specifically within the region of Paddan-aram or Aram-naharaim, often linked with the area near Haran (modern-day southeastern Turkey or northern Syria).

Significance: It was a key center for Abraham's family and clan, allowing for the maintaining of the covenant line by finding a wife within the family rather than in Canaan.

Archaeological/Historical Context: The name Naḫur is found frequently in ancient Mari texts, confirm‎ing it was a real location in the upper Euphrates region.

Identification: While some scholars identify it specifically as a town near Haran, it is generally considered the place where Abraham’s brother, Nahor, settled after leaving Ur.

Map from https://ibiblemaps.com/isaac-wife/

(2, More on Rebekah)

from https://cafe.daum.net/k331/PeqF/48

My Favorite Woman in the Bible

By Rev. Young Lee

I have talked about the topic of "Man and Woman" before.

It is good to then talk about the biblical role model of each gender.

Who says lady first?

So, woman first- Rebecca, the wife of Isaac and the mother of the competing twin.

Of course, everybody can have one's own favorite biblical person depending on one's preference or criteria.

We know that the preference or criteria can differ greatly from time to time, place to place, and culture to culture.

There are also a lot more of ladies in the Bible who are qualified for this talk.

For the sake of this talk, however, Rebecca is my choice.

She came to the scene when the servant of Abraham went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor, to find a lady who might marry Isaac, the son of his master.

When he (maybe Eliezer?) reached the destination, he prayed for this important task of finding a very specifically qualified girl so that he might meet the girl without any difficulties or doubts.

He prayed, "O LORD, God of my master Abraham, give me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. May it be that when I say to a girl, 'Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,' and she says, 'Drink, and I'll water your camels too'- let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master" (Gen. 24:12-14).

What a man of prayer he is!

He has confidence in his master Abraham who should be favored by God, and in God Himself who is going to answer his prayer.

And, as we see, a girl, Rebecca, showed up at the well.

She was from the right family, an unmarried young lady, and even beautiful.

Moreover, she responded positively without hesitation when asked to offer a drink, and went far beyond what was requested of her and gave water to ten camels (15-20).

I have never given water to a camel but from my own simple imagination, it must be such a physically demanding task to water a camel, not to mention ten camels.

She even offered a bed and meal for him and for his animals (25).

She had a heart for the strange traveler, was wise enough to know the extra needs for him and his animals, and committed herself to the labor.

What single, young man can refuse this kind of girl?

Her character, thoughts, and actions, however, did not stop there.

When they went to her family to share and report what had happened and been done, no one involved could not deny that all things were in God's sovereignty.

But her family- parents and brother- out of their love for her, asked her to stay ten more days before leaving.

Rebecca, however, insisted on leaving right away because all things should be God-planned so there is no reason for delay.

She was wise to know God's will, and strongly minded to obey God decisively and quickly (55-58).

Some people accuse her for being a factor of division between her twin sons, enticing the younger to get blessed in the place of the elder, and even go further to condemn her by saying that dying without seeing her favorite son Jacob was her punishment for the manipulation, if that is what we are to call it.

I will take time later to respond extensively to that accusation.

But, for now, I can say with confidence that she is a godly woman who knows God's plan and is bold enough to stand for it.

To conclude this rather simple introduction of Rebecca, think about who would be your favorite lady in the Bible, and why you think so.

We will see more of her actions for Jacob later.