Genesis 24:15-21

2008.Feb.23 02:03

Not your everyday courting

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Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Abraham's brother Nahor, came out with her jar on her shoulder. The girl was very beautiful, a virgin, and no man had had relations with her; and she went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up. Then the servant ran to meet her, and said, "Please let me drink a little water from your jar." She said, "Drink, my lord"; and she quickly lowered her jar to her hand, and gave him a drink. Now when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, "I will draw also for your camels until they have finished drinking." So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, and ran back to the well to draw, and she drew for all his camels. Meanwhile, the man was gazing at her in silence, to know whether the LORD had made his journey successful or not.
(Genesis 24:15-21, NASB)

Everybody is so nice in this passage. Well, anyway, the servant and Rebekah are so nice. Both of them are practicing servanthood–Abraham’s servant, by his care in seeking a wife for Isaac, and Rebekah, by her attentions to this traveler. They both exhibit one of the keys of true service to another, which is that their service is complete. Rebekah does not merely give the servant a bit to drink, but goes back to the well and draws additional water for his camels. Likewise, the servant does not just watch to see if she seems like a decent lady, but even once it’s clear that Rebekah is fulfilling the signs for which the servant had prayed, he’s watching her; he could have, at her first approach, said, “She looks good and is polite. Let’s go.” But instead, because he chooses to serve Abraham well watches Rebekah carefully to judge her qualities as best he can in this short span.

And, well, that’s the point I’m wanting to make in a nutshell. In a smaller nutshell, service to others is more than doing the minimum to help or please, it is rather helping in a complete way.

Genesis 24:22-27

2008.Mar.01 03:08

Reactions

Read Genesis 24:22-27 | Full Chapter

The servant watched Rebekah and saw her actions matched the sign he had requested from Yahweh. Rebekah has finished giving water to the servant and his horses. So, we arrive at a point in the story where conflicts have been resolved (for now), everything is looking lovely, and it’s time for a few reactions (and an additional positive revelation).

After the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring weighing half a shekel, and for her wrists two bracelets weighing 10 shekels of gold.
(Genesis 24:22, Holman)

I’d imagine there’s all sorts of cultural significance to this ritual. Wikipedia does not shed any particular light on it, and thus, my 60 second research period reveals nothing. However, receiving–from someone you’ve just met–significant gold jewelry cannot be ignored. I would guess that at least this act reveals to Rebekah that whatever this guy is about to say, he’s serious about it. It also makes clear that the servant is convinced that she is the woman whom God desires Issac to marry. I might then consider that this act is a statement of confidence in a forthcoming covenant. Mostly because I think the phrase sounds neat.

"Whose daughter are you?" he asked. "Please tell me, is there room in your father's house for us to spend the night?" She answered him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor." She also said to him, "We have plenty of straw and feed, and a place to spend the night."
(Genesis 24:23-25, Holman)

Despite the servant’s confidence that Rebekah is indeed the woman he set out to meet, he has not yet proposed to her marriage with Isaac or even stated that this is the purpose of his travels. Not that I would have expected him to broach that subject yet. Instead, he inquires as to Rebekah’s family and if he may spend the night with them.

Again, Rebekah’s response is to extend hospitality, unlike, to throw in a contrasting example, the folks of Sodom. However, she adds an unintentional bonus. Guess what, servant? God led you to a relative of your master. Yay! Which is kind of the servants reaction.

Then the man bowed down, worshiped the Lord, and said, "Praise the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not withheld His kindness and faithfulness from my master. As for me, the Lord has led me on the journey to the house of my master's relatives."
(Genesis 24:26-27, Holman)

The servant’s journey is not yet complete. But he knows that Yahweh has already given him great favor. And he worships and thanks Yahweh. When success arrives, as in this case, there’s often so much left to do. But I don’t want to forget to give Yahweh praise for each blessing he gives me…although too often I do forget.

Genesis 24:28-32

2008.Mar.10 14:57

Introducing Laban

Read Genesis 24:28-32 | Full Chapter

Laban, son of Nahor, is one of those interesting folks whose antics are recorded in several chapters of the Bible, and yet comes off as a throw-away character. That is, I don’t recall ever hearing anybody teach about Laban. He’s just Jacob’s pesky father-in-law, perceived more as an environmental factor that a real person. Which is unfortunate, because his life, like Lot, is an example for us (men, especially, I think) of how we can get out-of-tune from seeking God, and end up doing a lot of stupid.

Most of what the Bible records of Laban is in relation to his son-in-law and nephew, Jacob, second-born of his sister Rebekah. But in this episode, we see him interacting with his sister and Abraham’s servant, many years before Jacob begins working for him.

Rebekah ran straight home and told her family everything. Her brother Laban heard her tell what the servant had said, and he saw the ring and the bracelets she was wearing. So Laban ran out to Abraham's servant, who was standing by his camels at the well. Then Laban said, "The LORD has brought you safely here. Come home with me. There's no need for you to keep on standing outside. I have a room ready for you in our house, and there's also a place for your camels." Abraham's servant went home with Laban, where Laban's servants unloaded his camels and gave them straw and feed. Then they brought water into the house, so Abraham's servant and his men could wash their feet.
(Genesis 24:28-32, CEV)

Rebekah, shortly after the servant gives her the ring and bracelets, heads home to inform her family of the matter. I imagine that she also goes back to get another member of the household to give the official invite, probably a male in this patriarchal society. In addition, we are in the middle of a courtship ritual, whether or not everybody realizes it. While Rebekah’s father, Bethuel, appears later in this chapter, it appears that Laban is acting as the head of household by this time, and so he would be the one, in our contemporary context, to “give away” Rebekah. Hence, him inviting the servant may make particular sense within the courtship context. Then again, this paragraph has pretty much been a series of guesses.

Anyway, back to Laban. He, as had his sister, shows great hospitality to the visitor. It’s unclear to me if he has yet guessed the servant’s purpose, but it’s evident that Laban has determined to treat Abraham’s servant very well. I do appreciate that Laban’s first response is to ensure the comfort of his guest, rather than to interview him as to his goal. At this point, I don’t see any of the attributes that I find distasteful later on in Laban, in particular his deceptiveness in dealing with Jacob. Which is something that I want to be mindful of in my own life. Just because I choose to seek, serve and obey God now (although I often fail) doesn’t guarantee that I will continue to do so later in life. Or, to put it another way, I cannot rely on my past ‘goodness’ to override any unrighteous decisions or actions in the present. I must, instead, continually and throughout my days, choose to place Yahweh above all else in my life and continue to seek more of him and his work in me.

Genesis 24:49-67

2008.Mar.21 02:30

Wedding in Canaan…Sort of

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Now please tell me if you are willing to do the right thing for my master. Will you treat him fairly, or do I have to look for another young woman? Laban and Bethuel answered, "The LORD has done this. We have no choice in the matter. Take Rebekah with you; she can marry your master's son, just as the LORD has said."
(Genesis 24:49-51, CEV)

The servant has told his story, now it’s “deal or no deal” time. Looking at these arranged marriages is a bit odd (although I gave that a lot of thought at one point in my life and may regale you dear readers with some of it…later) insofar as neither Rebekah nor Isaac is at all involved at this point, but, hey, what are cultural shifts for? The response of Laban and Bethuel is that this is pretty clearly the will of Yahweh (or whatever they called him in those days), so who are they to so no? Knowing that Rebekah will be financially well off and married to a (someone distant at this point) relative is probably encouraging to them (and they get some money out of it, as well). I think their response is, well, sensible. They are responding to the apparent will of God, and checking that response with wisdom.

This precedes a second set of negotiations regarding when Rebekah and the servant will leave. Understandably, Rebekah’s dad and brother would like to have a few days to say good-bye. Also understandably, the servant wants to go home. Laban and Bethuel refer the question to Rebekah, who decides to head on. That’s a nice moment in an “old patriarchs deciding the destiny of others” story. And so, after a bit of preparation, off they go.

At that time Isaac was living in the southern part of Canaan near a place called "The Well of the Living One Who Sees Me." One evening he was walking out in the fields, when suddenly he saw a group of people approaching on camels. So he started toward them. Rebekah saw him coming; she got down from her camel, and asked, "Who is that man?" "He is my master Isaac," the servant answered. Then Rebekah covered her face with her veil. The servant told Isaac everything that had happened. Isaac took Rebekah into the tent where his mother had lived before she died, and Rebekah became his wife. He loved her and was comforted over the loss of his mother.
(Genesis 24:62-67, CEV)

Actually, I don’t know that I have anything to say on that point. It’s a nice feeling that Isaac and Rebekah seem to have sort of emotional connection from the first moment they see each other, but that’s just my spin on the reading. The point is that they do marry. Another point is the Yahweh did indeed make the servant’s journey successful, indeed working things far better than the servant probably anticipated.

Genesis 25:22-28

2008.Apr.18 19:47

The Younger of Twins

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But the children struggled together within her; and she said, "If it is so, why then am I this way?" So she went to inquire of the LORD. The LORD said to her, "Two nations are in your womb; And two peoples will be separated from your body; And one people shall be stronger than the other; And the older shall serve the younger."
(Genesis 25:22-23, NASB)

Rebekah has now conceived, after a period of barrenness, as it were. But a new problem arises. She’s pregnant with twins (that’s not the problem), who are struggling with each other. I’m going to just take that point as it is, since I have no idea what that would feel like, whether such a feeling is common with twins, etc. Understandably, this bothers Rebekah a bit, and not only because it’s probably causing her to feel more sick than hormonal changes alone. So, she asks Yahweh what this is all about.

Yahweh explains that this is just the beginning. Out of these two children are going to be borne two powerful nations, one of which will serve the other. Perhaps God chose to let them wrestle for illustrative purposes; one does not imagine that the brothers’ struggle is because they understand all this. Shoot, even I don’t understand all this. Add to that a reversal of the “normal order” in this society, in which the eldest son generally holds authority. In this case, it will be the younger son who becomes more powerful.

This seems to be a bit of prophecy for the sake of prophecy (or whatever is the right term when Yahweh just tells one person directly). That is, there doesn’t seem to be a particular warning here, just a “this is the way it’s going to be.” On the other hand, it may be an intentionally self-fulfilling prophecy, which I’ll explore a little later in this article.

When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. Now the first came forth red, all over like a hairy garment; and they named him Esau. Afterward his brother came forth with his hand holding on to Esau's heel, so his name was called Jacob; and Isaac was sixty years old when she gave birth to them.
(Genesis 25:24-26, NASB)

The two kiddos are born, Esau and Jacob, in that order. I think it’s interesting, though I’m not sure to what purpose, that Jacob is holding on to Esau’s heel. I guess if their lives had gone differently, this might have been more interpretted as a show of love and cooperation between the two. Alas.

Isaac and Rebekah are fairly old by this point, although spring chickens compared to Abraham and Sarah when Isaac was born. Nothing particular to say about that point.

When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, but Jacob was a peaceful man, living in tents. Now Isaac loved Esau, because he had a taste for game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
(Genesis 25:27-28, NASB)

The two boys are different (surprise, surprise). Esau likes the outdoors, Jacob tends to stay at home and is probably more “intellectual” of the two. Esau becomes Isaac’s favorite, while Rebekah prefers her younger son. According to the text, Isaac’s preference is straight forward: he likes the meat of the animals Esau hunts. Rebekah’s is not explained that I’ve noticed. However, as I touched on earlier, I wonder if her favoring Jacob is due in part to Yahweh’s explanation about the struggle between the two during her pregnancy. That is, does she prefer Jacob because she knows that he will become the more powerful of the two?

Whatever their reasons, favorites is a dangerous game, that is, playing favorites. It’s quite natural, I imagine, that a parent will have more in common and/or be closer to one or another child. The trouble (I think) comes when a parent translates that natural connection into actively acting for the better of one child at the expense of another, for no other reason than that preference (Having not raised any children, I take a moment to comment that I may be quite misguided on these assertions). As we will see, Rebekah in particular goes down that road, and although I don’t think I can prove it, I get the impression Isaac does as well. Trouble, naturally, ensues.