Genesis 24: How Isaac Met Rebekah

Journey through the Book of Genesis with me.  The plan is simple. Read ONE chapter a day. Blog or journal 5* things you learned that you previously didn't know and ask 5* questions about the chapter that you'll ponder all week. Let's go!

** You'll probably learn way more than 5 things and have more than 5 questions about each chapter. That's totally fine. The more the merrier! 

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GENESIS 24:1-67

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

QUESTION 1: Why was Abraham insistent that his servant NOT take Isaac back to his "county and kindred" (v.6,8) to find a wife there? 

QUESTION 2: Why did Rebekah's family request for an additional 10 days before sending her off? Was this a genuine request so they could spend more time with her before they bid her farewell or was this Laban's way to trying to get some more money from the servant? 

QUESTION 3: Rebekah's family's blessing over her in verse 60 is consistent with the promise[s] God made to Abraham about being a father to many nations. Was her family aware of this or were they truly prophesying over her life?

QUESTION 4: When verse 63 says, "...Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening", does this mean he was grieving (having just lost his mother), or is this a posture of prayer? If Isaac was indeed praying, then it would serve as one heck of a story for Rebekah to tell her friends.

• Friend 1: "Soooo, how did you guys meet?"
• Rebekah: "When I first saw him, he was praying."
• Friend 1, 2, & 3: [With hands on their chest] "AWWWWWWWW"  

QUESTION 5: Was Rebekah nervous about leaving her life behind and going odd to marry this stranger? Did she ponder, "Will Isaac turn to out to be the kind of man I can fall in love with?" Did she ask the servant on her way back, "So, what's he like? Tell me everything!" What went through her mind in that moment in v.64 when she "lifted up her eyes" and saw him at a distance meditating/praying and found out that he was the man she was about to spend the rest of her life with? 

WHAT I LEARNED

INSIGHT 1: Abraham has lived a blessed and fulfilling life ("...the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things."), but he knew that his time was wrapping up, hence the need to find his son a wife. It was important to Abraham that Isaac find a non-Canaanite wife, yet remain in Canaan so that the promise of God be fulfilled., ("for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever." Genesis 13:15)

INSIGHT 2: This servant, who may very well be the same Eliezer mentioned in  Genesis 15:2 turns out to be a man of prayer, who no doubt learned how to pray from his boss, Abraham. Prayer features greatly in his journey of finding a wife for Rebekah.

• He prays when he first reaches the outskirts of the city: "Lord, lead my master's daughter in law to me." (v.12)
• He silently prays as he ponders if she is indeed, the one. (v.21)
• He prays when the situation reveals that she may indeed be, the one. (v.26)
• He prays when the family gives their approves the marriage proposal. (v.52)
• A string case can be made that Isaac himself was in a mode of prayer ("And Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening." v.63) when he "lifted his head" and saw Rebekah's caravan approaching. 

Moral of the story? When we prayerfully seek a spouse and invite the family of God to join us in our prayerful and active search, God hears and God provides a wife/husband!

INSIGHT 3: The servant's prayer request in v.12-14 is essentially a request that God lead him to a woman who was full of compassion and generous, for only one with those character traits could have met the conditions the servant set as a standard. (Note: No mention is made in his request about physical looks of sexual chemistry, yet scripture goes out of its way to point out that God blessed Isaac with a "The young woman was very attractive in appearance, a maiden whom no man had known." v.16)

INSIGHT 4: Verse 15 points out that "Before he had finished speaking..." God heard his prayer and answered. This brings to mind the Millennial Kingdom promise of God in Isaiah 65:24, "Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear." 

Lord, do this in my life even today! Hear my prayers even while they are still being formed in my heart!

INSIGHT 5: Rebekah turns out to not only be a caring and generous young woman, but also hardworking. ("When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking.” v.19). The job of feeding camels was no easy task. A thirsty camel can drink as many as 30 gallons (135 liters) of water in about 13 minutes (considering that this servant had traveled from Canaan to Mesopotamia, a 21 day journey, these camels would have been T.H.I.R.S.T.Y!!!).  Her kindness to the servant would have taken her at least an hour, no doubt more!

INSIGHT 6: Rebekah's excitement about finding a potential husband can be seen in her actions in:

• verse 28, "Then the young woman ran and told her mother's household about these things." 
• verse 58, "And they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” She said, “I will go.”
• verse 64-65, "And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she dismounted from the camel and said to the servant, “Who is that man, walking in the field to meet us?” The servant said, “It is my master.” So she took her veil and covered herself. "

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