Genesis 24

God Directs the Faithful Servant In Finding God’s Choice of Isaac’s Bride

This is the longest chapter in Genesis. The focus of scripture is now moving away from Abraham to the next one in the seed line – Isaac.

If you read this chapter through carefully, you will find that the central character is not the bride, Rebekah. Little of her reaction is recorded here; she has sort of a secondary part. The spotlight of the story really follows Abraham's servant. He is the central character. This is a picture of the Holy Spirit's work.

The choice of a wife requires the maximum benefit of wisdom and experience. Abraham therefore selects the oldest and most trustworthy of his servants to find her (Genesis 24:2). She must not be a Canaanite (Genesis 24:3): these tribes were already under judgment and would ultimately be displaced (Genesis 17:8). Inter-marriage with them is forbidden (2 Corinthians 6:14), even though they live close at hand. The wife must be from Abraham's own country and kindred (Genesis 24:4).

1 Abraham was now a very *old man, and the LORD had blessed him in every way.

*old – About 140 years old and Isaac is about 40 years old. Abraham has put off getting a wife for Isaac a long time and is prompted by Sarah’s death.

2 One day Abraham said to the *man in charge of his household, who was his oldest servant,

*man in charge of his household – This may well be Eleazar of Damascus. The reason the servant’s name is not mentioned is probably that he was going in the name of Isaac, not his own name.

3 "Swear by the *LORD, the **God of heaven and earth, that you will not let my son marry one of these local ***Canaanite women.

*LORD - Jehovah

**God – Elohim

***Canaanite women – to avoid contaminating the seed line and also to keep Isaac from leaving Jehovah God and following the local gods. In order to preserve the integrity of his offspring, this wife must come from the line of Terah. He did not want to see his son become entwined and engulfed with the daughters of the land and to marry and become one with the Canaanites, bringing him back into idol worship.

4 Go instead to my homeland, to my relatives, and find a wife there for my son Isaac."

Abraham was not concerned about riches or beauty, but only that the bride was from the family of God. It is so important when we seek a partner that the first priority is that we are not unequally yoked. The first priority is that our partner must be from the family of God.

Even though God had never said, "Isaac must marry," almost all his promises point in that direction. In Genesis 12:2, God said to Abraham, I will cause you to become the father of a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and I will make you a blessing to others. And in Genesis 15:5 he said, Then the LORD brought Abram outside beneath the night sky and told him, "Look up into the heavens and count the stars if you can. Your descendants will be like that--too many to count! So, Isaac must marry and have children. But couldn't it be Ishmael, Abraham's first son? No. In Genesis 21:12 God said, But God told Abraham, "Do not be upset over the boy and your servant wife. Do just as Sarah says, for Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted. And in Genesis 17:19, He said, But God replied, "Sarah, your wife, will bear you a son. You will name him Isaac, and I will confirm my everlasting covenant with him and his descendants.

Abraham’s servant was told that, after 65 years of separation, his master’s relatives were still living in the area of Haran (12:4). He had eight nephews there, and one of them had a daughter named Rebekah (22:20-23). This was why Abraham had decided to send his servant 500 miles north to the area of Haran to find a bride for his son Isaac.

A generation later, Isaac sent Jacob back to Padan-aram to take a wife from among Bethuel’s granddaughters, rather than from among the Canaanites.

5 The servant asked, "But suppose I can't find a young woman who will travel so far from home? May I then take Isaac there to live among your relatives?"

The steward’s point is well thought out. Which is more important, that Isaac stay in the land or that he marry a relative?

Normally a marriage arrangement would require Isaac to be present. If the servant failed as Abraham’s representative, could he assure the family in Haran that he would make a second journey and bring Isaac in person? Abraham was adamant that he and Isaac had been promised a future in the land of Canaan, and there was no question of Isaac going back to Haran.

6 "No!" Abraham warned. "Be careful never to take my son 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 Jehovah, the God of heaven. God had called Abraham out of his land and promised him and his descendants a new land. To go back could only mean unbelief in God's promise and power to fulfill it. God said in Genesis 13:14-15: After Lot was gone, the LORD said to Abram, "Look as far as you can see in every direction. I am going to give all this land to you and your offspring as a permanent possession. And in Genesis 17:8 God said, Yes, I will give all this land of Canaan to you and to your offspring forever. And I will be their God.

During all his life, Isaac never left Canaan at all!

7 For the LORD, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and my native land, solemnly promised to give this land to my offspring. He will send his angel ahead of you, and he will see to it that you find a young woman there to be my son's wife.

Abraham glorified God because he was fully convinced God could do what he promised.

8 If she is unwilling to come back with you, then you are free from this oath. But under no circumstances are you to take my son there."

Whatever happens, 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 took a solemn oath that he would follow Abraham's instructions.

10 He loaded ten of Abraham's *camels with gifts and set out, taking with him the best of everything his master owned. He traveled to **Aram-naharaim and went to the ***village where Abraham's brother ****Nahor had settled.

*camels - 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. Camels can travel about 30 miles a day, so the 500 mile trip would take about 2½ weeks there and 2½ weeks back!

**Aram-naharaim - Aram-naharaim means "Aram of the two rivers," the area in upper Syria where the Habor and Euphrates Rivers converge - specifically Haran. Eleazar would be gone for a long time and Abraham might not have been living when the servant returned. Haran was a center of moon worship.

***village - Archaeologists identify it not as Haran but as a settlement near that city.

****Nahor - Genesis 11:26 - When Terah was 70 years old, he became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

11 There the servant made the camels kneel down beside a well just outside the village. It was evening, and the women were coming out to draw water.

The well was usually located outside town along the main road. Many people had to walk a mile or more for their water. They could use only what they could carry home. Farmers and shepherds would come from nearby fields to draw water for their animals. The well was a good place to meet new friends or to chat with old ones.

John 4:5-7 - Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, "Please give me a drink."

12 "O *LORD,** God of my master," he ***prayed. "Give me success and show ****kindness to my master, Abraham. Help me to accomplish the purpose of my journey.

*LORD - Jehovah

**God – Elohim

*** pray - This is the first recorded prayer. It was a humble request. It does not appear to be the first prayer for Eleazar who was a man of God – converted by Abraham. Here, he recognizes that he is not only on a mission for Abraham, but a mission for God too. He is committing this entire affair into God’s hands.

****kindness – Hebrew “khesed”. It means “steadfast love” or “faithful love”.

Now here is a man expecting God to work. He does not go into this land, and say to himself, "Well now, the whole job is up to me. I've got to find this girl, and how in the world am I going to find the right one? And after that, I must persuade her to come. How am I going to do that?"

It is very simple for this man because he knows he is not left alone to do this task. An invisible partner is at work, preparing the way for him.

Notice how Abraham's servant does it? First of all, he prays, revealing his expectation that God is at work. In his simple prayer he asks God to make the way clear, to indicate the one to whom God would have him speak. As he prays about his problem, he expects God to answer.

13 See, here I am, standing beside this spring, and the young women of the village are coming out to draw water.

14 This is my request. I will ask one of them for a drink. If she says, ‘Yes, certainly, and I will water your camels, too!'--let her be the one you have appointed as Isaac's wife. By this I will know that you have shown *kindness to my master."

****kindness – Hebrew “khesed”. It means “steadfast love” or “faithful love”.

Genesis 24:11-14 shows wisdom in action. The servant knew what he wanted, a wife with the twin qualities of willingness and a lack of fear of hard work, a functional wife rather than an ornament. He called on God to give his selection test a successful outcome. He was looking for a young woman who was doing the job she should be doing, which was drawing water. He sought one who would show mercy to a stranger by giving him the water when he asked, and who was willing to do far more than she is asked. A man drinks a few pints of water at most, but an offer to water his fleet of ten camels is something else: for all the girl knows, they have not drunk anything for weeks. Doubtless some young women avoided the water-carrying chore altogether. Others did the bare minimum, studiously avoiding the eyes of the stranger so that they could return quickly to their own interests and concerns.

Without divine direction, such a specific request would normally have had a near zero probability of being fulfilled. No doubt, the Spirit of the Lord influenced both Eleazar and Rebekah.

15 As he was still praying, a young woman named *Rebekah arrived with a water jug on her shoulder. Her father was **Bethuel, who was the son of Abraham's brother Nahor and his wife, Milcah.

*Rebekah – Hebrew meaning "One who enchants men with her beauty" or "Captivating". Rebekah would have visited the well twice daily to draw water for her family.

**Bethuel - (Hebrew for “house of El”),

The Lord was already answering that prayer before Eleazar offered the prayer. Rebecca had to start out to meet him at the well before he began praying. God was providing the answer before that prayer ever entered Eleazar's heart. Sure the Lord knew in advance; He knows all things. But this is how we learn to know God. It was God's answering Eleazar’s prayer that brought them to know the Lord by experiencing His answers to those prayers.

Just imagine for a moment what a coincidence to the human reasoning in the same set of circumstances if Eleazar had not prayed. God was already providing for those needs before Eleazar prayed, so God knew his needs, and it was in His decree to provide those needs. But it was also in His decree that Eleazar’s prayer was part of it. Without God's record of Eleazar’s prayer, imagine now how that whole story would change. We’ll look at the same set of circumstances without prayer. Eleazar would come to that well. He would ask the first girl he met who she was, and he would find out it was Rebecca. Eventually she would agree to go with him, and he would say, "What a coincidence! Isn’t that something? I just happened to meet the right woman at the right time in the right place, and she agreed to go." That’s what you’d have without prayer.

The Lord uses prayer to develop spiritual eyesight to see God's hand. If this were all just coincidence, who would ever have seen God’s hand in it?



16 Now Rebekah was very beautiful, and she was a virgin; no man had ever slept with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came up again.

Although the servant approached a beautiful young woman, he knew that it was hopeless to select a woman on the basis of appearance (Proverbs 31:30). He knew that an immoral lazy life ruins the character, so that an outwardly beautiful woman may have an evil heart. This is why the servant used a test to reveal her heart.

17 Running over to her, the servant asked, "Please give me a drink."

Although this must have been a serious breach of Middle Eastern etiquette, he boldly ran towards her and took the first step he had specified in his prayer. When he asked for a sip of water from her jar, she gave him a drink. Then, without being asked, she drew water again and again till the water trough was filled, and the ten camels drank all that they needed after their long journey.

18 "Certainly, sir," she said, and she quickly lowered the jug for him to drink.

19 When he had finished, she said, "I'll draw water for your camels, too, until they have had enough!"

20 So she quickly emptied the jug into the watering trough and ran down to the well again. She kept carrying water to the camels until they had finished drinking.

It was common courtesy to give a drink to a stranger, but it took added character to also fetch water for ten thirsty camels. He didn’t even ask her to draw water for the camels – she has gone beyond mere courtesy! A camel would drink up to 25 gallons of water after a long journey – so, she would have drawn about 250 gallons of water!

The well is probably a large, deep hole in the ground with steps leading down to the spring. There usually was a trough by the well for the feeding of animals, and without hesitation Rebekah fulfils the steward’s requirements in accordance with the covenant he had made with God.

21 The servant watched her in silence, *wondering whether or not she was the one the LORD intended him to meet.

*wondering - Hebrew verb "shaah" that means to be astonished!

His prayer was soon answered. In a businesslike way she fills her jar from the spring and comes up. The servant approaches her and makes his request. She quickly gives him a drink without question or argument - what a contrast with John 4:7 where it appears that Jesus never got his drink - and then she offers to draw for the camels until they have done drinking. This even seems to surpass the servant's prayer. The speed of her work and diligent energy come through strongly in Genesis, right through to the end of the job.

Rebekah was drawing water from the spring. So was the woman in John 4, but that woman found drawing water a laborious effort she would have preferred to avoid. Not so Rebekah. She enjoyed drawing water, not only for herself but also for others.

22 Then at last, when the camels had finished drinking, he gave her a *gold ring for her nose and two large gold bracelets for her wrists.

*gold ring – Hebrew - a gold nose-ring weighing a half shekel (0.2 ounces) and two gold bracelets weighing 10 shekels (4 ounces).

23 "Whose daughter are you?" he asked. "Would your father have any room to put us up for the night?"

24 "My father is Bethuel," she replied. "My *grandparents are Nahor and Milcah.

*grandparents – Rebekah is old enough to marry Isaac, because Sarah was so old when Isaac was born.

25 Yes, we have plenty of straw and food for the camels, and we have a room for guests."

26 The man fell down to the ground and worshiped the LORD.

When he learned that this lovely and gracious young woman was Isaac’s second cousin, he was almost overcome with emotion. He had to stop immediately, bow down and worships the Lord, in audible thanksgiving to the God who had so richly answered his prayer and the prayer of his master Abraham.

27 "Praise be to the LORD, the God of my master, Abraham," he said. "The LORD has been so kind and faithful to Abraham, for he has led me straight to my master's relatives."

God has led and guided him to the people he was seeking without any effort on his part. He has watched the unfolding of the covenant he himself had made with God.

The words are deliberately spoken in the presence of the young woman. He wants her to know that his mission is directed by God and that she is involved.

28 The young woman ran home to tell *her family about all that had happened.

*her family – literally, ‘Her mother’s house.’

29 Now Rebekah had a *brother named Laban.

Laban was an idol worshipper (Genesis 31:19,30)

30 When he saw the nose-ring and the bracelets on his sister's wrists, and when he heard her story, he rushed out to the spring, where the man was still standing beside his camels. Laban said to him,

The position would now be laid before Bethuel and the family. Bethuel must be ill or disabled or he would have welcomed the stranger.

Whether Laban ran because he wanted to quickly help the stranger or because he saw the gold is not known. This is only questionable because of Laban's later greed and deception with Jacob.

31 "Come and stay with us, you who are blessed by the LORD. Why do you stand here outside the village when we have a room all ready for you and a place prepared for the camels!"

32 So the man went home with Laban, and Laban unloaded the camels, gave him straw to bed them down, fed them, and provided water for the camel drivers to wash their feet.

33 Then supper was served. But Abraham's servant said, "I don't want to eat until I have told you why I have come."

"All right," Laban said, "tell us your mission."

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 God not to eat until his mission is completed. They are already aware that he feels he is on a mission for God.

The servant now lays out the terms and details of his commission, making clear in the splendid prospects of Isaac. It was 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 God.

34 "I am Abraham's servant," he explained.

35 "And the LORD has blessed my master richly; he has become a great man. The LORD has given him flocks of sheep and herds of cattle, a fortune in silver and gold, and many servants and camels and donkeys.

36 When Sarah, my master's wife, was very old, she gave birth to my master's son, and my master has given him everything he owns.

37 And my master made me swear that I would not let Isaac marry one of the local Canaanite women.

38 Instead, I was to come to his relatives here in this far-off land, to his father's home. I was told to bring back a young woman from here to marry his son.

The servant makes clear he is acting under oath, and the content of the oath. Abraham is stressing through his servant that they are all of the family of Terah. He wishes his son to marry within the family.

39 " ‘But suppose I can't find a young woman willing to come back with me?' I asked him.

40 ‘You will,' he told me, ‘for the LORD, in whose presence I have walked, will send his angel with you and will make your mission successful. Yes, you must get a wife for my son from among my relatives, from my father's family.

The sacredness of his mission is now described. It is God 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.

The servant does not mention the fact that Abraham does not want his son to come to Haran. But the absence of Isaac from the caravan makes this apparent.
41 But if you go to my relatives and they refuse to let her come, you will be free from your oath.'

42 "So this afternoon when I came to the spring I prayed this prayer: ‘O LORD, the God of my master, Abraham, if you are planning to make my mission a success, please guide me in a special way.

43 Here I am, standing beside this spring. I will say to some young woman who comes to draw water, "Please give me a drink of water!"

44 And she will reply, "Certainly! And I'll water your camels, too!" LORD, let her be the one you have selected to be the wife of my master's son.'

45 "Before I had finished praying these words, I saw Rebekah coming along with her water jug on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water and filled the jug. So I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’

46 She quickly lowered the jug from her shoulder so I could drink, and she said, ‘Certainly, sir, and I will water your camels, too!’ And she did.

47 When I asked her whose daughter she was, she told me, `My father is Bethuel, the son of Nahor and his wife, Milcah.' So I gave her the ring and the bracelets.

48 "Then I bowed my head and worshiped the LORD. I praised the LORD, the God of my master, Abraham, because he had led me along the right path to find a wife from the family of my master's relatives.

The passage must be read as one whole. This is his unrejectable argument as to why Rebekah should be given to Isaac. It begins and ends with reference to ‘Jehovah, 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 Jehovah as their God. But he does expect them to honor His revealed power and authority.

He expects them also to see in what has happened a truly divine hand. What other explanation can there be? 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 servant was seeking could only be attributed to the God’s direct action.

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 God. He now calls on his hearers to grant the same recognition.

49 So tell me--will you or won't you show true *kindness to my master? When you tell me, then I'll know what my next step should be, whether to move this way or that."

****kindness – Hebrew “khesed”. It means “steadfast love” or “faithful love”.

The servant is like the Holy Spirit, who is in the world seeking a Bride for Christ. The Bride is to be made up of individuals who receive Him as Lord and Savior, and who will be brought unto Him by the Spirit. As the Holy Spirit (through human witnesses, through Scripture, through circumstances) witnesses to the hearts of individuals concerning the glories of Christ, their need of Him, and the joys to be found in His presence, they are confronted with the greatest decision of their lives. They cannot ignore Him; they must say either yes or no. If they are united to Him, they must leave the things of the world behind them and submit full to Him. Many reject the invitation and are separated forever from Him. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the children of God, even to them that believe on his name (John 1:12 KJV).

50 Then Laban and Bethuel replied, "The LORD has obviously brought you here, so what can we say?

It becomes obvious from the outset of this story that God is the real matchmaker in the marriage. When the servant related to Rebekah’s family the indications of God’s guidance, her brother and her father agreed. No matter what kinds of problems a marriage may encounter, they will be easier to solve if both husband and wife have a settled assurance that God has brought them together.

This is the decisive turning point. The decision is made. Laban acknowledges that Jehovah has clearly taken control and that he cannot therefore go against Him. The servant has put his case well. The writer wants us to know that even those who do not worship Jehovah 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; take her and go. Yes, let her be the wife of your master's son, as the LORD has directed."

52 At this reply, Abraham's servant bowed to the ground and worshiped the LORD.

53 Then he brought out silver and gold jewelry and lovely clothing for Rebekah. He also gave valuable presents to her mother and brother.

Immediately the servant went to his store of valuables. The bride of a prince must be provided with new clothing and adornments furnished by the father of the prince. Similarly, the one who is to be the Bride of Christ can no longer be dressed in the "filthy rags" of his own "righteousness" (Isaiah 64:6), but must be "arrayed in fine linen, clean and white" (Revelation 19:8).

54 Then they had supper, and the servant and the men with him stayed there overnight. But early the next morning, he said, "Send me back to my master."

55 "But we want Rebekah to stay at least ten days," her brother and mother said. "Then she can go."

56 But he said, "*Don't hinder my return. The LORD has made my mission successful, and I want to report back to my master."

*Don't hinder my return – He knows there’s real danger they might change their minds or come up with restrictions such as having to meet Isaac. We learn later in his dealings with Jacob how deceitful Laban can be.

57 "Well," they said, "we'll call Rebekah and ask her what she thinks."

58 So they called Rebekah. "Are you willing to go with this man?" they asked her.

And she replied, "Yes, I will go."

Rebekah was consulted not ordered if she wished to marry Isaac. Women in were rarely asked their opinion, especially about betrothal. It is unusual to be told that her wishes were asked and respected.

The first acceptance of the proposal was by Laban and Bethuel as practicing and nominal heads of the family. The detailing of arrangements was dealt with by Laban and Rebekah’s mother. But in the end Rebekah has a say. Accepting it at face value this means that she has final refusal, but they would only expect this if she was totally opposed to the idea.

59 So they said good-bye to Rebekah and sent her away with Abraham's servant and his men. The woman who had been Rebekah's childhood nurse went along with her.

60 They blessed her with this blessing as she parted:

"Our sister, may you become
the mother of many millions!
May your descendants overcome
all their enemies."

61 Then Rebekah and her servants mounted the camels and left with Abraham's servant.

This is why the servant had taken so many camels. He knew that if he was successful they would be required for this purpose.

62 Meanwhile, Isaac, whose home was in the Negev, had returned from Beer-lahairoi.

The end of the story is short. No mention is made of the return to Abraham, if it happened at all. Isaac is well south of Beersheba almost at the Egyptian border. What is clearly important 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 old Abraham and ends with the two young lives who represent the future.

Beer-lahai-roi is the place where the pregnant Hagar met the angel of Yahweh 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 in 25.9).

63 One evening as he was taking a walk out in the fields, *meditating, he looked up and saw the camels coming.

*meditating – Possibly mourning the death of his mother and possibly praying the Eleazar’s mission would be successful.

64 When Rebekah looked up and saw Isaac, she quickly dismounted.

65 "Who is that man walking through the fields to meet us?" she asked the servant.

And he replied, "It is *my master." So Rebekah covered her face with her **veil.

*my master –Leadership has shifted from Abraham to Isaac, not only for the servant, but also in the unfolding history of God’s people.

**veil - According to custom the groom did not see the bride's face before the consummation of the marriage. Genesis 29:25 - But when Jacob woke up in the morning--it was Leah! "What sort of trick is this?" Jacob raged at Laban. "I worked seven years for Rachel. What do you mean by this trickery?"

66 Then the servant told Isaac the whole story.

67 And Isaac brought Rebekah into his mother's tent, and she became his wife. He loved her very much, and she was a special comfort to him after the death of his mother.

Rebekah takes the place of his mother as mother of the tribe. It had been three years since Sarah had occupied the tent. Rebekah took her place in the family. Nothing is said about a wedding ceremony although we may have an idea from the marriage of Ruth.

According to the Bible, the marriage between Isaac and Rebekah was completely monogamous. Isaac loved her when he first saw her and apparently he loved no other woman for the rest of his life.

Note : If we chart the dates given for events in the lives of the Old Testament patriarchs, it is obvious they all hang together and interlock perfectly. This makes nonsense of the idea that these are ancient myths resulting for generations of hearsay. Either these events were carefully recorded by those who were involved (as we assume) or they were concocted by some scribe hundreds of years after the events (in which case we wonder who this scribe could have been and what was his motive?). If we read the events as history, they make perfect sense, and the hand of God and the faith of Abraham and others is powerfully evident (see Hebrews 11:8-22).