Genesis 24:15

In Genesis chapter 24 Abraham had sent his servant to find a wife for Isaac. The servant evidently knew that this was a great responsibility, and he turned to the Lord for help. In Genesis 24:12-14 the servant prayed to the Lord. The answer to his prayer came immediately. The Bible says in Genesis 24:15-20 “And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder. And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up. And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher. And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink. And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking. And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels.”

At this time Abraham was well-advanced in years. His wife, Sarah, had died. And before Abraham died he had one great thing that he wanted to do for his son Isaac: help his son Isaac find just the right wife. After being saved by faith in Christ, the second most important thing in life is to find the best help-mate. Many people have suffered terrible things because they did not follow Abraham’s method for finding a spouse. The best way to find the right spouse is to do what Abraham did: have Biblical standards for your choice, and pray to the Lord for guidance and wisdom. Abraham did not want his son to be joined with an unbelieving Canaanite in marriage. The Canaanites were people known for false religion and sexual immorality. If you surrender to God to let Him do things His way, then the outcome will be much better than man could ever devise. That is exactly what happened when Abraham’s servant met Rebekah.

In this description about Rebekah in Genesis chapter 24 we see several admirable qualities. She is introduced in Genesis 24:15 with the phrase, “with her pitcher upon her shoulder.” This was a young woman who had learned to work. She was not pampered and spoiled. She was given responsibility. Her willingness to work and to serve others is also apparent in these verses because Rebekah draws water for the camels as well as for the servant of Abraham. Such a quality is very consistent with the description given in the book of Proverbs for the ideal wife who works, and creates, and administers, and who rules her household. It says in Proverbs 31:12-25, “She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life. She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands. She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar. She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens. She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard. She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms. She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night. She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff. She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet. She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple. Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land. She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant. Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.”

In Genesis 24:16 the Bible says concerning Rebekah, “And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her.” Rebekah’s moral uprightness is being emphasized here because it not only says that she was a virgin, it also says by way of clear explanation “neither had any man known her.” Rebekah lived at a time when there was great immorality in the world, but she stayed true to what she had been taught. It is one thing to have parents who teach you what is right, but it is another thing to accept those teachings and to desire to live by them. Having the desire to please God makes the difference. No one should ever underestimate the importance of having a high moral character. Just because the people of the world around you are doing certain things does not mean that you should. For good reason the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy in Second Timothy 2:22, “Flee also youthful lusts.” It says in Hebrews 13:4, “Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.” Just think of the horrible things that happen to people who commit acts of sexual immorality. The list is long. Those who commit sexual immorality sin against God and break their fellowship with God. Those who commit sexual immorality acquire sexually transmitted diseases including aids which can bring an untimely death. Those who commit sexual immortality are a bad influence on others and a bad example. They make the world a bad place to live in. Broken relationships, ruined marriages, unwanted pregnancies, and most abortions are all a result of sexual immorality. Think of the jealousy and the anger and the revenge and the broken hearts that result from someone committing sexual immorality. The world would be a much better place and people would be much happier if there were more people who were like Rebekah. Rebekah was “a virgin, neither had any man known her.”

The Bible says in Genesis 24:21-27, “And the man wondering at her held his peace, to wit whether the LORD had made his journey prosperous or not. And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold; And said, Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee: is there room in thy father's house for us to lodge in? And she said unto him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, which she bare unto Nahor. She said moreover unto him, We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in. And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the LORD. And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master's brethren.” Abraham’s servant was astonished that right after he prayed, this wonderful young woman appeared on the scene. It is as though the servant started wondering if God had brought this young woman, but it was too good to believe. It says in Genesis 24:21, “And the man wondering at her held his peace, to wit whether the LORD had made his journey prosperous or not.” But when the servant discovered that Rebekah was from the family of Nahor, then he knew for sure that the Lord was involved in what was happening. When the Lord does something, it gets done very well. When the Lord opens the door, no man can shut it. That is one of the reasons that the best life to have is a life that is led by the Lord. We do not lose when we follow Him, we gain. We gain a life that is lived the way that it was meant to be lived. Jesus said, “I am come that you might have life, and that you might have it more abundantly.”

Notice that Abraham’s servant said in Genesis 24:27, “I being in the way, the Lord led me…” What way was he talking about? It was the “way” of responsibility and duty. Life is made up of the fulfilling of responsibility. Do the things that you ought to do based upon what you are responsible for doing. As you honorably perform your duties, if you commit your actions to God, He will guide you. Be faithful in the small things, and you will be serving God, and you will see that His hand is guiding you.

The Bible says in Genesis 24:28-30, “And the damsel ran, and told them of her mother's house these things. And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban: and Laban ran out unto the man, unto the well. And it came to pass, when he saw the earring and bracelets upon his sister's hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, Thus spake the man unto me; that he came unto the man; and, behold, he stood by the camels at the well.”

The Bible says in Genesis 24:31-34, “And he said, Come in, thou blessed of the LORD; wherefore standest thou without? for I have prepared the house, and room for the camels. And the man came into the house; and he ungirded his camels, and gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet, and the men’s feet that were with him. And there was set meat before him to eat: but he said, I will not eat until I have told mine errand. And he said, Speak on. And he said, I am Abraham’s servant.” Upon hearing from Rebekah about Abraham’s servent; Laban, Rebekah’s brother, immediately went out to meet him and to assist him. Once again we see that Abraham’s servant was very responsible and faithful. He refused to eat until he had related the purpose of his journey. He identified himself simply as “Abraham’s servant.” He responsibly and immediately told Laban why he had come: to find a wife for Isaac. And he gave glory to God by faithfully telling about his prayer and how he knew that the Lord had answered it and guided him. Do not waste time. If God wants you to do something, do it now.

Abraham’s servant tells his story to Rebekah’s family in Genesis 24:35-49, “And the LORD hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses. And Sarah my master's wife bare a son to my master when she was old: and unto him hath he given all that he hath. And my master made me swear, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife to my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell: But thou shalt go unto my father's house, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son. And I said unto my master, Peradventure the woman will not follow me. And he said unto me, The LORD, before whom I walk, will send his angel with thee, and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father's house: Then shalt thou be clear from this my oath, when thou comest to my kindred; and if they give not thee one, thou shalt be clear from my oath. And I came this day unto the well, and said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, if now thou do prosper my way which I go; Behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass, that when the virgin cometh forth to draw water, and I say to her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher to drink; And she say to me, Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels: let the same be the woman whom the LORD hath appointed out for my master's son. And before I had done speaking in mine heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down unto the well, and drew water: and I said unto her, Let me drink, I pray thee. And she made haste, and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: so I drank, and she made the camels drink also. And I asked her, and said, Whose daughter art thou? And she said, The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bare unto him: and I put the earring upon her face, and the bracelets upon her hands. And I bowed down my head, and worshipped the LORD, and blessed the LORD God of my master Abraham, which had led me in the right way to take my master's brother's daughter unto his son. And now if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me: and if not, tell me; that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left.”

Abraham’s servant mentioned the Lord six times in his speech to Laban and the rest of Rebekah’s family. That shows that the priority of Abraham’s servant was to mention the name of the Lord where the Lord should have been mentioned. That is the best way to be a testimony verbally. Speak of the Lord in your normal conversation when it makes sense to speak of Him. You do not need to force things. Just be honest. There are some people who claim to be Christians, but who modify their conversation to please their listeners depending upon who is listening. When they are around the people of the world, they use the language of the people of the world. If the Lord has blessed you and answered your prayers, then say that the Lord has blessed you no matter if you are around the people of the world or around believers. Say what you truly believe in your normal daily conversations and you will do what few people do. You will be honest, and you will be a testimony with your words. The Bible says in Colossians 4:6 “Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” It says in Psalms 107:2, “Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy.”

___________________________________________________