Actually, this is the story of Rebekah (Hebr.: Rivka)! Not of Isaac. Rebekah means “to bind” or “bow” or “binding cord”. Interestingly, the meaning for a woman is: the beauty of a woman with which the man is snared or enchanted.Later, she tied a snare for her husband by deceiving him with the blessing.
Rebekah lived to be between 120 and 134 years old and was buried in the cave of Machpela (Hebron) where Abraham, Sarah and Isaac were also buried.
Rebekah is the image of the bride, the church, of you and of me. It speaks of the future: the unification of the bridegroom and the bride as man and woman become one flesh. Then we will be one with Him.
Isaac is the son of promise, and in several ways is an Old Testament reference to the Messiah, the ultimate promised Seed from Genesis 3:
In Genesis 24, Abraham (the Father) sends his servant (the Holy Spirit) to seek a bride (the church) for Isaac (the promised Seed, the Son). This event takes place after the “death and resurrection” of the Promised Seed in Genesis 22, depicted in the sacrifice of Isaac (the Promised Seed, the Son).
Finally, the Holy Spirit, (the servant) brings the bride to the Son, who goes to meet His bride.
That meeting, then, is the central axis of this section. He the Son of God is going to meet His bridal congregation. 1 Thess 4:17: 1
Thessalonians 4:17 Then we, the living who are left, will be caught up together with them in the
clouds, to a meeting with the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.
It is notable that the bride does not automatically recognize the Bridegroom. It is the Holy Spirit who reveals Who He is to her.
The father: verse 1-9
The father loved his son and wanted a bride for him. He had faith that God would keep His promise: Genesis 12:2 I will make you a great nation, bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing.
Here is clearly the picture of the heavenly Father acquiring a bride for His Son!
1 Now Abraham was old and coming of age, and the LORD had blessed Abraham in everything.
2. Then Abraham said to his servant, the eldest of his house, who controlled all that he had, Put
your hand under my hip.
An old custom to put your hand on the thigh as a sign of agreement. Today we would say “hand on it!” or take an oath or sign a notarized document.
But it was also a sign of repentance and submission.
Jeremiah 31:19 For after I was converted, I repented.
After I was made acquainted with myself, I struck myself on the hip.
I have become ashamed, yes, also disgraced,because I carry the reproach of my youth.
Ezekiel 21:12 Cry out and lament, child of man,
for it is directed against My people, it is directed against all the princes of Israel.
They have been given up to the sword with My people. Therefore strike your hip,
3. I will have you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not
take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites in the midst of whom I dwell,
4. but that you will go to my homeland and my family circle to take a wife for my son Isaac.
It was also customary in those days to marry within the (broad) family. Certainly Abraham wanted that because he lived in the midst of Nephilim peoples who had contaminated DNA. Consider the pure bloodline of the Messiah….
5. And the servant said to him, Perhaps that woman will not want to follow me to this land. Will I
then have to bring your son back to the land from which you left?
6. Abraham said to him, Be on your guard that you do not bring my son back there!
7. The LORD, the God of heaven, Who has taken me away from my family and from my native land,
Who has spoken to me and Who has sworn to me, To your descendants I will give this land – that
God will send His angel before you, that you may take a wife for my son from there.
8. But if that woman will not follow you, then you are free from this oath to me; however, do not
bring my son back there.
Elijah says that the woman may not want to come with him. Abraham is very clear: Isaac is certainly not to go to Mesopotamia. Canaan is the land that the LORD will give to Abraham’s descendants. If Isaac leaves the land, he gives away God’s promise. Abraham believes the LORD will send His angel along to help find a wife for Isaac. If she does not go with him, then Elijah is innocent.
Notice how the bride is sought and that she must be brought to the land of Canaan. How different is it with Hagar and Ishmael in Genesis 21:21:
He dwelt in the wilderness Paran, and his mother took a wife for him out of the land of Egypt.
(He lived in society and took a wife out of the world)
9. Then the servant put his hand under the hip of Abraham, his lord, and he swore to him that.
The servant: verse 10-49
This one loved the father’s son and asked for God’s guidance. God rewarded his faith. Rebekah had no idea that a small act of kindness would change her whole life. It can be the same in our lives.The servant spoke of his lord and not of himself. He did not eat until he had delivered his lord’s message. We also see this in John 4:
John 4:31 And meanwhile the disciples asked Him, Rabbi, eat something.
32. But He said to them, I have food to eat of which you have no knowledge.
33. The disciples therefore said to one another, Surely someone has not brought Him food to
eat?
34. Jesus said to them, My food is that I do the will of Him Who sent Me and accomplish His
work.
10. Thereupon the servant took ten camels from his lord’s camels and went on his way, carrying
with him all kinds of his lord’s valuables. So he got up and went on his way to Mesopotamia, to the
city of Nahor.
11. Outside that city he had the camels kneel down by a well, toward evening, toward the time
when the women come to draw water.
The servant assembles a caravan of ten camels, packs up all kinds of gifts, and sets off. By the “city of Nahor,” Abraham’s brother and the name of Abraham’s grandfather, is meant a city near Haran. It is a long journey. He arrives at the well by the time the well-wishers will come to draw water.
The well was usually outside the village on the main road. Sometimes one had to walk far.Rebekah will probably draw water twice a day: in the morning and in the evening. The well was a place of social contact where people met. We also see this in John 4.
12. Then he said, LORD, God of my lord Abraham, let it happen to me today, and prove Your
goodness to Abraham my lord.
13. Behold, I stand by this well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city come to draw
water.
14. Let it be so that the girl to whom I say, Lower the pitcher from your shoulder that I may drink,
and who will say, Drink, and I will also give your camels to drink, that she is the girl whom You have
destined for Your servant Isaac. By this shall I then know that Thou hast shown mercy to my lord.
We see here that Elijah had learned much from Abraham, namely, to depend in faith. Does your environment also teach you that you live in dependence on God? Do you show that you ask God for His guidance at every step?
It was a good custom, even a duty, for the women to draw water for weary travelers. But that obligation did not exist for animals…..
Thereby Eliezer could see the heart of the one to whom he asked.
15. And it happened, before he had finished speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out of the city,
who was born to Bethuel, the son of Milka, the wife of Nahor, the brother of Abraham; she had her
pitcher on her shoulder.
16. The girl was very handsome to behold, a virgin: no man had had intercourse with her. She
went down to the well, filled her jug and climbed back up.
Although Rebekah was handsome in appearance, what matters most is inner beauty. How is the heart? Or do we think our appearance is more important than the beauty within.
The beauty within is found in Galatians 5:22:
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control.
17. Then the servant walked quickly to her and asked, Let me drink some water from your jar.
18. She said, Drink, my lord; and she hastened and let her pitcher slip on her hand and gave him to
drink.
19. When she had made him drink enough, she said: I will draw water for your camels also, until
they have drunk enough.
20. She hurried and emptied her jar into the watering trough and quickly ran back to the well to
draw water. She drew water for all his camels.
21. The man watched her silently to find out if the LORD had made his way prosperous or not.
Elijah prays the LORD, the God of Abraham, that the woman who will give him and his camels water to drink may be the wife for Isaac. Even before he finishes his prayer, Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel, son of Milka and Nahor, approaches. At Eliezer’s request, she gives him a drink, but also offers to water the camels. Elijah is deeply amazed at this answer to prayer.
Camels drink a lot of water. After a week, that could amount to 100 liters per camel. A jug is big and heavy. So Rebekah must have had quite a job with that: 10 camels = 10 x 100 liters = 1000 liters = 1 Kuub of water!). She did this without grumbling and showed that she was willing to do more than was necessary.
Are you also willing to serve? More than what is necessary?
22. And it happened, when the camels had drunk enough, that the man took a gold ring, the
weight of which was half a shekel, and two bracelets for her arms, the weight of which was ten
shekels of gold,
(A shekel is 10-13 grams: so about 6 grams of silver and about 120 grams of gold)
23. and he asked, Whose daughter are you? Tell me anyway. Is there room in your father’s house
for us to spend the night?
24. she said to him, I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milka, whom she bore Nahor.
(Bethuel was probably very old and Laban, her brother, managed the family affairs)
25. Further, she said to him, There is with us both straw and fodder in abundance, and also room
to spend the night.
26. Then that man knelt and bowed down before the LORD.
27. He said, Blessed be the LORD, the God of my lord Abraham, Who has not withheld from my
lord His goodness and His faithfulness. As for me, the LORD has led me on this way to the house
of my lord’s brothers.
(Eliezer was apparently aware of Abraham’s family relationships)
At his question, Rebekah tells him that there is plenty of room for them to spend the night at their home. There is enough fodder for the camels. Elijah gives her gold jewelry. It is notable that the first prayer after his prayer is answered is again a prayer, a prayer of thanks. He thanks the LORD for His guidance in Abraham’s life and on his own journey.
28 The girl quickly ran away and told in her mother’s house what had happened.
29. Now Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban. Laban ran quickly to the man, out of the
city, to the well.
30. And it came to pass, when he had seen the ring, and the bracelets on his sister’s arms, and
when he had heard the words of his sister Rebekah, who said, So and so did that man speak to
me, that he went to that man; and behold, he stood by the camels by the well.
31. He said, Come in, you who have been blessed by the LORD. Why should you remain outside,
while I have made the house ready, as well as a place for the camels?
32. Then the man went along to the house. One saddled the camels, gave the camels straw and
feed, and brought water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.
33. Then food was set before him, but he said, I will not eat until I have spoken my words. Laban
said, Speak.
34. Then he said: I am a servant of Abraham.
35. The LORD has blessed my lord richly, so that he has become a man of considerable worth; he
gave him small livestock and cattle, silver and gold, slaves and bondswomen, camels and donkeys.
36. Sarah, my lord’s wife, bore my lord a son when she was old, and all that he has he gave him.
37. My lord made me swear: You must not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the
Canaanites, in whose land I live, 38. but you must go to my family and to my lineage and take a
wife there for my son.
39. Then I said to my lord, Perhaps this woman will not follow me.
40. Then he said to me, The LORD, before Whose face I have walked, will send His angel with you,
and He will make your way prosperous, so that you may take for my son a wife from my lineage
and from my family.
41. Only then will you be free from your oath to me, if you have gone to my family and they do not
give her to you. Then you will be free from my oath.
42. When I arrived at the well today, I said, LORD, God of my lord Abraham, if You will make the
way I am going prosperous –
43. behold, I am standing at the well – let it so happen that the girl who comes out to draw, to
whom I will say, Give me some water from your pitcher to drink,
44. and who will say to me, Drink, and I will draw water for your camels also, that she will be the
woman whom the LORD has destined for my lord’s son.
45. Even before I had ended speaking this in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out of the city, with
her jar on her shoulder, and went down to the well and drew water. I said to her, Give me
something to drink.
46. She hurried, let her jug slip from her shoulder, and said, Drink, I will also give your camels to
drink. I drank and she also gave the camels to drink.
47. Then I asked her and said, Whose daughter are you? She answered, I am the daughter of
Bethuel the son of Nahor, whom Milka bore him. Then I put a ring in(?)(must be on) her nose and
the bracelets on her arms.
(Hebr: nèzèm = ear ring or nose ring. So it does not literally say nose ring= ornament on the forehead to the nose. Incidentally, it does in Proverbs 11:22, which specifically mentions a nose ring.
Proverbs 11:22 A beautiful woman without insight, is a golden ring in a pig’s snout.
I am assuming here that this is a ring adornment to the nose because in verse 30 the literal word “forehead adornment” is used.)
(Betuel: see Genesis 22:20-24)
48. I knelt and bowed down before the LORD; I praised the LORD, the God of my lord Abraham,
Who had led me in the right way to take for his son the daughter of my lord’s brother for a wife.
49. Well then, if you will show kindness and faithfulness to my lord, tell me; and if not, tell me also,
so that I may turn to the right or to the left.
The servant begins with a prayer (vs. 12) and ends with a prayer (vs. 48)
The bride: verse 50-60
De bruid had niets anders om zich een oordeel mee te vormen dan de schatten die ze zag en de woorden die zij hoorde van Eliezer, de dienstknecht.
Hoewel de omgeving aandrong op uitstel nam zij een geloofsbeslissing en zei:” Ik zal meegaan”. Dit is hetzelfde als “tot geloof komen”: de Geest spreekt in je hart en toont alle schatten van de Heere Jezus en vervolgens vertrouwen je Hem en geef je hart.
1 Peter 1:8 Though you have not seen Him, yet you love Him. Now though you do not see Him, yet
believe, rejoice with joy unspeakable and glorious, 9. and obtain the final goal of your faith, which
is the salvation of your souls.
50. Laban and Bethuel answered, This comes from the LORD. We can no longer say anything
against you for evil or for good.
51. Behold, Rebekah stands before thee. Take her and go: let her become the wife of your lord’s
son, as the LORD has spoken.
52. And it came to pass, when the servant of Abraham heard their words, that he bowed down to
the earth before the LORD.
53. Then the servant took out silver and gold jewelry and garments, and gave them to Rebekah.
He also gave her brother and her mother precious things.
54. Then they ate and drank, he and the men who were with him, and spent the night there. They
arose in the morning, and he said, Let me go, back to my lord.
55. Her brother and her mother thereupon said: Let the girl stay with us for another day or ten;
after that you can go.
Here we see that delaying a decision of faith is not a good thing. Take the example of Rebekah.
56. But he said to them, Do not delay me; for the LORD has made my way prosperous. Let me go,
and I will return to my lord.
57. Then they said: Let us call the girl and ask her opinion.
58. They called Rebekah and asked her, Will you go with this man? She answered, I will go with
him.
59. Then they let Rebekah, their sister, and her nurse, and the servant of Abraham and his men
depart.
60. They blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Sister of ours, become to thousands of ten
thousands, and let your posterity possess the gate of his enemies.
The bridegroom: verse 61-67
The one we last saw on the mountain with his father (Chapter 22). Just as Jesus was last seen after His death and resurrection. But now He comes to meet the bride in the evening. Just before nightfall (the great tribulation) the bridegroom (the Lord Jesus) will meet the bride (the church). Then we will see Him and be like Him.
Vs 63: Isaac is the first to see Rebekah. Prayer here also means to meditate or contemplate.
She does not recognize the bridegroom (vs 65).
61. Rebekah and her servants got up, mounted the camels and followed the man. Thus that
servant took Rebekah and departed.
62. Isaac, meanwhile, came from the direction of the well Lachai-Roi; for he lived in the South
Land.
63. Izak went out toward nightfall to pray in the field. He lifted up his eyes, and saw, and behold,
camels were coming.
64. Rebekah also lifted up her eyes and saw Isaac; she quickly let herself slip from the camel.
65. She said to the servant: Who is this man who comes walking toward us in the field? The
servant answered, That is my lord. Then she took her veil and covered herself.
66. The servant told Isaac all the things he had done.
67. Then Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah. And he took Rebekah, and she
became his wife, and he loved her. Thus Isaac found comfort after the death of his mother.
Here there is the image of our time on earth until we shall meet the Lord.Rebekah, as an image of the church, as an image of you and me, goes with the servant (the Holy Spirit with whom we are sealed) on a journey to her bridegroom. Thus we who have said “yes” to Jesus today during our earthly life are on our way to the Wedding of the Lamb after we have met Jesus, either after our death or after the rapture.
It turns out that the congregation (i.e., the believer, i.e., you) have never seen Jesus and therefore do not recognize Him immediately.
On the way, Rebekah is naturally very curious and no doubt asks the servant all about the Son. Is it the same with you? Do you want to get to know Jesus better and better during your earthly journey? After all, the Holy Spirit (the servant) teaches you about Jesus and the more you come to love Him. See how important it is to study the Bible together on Sunday mornings and with Bible studies!
1 John 3:1 Behold, how great is the love that the Father has given us: that we should be called children of God. Therefore the world does not know us, because it does not know Him.
2. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it is not yet revealed what we shall be. But we know that when He shall be revealed, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.
