'''CHAPTER TWELVE: ISAAC FINDS A WIFE'''
CHAPTER TWELVE
ISAAC FINDS A WIFE
Afew years had passed since Sarah died, and Isaac was still without a wife. Abraham began to worry that his son might be tempted to marry one of the local women of the land. He knew that Isaac must not marry foreigners, else he would be tempted to worship their pagan false gods and follow their evil practices and traditions.
So Abraham turned to his chief servant and made him promise to find Isaac a proper wife.
“Do not pick a wife from among the Canaanites—they do not worship God or keep His laws,” he said. “Instead, I charge you with finding a wife among my own people. Go back to the country where God called me out from and go to my family. Only from them should you
pick a wife for Isaac.”
In those days, it was the custom that parents choose whom their sons and daughters would marry. Abraham desired that Isaac marry a woman who obeyed God, kept His laws, and would teach their future children to do the same. Abraham was certain that his distant family members still worshipped the one true God.
The servant replied, “What if the woman I choose is not willing to follow me back to this land? Should I take Isaac with me to your homeland?”
“No, Isaac must stay here. God will direct you. If the woman is not willing to follow you, then you shall be released from this oath.”
So the servant took ten camels and began his long journey to the land of Mesopotamia (Genesis 24:1-10).
Rebekah Gives Water to a Stranger
After hundreds of miles of travelling, the servant came to the city of Nahor. As evening drew near, he made the camels kneel down at a well outside of the city. He waited for the local women to come to the well and draw out water.
Quietly, the servant prayed to God, “Eternal God of Abraham, my master, please give me success in finding the right wife for Isaac.
When the women come out to draw water from the well, help me know which one I should choose from. When I say to a young woman, ‘Please give me a drink from your pitcher,’ and she says, ‘Here, drink, and I will give your camels a drink, also’—please let her be the one that You have chosen for Isaac.”
It was the custom of the time for women to provide water for strangers, but not to their animals. Any woman who offered to give water to both parties was unusually kind. She was willing to do more than she was expected to do.
Rebekah enters the well to get water for the chief servant and his camels.
Before the servant had finished his prayer, a young, beautiful woman named Rebekah appeared.
The servant asked her for a drink.
She said, “Here, my lord,” and poured water into his hands. Then she said, “I will draw water for your camels, too. They seem to be quite thirsty.”
Silently, the servant wondered to himself, “Is this the one?”
The man gave her a valuable gold ring and gold bracelets and asked for her name and who her parents were.
She answered, “I am Rebekah, daughter of Bethuel and granddaughter of Nahor.”
Suddenly, the servant knew that God had answered his prayer.
Nahor was Abraham’s brother. This made Rebekah Abraham’s grandniece and Isaac’s distant cousin!
Grateful that God had heard his prayer, the servant explained to Rebekah who he was and about his mission. The young woman ran home and told everyone there what had happened.
When Laban, Rebekah’s brother, saw the new jewellery she was given and heard the story, he ran out to invite the servant to stay the night with them. They set food before him and encouraged the servant to eat, but he refused.
“First I must tell you about my mission.”
After hearing the details of his story, Laban and his father Bethuel said, “This thing comes from God. We now know that the Eternal wants Rebekah to marry Isaac. You may take her with you.”
Rebekah did not say anything. She fully trusted that God had chosen the right husband for her.
Upon hearing the family’s answer, the servant bowed down to his knees and worshipped God, thanking Him through prayer. Then the servant unloaded the goods that his ten camels carried, and gave Rebekah silver and gold jewelry, and expensive clothing. He also gave precious gifts to Laban and to Milcah—Laban and Rebekah’s mother.
Next morning, the servant was ready to take Rebekah to the Promised Land. But the family began to feel sad because she was about to move to a distant country. They asked the servant if Rebekah could stay with her family at least ten more days.
The man said no. “God has caused me to find Rebekah quickly. We must not stay in His way.”
The family turned to Rebekah and asked her if she was willing to leave.
She simply replied, “Yes, I will go.”
And so the servant led Rebekah, her maids and the rest of the caravan on their long journey back to Canaan (Genesis 24:10-61).
Love at First Sight
One day, when Isaac was sitting in a field, deep in thought, he noticed something appear over the horizon: a caravan of camels and people (Genesis 24:62-63).
When he stood up, he recognized that Abraham’s chief servant was leading the caravan. And then he noticed a beautiful young woman among them.
Meanwhile, Rebekah noticed a man walking toward them from the distance. She asked the servant, “Who is that man coming toward us?”
Rebekah puts on a veil as her future husband approaches the caravan.
He grinned, “That is my master; the one you have been chosen to marry.”
As Isaac drew near, Rebekah could see that he was a handsome man with a kind face.
Before he could get closer, she covered her face with a veil (for that was the custom then; women who were about to marry covered their faces from their future husbands until the day they married).
When the servant told him everything that had happened, Isaac knew that God had chosen Rebekah to be his wife. And Isaac was more than willing to be her husband. They were married, and loved each other for the rest of their lives (Gen 24:64-67).
The Death of a Great Servant
Many years after Sarah’s death, Abraham married a woman named Keturah and had several sons (Genesis 25:1-4). Then, at the age of 175, Abraham died. He lived a full and happy life because he had learned to put God first (Gen 24:7-8).
Some day soon, when God sets up His kingdom on the earth, Abraham will be raised back to life. Because he devoted himself to building God’s holy, righteous character, Abraham will be changed into spirit. He will never again feel pain or grow old or die. He will be a member of the God Family. He will teach others to reject human nature and keep God’s spiritual laws.
This is God’s Plan for everyone—including you!
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