Before He had finished Praying
Rebekah Came Out with Her Jar on Her Shoulder
24: 15-27
Before he had finished praying Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder DIG: What can we learn about the importance of prayer from this story? When have you prayed to God asking for a particular sign? How appropriate is this method of praying?
REFLECT: Who consistently goes the extra mile and waters your camels for you? This week, how can you be that kind of person to others?
ADONAI answered his prayer before he had finished praying. Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel and the granddaughter of Milcah and Nahor (24:15). Her marriage was planned long before she knew about it. How blessed is God! And what a blessing He is! He’s the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in Him. Long before He laid down the earth’s foundations, He had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of His love, to be made whole and holy by His love. Long, long ago He decided to adopt us into His family through Jesus Christ. (What a pleasure He took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of His lavish gift-giving by the hand of His beloved Son (Ephesians 1:3-6).
When he saw her, his heart must have been thrilled because this was no ordinary girl. She was very beautiful, and obviously a virgin, or betulah, from the Hebrew root batal, which means to separate, to keep one’s self in modesty. It did not mean absolute virginity, so the author adds the explanation; no man had ever lain with her. And one day the bride, the wife of the Lamb, will present herself to Him as a radiant Church, without stain or any other blemish (see the commentary on Revelation, to see link click Ft – Come, I Will Show You the Bride the Wife of the Lamb). She went down to the spring, filled her jar and came up again (24:16). He must have watched her with breathless anticipation. Was she the one?
The servant hurried to meet her with his test question. It was normal protocol for a stranger to ask permission to use the town’s well, and it was customary for the people of the town to provide the hospitality of offering a drink.386 He said: Please give me a little water from your jar. She said: Drink, my lord, and quickly lowered the jar to her hands and gave him a drink (24:17-18).
After she had given him a drink, she said: I’ll draw water for your camels too, until they have finished drinking (24:19). One can only imagine how he felt when she said that. She was everything he had prayed for! Camels have three stomachs and carry a three-day supply of water. Therefore, each camel can drink more than twenty gallons of water, especially after a long day’s journey in hot lands. Here were ten camels (24:14). Ancient jars used for drawing water usually held no more than three gallons. If so, she must have made from eighty to a hundred trips from the spring to the watering trough. It would have taken several hours.387 So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, ran back to the well to draw more water again and again, until she drew enough water for all his thirsty camels. Without saying a word, the man watched her closely to learn whether or not ADONAI had made his journey successful (24:20-21). The servant watched in amazement.
When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a beka and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels (24:22). The first thing the servant does is to give her gifts. In like manner, the Ruach Ha’Kodesh gives each believer a spiritual gift at conversion. A spiritual gift, as valuable as gold, is a special ability to be used to minister to others and therefore, build up the body of Christ. She would know that these were bridal gifts. And she, being also led by the servant, does not refuse them, even though she does not know his master, or his master’s son. There was something about this man that she could trust.
Then he was ready to ask the all-important question: Whose daughter are you? Then he added: Please tell me, is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night? She answered saying: I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son that Milcah bore to Nahor. Moreover she added: We have plenty of straw and fodder (once again going the extra mile) as well as room for you to spend the night (24:23-25).
He could hardly believe his ears. When he learned that this lovely and gracious young woman was none other then Rebekah herself, about whom they had learned back in Hebron, who was Isaac’s second cousin, he was almost overcome with emotion. He was so thankful, that he stopped, bowed down and worshiped ADONAI. He said: Praise be to ADONAI, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness to my master. As for me, God has led me to the house of my masters relatives (24:26-27).
Try to recall a time and place that you were also thankful to ADONAI. Picture yourself in a movie theater of your life. You have the remote control. You can rewind your life and stop it anywhere you want. Stop it at a place that was restful, comforting, free of anxiety, and good to be. It may be a memory from your childhood or something more recent. When you find it, try to call it to mind in all its detail. Go there in your memory. See the light and shadow, hear the sounds, touch it and smell it. Stay there for as long as you wish and gradually allow yourself to express your thankfulness to God in simple words.388
Leave A Comment