Genesis 24

Updated
2001-05-26; 14:31:33utc

This chapter tells a romance in Old Testament setting. It is a romance of human love, showing how "the two get each other" and also a spiritual romance, in which a faithful servant trusts the Lord and experiences His guidance into the minutest detail.

We are told that "Abraham was now old and well advanced in years." This means that he was probably around 140. This would make Isaac about 40 years old. Abraham realizes that his son will have to get married, and he wants this to happen before he dies. He has seen enough moral decadence in Canaan to determine that a Canaanite woman would be Isaac's undoing. If we are correct in the assumption that Lot had married a girl from that land and Abraham had heard what happened to Lot after the destruction of Sodom, Abraham must have had ample reason for his decision.

His feeling of responsibility for his son's married bliss was probably in accordance with the custom of his time. God's words from Ch. 18:19 may have played a role in his attitude also. We read "For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him."

Anyhow, the time for action has come, and Abraham calls his trusted servant. He is probably the one Abraham mentions in chapter 15:2 who would inherit his estate: "Eliezer of Damascus." If he is the same man, he cannot have been that young himself. He was the head servant some sixty years earlier. Abraham has complete confidence in the man, who evidently shared not only Abraham's interests but also his faith in the living God.

The solemnity of the charge the servant receives is indicated by the oath he has to pronounce, accompanied by a rather unusual act: the laying of his hand under Abraham's thigh. According to The Pulpit Commentary the place indicates euphemistically the male organ. The only other place in Scripture where we find this gesture accompanying an oath is in Ch. 47:29, where Jacob requests Joseph to do the same.

The content of the oath is that Eliezer has to get a wife for Isaac from Abraham's family living in Aram Naharim or as the KJV puts it Mesopotamia. Eliezer does not foresee a difficulty locating a girl who wants to marry a rich man, but the big question will be whether the girl would be willing to leave her country, her people and her father's household and go to the land that God showed to Abraham.

We hit here upon one of the most important principles for a good marriage: Is the woman willing to follow the leading of the Lord? It has been my personal experience that the fact that God gave the same calling to me as to my wife bound us together more than any other factor. Eliezer asked the most important question there was to be asked in this situation. It shows that he was a man of high intelligence and deep spiritual insight. He knew what to look for.

Spiritual unity is the most important part of a marriage. It is true that "people who pray together, stay together." This does not mean that other factors are of no importance, but without the first one there is no guarantee of success.

Another important charge the servant receives is that under no condition should Isaac be enticed to return to the place from which his father was delivered. Abraham had an experience Isaac had not had. Isaac was "a second generation Christian." He lacked the experience of being brought out of darkness into God's light. The faith of his parents has profoundly influenced him, and he must have come to a place of personal faith and surrender because he did give himself without any obvious struggle to become a sacrifice himself. But he never knew the horrors of idolatry firsthand as his father had. Canaan was full of idol worship, probably more so than Haran. But Abraham lived here as a stranger, and it was not difficult to distance himself. In Haran their own family practiced idolatry. For Abraham his leaving his country, his people and his father's household had been final. It had been a way of no return. It is very important to burn your bridges behind you when following the Lord.

Abraham must have been very conscious of the fact that Isaac was to be the one through whom the Messiah was to come who would be the blessing for the whole earth. The choice of a wife had to be put against the background of this promise. The line would have to be kept pure. Isaac was, under no conditions, to go back. We will see later that this determination weakens as the generations progress. Isaac and Rebekah do not object against Jacob going to Haran to get a wife. The sharp lines of the promise had started to fade by then. For Abraham these lines were etched in his mind.

But yet Abraham is not dogmatic about the matter. He has learned to leave things in the hand of God. He has seen how God can make it seem as if all the promises and blessings are cancelled. He learned this lesson when he put Isaac on the altar and took up the knife to kill him. So here, too, he foresees the possibility that Isaac will not marry the way Abraham had planned it; and he keeps the possibility open for Eliezer to be free from his oath. That is an act of faith also.

In verse 9 we read that the servant stakes his life and his honor upon his word and swears the oath. From now on he will be solely responsible for the realization of God's promise to save the world and conquer the devil. This is no overstatement. Eliezer may not have been able to put it in those words, but his undertaking was much more important than he thought. Anyhow he sets out as if the salvation of mankind depends on what he does, not knowing that it does! We should never underestimate the importance of our obedience to God. Its effects go far beyond the horizon of our life.

The place the servant set out to was Aram Naharaim. The Westminster Dictionary of the Bible says about this: "Aram of the Rivers, referring either to the Euphrates and Tigris, or, more probably, to the Euphrates and Khabur. It is commonly believed that in this region Paddan-Aram, was situated. (Ch. 28:5; 24:10). This is the Aram where the Patriarchs dwelt before they went to Canaan, where the ancient cities of Haran and Nisibis stood, where later Edessa, the noted seat of Syrian culture, arose; the Aram which the Hebrews speak of as, 'Beyond the River' (II Sam. 10:16)."

The "all kind of good things" mentioned in verse 10 included the bride price, part of it which was produced in vs.22 and the rest in vs.53. We do not read that Abraham was even consulted about these things.

We do not read anything about the journey, which must have taken several weeks, during which Eliezer passed through his own country where Abraham must have bought him. If the thought of defecting and going home ever played in Eliezer's mind, he must have dismissed it promptly. The next thing we know, he arrives at his destination.

He stops at the outside of the town of Nahor at the well where the women would come to draw water late in the afternoon after the heat of the day. And he prays. His prayer is given in vs.12-15. We do not know if Eliezer was in the habit of praying. He does not address God as his personal God but as the God of his master Abraham. And he furnishes God with all kinds of information that shows that he did not have too much of an idea of God's omniscience. But his prayer is very practical and to the point. He does not address God as a territorial deity; otherwise, a prayer to the God of Abraham, who was in Canaan, would not have had any effect in Haran. His prayer is also completely unselfish. He does not ask anything for himself. It is not for his sake that he has to succeed. He wants God to show kindness to Abraham, not necessarily to himself. He gets more than he asks for.

Verse 14 says: "May it be that when I say to a girl, 'Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,' and she says, 'Drink, and I'll water your camels too'-- let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master." It is obvious that he believes in the divine purpose of this trip; consequently, he expects an immediate answer. As George Mueller discovered centuries later, when you know a prayer is according to the will of God, you can expect an immediate answer.

Before he said "amen" his prayer was being answered. Enter Rebekah, a most beautiful girl, who fulfills all the requirements of the prayer. She gives a drink to Eliezer and then waters the camels. There must have been several men with Eliezer, but none of them stirs; it is Rebekah who runs down to the well and brings up the heavy water jar, which she probably carries on her head. The description of her action as well as of Eliezer's attitude is very graphic. We get the impression that Moses enjoyed the details of this story very much. We should remember that all this was probably put on paper several centuries later. The tradition must have been repeated orally from generation to generation: "This is the way our grandfather Isaac got his wife!"

Vs.21 gives an interesting picture: "Without saying a word, the man watched her closely to learn whether or not the LORD had made his journey successful." Eliezer said to himself: "Is this really true?" He got exactly what he had asked for and that without any delay. It was too good to be true. When Rebekah is done, Eliezer produces his first gifts: a golden nose ring and two bracelets, the weights of which are given as "a beka" and "ten shekels." That was an expensive drink for men and beasts!

Only then Eliezer finds out that he is talking to Isaac's niece, the grand daughter of Abraham's brother Nahor. This brings him to an act of worship. The prayer he then utters was probably and audible one, in contrast to the first one, just previous to Rebekah's arrival. He says in verse 27: "Praise be to the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness to my master. As for me, the LORD has led me on the journey to the house of my master's relatives."

Then the story gains momentum. Rebekah runs home and tells her mother. The women probably had separate living quarters, but soon the men find out too. And Laban, Rebekah's brother, who was most likely the interested party in any bride price deal, and whom we will get to know later in chapter 29-31 hurries to the place where Rebekah met Eliezer. The sight of the nose ring and the bracelets have probably increased his speed.

Later, we get to know Laban as a cunning schemer, but here he appears very accommodating and gracious. He even uses the right kind of religious language although we learn later that he kept idols in his house.[ 1 ] Rebekah evidently had told him of Eliezer's prayer.

Hospitality was probably a common virtue in those days in Haran too. Even without the expensive gifts Eliezer would not have had trouble finding a place to overnight. But the fact that he is connected to the family gives considerable weight to the matter. They have to take him in. Here we learn for the first time that there were other men in the party.

How conscientious a man Eliezer is we see from his refusal to eat before he has discharged his commission. His priorities are spiritual, and he knows that nothing can detract so much from things that have spiritual importance as food and comfort. His hosts get the signal that the message is urgent. The introduction in vs. 34-41 has more than psychological importance although that is an important part of the message.

Probably for the first time Laban and Bethuel hear about Abraham's condition. At least this would be the first time they get a firsthand report. Eliezer starts out by briefly sketching Abraham's wealth in vs. 35. Isaac's miraculous birth is mentioned in vs.36, probably more details were given then we read here. Vs.37-41 tell the story of the oath, with strong emphasis upon the willingness of Isaac's bride-to-be to come and live in Canaan. All this proves that Eliezer is a man of high intelligence.

The repetition of what happened at the well is meant to show that there is a supernatural feature in all the events. Eliezer may have initially given the impression that he was a little too liberal with his master's gold, as if he wanted to buy the affection of Rebekah and her family. The nose ring and bracelet stand in a different light against the background of the prayer at the well and its prompt answer.

I am also sure that Moses delighted in repeating this part of the story so that he could paint the character of the servant in live colors and also give us this delightful taste of God's pleasure in human romance.

A last masterly touch is the mention of the second prayer at the well. Eliezer says: "I praised the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me on the right road to get the granddaughter of my master's brother for his son." He puts Bethuel and Laban in a position where they can hardly refuse now. If they would say "no" it would be a refusal of the hand of God. And who would want to go on record as one who disagrees with God's guidance? Eliezer's words are both spiritually true and good diplomacy!

In vs. 50 we meet Bethuel personally for the first time. His name has been mentioned before as the father of Rebekah, but so far only Laban did the talking. Some commentators think that the Bethuel mentioned here may not be the father of the bride but one of the brothers since Laban, the brother, seems to have the say in the discussion. They suppose that the father would be the authority and would do the talking instead of the brother. If the ancient culture was anything like that of the tribal people in Irian Jaya, we see that it would normally be the brother of the girl, not the father who would decide about marriage and bride price. In my opinion the picture is a normal one, and Bethuel's consent would only be a formality.

When Eliezer receives the formal consent of the family for the wedding, he make an eloquent gesture of worship by bowing down in a wordless prayer. It looks as if he is too overwhelmed for words.

Before he sits or lies down at the table again, he brings out the gifts in abundance. Rebekah gets her dowry and Laban and Milkah receive costly gifts. Bethuel is left out. He is supposed to be wealthy himself and a gift might be considered an insult. Only after this huge celebration does the servant sit down and eat.

Eliezer is in a hurry to go home. He wants to leave as soon as he gets up the next morning, much to the consternation of the family. The brother and mother object. They think that Rebekah should stay at least ten days with them. Obviously, some time for preparation is needed; but the servant, who was so careful to prepare for his long trip to Haran, does not seem to understand that a girl who leaves her home for good and who is going to make a trip of several weeks would need time to prepare. He seems ready to leave within the hour.

The decision on this point is left to Rebekah herself. It is the only decision she is allowed to make. Her opinion about the wedding was never asked. It is true, of course, that in accepting the gifts and the dowry she demonstrated that she accepted the wedding proposal. Her female intuition may have told her at the well already what Abraham's servant was up to. So she is not left out as radically as it seems. Her immediate consent leaves no doubt about her feelings. It is doubtful though that the party set out the same day. Some preparations must have been necessary.

Twice the Scripture speaks here about Rebekah as if she had more than one brother. In vs.59 we read: "So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way," and in the following verse she is addressed as "our sister." Other members of the family are not mentioned, but evidently they were there.

She is sent off with the blessing that seemed to have been customary in the Old Testament: "Our sister, may you increase to thousands upon thousands; may your offspring possess the gates of their enemies." Literally: "our sister, thou become to thousands of myriads." This blessing came true, although initially it did not seem so, as we shall see later.

No record is given about the return trip. The next thing we know is that the caravan arrives at Beer Lahai Roi. This was the name Hagar gave to the place where she met the Lord the first time, when she fled from Sarah some fifty or more years before. In Ch. 16:13 we read: "She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: 'You are the God who sees me,' for she said, 'I have now seen the One who sees me.' That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; it is still there, between Kadesh and Bered." It is unclear whether this is the same well that is mentioned in chapter 21, where Hagar went the second time when she was sent away with Ishmael; the place where Abraham and Abimelech concluded their treaty - at Hebron. The fact that Abraham is not mentioned does not necessarily mean that he had moved to another place.

Actually Abraham has moved out of the picture at this point. We may consider this the beginning of Isaac's story. The first 10 verses of the next chapter close off Abraham's life completely. We do not even read that Eliezer reported to Abraham although he surely must have done so. Isaac also must have been completely informed about his father's actions and he obviously expected the party to return sooner or later.

The man Isaac, whom we see before us in vs.63 seems a quiet, reflective person. He goes out in the field in the evening to meditate. The picture breathes quietness of surrounding and character. The sun is setting, the air becomes cool and the heart comes to rest. This was the hour at which the Lord God would come to Adam and Eve before their fall into sin. The human heart responds to the pulse of nature. Much of our tension and nervousness comes from the fact that we have no field to meditate in the evening. Or rather most people have a heart that can meditate under any circumstance. We are engaged in the rat race.

The next thing we know there are two people looking up. We read in vs.63 about Isaac: "and as he looked up, he saw camels approaching," and in vs.64 - "Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac." They are too far off for their eyes to meet. But the chemistry seems to reveal itself already. The attraction is there. Rebekah does the cultural thing. When she finds out who the man is who is approaching, she puts on her veil. Isaac is not supposed to see her until they are married. Marriage must have been an act of faith in those days. That is why Jacob burnt himself as we will see later.

Eliezer reports to Isaac. So he knows the hand of God in Rebekah's coming to Canaan. The chapter concludes with: "Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah," (which meant that she was put in the position that Sarah had occupied; she became the mistress of the house) "and he married Rebekah."(This probably refers to the ceremony that took place; there was an official wedding) "So she became his wife," (referring to the honeymoon) "and he loved her" (indicating the deep emotional involvement. Love is here the fruit of marriage, not the basis of it), "and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death." There is a world of emotion packed in this last part of the verse.

The last sentence of this verse shows us the deep psychological insight Moses must have had in human nature. Being a man, I cannot speak for a woman. But for a man, the death of his mother is one of the hardest separations to bear. And there is in marriage a fulfillment of the love a boy learned from his mother. This, in my opinion, is one of the things that makes being married such an exhilarating experience. Isaac found the consolation he had looked for after Sarah's death in his life with Rebekah. The Pulpit Commentary points out that the word "death" in this verse is not in the original. "As if the Holy Spirit would not conclude this beautiful and joyful narrative with a note of sorrow."

The story of Eliezer's search for a bride for Isaac has been spiritualized. I do not object against that as long as the facts remain what they are. The story has been seen as an image of the Holy Spirit's searching for a bride of Christ. It is true that if Isaac would not have married Rebekah, Christ would not have been born into this world. Their romance has a key place in God's plan of redemption.

[ 1 ] Gen.31:30-35