“O YHWH God of my master Abraham, I pray Thee, send me good speed this day, and show kindness unto my master Abraham. Behold, I stand here by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water. And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, ‘Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink,’ and she shall say, ‘Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also’ —let the same be she whom Thou hast appointed for Thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that Thou hast shown kindness unto my master,” Abraham’s servant earnestly prayed as recorded in Genesis 24:12-14.
Rebekah, whom I sense was directed by God’s Spirit, is the first to meet him, fulfills the requirements of his prayer, and later agrees to go to Canaan to be Isaac’s wife. During this early stage in her life we see four riches each one of us should desire.
Responsible in the Spirit
From the end of verse 15, in all of 16 and in the first phrase of 17 we see Rebekah was a very responsible person. She had an assigned task, to draw water for her household, which she faithfully did.
She was “fair to look upon,” so apparently she took good care of the outward beauty that God has endowed each woman with. The balance of verse 16 shows she honored God by guarding her inner beauty.
She was described as, “… a virgin, neither had any man known her;…” and, to my knowledge, in Hebrew the repetition of the same thought is presented for emphasis.
We also see she did not dillydally.
Responsive to the Spirit
“And it happened, before he had finished speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother…,” states verse 15.
Out came Rebekah before Abraham’s servant finished praying. I feel her prompt arrival was a combination of the providential moving of God in her life that day coupled with the urge of God’s Spirit to go to the well at that time. Rebekah’s part was to respond in a positive, timely manner. It reminds me of the portion of the Lord’s prayer, “Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven.” I picture God’s will being done with speed and accuracy in heaven.
This public domain image by Charles Foster is from the author’s collection and has been slightly edited by the author.
Her speed and accuracy are clearly shown in these verses: “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.”
Hasted is used twice and it is apparent she kept running in providing refreshment for the servant and his ten camels. May we move as quickly in serving God, bringing the refreshing message of the Gospel of Christ to the lost.
Receptive to the Spirit
After identifying himself, the servant asked if there was room for him, those with him and the camels. Her response (verse 25) was, “We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in.” This should speak to us that if we want the blessing of God, we need to make room for it. Sin and spiritually unfruitful activities need to be eliminated that we may be filled with the good things God has for us.
Resolved in the Spirit
After the servant explained his mission to the household, her father and brother agreed she could go to Canaan. However, we see in verses 50 to 57 that after a night’s rest, her mother and brother requested that Rebekah remain for a time. The servant insisted they must leave that day. Her brother and mother asked Rebekah if she would go and we see her resolve in verse 58: “I will go.”
Christ was also resolved in the Spirit to live, die, rise again and ascend for our salvation. This great love He had for us should compel us to be resolved to commit to, and follow, Him.
If you have not already done so, fully trust Jesus the Messiah now. Surrender to all that you are and all that you have, and let Him live through you. In so doing, you too will be enriched with the qualities of young Rebekah.
It’s a wonderful story. I clearly see God’s guidance to unite Isaac and Rebekah. I agree once of the rich of Rebekah is responding God’s spirit.
I saw your picture on the Triond page and clicked on it because you are an older, mature man and nice looking, (not that I am seeking a mate, but we do tend to gravitate to people who make a good impression on us). I was really impressed when I found out you are a minister. I am also a Christian and have been from early childhood. I too write about faith in God, but mostly from my own personal experiences. I’ve written some religious poems too. I like this piece and I hope you will read and comment on some of my works. It is really nice to know I have another Brother in Christ on this site and I hope we can stay in touch.