Sarah died at 127 years of age. Therefore, Isaac
should have been about 36 at that point. So obviously, Isaac was a grown man
when his father Abraham sent the foreman of his possessions after a bride for
him. The conditions were expressed openly and strictly. 1. She had to be from
among Abraham's kin. 2. She had to come to Isaac where he was. 3. She would be
selected by Divine appointment (Genesis 24:7).
Abraham's chief steward vowed to follow his
master's instructions and then went immediately to the task. With a caravan of
10 camels he set off toward the east going to the land from which Abraham had
originally departed (Iraq).
When he had arrived at the city of Isaac's uncle,
he stopped outside of the city and put Abraham's promise of a guiding angel
into action. He prayed in faith for a specific answer, and he got it! He asked
God for a sign: for the right young lady to offer to draw water for him and for
all of his 10 camels (surely no small task).
Isaac's cousin Rebekah came and did exactly what
this unnamed servant had prayed for. (Seems Abraham had passed his faith along
to those in his household). He asked this beautiful virgin for "a little
water'' for HIS personal consumption, but she eagerly and diligently ran back
and forth quenching not only his thirst but also that of those desert
beasts. Quite a woman it seems!
This isn't your average romance though. Notice the
worship in the heart of the servant in Genesis 24:21. Notice the generous gifts
that he gave to her before he even knew who she was (Genesis 24:22) - seemingly
demonstrating a huge amount of faith on his part. This story is peppered black and beautiful with
Providential intervention and the resulting proper venerations of Him.
With intense romantic reverberations, Rebekah
agreed to go immediately (with this man whom she had only just met) on a
journey to marry a man she had never met. When she got there she found him
meditating in a field in the evening. She was taken (evidently that same night)
by Isaac as his wife and "he loved her'' (Genesis 24:67).
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