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A WIFE FOR ISAAC (GEN 24)

Now Abraham was a very old man and YAHUAH had blessed him in every way, but his only son still remained without a wife. So Abraham called his oldest, most trusted servant and chief over his whole household, (Eliezer - the one who he once thought would be his only heir) saying, “Eliezer come, sit with me, place your hand under my thigh and swear to me on the Name of Yahuah, (the only living Alahim of the earth and the skies) that you will find my son a perfect bride, but DO NOT look for her among the local Canaanite women here, but go further out, back to the land of my birth, and my relatives and find a bride for my son Isaac there”.

And Eliezer said to him, “Of course my Master, but what if the girl refuses to return to this land with me? Should I take Isaac back to the land of your father’s household to marry her there?”

And Abraham sat up straight, “ABSOLUTELY NOT! Yahuah has already taken me from that land and has told me that THIS LAND HERE is for my children and future descendants and so my only son’s bride must be spotless and of clean blood, not polluted like the Canaanites of this land, in order for my descendants to remain in Blood-Covenant with Yahuah”.

And Abraham put his hand on Eliezer’s shoulder, “Don’t worry mate, Yahuah will send His messenger ahead of you to prepare the woman and you’ll find her with no problems. And if she is still unwilling to return here with you then you are released from this promise, but under NO circumstances are you to take my son to that land, for this is his land here!” So Eliezer placed his hand under Abraham’s thigh (ACTUALLY ON HIS CIRCUMCISION, THE OUTWARD SIGN OF HIS BLOOD-COVENANT WITH YAHUAH).

THIS WAS NOT A STRANGE BEHAVIOUR SINCE BOTH THESE MEN HAD PROBABLY CIRCUMCISED EACH OTHER AND HAD A CLOSE-KNIT BOND INVOLVING THE BLOOD-COVENANT.

And Eliezer solemnly swore to obey everything that Abraham had requested of him. So he rose up, saddled ten camels and left Abraham’s promised land of Canaan, heading out into the world in search for a bride for his only son. And he travelled north for about 17 days (approx 750km) to Haran (between the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers), to the city where Abraham’s brother Nakor still lived (where Abram had lived until he was 75).

And as evening approached, Eliezer kneeled his camels down outside the city by a large fountain of water, and the towns-women were coming out to the well to collect water.  And Eliezer spoke to YAHUAH,

And after Eliezer watched dumb-founded for a while (double-checking that YAHUAH had indeed brought the right woman to him), he presented her with a gold nose-ring and two bracelets for her wrists (customary fashion) and asked her, “Whose daughter are you child? May I stay in your father’s home tonight?”

And Rebekah replied “I’m the daughter of Bethual, son of Nakor. Please come, we have more than enough food and straw for you and your camels to stay with us tonight”.

And Eliezer dropped his head in amazement, saying, “You are worthy of all praise Almighty Yahuah for not only have you shown your kindness and truth here today but you have led me straight to my Master Abraham’s own brother’s house! What are the chances of that ever happening?”

“Please my Master Yahuah, bring the women who You have chosen for Isaac to me today and show kindness to your servant Abraham. Let her be the one who not only offers to give me a drink but my camels also”.

And before he had even finished speaking, Rebekah, a beautiful woman (who had never been with a man before) approached the fountain to fill her jars. And Eliezer ran to meet her, saying “May I have a drink from your jar please?”

And she said “Of course you can....here, drink.”

And lowering the big jar down from her shoulder she gave him a drink. Then she quickly poured water into the animal trough, giving all his camels a drink too.

And Rebekah ran back to her home and informed her family what had just happened, and when her brother Laban saw her new ‘bling’ (jewellery) and heard the story, he came out to greet Eliezer at the fountain also, saying “Traveller, what are you still standing out here for, we have a room waiting for you and enough straw and fodder for your camels too. Come and stay with us tonight”.

(SUCH HOSPITALITY FOR A STRANGER EH!)

And when the camels were settled and water had been provided for everyone to wash the journey from their feet, the food was served and laid down before them. But Eliezer said “Before we eat, let me tell you why I’m really here”. And they said, “Please tell us”.

So Eliezer said, “I’m the servant of your brother Abraham, who Yahuah has blessed and he has become a very wealthy man of flocks, herds, silver and gold, servants, camels and donkeys. And his wife Sarah had a child when she was very old and this child has been given everything my master owns, but he still has no wife. So my Master Abraham made me promise to find his only son a wife, but not from the local Canaanites where we live but to go to his father’s own house, to his relatives and find a wife there”.

The next morning Eliezer rose up and said to Rebekah’s family, “It’s time for me to return to my Master with your daughter”.

But they said, “Let Rebekah stay at least ten more days with us, then you can take her”.

But Eliezer wanted to obey his master Abraham’s instructions as diligently as possible and said, “I’m sorry but I can’t wait around. We really need to go today!”

So they thought it best to let Rebekah decide whether she was willing to go with this stranger to a far away land and marry a man she’d never even laid eyes on. And Rebekah believed in the words and promises spoken by Eliezer and said “I will go back with you today”.

And Eliezer retold the miraculous events that had happened that very evening with Rebekah at the well, before asking Bethual, “Please tell me straight away whether you agree to me taking your daughter back for my Master’s son to marry, or not”.

And both Bethual and Laban both said, “It’s pretty obvious that your Alahim has brought you all this way and has orchestrated all this today, so what can we say about it? Of course you may take Rebekah back with you so she can become the wife of your master’s son just as your Yahuah has said”.

And after eating and drinking, Eliezer presented more gifts to Rebekah of silver, gold and fine garments and also gifts to her brother and mother, before spending the night in their home.

And because she was still a young teen, her family gave Rebekah her childhood nurse Deborah, to travel with her and they spoke words of blessing to her saying “Our sister, our dearest daughter you will indeed be the mother to millions and millions and let your children overcome all enemies that rise against them”. And they kissed her and she left, following Eliezer on the camels. 

Not long after these events, Isaac travelled back from the north and was out in the fields thinking, and when he looked up he could see the camels approaching in the distance. And as they got closer Rebekah saw Isaac and climbed off her camel, saying “Who is that man approaching us?”

And Eliezer said “That is Isaac my Master”.

So she took a veil and covered herself and when they arrived Eliezer greeted Isaac, telling him of the phenomenal way in which YAHUAH had found him a bride. And Isaac brought Rebekah into his mother Sarah’s tent and, taking her in his arms she became his wife and he loved her very much. This brought great comfort to Isaac after the recent death of his mother.

THIS IS STILL THE PUREST EXAMPLE OF HOW A MAN AND WOMAN ARE JOINED IN A MARRIAGE COVENANT: COMMITMENT AND CONSUMMATION (THE FIRST ACT OF INTERCOURSE NOT ONLY PROVIDED THE SHED BLOOD REQUIRED TO FORM THE COVENANT BUT IN THIS CASE, THE SEED WHICH PASSED THROUGH ISAAC’S CIRCUMCISION (OUTWARD SIGN OF BLOOD-COVENANT) WAS PLANTED INTO THE WOMB OF A CLEAN BLOODLINE - CONTINUING THE PROMISE OF DELIVERANCE).

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The translation has altered somewhat since this (1st EDITION) recording, but still easy-to-grasp :-)