Genesis 24

We last left off with Sarah giving birth to her son Isaac! Isaac has grown up and now it is time for him to find a wife. Abraham makes his servant swear that he will find a wife for his son from his birthplace (a woman who knows God). As Abraham’s servant journeys to Mesopotamia, he prays to the Lord for success to find Isaac a wife. He asks for clarity from the Lord by praying: “Let the young woman to whom I shall say, ‘Please let down your jar that I may drink, and who shall say, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels’- let her be the one whom you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I shall know that you have shown steadfast love to my master.” Then we see that “Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah,…came out with her water jar on her shoulder. The young woman was attractive in appearance…the servant ran to meet her and said, ‘Please give me a little water to drink from your jar.’ She said ‘Drink, my lord’…When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, ‘I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking” (Genesis 24:14-19). Rebekah watered the camels and the servant “gazed at her in silence” (v 21). He did this to listen for confirmation from the Lord if Rebekah was to be Isaac’s wife. The servant gave Rebekah a gold ring and two bracelets and asked whose daughter she is and if there was room in her father’s house. Rebekah identified herself and offered him a place to stay. The servant then worshipped God for answering his prayers.

Rebekah returned home, with her guest, and told her mother’s household what had occurred. Once the servant was invited in, he would not eat until he finished his mission (getting a wife for Isaac). In Genesis 24:34-49, we see the servant speaking of Isaac’s great wealth and sharing his experience with Rebekah at the well. Laban, Rebekah’s brother, and Rebekah’s mother, Bethuel, were willing to let Rebekah go. He then presented Rebekah with silver and gold jewelry, garments, and gave Laban and Bethuel costly ornaments. Laban and Bethuel asked the servant if Rebekah could stay with them ten days, to give them time to celebrate with family and neighbors and say goodbye. However, the servant did not want to delay in completing his mission. Rebekah was given the choice, “Will you go with this man?” to which she replies, “I will go” (Genesis 24:58). Rebekah, with her sister and her nurse, go with Abraham’s servant and his men. At the end of their journey of about two months, Rebekah spots a man walking toward them. The servant identified the man as Isaac and Rebekah covered herself. Isaac took her into the tent, and they became husband and wife.

The story of Rebekah shows that God cares about women when Rebekah was given a choice. Notice that the servant did not come to force Rebekah to come with him. Dr. Wiersbe states, “The servant’s job was not to argue or bribe but simply to bear witness to the greatness of his master. He did not force Rebekah to marry Isaac; he merely gave her the facts and the opportunity to make a decision.” In a time where women did not have a say, Rebekah was given one because of the Lord’s care for her and plan for her. The Lord uses Rebekah as an example of how God gives us the freedom to make decisions, and how we have the choice to believe in Jesus! Rebekah was given gifts which represent God’s provision for her and that Rebekah would be welcomed into a blessed family. Rebekah also received her family’s blessing, and in Genesis 24:60, they say: “Our sister, may you become thousands of ten thousands, and may your offspring possess the gate of those who hate him!” This blessing comes to fruition because Rebekah eventually becomes the mother of Jacob, who becomes the father to the 12 tribes of Israel.

I would be remiss to not point out that Rebekah was noted to be “very attractive in appearance” in verse 16. Our society holds women to high beauty standards. Then, when women have “achieved” these beauty standards, they are often shamed and their character is slandered as their looks fade over time. They are sometimes dismissed because it is not believed that a woman can be beautiful, intelligent, AND kind. People are often intimidated by beauty, yet the Lord views beauty as power. Eric Durso, in his sermon at Grace Rancho church says, “the feminine beauty that God has endowed upon all women is a powerful thing. Women need to understand this and embrace the reality that God made them beautiful…Now, what's interesting about Genesis 24 is it doesn't give any specifics about Rebecca and what she looked like. It just says she was attractive. It doesn't give a height or a weight or a size. It just says she's pretty. And isn't it nice that there's no, like, this is what a godly woman looks like…however, it is not merely an outside thing. The New Testament makes it clear it's an inside thing, too” (Grace Rancho Sermons: A Godly Woman's Picture Genesis 24).

I love that Pastor Eric said there is no concrete definition of what Godly beauty looks like. In the world of social media, it can be easy to compare the way we look to other women on Instagram. We begin to forget the truth that we are made in in the image of God (Genesis 1:27!). Let it be known that the Lord does not make mistakes and He did not make any mistakes creating you! God cares about all women, and all women are beautiful to Him because they are reflections of His image. He uses our beauty for His Will! It is also important to remember that outside beauty is fleeting (Proverbs 31:30). Outside beauty is a temporary gift from God, yet our inner beauty remains. Not only was Rebekah physically attractive, but she also had a kind heart. She offered the servant her water and watered all 10 of his camels on her own. It was because of her inner beauty, her kindness and humility, that the servant knew that she was the one God had for Isaac. Her physical beauty was just a bonus. Her inner beauty is why Rebekah was chosen by God to be a vital part of His covenant with Abraham. God used Rebekah, a woman, to eventually bring the Savior into the world and fulfill His Promises!