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SERIES A --- YHVH’S PIONEERS --- LESSON 19

CHOICE OF A WIFE

A BRIDE FOR ISAAC

From Genesis 24:1-33

Abraham had grown very old and YHVH continued to bless him in every way. But Abraham became concerned about Isaac and called his oldest servant who was in charge of his household. [Place your hand under my thigh and swear by Adonai, the YHVH of heaven and earth, that you will not permit my son to marry one of the Canaanite neighbour girls,] Abraham commanded. [You must return to my country and to my family and find a wife for Isaac among them.] [But what if she will not come back here with me?] the servant asked. [Shall I take Isaac there?] [Beware of taking Isaac there,] Abraham warned. [Adonai, the YHVH of heaven, Who took me from my father’s household and the land of my birth and made a Covenant with me. He said He would give this land to my descendants. He will send His angel before you so that you may find a wife for Isaac. But if the woman is not willing to come back here, you are free from your oath to me. Even then, you must not take Isaac to that land.] The servant placed his hand under Abraham’s thigh and swore that he would do as Abraham had told him. Then he took ten of Abraham’s camels and set out for the city of Nahor in Mesopotamia with many valuable gifts from Abraham. The servant arrived at Nahor one evening, at the time when the young women of the city came out to draw water. He had his camels kneel by the well and there he prayed. [O Adonai, YHVH of my master Abraham, help my journey to be successful today and thus show kindness to my master Abraham,] he prayed. [I stand here by this well of water as the young women of the city come out to draw water. When I ask for a drink, may Isaac’s wife be the one who offers to draw water for my camels also. By this I will know that You have shown favour to my master.] Before the servant had finished praying, a young woman came out to the well with a water jar on her shoulder. She was Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel and granddaughter of Abraham’s brother Nahor and his wife Milcah. Rebekah, a very beautiful virgin girl, went to the well to fill her jar with water. When she left the well, the servant ran to meet her. Camels are often called the [ships of the desert.] They can store enough water in their humps to supply their bodies needs for three or four days of desert travel. Eliezer needed such animals for his long journey. [Please may I have a drink from your jar?] he asked. [Drink, my lord,] Rebekah replied. She lowered her jar of water to her hand for him to drink. [I’ll draw enough water for your camels, too,] she offered. Rebekah emptied her jar of water into the trough and ran back to the well to draw more water for the camels. The servant watched her until she was finished, for he was anxious to know if this was the young woman Adonai had in mind for Isaac. When the camels had had enough to drink the servant brought out a golden nose ring weighing a half-shekel [about a quarter of an ounce] and two golden bracelets weighing ten shekels [about five ounces]. [Whose daughter, are you?] he asked. [Is there room in your father’s house for us to stay tonight?] [I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Nahor and Milcah,] she answered. [We have plenty of straw and feed and room where you can stay.] The servant bowed low and worshiped Adonai. [Blessed be Adonai, the YHVH of my master Abraham,] he prayed. [You have remembered him with loving-kindness and truth, for You have guided me to the house of my master’s family.] Rebekah ran home to tell her mother’s household what had happened. When her brother Laban heard what Rebekah said and saw the golden ring and bracelets, he ran out to find the man, who was standing by his camels at the well. [Come home with me!] Laban invited. [Don’t stand here by the well. We have a room for you and a place for the camels.] Abraham’s servant went home with Laban, who unloaded the camels and gave them straw and feed. Laban also gave the man water to wash his feet and the feet of the men with him. But when food was brought before him, the man refused to eat. [I must first tell you why I have come,] he said. [Speak,] said Laban. [Tell us what you wish.]

COMMENTARY

JEWELLERY

YHVH had chosen Isaac to inherit His promises to Abraham. Could the choice of Isaac’s wife be unimportant? The Bible tells the story of the search for Isaac’s wife. It is a story of answered prayer beside a well, and of YHVH’s arrangement of every detail. The love of jewellery is as old as mankind itself. Even before the discovery of precious metals, people made ornaments from objects found in nature. Early men wore necklaces of rocks, shells, animal bones and teeth. But as ancient craftsmen developed skill in metalworking, they learned to fashion ornaments of gold. Soft and flexible, it was easily hammered into a variety of shapes, and its rich shining lustre appealed to a love of colour. Jewellery was valued for more than its beauty as an ornament. It was also used as a form of money in the ancient world. Before the invention of coins, gold and silver were weighed and their value exactly measured; an object could be literally [worth its weight in gold] on a merchant’s scale. Precious metals could be used to purchase a plot of land, buy a slave or pay taxes to the king. Precious stones were also used in trade. Not only were they admired for their brilliance and colour, but they were also valued for their supposed magic powers. People in ancient times were convinced that certain stones could ward off disease or drive away evil spirits. They believed that a diamond guaranteed victory for a soldier, while an emerald protected its owner from the magician’s evil spell. Amethysts were valued as a cure for drunkenness, and the effects of poisons were thought to be counteracted by sapphires. The people of ancient times believed that the magic powers of these gems were so strong that they could affect life beyond the grave, and the dead were buried with their jewels as protection against dangers in the afterlife. Many beautifully crafted pieces of jewellery have been discovered in the pyramids of the Egyptian pharaohs and in the royal tombs at Ur.

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