Isaac and Rebekah

Abraham was now very old, well advanced in years, and the Lord had blessed him in all things. His son Isaac was forty years old but still unmarried, and this weighed heavily on Abraham’s heart. As the heir to God’s covenant promises, Isaac needed a wife who would share his faith and help him raise children who would continue in God’s ways.

But Abraham faced a serious problem. The Canaanite women who lived around them worshiped false gods and followed pagan customs. Abraham knew that if Isaac married a Canaanite woman, it could lead his family away from the true God and jeopardize the covenant promises.

Abraham had to find a wife for Isaac from among his own people, who knew and worshiped the one true God. But his relatives lived far away in Mesopotamia, in the city of Nahor. How could he find the right woman for his son?

The Solemn Charge

Abraham called his oldest servant, the one who ruled over all that he had, and gave him a solemn charge. This servant, who is not named but was probably Eliezer of Damascus, had been with Abraham for many years and was completely trustworthy.

“Put your hand under my thigh,” Abraham said, referring to a customary way of making a solemn oath. “I want you to swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell; but you shall go to my country and to my family, and take a wife for my son Isaac.”

The servant understood the gravity of this mission, but he also saw potential problems. “Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land,” he said. “Must I take your son back to the land from which you came?”

Abraham’s response was firm: “Beware that you do not take my son back there. The Lord God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my family, and who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, ‘To your descendants I give this land,’ He will send His angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.”

Abraham had complete faith that God would guide this mission and provide the right wife for Isaac. But if the woman refused to come, the servant would be released from his oath—under no circumstances was Isaac to leave the Promised Land.

The Journey Begins

The servant took ten of Abraham’s camels, loaded them with all kinds of good things from his master, and set out for Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor. It was a long and dangerous journey of several hundred miles, but the servant carried with him not only valuable gifts but also Abraham’s faith that God would guide his steps.

As he traveled, the servant must have prayed continually for wisdom and guidance. He was carrying a tremendous responsibility—finding the right wife for the heir of God’s covenant promises. The future of God’s plan depended, in human terms, on the success of this mission.

Arrival at the Well

When the servant arrived at the city of Nahor, it was evening, the time when women came out to draw water from the well outside the city. The servant made his camels kneel down by the well and prepared to wait and watch.

But before he began his search, he did something that revealed his own faith and wisdom: he prayed specifically for God’s guidance.

“O Lord God of my master Abraham,” he prayed, “please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham. Behold, here I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, ‘Please let down your pitcher that I may drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink’—let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. And by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master.”

This was a specific and wise test. The servant was looking for a woman who would not only be kind to a stranger but would go above and beyond in her service, showing the kind of generous and caring heart that would make a good wife. Watering ten thirsty camels was no small task—it would require many trips to the well and considerable effort.

The Answer to Prayer

Before the servant had even finished praying, God began to answer. A beautiful young woman came out with her pitcher on her shoulder. She was Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel, who was the son of Nahor, Abraham’s brother. Though the servant didn’t know it yet, she was from exactly the family Abraham had in mind.

Rebekah was not only beautiful but also a virgin, pure and unmarried. She went down to the well, filled her pitcher, and came back up.

The servant ran to meet her and said, “Please let me drink a little water from your pitcher.”

“Drink, my lord,” she said, and quickly lowered her pitcher to her hand and gave him a drink.

When he had finished drinking, Rebekah said exactly what the servant had prayed she would say: “I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking.”

Then she quickly emptied her pitcher into the trough, ran back to the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels. The servant watched in amazement and joy as this young woman worked tirelessly to provide for his animals, never complaining about the considerable effort required.

The Gifts and the Question

When the camels had finished drinking, the servant took out precious gifts: a golden nose ring weighing half a shekel, and two bracelets for her wrists weighing ten shekels of gold.

“Whose daughter are you?” he asked. “Tell me, please, is there room in your father’s house for us to lodge?”

Rebekah’s answer filled his heart with wonder: “I am the daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him. We have both straw and feed enough, and room to lodge.”

She was not only from Abraham’s family, but she was also able to offer hospitality. Everything was falling into place exactly as the servant had prayed.

Worship and Gratitude

The servant bowed down his head and worshiped the Lord, saying, “Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His mercy and His truth toward my master. As for me, being on the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master’s brethren.”

The servant’s immediate response was worship and gratitude. He recognized that this was not mere coincidence but the direct intervention of God in answer to prayer.

The Family Meeting

Rebekah ran home and told her family about the encounter. When her brother Laban saw the jewelry on his sister and heard her story, he hurried out to invite the stranger in.

“Come in, O blessed of the Lord!” Laban said. “Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels.”

The servant was brought into the house, and the camels were fed and cared for. Water was provided to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him, and food was set before them.

But the servant refused to eat until he had told his story. “I will not eat until I have told about my errand,” he said.

“Speak on,” Laban replied.

The Servant’s Testimony

The servant then told the complete story of his mission: how Abraham had been blessed by God, how he had charged his servant to find a wife for Isaac from among their family, how he had prayed specifically for guidance, and how Rebekah had answered his prayer exactly as he had asked.

“Now if you will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me,” the servant concluded. “And if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left.”

The evidence was so clear that Laban and Bethuel could only respond: “The thing comes from the Lord; we cannot speak to you either bad or good. Here is Rebekah before you; take her and go, and let her be your master’s son’s wife, as the Lord has spoken.”

More Worship and Gifts

When the servant heard their words, he worshiped the Lord again, bowing himself to the earth. Then he brought out jewelry of silver, jewelry of gold, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave precious things to her brother and to her mother.

The servant’s generosity reflected Abraham’s wealth and his desire to honor this family that was providing a wife for Isaac.

The Request to Leave

After they had eaten and drunk and spent the night, the servant was eager to return to his master. When they rose in the morning, he said, “Send me away to my master.”

But Rebekah’s brother and mother wanted her to stay a little longer. “Let the young woman stay with us a few days, at least ten; after that she may go.”

The servant pressed them: “Do not hinder me, since the Lord has prospered my way; send me away so that I may go to my master.”

Finally, they decided to ask Rebekah herself: “Will you go with this man?”

Rebekah’s Decision

This was the crucial moment. Rebekah had to decide whether to leave her family, her homeland, and everything familiar to marry a man she had never met in a land she had never seen.

But Rebekah had seen God’s hand in the events of the previous day. She had experienced the servant’s kindness and generosity. She had heard the story of Abraham’s faith and God’s promises. And something in her heart told her this was God’s will for her life.

“I will go,” she said simply but decisively.

The Blessing and Departure

Rebekah’s family blessed her as she prepared to leave: “Our sister, may you become the mother of thousands of ten thousands; and may your descendants possess the gates of those who hate them.”

This blessing echoed the promises God had made to Abraham about his descendants becoming a great nation.

Rebekah and her maids arose, rode on camels, and followed the servant. So the servant took Rebekah and departed.

Isaac’s Evening Walk

Meanwhile, Isaac had come from the way of Beer Lahai Roi, for he dwelt in the South. He went out to meditate in the field in the evening, perhaps praying about his future and wondering about the servant’s mission.

As Isaac lifted his eyes and looked, he saw camels coming in the distance. After months of waiting and wondering, his bride was finally approaching.

Love at First Sight

When Rebekah lifted her eyes and saw Isaac, she dismounted from her camel and asked the servant, “Who is this man walking in the field to meet us?”

“It is my master,” the servant replied.

Then Rebekah took a veil and covered herself, as was the custom for a bride meeting her future husband.

The servant told Isaac all the things he had done—how God had guided every step of the journey, how Rebekah had answered his prayer exactly, and how her family had recognized God’s hand in the entire situation.

The Marriage

Isaac brought Rebekah into his mother Sarah’s tent (Sarah had died some time earlier), and she became his wife. The Bible records simply but beautifully: “Isaac loved her.”

This was not an arranged marriage based only on practical considerations, but a union blessed by love. Isaac found comfort in Rebekah after his mother’s death, and she brought joy and companionship to his life.

The Lesson of Divine Providence

The story of Isaac and Rebekah teaches us beautiful truths about God’s guidance and provision:

God Cares About Details: God was involved in every aspect of finding the right wife for Isaac, from guiding the servant’s journey to orchestrating the meeting at the well.

Prayer Makes a Difference: The servant’s specific prayer was answered in specific ways, showing us the importance of asking God for guidance in important decisions.

Character Matters: Rebekah was chosen not just for her beauty but for her character—her kindness, generosity, and willingness to serve others.

Faith Requires Action: Both the servant and Rebekah had to step out in faith, trusting God even when they couldn’t see the complete picture.

God’s Timing is Perfect: The meeting at the well happened at exactly the right time, showing us that God’s timing is always perfect.

A Love Story for the Ages

The story of Isaac and Rebekah is one of the Bible’s most beautiful love stories, but it’s more than just romance. It shows us how God works behind the scenes to accomplish His purposes and fulfill His promises.

Through this marriage, God continued His covenant plan that had begun with Abraham. Isaac and Rebekah would become the parents of Jacob (later called Israel), through whom the twelve tribes of Israel would come.

Their story reminds us that God is intimately involved in our lives and that He can be trusted to guide us in making life’s most important decisions. When we seek His will and trust His providence, we discover that His plans for us are always better than anything we could have imagined for ourselves.

The love between Isaac and Rebekah, which began with God’s guidance and grew into deep affection, shows us what marriage can be when it’s founded on faith and blessed by God’s providence.