The oldest servant of Abraham's household laid his hand under his master's thigh and took the most solemn oath that was known in those parts. The task before him was not for the faint-hearted: he had to make a journey of hundreds of miles to find a bride for Abraham's son – a girl, for whom neither Abraham nor his son had seen a face. No portrait, no letters of introduction – ten camels loaded with gifts and the hope of Abraham and his son waited for the answer. It was the ancient world, and there was only one sure way to find out what kind of girl was chosen by God: to judge by her character – at the well.
An Old Man's Last Mission
Abraham was old, and Sarah, his wife, was buried in the cave in Machpelah, together with their son Isaac, who reached an age of forty or so and remained single. Before his death, Abraham had one more mission: to find a bride for Isaac. Abraham imposed two conditions on the old servant who had to undertake this mission. First, the bride had to be chosen among the daughters of Canaan; the son of the promised land was not to be married to a local. Second, and most importantly, Isaac must not return with the bride to Mesopotamia: the son of the promise had to stay in the promised land. It was a condition without alternatives: if the girl was not willing to come with them, the servant would simply release his vow. It was the last task for Abraham, the faithful keeper of God's promises, to ensure that the promise would have a future.
Ten Camels and a Prayer
The road led through Canaan to the country of Aram Naharaim – the land of two rivers – "the territory of Nahor, Abraham's brother." The old man went to the city of Nahor, his brother's son, and in the evening he untied the camels at the well. In the evening, the maidens come out to the wells. The well was the center of the ancient town – it was the meeting point and a place where the whole community gathered. Not by chance, the old man prayed to God while looking at the well. He asked God to show him a sign, so he would recognize a girl chosen by Him: "I will say to a maiden, 'Please, let me drink from your jar.' And, if she says to me, 'Drink, and I will water your camels too,' take her daughter of the promise, for so does the Lord command." It seems that not only the beauty counts when choosing a bride in the Bible. It is important to understand how much this task was difficult for the servant of Abraham. Even if one can call camel – the beast of burden, twenty gallons of water at a time – a thirsty animal, the ten camels in the care of this man must have been a problem in his journey through the desert. He would be alone, no one would help him. The girl had to offer him not only water but her help. If she had agreed, she would suffer for about an hour at the well, which would be more than twenty gallons to fill the animals' bags. When she heard the servant's words, she ran to the trough and eagerly offered her help – "until the animals had finished drinking," she said. The old man was not looking for a princess – he was looking for a good and unselfish girl.
Ten thirsty camels, one volunteer: the servant's test was designed to reveal character.
Before He Finished Praying
Genesis speaks of Rebekah's good looks, but only for a moment. The narrative immediately moves to action – the girl came out to the well with a jar on her shoulder, "very beautiful to look at," the Torah says, and ran to the stranger and gave him some water. She did not hesitate and readily agreed to help the stranger and said to him, "I will get you water for your camels also." She ran to the well and took a jar, and without waiting for the servant, she began to fill the camels' skin with water. She hurried back to the well and ran again. The text emphasizes the high speed of the girl with the words of an eyewitness. While all this time the man watches her with interest – "gazing at her in silence," the text says – to discern for himself whether the Lord had blessed his journey and brought him to this girl. After the last camel had drunk water, the old man took a ring of gold and two bracelets and, turning to the girl, said, "Whose daughter are you?" Bethuel, the son of Nahor, is her father, he answered. "We have heard of your servant Abraham," said the young man, bowing before him. The old servant bowed down before the Lord, who guided his steps, and prayed while standing before the Lord – in the middle of the street, where he had knelt before the young girl.
Laban Noticed the Gold
Rebekah ran to her house and told her family the wonderful news. Laban, Rebekah's brother, rushed to the meeting and, according to Genesis, greeted the young man with great warmth when he saw the precious gifts – the golden nose ring and the golden bracelets. A more experienced trickster, Laban was in his element already here: remember this story of Laban deceiving Jacob – his favorite trickster role model. Laban had already earned his reputation – no wonder Rebekah did not hesitate to invite the clever young man into the house. Laban's household prepared a meal and showed great hospitality to Abraham's servant – they gave him straw to bed the camels, food, and drink. Still, the old man could not accept the meal until he had completed the task for which he came. He told the story about the journey, the oath before the Lord, and the girl who agreed to come with him – without hesitation and without conditions. When he finished, Rebekah's family had only one answer to him – "This is from the Lord; go your way."
"I Will Go"
The morning was hot – but it seems that Rebekah's family feet turned to ice when they heard her say – "I will go." Ten long days were spent bidding the girl farewell – the father, mother, and Rebekah her sister. The servant asked them urgently to shorten the farewells because the Lord had blessed his journey. The father called his daughter and asked her – "Will you go with this man?" Everything was in the name of the girl: her future – to leave the house and go to a foreign land and a foreign people. She had agreed – but it was not that easy to part with her – and her family did not want to agree to this. Rebekah answered: "I will go." Her family blessed her and said – "May you become thousands upon ten thousands," and the camels went off towards Canaan with a bride.
Two words — 'I will go' — carried Rebekah hundreds of miles toward an unseen husband.
A Field at Evening
This story ends as most fairy tales and films – with an ending. Isaac went out to the fields at evening – he may have gone to sit and think or just to see the sunset – the translators argue about the precise meaning of the Hebrew word. Isaac was waiting for the camels to return from the journey, and Rebekah was waiting for Isaac. She stepped down from the camel and asked the young man – who was she talking: "It is my master," said the servant, and Rebekah covered her face with a veil. The servant told Isaac of a miracle at the well, and he told the story of finding his bride. And the Bible, one of the shortest books on the market, allows itself to linger on a few final notes of tenderness – Isaac brought Rebekah into his mother's tent – Sarah's tent; they married each other – Rebekah became Isaac's wife, and he loved her. Then he consoled himself after her mother's death – and, importantly, that happens in reverse order. A girl's father gave his daughter's hand to an unknown man, and the young woman – the girl, fearless and strong – saved the man from empty grief. The promise to Abraham was being fulfilled – the son of the widow's son found his bride of the Lord's will. And the promise of God went on to live in Isaac and Rebekah – they had two sons, Jacob and Esau. And the Lord gave Jacob (Israel) a son, and the sons of Israel became a numerous nation. This little story is the history of an entire nation.
A grieving man, a brave young woman, and comfort moving into an empty tent.
Why This Quiet Story Endures
There were no plagues or giants in the story; no cities or fortresses – only a test of the heart of man for his God. Rebekah was chosen for her kindness – not only the ability to give, but to give despite physical discomfort – the weight of an empty jar will remain with her, but she will not feel it. She has chosen her future – to cross the desert to a foreign land. The choice was made, and the girl's answer was brief – only two words. The servant chose to judge not by the beauty of the face, which can deceive and is often found, but by the actions, which reveal the soul. And this is no less important than the choice of the bride herself. Isaac and Rebekah's future children will become the people of Israel, but it has long been clear from the story that it is not only a tale of the twelve tribes. Every episode of the Old Testament, which tells of the choice of the bride for Isaac, carries a message for the living. Not only the girl's deeds but also the deeds of the servants of Abraham carry a message – when choosing people, it is necessary to rely on God's help and not on one's own strength. Perhaps a hundred or a thousand years later, the tribes of Israel will build a temple to the Lord on the mount – the same one that was built to oppose the Canaanites. Again, there will be wars and victories, and, again, the story tells of the long-awaited birth of a son of God himself. And yet, this little story quietly echoes in the lives of many. It speaks of a God who never gives up on men, despite all the hardships and sorrows of life and the doubts of mankind. Hidden behind the simplicity and ordinariness, the narrative teaches us that God always honors the choices we make and always guides us to the path of truth. It was the path of a simple and seemingly insignificant family – an ordinary couple's journey, full of obstacles and courage and a new beginning. One day, this story will be told by children around the world, and it will still be fresh and exciting. All because the miracle was not so big – the girl saw the ten camels and did not run away from them.
