A Bride at the Well

“‘O LORD, God of my master Abraham,’ he prayed, ‘please grant me success today.’” — Genesis 24:12

Isaac grew up to be a man, and Abraham grew very old. Sarah had died, and Isaac missed his mother very much. Abraham wanted Isaac to have a wife. But not a wife from the people of Canaan, who worshipped false gods. He wanted her to come from his own family, far away in the land where he used to live.

So Abraham called his oldest and most trusted servant. “Go to my homeland and my relatives,” Abraham said, “and find a wife for my son Isaac. God will send His angel ahead of you.”

The servant took ten of Abraham’s camels, loaded with all kinds of fine gifts, and set off on the long journey. When at last he arrived at the town where Abraham’s relatives lived, it was evening. He made the camels kneel down beside the well outside the town. It was the time when the girls came out to fetch water.

The servant didn’t know what to do next. So he prayed.

“O Lord, God of my master Abraham,” he prayed, “please give me success today. I’m standing here by the well. Let it be like this. I will say to one of the girls, ‘Please give me a drink from your jar.’ If she says, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels too,’ let her be the one you have chosen for Isaac.”

That was a big thing to ask. Camels drink a huge amount of water, especially after a long journey, and there were ten of them!

Before he had even finished praying, a beautiful young woman came out with a water jar on her shoulder. Her name was Rebekah. She went down to the well and filled her jar.

The servant ran to meet her. “Please give me a little water from your jar,” he said.

“Drink, sir,” she said, and quickly lowered her jar so he could drink. Then she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels too, until they’ve had enough.” And she ran back and forth to the well, again and again, until all ten camels had finished drinking.

The servant watched her in amazement. When the camels had finished, he gave her a gold ring and two gold bracelets. “Whose daughter are you?” he asked.

And it turned out that Rebekah was the granddaughter of Abraham’s own brother!

The servant bowed down and worshipped God right there. “Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham,” he said. “The Lord has led me straight to the house of my master’s relatives!”

Rebekah’s family welcomed him, and he told them the whole story. They could see that God had arranged everything. So they called Rebekah and asked her, “Will you go with this man?”

“I will go,” she said.

So Rebekah travelled all the way back to Canaan. One evening, Isaac was out walking in the field when he looked up and saw camels coming. Rebekah became Isaac’s wife, and he loved her. And she comforted him after his mother’s death.

Read it in your Bible: Genesis 24

Dear God, thank you that I can pray to you about anything, big or small. Please guide me, the way you guided Abraham’s servant. And help me to be kind and helpful like Rebekah. Amen.