Tag: Rebekah

A Participant in the Story

Posted on by jovial_cynic
From “The Torah: A Women’s Commentary,” it’s noted that Rebekah takes on a very active role in the story. She is the one doing most of the things, starting in Genesis 24:18.

“Drink, my Lord”
She lowers her jar
She lets him drink
She offers to water the camels
Then she empties the jar
She runs back to the well
She draws for the camels

In verse 21, it says the servant stood silently and wondered.

After he adorns her with gold and asks her identity, she invites him to her family home
She makes the decision to go with the servant

All this to say that Rebekah is not a character that passively has things happen to her. She is a character that is actively involved as well.

She is a true participant in the story.

Spring Up, O Well!

Posted on by jovial_cynic
“I’ve got a river of life flowing out of me!
Makes the lame to walk and the blind to see!
Opens prison doors, sets the captives free!
I’ve got a river of life flowing out of me!”

You know this song, right?

Spring up, O well, (splish, splash) within my soul!
Spring up, O well, (splish, splash) and make me whole!
Spring up, O well, (splish, splash) and give to me
That life abundantly.

This phrase, “Spring up, O well…” do you know what it’s from?

It’s from Numbers 21:17:

Then Israel sang this song:
“Spring up, O well! Sing to it!”
Numbers 21:17 (NASB)

The children of Israel have just been attacked by the Canaanites, and after that, they got attacked by a bunch of venomous snakes, and God miraculously saved them by way of a bronze snake held high on a pole.

Then God leads them to water, and the children of Israel sing.

“Spring up, O well.”

What does it mean for the well to “spring up?” That would be water rising up from the well so you don’t have to struggle to get it, right? We’re supposed to see this as a miraculous event, that is so exciting it causes the people to sing.

In Genesis 24, when Rebekah first goes to fetch water for Eliezer and his camels, the text does something very odd in the way it describes how she gets the water.

Normally, you have to draw water from a well. And that’s what we see the SECOND time she goes to get water.

So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, and ran back to the well to draw, and she drew for all his camels.
Genesis 24:20 (NASB)

But the FIRST time she goes to get water, the text omits any mention of her DRAWING it.

The young woman was very beautiful, a virgin; no man had had relations with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar, and came up.
Genesis 24:16 (NASB)

From this, the rabbis say that the miraculous event that moved Eliezer to run towards her in the next verse was that the water in the well ROSE TO MEET Rebekah.

You might think this is silly, because you’ve forgotten that the account is meant to be full of strange and supernatural things. Consider: Moses will later set a staff in water to have it rise to form walls to allow Israel to pass through the sea.

So here is a teaching and a blessing:

“May the water you need rise to meet you when you need it.”

Faithfulness or Foolishness

Posted on by jovial_cynic
There’s a fascinating and robust conversation in the Jewish commentaries about Eliezar, and whether or not his “test” (I’ll ask for water; she’ll offer to water my camels) is appropriate.

Look carefully Abraham’s oath requirement:

…but you will go to my country and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac.
Genesis 24:4 (NASB)

It’s clear from the text that Abraham’s intention is to find a wife from among his kinsman. From his “relatives.”

But when the servant goes to the well, he’s outside of town, where all manner of young single women can show up. He lays out his petition there.

…now may it be that the young woman to whom I say, ‘Please let down your jar so that I may drink,’ and who answers, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels also’—may she be the one whom You have appointed for Your servant Isaac; and by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master.”
Genesis 24:14 (NASB)

The question the rabbis ask is this: Is this a demonstration of faithful trust that God will fulfill the oath to Abraham through his own desire to be obedient, or is this a foolish vow?

What if the woman wasn’t kin?

Depending on your view, the answer leads you to either believe that “testing” God like this is appropriate and faithful, or that it is definitely NOT appropriate, because foolish vows have dire consequences later in the text.

It’s a fascinating discussion.

The Women of the Wells

Posted on by jovial_cynic
Genesis 24 introduces us to the theme of the “woman at the well” in the Torah.

Rebekah is the first.
Rachel is next in Genesis 29.
Ziporrah is the third in Exodus 2.

Each encounter ends in marriage.

When John 4 describes the Samaritan woman at the well, there’s a tension we’re supposed to notice: she has been married FIVE times already, and it never worked out. This is brought out as glaring contrast to the joyful well-side encounters of the past. The circumstances with her past husbands are heartbreaking.

But then John describes a closeness that was inappropriate for the encounter unless Jesus and this woman were married. The disciples are shocked.

Perhaps that’s the entire point of this “woman at the well” story: What Jesus offered her is a closeness that we only find in marriage. He offers Living Water: a promise of forever.

Seeking Treasure

Posted on by jovial_cynic
When you think of the story of Abraham’s servant seeking a bride for Isaac, we tend to focus on Rebekah’s overwhelming service, which involved repeatedly drawing from a well in order to water 10 camels.

That’s special, but I don’t think “service” is the point.

Rebekah later becomes the mother of Jacob & Esau, and if you know the story (we’ll cover in greater detail later), you’ll know that Rebekah is a bit… tricky. I think we can even say she’s a little manipulative and self-serving in the story. That’s built into her character.

It seems odd that we should see her as being this almost angelic servant here in her introduction. I’ve heard multiple sermons outlining how much work she did out of the “goodness of her heart” to water the camels, but I’ve never heard a good explanation for why she did it. What was it about her, other than “just being a good person with a servant’s heart?”

Translation is part of the problem. In Genesis 24:10, most translations indicate the servant took SOME of Abraham’s goods with him. But the literal read, captured here by the NKJV, is “ALL OF HIS MASTER’S GOODS.”

He brought 10 camels and LOADED them.

Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed, for all his master’s goods were in his hand. And he arose and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor.
Genesis 24:10 (NKJV)

When Rebekah shows up, she doesn’t just see some man with 10 thirsty camels. She sees… TREASURE! She’s a GOLD DIGGER!

But… aren’t we all? If somebody rolled up with a caravan of 10 Lamborghinis and asked for help filling up car #1, wouldn’t you be quick to offer to fill up the other 9 cars, too? Because… what if they like that you helped? What if they give you a big tip?

If the image is of God extending an invitation to us to join God’s household, doesn’t God “tempt” us with treasures as well?

If God’s treasures are heavenly promises – love, joy, peace, rest… are you not tempted? Wouldn’t you edge closer to water the camels, too?

A Reversal

Posted on by jovial_cynic
Genesis 24 introduces the union of Isaac and Rebekah, and in the chapter, very little is said about Isaac.

The focus sits squarely on Rebekah: she is the one who serves; she is the one who is praised; she leaves her father’s house, just like Abraham. But of Isaac, we read that he is comforted in his grief after his mother’s death.

What a fascinating reversal.

Blessings for All Y’all

Posted on by jovial_cynic

Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth.
Genesis 9:1 (NIV)

As for you, be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it.”
Genesis 9:7 (NIV)

Not only does Genesis 9 start with a blessing, the blessing is repeated in verse 7: “be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth.”

Verse 1 says “them,” so it’s clear that it’s plural.

Verse 7 says “as for you,” but in Hebrew, this is the plural “you.” It’s “ya’ll.”

This is important, because Noah individually does *not* go and become fruitful or multiply (unless you’re seeing a pun, and think the grapes that follow are the multiplied fruit!)

God’s blessings are not merely for individuals. They are for community.

For folks who wish to bear children but can’t, this must feel like a curse. To be told “children are God’s blessing” and then not experience it personally must feel like a double-curse: missing out on the blessing and then experiencing the shame of failure.

In scripture, we see this barrenness: Sarai (Genesis 11:30), Rebekah (Genesis 25:21), Rachel (Genesis 29:31) – wives of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They’re all barren at first, but God says they will be a great nation.

Why does it start this way? Perhaps this is an echo of Genesis 1:2.

Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
Genesis 1:2 (NIV)

For reasons unknown, Noah does not have any more children with his wife, even though he is included in the “ya’ll” in Genesis 9:7.

Perhaps Noah failed to count the three blessings he already had. Perhaps the wine blurred his vision.

But he was blessed by God. Twice.

And God has blessed you as well, and God intends to make you fruitful and multiply you in ways you may not yet realize. This seems to be the nature of God: blessings and promises. Fruitfulness.

For all ya’ll.