6 REBEKAH
She Ventured Into the Unknown
REBEKAH approached the well, carrying a large jar. Evening was falling, and it was time to fetch water for the household. She was surely used to such daily labor. But she noticed that there were strangers, a group of men with camels, near the well! Still, she went ahead to the spring and filled her jar.
As she started to carry her heavy burden toward home, an elderly man from the group rushed toward her and asked, “Please give me a little sip of water from your jar.” Rebekah did not shy away from showing hospitality to these strangers. Instead, she showed remarkable hospitality. She said: “Drink, my lord,” and she lowered her jar and helped him to drink his fill.
Then she did more. She offered to draw water from the well for the ten camels that had carried the strangers there. The stranger watched in amazement as this beautiful young girl ran back and forth filling and refilling the trough until the huge beasts were satisfied. The man asked her whose daughter she was and if her family could host the group for a night. Rebekah did not hesitate. She offered them all a place for the night and fodder for their animals.
She did not know it, but Jehovah was involved in this encounter. The old man, likely Eliezer, was a trusted servant from far away. Many weeks earlier, his master, Abraham, had asked him to travel hundreds of miles to seek a wife for Isaac, Abraham’s son and heir. Abraham insisted that the girl be chosen from a family that worshipped Jehovah. So Eliezer had prayed to Jehovah for His blessing. He asked God to see to it that the right girl for Isaac would show hospitality—the very kind of hospitality that Rebekah had just shown!
Rebekah did not hesitate to help these men she had never met before. Granted, those were different times from our own—today, so many people are “fierce, without love of goodness.” (2 Tim. 3:1, 3) Even in those times, though, Rebekah was an outstanding example. And she went on to show great courage.
She soon learned why the men had traveled so far. Rebekah’s father, Bethuel, and her brother Laban invited Eliezer to sit down to enjoy a meal. But first, this elderly servant insisted on telling them of his mission. He described how Jehovah had blessed him in finding Rebekah. The two men saw the truth of the matter and said: “This is from Jehovah.”
When Rebekah learned that it was God’s will for her to move far away from her home and marry a man she had never met, what would she do?
What would Rebekah do? Abraham had acknowledged that the girl might be unwilling to go to Canaan with Eliezer. Did she have some choice in this matter? The next morning, Eliezer asked if he could leave with Rebekah right away. Rebekah’s family decided to ask Rebekah herself about that. When they did, she gave this simple answer: “I am willing to go.” She was willing to leave her home and family far behind, perhaps never to see them again. The reason for her courage? It seems that she too saw that this was Jehovah’s will for her.
After weeks of traveling by camel, the group arrived at the camp of Abraham in Canaan. As the twilight deepened, Rebekah saw a lone man walking in the field, meditating. When she learned that it was Isaac, she humbly put on a veil to acknowledge him as her husband-to-be. Isaac, a sensitive, thoughtful man of 40, was still grieving the loss of his mother, Sarah, who had died three years earlier. Would Rebekah have the courage to carry out the God-given assignment that lay before her? Would she become a loving, supportive wife to Isaac and help him serve Jehovah as the head of their family? The Bible shows that she did. Its description of their marriage begins with this simple, promising statement: “He fell in love with her, and Isaac found comfort after the loss of his mother.”
Read the Bible account:
For discussion:
In what ways did Rebekah show courage?
Dig Deeper
1. How was Eliezer affected when Abraham had children, but what indicates that he was not resentful? (Gen. 15:2-4; 24:12; w97 1/1 30 ¶2)
2. Why did Abraham want Isaac’s bride to move to Canaan rather than have Isaac move to Rebekah’s hometown? (w97 1/1 30 ¶3)
3. What was the significance of the gifts offered to Rebekah and her family? (it “Rebekah” ¶4)
4. Describe the trip Rebekah made from Haran to Isaac’s home in the Negeb. (wp16.3 15 ¶1) A
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Picture A: The Negeb was once home to many people and had pasturage for Abraham’s large flocks
Reflect on the Lessons
What can we learn from Abraham, Rebekah, and Isaac about choosing a marriage mate? (Gen. 24:2, 3; 27:46–28:1)
Rebekah was diligent, generous, and respectful. In what ways can sisters imitate her today? B
Picture B
How might you imitate Rebekah’s courage in your life?
Meditate on the Bigger Picture
What does this account teach me about Jehovah?
How does this account tie in with Jehovah’s purposes?
What would I like to ask Rebekah in the resurrection?
Learn More
Consider how Rebekah continued to display courage as a faithful wife and mother.
What lessons can children learn from Rebekah?
“Rebekah’s Fine Qualities” (Web series “Picture Activities”)