Genesis 24:39-67
The LORD Has Led Me
39Then I asked my master, ‘What if the woman will not come back with me?’
40And he told me, ‘The LORD, before whom I have walked, will send His angel with you and make your journey a success, so that you may take a wife for my son from my kindred and from my father’s house.
41And when you go to my kindred, if they refuse to give her to you, then you will be released from my oath.’
42So when I came to the spring today, I prayed: O LORD, God of my master Abraham, if only You would make my journey a success!
43Here I am, standing beside this spring. Now if a maiden comes out to draw water and I say to her, ‘Please let me drink a little water from your jar,’
44and she replies, ‘Drink, and I will draw water for your camels as well,’ may she be the woman the LORD has appointed for my master’s son.
45And before I had finished praying in my heart, there was Rebekah coming out with her jar on her shoulder, and she went down to the spring and drew water. So I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’
46She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels as well.’ So I drank, and she also watered the camels.
47Then I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She replied, ‘The daughter of Bethuel son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to him.’ So I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her wrists.
48Then I bowed down and worshiped the LORD; and I blessed the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who led me on the right road to take the granddaughter of my master’s brother for his son.
49Now if you will show kindness and faithfulness to my master, tell me; but if not, let me know, so that I may go elsewhere.”
50Laban and Bethuel answered, “This is from the LORD; we have no choice in the matter.
51Rebekah is here before you. Take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master’s son, just as the LORD has decreed.”
52When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed down to the ground before the LORD.
53Then he brought out jewels of silver and gold, and articles of clothing, and he gave them to Rebekah. He also gave precious gifts to her brother and her mother.
54Then he and the men with him ate and drank and spent the night there. When they got up the next morning, he said, “Send me on my way to my master.”
55But her brother and mother said, “Let the girl remain with us ten days or so. After that, she may go.”
56But he replied, “Do not delay me, since the LORD has made my journey a success. Send me on my way so that I may go to my master.”
57So they said, “We will call the girl and ask her opinion.”
58They called Rebekah and asked her, “Will you go with this man?” “I will go,” she replied.
59So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way, along with her nurse and Abraham’s servant and his men.
60And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, “Our sister, may you become the mother of thousands upon thousands. May your offspring possess the gates of their enemies.”
61Then Rebekah and her servant girls got ready, mounted the camels, and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and left.
62Now Isaac had just returned from Beer-lahai-roi, for he was living in the Negev.
63Early in the evening, Isaac went out to the field to meditate, and looking up, he saw the camels approaching.
64And when Rebekah looked up and saw Isaac, she got down from her camel
65and asked the servant, “Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?” “It is my master,” the servant answered. So she took her veil and covered herself.
66Then the servant told Isaac all that he had done.
67And Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah and took Rebekah as his wife. And Isaac loved her and was comforted after his mother’s death.
Berean Standard Bible
The servant tells Rebekah's family about his conversation with Abraham. Abraham had charged him to find a wife for Isaac from his relatives, trusting that the LORD would send an angel and make the journey successful. The servant explains the prayer he made at the well and how Rebekah's actions answered it before he had finished speaking.
He asks the family to say whether they will deal loyally and truly with Abraham. Bethuel and Laban answer that the matter comes from the LORD, so they cannot speak evil or good. Rebekah is there, and the story soon makes clear that her answer is needed. The servant bows to the ground, brings out silver and gold jewelry and garments for Rebekah, and gives costly gifts to her brother and mother.
The next morning, the family asks that Rebekah stay for ten days before leaving. The servant urges them not to delay because the LORD has made his journey successful. They call Rebekah and ask whether she will go. She answers, “I will go.” Her consent is brief but decisive. The family blesses her, and she leaves with her nurse and attendants.
Isaac is walking in the field toward evening when he sees the camels. Rebekah sees Isaac, gets down from her camel, and asks who he is. She covers herself with her veil after learning that he is her future husband. Isaac brings her into his mother Sarah's tent, takes Rebekah as his wife, and loves her. He is comforted after his mother's death.
The servant's prayer, the family's deliberation, Rebekah's consent, and Isaac's love all belong to the marriage story. Providence does not erase human agency; God's guidance is carried through truthful speech and a woman's willing answer.
Questions
1 What did the servant ask Rebekah’s family to decide?
AnswerHe asked whether they would deal loyally and truly with Abraham.
2 What did Rebekah answer when asked to go?
AnswerRebekah answered, “I will go.”
3 Who traveled with Rebekah?
AnswerHer nurse and attendants traveled with her.
4 How did Isaac receive Rebekah?
AnswerHe took her as his wife, loved her, and was comforted after Sarah’s death.
What This Means for Us
Healthy commitments require truth, time for questions, and the willing agreement of the people whose lives will change. Do not confuse family pressure with consent. When a new relationship enters a household, make room for grief, history, and love to develop at a human pace. God's guidance never makes another person's agency irrelevant.
Prayer
God who leads with steadfast love, guide our commitments by truth and willing trust. Protect people from pressure disguised as destiny. Help our household honor consent, welcome new relationships patiently, and care for those who carry grief into a new season. Amen.