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Any girl who wanted to getting Isaac’s wife would have to hop out her very own home and you may signup your inside Canaan, given that Abraham didn’t require Isaac to go out of the newest land God got guaranteed supply to their descendants.
What’s more, Abraham desired a member of family in place of a great Canaanite to get Isaac’s spouse. So, to find the best companion, Abraham called upon an extremely-respected servant, asking your to search entirely “on my homeland, back at my nearest and dearest, and get a spouse there getting my kid Isaac.” – Genesis twenty-four:cuatro.
The latest slave (believed but not proven to be Abraham’s chief steward, Eliezar), “grabbed ten away from their master’s camels and you may departed, delivering all kinds of options gift ideas away from their grasp; and he set-out and you may went along to Aram-naharaim, to the city of Nahor.” – Ibid., .
The metropolis out of Nahor named inside Genesis try, probably, the metropolis out-of Harran-the place where the family and you can descendants away from Abraham’s sibling Nahor resided. Nahor got is why youngest cousin, Harran-new sibling exactly who passed away inside the Ur till the remaining portion of the nearest and dearest are exiled away from Ur in order to Harran. Milcah had next provided delivery to 8 children, and you can she and you can Nahor now got grandkids too, starting an enormous offered family members from which a bride would be chose.
Whenever Eliezar arrived in Harran, the fresh new blazing afternoon sun try diminishing, and you will dusk try dealing with. Many female of your town was basically attained in the town’s number one better, acquiring liquid in which so you can replenish the newest bins at the their homes.
Totally alert to the necessity of finding the right spouse to have Isaac, a spouse who does getting type and you can big of heart, Eliezar prayed to achieve your goals: “let the lady to exactly who I will say, ‘Please provide their jar that i may drink,’ and you will which should say, ‘Take in, and that i commonly liquid the camels’-let her function as the that who you provides designated for the slave Isaac. From this I shall be aware that you’ve got found firm like on my learn.” – Ibid., .
A deal to attract liquids about well to have a visitor in addition to visitor’s camels would be over a small favor. It will be an act regarding palpable kindness because well at the Harran wasn’t an easily accessible fountain or pond. Neither was just about it a simple opening on the soil that have a good bucket and you may rope. It had been a belowground spring season that will only be contacted because of the technique of an inclined shaft. To find liquids, a lady needed to walk down the latest slope, complete the lady jug right after which stroll back-up once more. Water weighs more than eight lbs good gallon, and you can a liquid jug of these period you are going to keep about three gallons, undertaking about twenty-four weight off dead-weight become sent within the hill regarding well on every travels, aside from the extra pounds off a-two-addressed ceramic jug.
“Take in, my lord,” Rebekah responded, and she “rapidly lowered brand new container so you can the lady hand and gave your a drink. Once she had given him a drink, she told you, ‘I will draw water for the camels too, until he’s got completed taking.’ Therefore she quickly emptied this lady jar towards the trough, went back to the latest well to attract way more liquid, and you may drew adequate for everybody his camels.” – Ibid., -20.
In the event that thirst of your camels try slaked, Eliezar took out about three of your presents that Abraham got offered: a few silver bracelets and you may a gold nose-ring. Judging by jewelry discover nearby excavations, new ornaments was indeed finely-created and adorned having lacy patterns off diminutive silver golf balls. Rebekah acknowledged the fresh presents, and in case Eliezar expected when the the woman household got place to possess your to expend the night time, she cordially agreed: “I have a lot of one another straw and you will provide, and you can a bedroom to hotel for the.” – Ibid., .
After Eliezar accompanied Rebekah family, the guy confronted by this lady dad, Bethuel, along with her brother, Laban, and told me his journey. They concurred one to Rebekah you may go back to Canaan having Eliezar and you will marry Isaac. Up coming, inside the a move unusual at that time, they gave Rebekah this new prize from choosing to have by herself if or not otherwise not she desired to follow the matrimony. She consented and you will then followed Eliezar in order to Canaan. Isaac was charmed and comforted of the their bride-to-be, and that which you are copacetic.
On Publication of Genesis, so it entire fiance-trying thrill is created in conscientious outline. It is true you to definitely a wife to own Isaac was imperative, although membership occupies so much space-more than all three away from Abraham’s marriage ceremonies-this 1 are unable to let thinking the potential for multiple mysterious layers.
Whenever Rebekah will leave Harran along with her nearest and dearest to join Isaac and you can Abraham, she reunites children that was torn apart whenever Abraham launched their the brand new viewpoints. In place of the lady grandfather, Nahor, who failed to signup Abraham from inside the exile, Rebekah was happy to visit a mystical property and you can pursue Abraham’s teachings. As she is Abraham’s high-relative and their girl-in-law, she reinforces the new bloodline and will play an important role in persisted his history. The girl an effective character, as well as the way in which she by themselves agrees to help you get married Isaac, including creates an effective scriptural design based on how women can be handled (with respect) and just how they should function (that have dignity, thoughtfulness, and you can kindness).
In many ways, Rebekah is to try to Isaac exactly what Sarah were to Abraham. The brand new membership off their lives establishes so it matchmaking by the presenting numerous occurrences which can be the same-or almost therefore-to those out of Sarah’s lifestyle. On training the relevant passages during the genesis regarding the Sarah and you may Rebekah, one to magic how and why the newest the thing is that between the two girls taken place. Are they a literal recitation out of affairs or-apt to be-will they be icons regarding certain ethical facts? Do the brand new repetition can be found truthfully to make certain that we’re going to ask yourself the fresh internal meanings of tales? Is it feasible the new situations demonstrate that ladies are just as important to the real history out-of religion given that men are? And you can really does this new yielding out of a mature child to help you a more youthful you to depict precisely how an older, well-dependent faith is actually destined to be troubled and then changed by a newer and more youthful disclosure regarding God?
This new Strange Significance of Isaac’s Matrimony so you can Rebekah
Supplement end up being unto Thee, O my Goodness! Thou art The guy Who because of the a word of His lips hath transformed the complete production …. I sustain experience, O my personal Goodness, one using a phrase verbal by Thee within Revelation most of the composed things have been made in order to expire, and you may courtesy a different sort of word all of the such as for instance Thou didst wish was, of the Thy grace and you can bounty, endued with new lease of life. – Baha’u’llah, Prayers and you will Meditations by the Baha’u’llah, p. 42.