Gen. 24: 01 – 67 – The Wooing of Rebekah
Background
This story continues the turning point in Genesis from Abraham to his progenitors, in this case, Isaac. However, it is Rebekah who most mirrors Abraham as the one called who in responding leaves family and land to journey to an unknown. The story can be broken up into four episodes:
- Vv. 01 – 09: Abraham initiates the journey by commissioning his servant to find a wife for Isaac.
- Vv. 10 – 27: The servant carries out the commission.
- Vv. 28 – 61: Rebekah and her family respond
- Vv. 62 – 67: the marriage of Rebekah and Isaac
We devoted our time to the first two episodes and intend to turn to the last two next Sunday, February 3rd. In the first episode Abraham nearing the end of his life summons his most senior servant to send him back to his [Abraham’s] home land and his own kin there to find a wife for Isaac. Abraham is clear on what the servant is not to do. Twice [vv. 06 & 08] he informs the servant “Never take my son back there for any reason!” In v. 03 he has expressed again what the servant is not to do, “you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I live …”
The servant is hesitant since fulfillment of the oath seems outside of his control, “What if the woman is unwilling to follow me to this land?…” Abraham acknowledges the fact that despite God’s providence it is possible for the plan to be frustrated by human decisions. Eventually the two arrive at an understanding, the servant takes an oath, and goes off to fulfill the commission.
In the second episode, the prayer of the servant dominates. In prayer the servant utters two Hebrew words that, for me, define the relationship between God and the Israelites, but ultimately God and human kind. The two words are “hesed” – steadfast love – and “emet” – faithfulness, see v. 27. Prayer enters in because the servant is faced with a fundamental question, how is he to know who the woman is? Not knowing is a constant theme, not just in biblical stories, but lies at the heart of all of our lives; often we simply do not know. Prayer enters in. [In our course on Creator God Evolving World we will probe how it is that prayer asking God to “intervene” and God’s transcendence are to be understood.]
The story is told in what is termed, a type scene, common in the bible as well as other literature, a man, a woman, a well, a marriage. The story teller draws on the culture open to him to convey a meaning. As I continuously do, the story is not an historical account of events; rather it is a theological account of God’s relationship with us, God’s entry into human meaning. It reveals both the human culture of the day and the transcendent values of God. Discerning, distinguishing, and developing are the constant challenge of each generation of believers. So now we turn to our questions!
Our Questions
For the sake of completeness I will include in our blog the basic questions that guide us in hearing the passages we study each week.
- First who are the characters and what role does each play? To the extent that we can identify
- what the characters say and do, or
- don’t say and do but we would expect them to do so, and
- finally when they enter into the passage and leave it
We can more easily and more accurately know what their role is from the point of view of the author and / or the editor of the passage.
- The “when” question is quite complicated and again for the sake of completeness; there is
- The “when” within the story / passage itself,
- The “when” of the editor, and most importantly,
- The “when” of our life at the time we are actually reading / studying the passage.
- What is the plot, the point of the passage?
- Finally, because each passage is at one and the same time the word of human beings and the Word of God, there is revealed the values that are part and parcel of the human beings in their time and place and there is the values revealed by God for the believer. Our final question is to discern which values in the passage are attractive to us, we are drawn to and which are we repulsed by, inclined to reject? The more difficult task, if we do identify these two responses in us of the values revealed, which are of God and we are being challenged to embrace and which are not of God and we are being challenged to correct and develop.
My Refrain
Before we read though, let’s quiet ourselves, remember whatever we can from the background, our questions and, most importantly, pay attention to what happens inside of us as we read.
Reading of the passage http://www.usccb.org/bible/genesis/24
Discussion Gen. 24: 01 – 27: The servant is commissioned and the meeting of Rebekah at the well.
Tim raised the first question, why is placing one’s hand underneath the thigh a part of oath taking? I mentioned that probably “thigh” was a euphemism for genitals that symbolized the source of life. Such a gesture was very symbolic for the people of this time but escapes us today. Such is the constant reminder of both the human and the divine dimension of the bible.
A host of other questions were raised and discussed:
What is the significance of twice demanding that the servant “never’ take Isaac back to Abraham’s land of origin?
Why did Abraham select a servant to fulfill this mission and not a family member?
Why did the servant give Rebekah gifts first and then ask about staying at her family’s house?
It seems strange to give Rebekah a nose ring.
Your comments, observations, questions are welcomed. See “comment” link below