Genesis 24:61 - Prayer Tents



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Genesis 24
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Isaac and Rebekah

24Abraham was now an old man. GOD had blessed Abraham in every way.H85H2204H935H3117H3068H1288H85 2Abraham spoke to the senior servant in his household, the one in charge of everything he had, "Put your hand under my thighH85H559H2205H5650H1004H4910H7760H3027H3409 3and swear by GOD—God of Heaven, God of Earth—that you will not get a wife for my son from among the young women of the Canaanites here,H7650H3068H430H8064H430H776H3947H802H1121H1323H3669H7130H3427 4but will go to the land of my birth and get a wife for my son Isaac."H3212H776H4138H3947H802H1121H3327 5The servant answered, "But what if the woman refuses to leave home and come with me? Do I then take your son back to your home country?"H5650H559H802H14H3212H310H776H7725H1121H7725H776H3318 6Abraham said, "Oh no. Never. By no means are you to take my son back there.H85H559H8104H7725H6435H1121H7725 7GOD, the God of Heaven, took me from the home of my father and from the country of my birth and spoke to me in solemn promise, 'I'm giving this land to your descendants.' This God will send his angel ahead of you to get a wife for my son.H3068H430H8064H3947H1H1004H776H4138H1696H7650H559H2233H5414H776H7971H4397H6440H3947H802H1121 8And if the woman won't come, you are free from this oath you've sworn to me. But under no circumstances are you to take my son back there."H802H14H3212H310H5352H7621H7725H1121H7725 9So the servant put his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and gave his solemn oath.H5650H7760H3027H3409H85H113H7650H5921H2088H1697 10The servant took ten of his master's camels and, loaded with gifts from his master, traveled to Aram Naharaim and the city of Nahor.H5650H3947H6235H1581H1581H113H3212H2898H113H3027H6965H3212H763H5892H5152 11Outside the city, he made the camels kneel at a well. It was evening, the time when the women came to draw water.H1288H1581H1288H2351H5892H413H875H4325H6256H6153H6256H3318H7579 12He prayed, "O GOD, God of my master Abraham, make things go smoothly this day; treat my master Abraham well!H559H3068H430H113H85H6440H7136H3117H6213H2617H5973H113H85 13As I stand here by the spring while the young women of the town come out to get water,H5324H5869H4325H1323H582H5892H3318H7579H4325 14let the girl to whom I say, 'Lower your jug and give me a drink,' and who answers, 'Drink, and let me also water your camels'—let her be the woman you have picked out for your servant Isaac. Then I'll know that you're working graciously behind the scenes for my master."H5291H559H5186H3537H8354H559H8354H8248H1581H8248H3198H5650H3327H3045H6213H2617H113 15It so happened that the words were barely out of his mouth when Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel whose mother was Milcah the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, came out with a water jug on her shoulder.H3615H1696H7259H3318H834H3205H1328H1121H4435H802H5152H85H251H3537H7926 16The girl was stunningly beautiful, a pure virgin. She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came back up.H5291H3966H2896H4758H1330H376H3045H3381H5869H4390H3537H5927 17The servant ran to meet her and said, "Please, can I have a sip of water from your jug?"H5650H7323H7125H559H1572H4592H4325H3537 18She said, "Certainly, drink!" And she held the jug so that he could drink.H559H8354H113H4116H3381H3537H3027H8248 19When he had satisfied his thirst she said, "I'll get water for your camels, too, until they've drunk their fill."H3615H8248H559H7579H1581H3615H8354 20She promptly emptied her jug into the trough and ran back to the well to fill it, and she kept at it until she had watered all the camels.H4116H6168H3537H8268H7323H875H7579H7579H1581 21The man watched, silent. Was this GOD's answer? Had GOD made his trip a success or not?H376H7583H2790H3045H3068H6743H1870H6743H518 22When the camels had finished drinking, the man brought out gifts, a gold nose ring weighing a little over a quarter of an ounce and two arm bracelets weighing about four ounces, and gave them to her.H1581H3615H8354H376H3947H2091H5141H1235H4948H8147H6781H3027H6235H4948H2091 23He asked her, "Tell me about your family? Whose daughter are you? Is there room in your father's house for us to stay the night?"H559H4310H1323H859H5046H3426H4725H1H1004H3885 24She said, "I'm the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah and Nahor.H559H1323H1328H1121H4435H3205H5152 25And there's plenty of room in our house for you to stay—and lots of straw and feed besides."H559H1571H8401H4554H7227H1571H4725H3885 26At this the man bowed in worship before GODH376H6915H7812H3068 27and prayed, "Blessed be GOD, God of my master Abraham: How generous and true you've been to my master; you've held nothing back. You led me right to the door of my master's brother!"H559H1288H3068H430H113H85H5800H5973H113H2617H571H1870H3068H5148H1004H113H251 28And the girl was off and running, telling everyone in her mother's house what had happened.H5291H7323H5046H517H1004H1697 29Rebekah had a brother named Laban. Laban ran outside to the man at the spring.H7259H251H8034H3837H3837H7323H2351H376H5869 30He had seen the nose ring and the bracelets on his sister and had heard her say, "The man said this and this and this to me." So he went to the man and there he was, still standing with his camels at the spring.H7200H5141H6781H269H3027H8085H1697H7259H269H559H3541H1696H376H935H376H5975H5921H1581H5869 31Laban welcomed him: "Come on in, blessed of GOD! Why are you standing out here? I've got the house ready for you; and there's also a place for your camels."H559H935H1288H3068H5975H2351H6437H1004H4725H1581 32So the man went into the house. The camels were unloaded and given straw and feed. Water was brought to bathe the feet of the man and the men with him.H376H935H1004H6605H1581H5414H8401H4554H1581H4325H7364H7272H582H7272 33Then Laban brought out food. But the man said, "I won't eat until I tell my story." Laban said, "Go ahead; tell us."H7760H3455H6440H398H559H398H1696H1697H559H1696 34The servant said, "I'm the servant of Abraham.H559H85H5650 35GOD has blessed my master—he's a great man; GOD has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, servants and maidservants, camels and donkeys.H3068H1288H113H3966H1431H5414H6629H1241H3701H2091H5650H8198H1581H2543 36And then to top it off, Sarah, my master's wife, gave him a son in her old age and he has passed everything on to his son.H8283H113H802H3205H1121H113H310H2209H5414 37My master made me promise, 'Don't get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites in whose land I live.H113H7650H559H3947H802H1121H1323H3669H776H3427 38No, go to my father's home, back to my family, and get a wife for my son there.'H518H3212H1H1004H4940H3947H802H1121 39I said to my master, 'But what if the woman won't come with me?'H559H113H802H3212H310 40He said, 'GOD before whom I've walked faithfully will send his angel with you and he'll make things work out so that you'll bring back a wife for my son from my family, from the house of my father.H559H3068H6440H1980H7971H4397H6743H1870H3947H802H1121H4940H1H1004 41Then you'll be free from the oath. If you go to my family and they won't give her to you, you will also be free from the oath.'H5352H423H935H4940H5414H5355H423 42"Well, when I came this very day to the spring, I prayed, 'GOD, God of my master Abraham, make things turn out well in this task I've been given.H935H3117H5869H559H3068H430H113H85H3426H6743H1870H1980 43I'm standing at this well. When a young woman comes here to draw water and I say to her, Please, give me a sip of water from your jug,H5324H5869H4325H5959H3318H7579H559H8248H4592H4325H3537H8248 44and she says, Not only will I give you a drink, I'll also water your camels—let that woman be the wife GOD has picked out for my master's son.'H559H8354H7579H1581H802H3068H3198H113H1121 45"I had barely finished offering this prayer, when Rebekah arrived, her jug on her shoulder. She went to the spring and drew water and I said, 'Please, can I have a drink?'H3615H1696H3820H7259H3318H3537H7926H3381H5869H7579H559H8248 46She didn't hesitate. She held out her jug and said, 'Drink; and when you're finished I'll also water your camels.' I drank, and she watered the camels.H4116H3381H3537H559H8354H8248H1581H8248H8354H8248H1581H8248 47I asked her, 'Whose daughter are you?' She said, 'The daughter of Bethuel whose parents were Nahor and Milcah.' I gave her a ring for her nose, bracelets for her arms,H7592H559H1323H559H1323H1328H5152H1121H4435H3205H7760H5141H639H6781H3027 48and bowed in worship to GOD. I praised GOD, the God of my master Abraham who had led me straight to the door of my master's family to get a wife for his son.H6915H7812H3068H1288H3068H430H113H85H5148H571H1870H3947H113H251H1323H1121 49"Now, tell me what you are going to do. If you plan to respond with a generous yes, tell me. But if not, tell me plainly so I can figure out what to do next."H3426H6213H2617H571H113H5046H5046H6437H3225H176H8040 50Laban and Bethuel answered, "This is totally from GOD. We have no say in the matter, either yes or no.H3837H1328H6030H559H1697H3318H3068H3201H1696H7451H176H2896 51Rebekah is yours: Take her and go; let her be the wife of your master's son, as GOD has made plain."H7259H6440H3947H3212H113H1121H802H3068H1696 52When Abraham's servant heard their decision, he bowed in worship before GOD.H85H5650H8085H1697H7812H3068H776 53Then he brought out gifts of silver and gold and clothing and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave expensive gifts to her brother and mother.H5650H3318H3627H3701H3627H2091H899H5414H7259H5414H251H517H4030 54He and his men had supper and spent the night. But first thing in the morning they were up. He said, "Send me back to my master."H398H8354H582H3885H6965H1242H559H7971H113 55Her brother and mother said, "Let the girl stay a while, say another ten days, and then go."H251H517H559H5291H3427H3117H176H6218H310H3212 56He said, "Oh, don't make me wait! GOD has worked everything out so well—send me off to my master."H559H309H3068H6743H1870H7971H3212H113 57They said, "We'll call the girl; we'll ask her."H559H7121H5291H7592H6310 58They called Rebekah and asked her, "Do you want to go with this man?" She said, "I'm ready to go."H7121H7259H559H3212H376H559H3212 59So they sent them off, their sister Rebekah with her nurse, and Abraham's servant with his men.H7971H7259H269H3243H85H5650H582 60And they blessed Rebekah saying, You're our sister—live bountifully! And your children, triumphantly!H1288H7259H559H859H269H1961H505H7233H2233H3423H8179H8130 61Rebekah and her young maids mounted the camels and followed the man. The servant took Rebekah and set off for home.H7259H6965H5291H7392H1581H3212H310H376H5650H3947H7259H3212 62Isaac was living in the Negev. He had just come back from a visit to Beer Lahai Roi.H3327H935H935H883H3427H5045H776 63In the evening he went out into the field; while meditating he looked up and saw camels coming.H3327H3318H7742H7704H6437H6153H5375H5869H7200H1581H935 64When Rebekah looked up and saw Isaac, she got down from her camelH7259H5375H5869H7200H3327H5307H5921H1581 65and asked the servant, "Who is that man out in the field coming toward us?" "That is my master." She took her veil and covered herself.H559H5650H4310H376H1976H1980H7704H7125H5650H559H113H3947H6809H3680 66After the servant told Isaac the whole story of the trip,H5650H5608H3327H1697H6213 67Isaac took Rebekah into the tent of his mother Sarah. He married Rebekah and she became his wife and he loved her. So Isaac found comfort after his mother's death.H3327H935H517H8283H168H3947H7259H802H157H3327H5162H310H517


The Message (MSG). All Scripture quotations are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries. More details.
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