EBS (English Bible Story, 영어성경이야기) › 족장시대 › 01Gen2301 Isaac Marries Rebekah
jesus | 2011.07.16 20:36:08 | 본문 건너뛰기 쓰기
Isaac Marries Rebekah
At the age of one hundred and twenty-seven years, Sarah died. Abraham bought a piece of land with a cave on it in which to bury his wife. Abraham buried Sarah in the cave of Mechpelah. Abraham and Sarah had been married for many years, and gone through so much together. Now Abraham mourned her death.
Abraham was about ten years older than Sarah, and he began to think of what would happen if he died before Isaac married. He had to find a wife for Isaac. But whom? The people living around about them did not worship the true God, so Isaac could not marry one of them. He would have to find one in Mesopotamia back where he original came from. But he could not go back there as he was too old.
So Abraham called his eldest and most trusted servant, asking him to make a promise before the Lord, the God of heaven and earth, that he would not take a wife for Isaac from among the Canaanites, where they lived, but that he would go back to Abraham's own country and there find Isaac a wife.
What a responsibility! The servant thought for a moment. Then asked what he should do if the woman would not came back with him. Was he to come back and take Isaac to her.
Abraham said no. If the woman would not come back to Canaan with him, he would be freed from his promise to find Isaac a wife.
The servant made this promise to Abraham. Then he took ten camels and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor. Here he made his camels to kneel down by a well that was outside the city. It was evening, the time when the women came out to the well to fetch water.
The servant then asked the Lord for a sign as to which woman he should choose to be Isaac's wife. The sign was that if he asked a woman for a drink from her pitcher, a large jug like container, and she offered to water his camels as well, then he would know that this was the woman God had chosen to be Isaac's wife.
Before he had finished his request to the Lord, Rebekah came to the well with a pitcher. She was very beautiful. The servant ran to meet her and asked for a drink from her pitcher. This she gladly gave him, then she offered to water his camels as well. Quickly she drew pitcher, after pitcher of water from the well to water his thirsty camels.
When she was finished the servant gave Rebekah a gold earring, and two golden bracelets. Then he asked her who she was, and if he could stay at her father's house.
She told him she was Rebekah, daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, which was the wife of Nahor. She also told him there was plenty of room and food for him at her father's house.
The servant bowed his head in thankful pray to God, while Rebekah hurried home to tell her household what had happened.
Rebekah's brother, Laban, hurried back to the well and brought Abraham's servant back to their home. Once there the servant told Bethuel who he was and why he was in Mesopotamia. He also told Bethuel about the sign he had asked God for at the well.
When Laban and Bethuel heard all this, they said it must be God's will for Rebekah to become Isaac's wife. They gave their permission for the servant to take Rebekah back to Canaan to become Isaac's wife. The servant then gave many presents to Rebekah, Laban, and Rebekah's mother.
They then asked Rebekah if she would agree to all this. This she did, and then Rebekah and her servant prepared for the long camel ride back to where Isaac and Abraham lived in Canaan.
Back in Canaan Isaac went out in the field one evening to think. Looking into the distance he saw the camels coming. He went to meet them. Rebekah covered herself with a vail before meeting him. They loved each other at first sight.
Isaac took Rebekah to be his wife. This comforted Isaac after the death of his mother.
Abraham also took a wife, Kenturah. She bore him six sons. But before he died Abraham gave gifts to Kenturah and her children and sent them to the east country. Isaac was to be his only true heir.
Abraham was one hundred and seventy-five years old when he died. His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Mechpelah, where Abraham had buried Sarah his wife.
(Genesis 23:1-20; 24:1-67; 25:1-10. Isaacstory)