Immerse: Beginnings Full Volume - Flipbook - Page 46
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IMMERSE
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BEGINNINGS
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made me take an oath. He said, ‘Do not allow my son to marry one of these
local Canaanite women. Go instead to my father’s house, to my relatives,
and find a wife there for my son.’
“But I said to my master, ‘What if I can’t find a young woman who is
willing to go back with me?’ He responded, ‘The Lord, in whose presence I have lived, will send his angel with you and will make your mission
successful. Yes, you must find a wife for my son from among my relatives,
from my father’s family. Then you will have fulfilled your obligation. But
if you go to my relatives and they refuse to let her go with you, you will be
free from my oath.’
“So today when I came to the spring, I prayed this prayer: ‘O Lord,
God of my master, Abraham, please give me success on this mission. See,
I am standing here beside this spring. This is my request. When a young
woman comes to draw water, I will say to her, “Please give me a little drink
of water from your jug.” If she says, “Yes, have a drink, and I will draw water
for your camels, too,” let her be the one you have selected to be the wife
of my master’s son.’
“Before I had finished praying in my heart, I saw Rebekah coming out
with her water jug on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew
water. So I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’ She quickly lowered her jug
from her shoulder and said, ‘Yes, have a drink, and I will water your camels,
too!’ So I drank, and then she watered the camels.
“Then I asked, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She replied, ‘I am the daughter of Bethuel, and my grandparents are Nahor and Milcah.’ So I put the
ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her wrists.
“Then I bowed low and worshiped the Lord. I praised the Lord, the
God of my master, Abraham, because he had led me straight to my master’s
niece to be his son’s wife. So tell m
e—will you or won’t you show unfailing
love and faithfulness to my master? Please tell me yes or no, and then I’ll
know what to do next.”
Then Laban and Bethuel replied, “The Lord has obviously brought you
here, so there is nothing we can say. Here is Rebekah; take her and go. Yes,
let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has directed.”
When Abraham’s servant heard their answer, he bowed down to the
ground and worshiped the Lord. Then he brought out silver and gold
jewelry and clothing and presented them to Rebekah. He also gave expensive presents to her brother and mother. Then they ate their meal, and the
servant and the men with him stayed there overnight.
But early the next morning, Abraham’s servant said, “Send me back to
my master.”
“But we want Rebekah to stay with us at least ten days,” her brother and
mother said. “Then she can go.”
