Genesis 24:21-33

²¹ The man stared at her in silence, trying to discern whether the LORD had prospered his journey or not.

²² When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring weighing a half shekel, and two bracelets for her arms weighing ten gold shekels,

²³ and said, “Please tell me whose daughter you are. Is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?”

²⁴ She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.”

²⁵ And she said, “We also have plenty of both straw and fodder, as well as room to spend the night.”

²⁶ The man bowed his head and worshiped the LORD

²⁷ and said, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his faithful love and his trustworthiness toward my master. As for me, the LORD has led me in the way to the house of my master’s kinsmen.”

²⁸ Then the young woman ran and told her mother’s household about these things.

²⁹ Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban. Laban rushed out to meet the man, to the spring.

³⁰ As soon as he saw the ring and the bracelets on his sister’s arms, and heard the words of Rebekah his sister, “This is how the man spoke to me,” he went to the man. And see, he was standing by the camels at the spring.

³¹ He said, “Come in, O blessed by the LORD. Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.”

³² So the man came to the house and unharnessed the camels, and gave straw and fodder to the camels, and there was water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.

³³ Then food was set before him to eat. But he said, “I will not eat until I have said what I have to say.” He said, “Speak on.”

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Faithfulness and Trustworthiness

The word which describes the servant’s stare at Rebekah is telling. It is the word one would use describing the amazement one would feel at seeing a natural disaster. But his stare is that of gratitude. The LORD has answered his prayer, and that of his master, Abraham. The LORD is proving that he is a God of faithfulness and trustworthiness – of grace and truth.[1]

As soon as the camels take the last slurp, he gets out his trinkets. These are expensive gifts, but are given merely out of gratitude for Rebekah’s help. The servant asks if they have lodging for him and his men, and Rebekah affirms that they do, and runs off to tell the other women in her family what has happened. Laban, her brother, hears and rushes out to officially invite the party to their tents. The meal is prepared, but the servant insists on getting business out of the way before eating.

Thank you, LORD, for always proving your faithfulness and trustworthiness to us.

[1] see John 1:14, 17.