"Sir, listen to us, you are a mighty prince among us. bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb for burying your dead." vs. 5,6
Why are they so willing to have Abraham take their burial grounds that they have for their own families? My guess would be that they had witnessed Abraham's success and the fact that God was with him, so they desired to be on his good side. In those days, quite similar to nowadays, people wanted to be buried in the land of their fathers, with their families. Abraham was acting in faith- declaring this to be the land of his descendants.
After Sarah's death, Abraham is starting to feel his age and calls on his chief servant. He asks the guy to stick his hand under his thigh, close to his- you-know-what, and has him swear that he will bring back a wife for Isaac from Abraham's own family. Abraham does not want Isaac to return to the land where Abraham's family was because God had led them out of Mesopotamia into the land that had been promised to Abraham's descendants.
Because Abraham did not want Isaac to return, the woman had to be willing to go without even seeing her future husband. Through this, not only is Abraham ensuring that his son would remain where God had brought them, but he was also ensuring that Isaac would have a God-fearing, faith-filled woman. She would trust God with her life enough to head into a foreign land to marry a man she had never met.
I love how the servant prays for such a concrete, literal sign. If a woman comes out and offers him something to drink, and then offers water for his camels- he knows that it is a sign from God that this is the woman that God has chosen.
Rebekah comes out and offers water to the servant and to pull up water for his camels. When he discovers that she is Abraham's brother's granddaughter, he is ecstatic!
Her father and grandfather hear the entire story relayed through the servant, and at the end,
"This is from the LORD, we can say nothing to you one way or the other. Here is Rebekah.."
Vs. 50,51
Her brother and mother don't seem too keen on letting her go so quickly, so they ask for more time with her. The servant is pressed for time, because he wants to return to Abraham with Rebekah before Abraham's death.
So they call for Rebekah, and let her decide.
"I will go."
No questions, no compromises, just, "I will go." I really respect Rebekah for her bravery and active faith. What a step! Going with a strange man to travel to a foreign and pagan land to marry a stranger, trusting that God was taking care of her and providing for her.
Before she leaves, Rebekah`s family blesses her saying,
"Our sister, may you increase to thousands upon thousands.
May your offspring possess the gates of their enemies." vs 60
Without realizing it, they blessed her in accordance to what God would be fulfilling through her in God's promises to Abraham. (22:17)
Rebekah had a strong faith in God, and was willing to act in her faith and go to the land where she had been called to go. It was so clear through the signs that God had given through the servant. She is an example to me of the faithful life I should live.
May we be challenged through Rebekah's life to be willing, faithful followers when God calls us to go.
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