Genesis 24:24-25

Vs.24- “And she said unto him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, which she bare unto Nahor.”- Rebekah answers the first question.  Her father is Bethuel and her grandparents are Milcah and Nahor.  Nahor is Abraham’s brother and Milcah is his niece.  Bethuel is Abraham’s nephew.  The answer to this question reveals to the servant that Rebekah is qualified to be Isaac’s wife.  Apparently, Abraham’s servant had a great knowledge of his master’s family tree. 

 

One-Line Explanation- Rebekah answers the first question concerning her pedigree.

 

Lesson:  1.)  This servant knew his master’s family very well.  He had a working knowledge of Abraham’s family tree.  He knew by Rebekah’s answer that she was a part of Abraham’s family.  The Holy Spirit knows who is a part of God’s family.  How does He know?  The Holy Spirit is involved in bringing us into the family.  John 3:8- The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.  The Holy Spirit convicts, regenerates, adopts, and seals the believer.  Rom.8:15- For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.  By God’s Spirit we have been born into God’s family and by God’s Spirit we have been adopted into God’s family!  There are only two ways to become a legal part of a family and I can claim both of them in regards to being a part of God’s family!  The fact that I was born into God’s family reveals that suffering took place.  A woman suffers the pain and travail in bringing a child into this world.  Jesus suffered on the cross of Calvary so that I could be born again!  The fact that I was adopted into God’s family reveals that selection took place.  When we adopted our son, we chose to make him a part of our family.  Many people decide to adopt.  They will go to an agency and will begin the process of choosing a child to adopt.  Eph.1:4-5- According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: (Vs.5) Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.  This truth does not mean that God chooses some to go to hell and some to go to heaven and the individual is unconditionally elected to eternal salvation or eternal suffering and there is nothing they can do about it either way.  This is the popular Calvinistic view.  We have been chosen in him.  God has chosen His Son Jesus Christ as the only way to heaven.  It has been predetermined that those who get saved will be adopted into His family!  If you trust Christ as your Saviour then you are in Christ and if you are in Christ then it has been predetermined or predestined that you will be a son of God through adoption.  2.)  Not only does the Spirit of God know who God’s children are, but He reveals to us if we are God’s children or not.  Rom.8:16- The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.  Do you struggle with knowing for sure that you are saved?  Do you struggle with knowing for sure you are a part of the family?  God has given us an inner witness that we are God’s children.  Does the Holy Spirit speak to you?  Does the Holy Spirit convict you?  Does the Holy Spirit lead you?  This is evidence that you are God’s child!  The servant, the Holy Spirit, knows who is in the Master’s family!

 

 

Vs.25- “She said moreover unto him, We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in.”- Rebekah answers the second question.  She says that they have provision for the camels and a place for the people.  This was a caravan of people and camels to take care of.  Remember, there are ten camels and probably ten men.  Many people would not have been able to host such a crowd, but Rebekah said that her family was able.  The straw was for the camels to sleep on and the provender is the food for the camels. 

 

One-Line Explanation- Rebekah answers the second question concerning a place to stay. 

 

Meaning of Names and Terms

1.      Provender- Dry food for beasts, usually meal, or a mixture of meal and cut straw or hay. In a more general sense, it may signify dry food of any kind.

Genesis 24:23

Vs.23- “And said, Whose daughter art thou?”- After taking out the gifts, the servant of Abraham asks her two important questions.  He first asks her of her lineage.  Part of the oath that the servant made with his master was that he would find a wife for Isaac of his own kindred.  This woman was only a candidate for his errand if she had the right pedigree. 

“Tell me, I pray thee:  is there room in thy father’s house for us to lodge in?”- “I pray thee.”  The word pray literally means to beseech or ask a petition.  The second question was concerning lodging.  I can think of two good reasons why he asked this question.  1.)  Because they needed a place to stay.  This servant and his men were hundreds of miles away from home and would need a place to stay for the night.  In Abraham’s day, you didn’t have inns to stay in.  A person was required to trust in the hospitality of those in the area to which they were travelling.  It was a common courtesy to give hospitality to those that were in travelling through.  2.)  He was desirous of the opportunity to speak with Rebekah’s father concerning the oath he was sent to fulfill.  He wanted to talk with her family about Rebekah coming to Canaan to marry Isaac.  Rebekah has no idea about the servant’s errand.  An interesting side note- Rebekah was not given the earring and bracelets until after the servant asked the questions.  Vs.22 tells us that the servant got them out and ready and then asked the questions.  Vs.47 of this chapter reveals to us that the servant put these items on her after she had answered the questions. 

 

One-Line Explanation- The servant asks Rebekah two important questions.

 

Lesson:   1.)  Passing the test.  Rebekah had a few tests to pass before she became part of the Messianic line.  A.)  Her first test was the test of obedience.  She had to water the camels when she was asked.  B.)  Her second test was the test of initiative.  She watered the camels even though she wasn’t asked.  C.)  Her third test was a test of pedigree.  She had to be of a certain family to qualify.  D.)  Her fourth test involved inviting the servant to her home to meet her parents.  The Lord allows us to be tested many times in our lives.  Rebekah passed every test that was put in front of her.  Tests are not to make you smarter, but rather to reveal how smart you already are.  If you don’t know the answers on a particular test, taking the test will not make you automatically know the answers.  Tests are to reveal what should already be in you.  These tests did not give Rebekah character, they just revealed her character.  We need to be preparing as Christians to be the right kind of Christian so that when we are tested we may pass the test and be useful to the Lord.  2.)  Whose daughter art thou?  Rebekah could not be Isaac’s wife if she was not a part of Isaac’s family.  She had to be a part of the family or else her right to this blessing was forfeited.  You and I must be a part of the family of God if we wish to have the blessings of God.  How do you become a member of the family?  You must be born again.  You are spiritually born into God’s family by simply trusting in Jesus Christ as your Saviour.  If you are not a child of God; if you are not a part of God’s family then you cannot have the blessing of heaven, or the blessing of forgiveness, or the blessing of a new body, or the blessing of the Holy Spirit, or numerous other blessings that we will not take time to mention.  The gifts were not given to Rebekah until first she stated her pedigree.  You will not receive the gift of eternal life unless you are a part of God’s family!  Spiritually speaking, there are only two families you can be a member of.  You are either a member of one or the other.  Jesus told the Pharisees in John 8:44- Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.  You are either a child of the devil or a child of God.  If you have not been born again then you are a child of the devil.  The blessings only apply to you if you are in the right family!  So, I must ask the question:  “Whose daughter art thou?” or “Whose son art thou?”  3.)  Is there room in thy father’s house for us to lodge in?  The servant was asking for permission to stay at Rebekah’s home.  The Holy Spirit is a gentleman.  He will not force His way into your life, but He will gently petition you that you would let him in.  A.)  If you are lost, then the Holy Spirit is knocking on your hearts door and asking you to let him in.  Let Christ come in and dwell in your tabernacle.  B.)  If you are saved, then the Holy Spirit dwells in your temple (Body).  Now, he allows you to make the choice of either letting him have control or you having control.  Letting the Spirit have control in your life is called being spirit filled.  Don’t just let the Holy Spirit be a tenant, but rather make Him your landlord!  C.)  Is there room in thy father’s house?  On a totally different application, I want to say, there is always room in the Father’s house for one more sinner!  Many lost sinners think that they don’t deserve to go to heaven (and they are correct) and that God doesn’t want them to be saved (they are incorrect.)  None of us deserve heaven, we are all hell deserving sinners, but Jesus died for the whole world and wants you to go to heaven.  He wants you to be saved and cleansed of your sin-stain.  There is room in my father’s house for one more child!

Genesis 24:22

Vs.22- “And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight,”- When Rebekah had given the camels enough water to satisfy their thirst, the servant gave her an earring.  This piece of jewelry was made of half a shekel of gold.  A shekel of gold translates to about $1,920 in our currency.  So, half of a shekel would be worth around $960.  This was quite a gift to be given for simply watering some camels!

“and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold;”- The servant also gave Rebekah two bracelets that totaled ten shekels of gold.  I would assume that they were five shekels a piece, but we do not know.  The bracelets value would then be estimated at around $19,200! 

 

One-Line Explanation- The servant gives Rebekah an earring and two bracelets.

 

Lesson:  1.)  It pays to serve.  Rebekah did not know that she was going to be rewarded for her actions.  She was simply acting according to her character.  She was a woman with a servant’s heart and she responded to the request of this servant.  After watering the man’s camels, she was rewarded with golden gifts amounting to approximately $20,160 in value!  The old saying is ‘You can’t out give God!’  Jesus said, “Give and it shall be given unto you.”  The Bible says that if we sow sparingly we will reap sparingly, but if we sow bountifully we will reap bountifully.  Whatever service we render to God will be rewarded.  It always pays to serve the Lord.  With that in mind, we need to be careful about our motivations.  Our motivation in serving God should never be about what we can get out of it.  I do not serve God for the monetary blessing I can get out of it, but I serve God because He is my master and I love Him!  God rewards proper actions and proper motives.  Rebekah displayed both in this story.  She served the servant of Abraham and was not thinking about a reward at all.  We need to just serve the Lord out of a pure heart and trust Him to take care of us.  He will reward us in due time.  2.)  The Holy Spirit gives valuable gifts!  Rebekah responded to the request of the servant and was rewarded with gifts.  The servant in this story is a type of the Holy Spirit of God.  When we get saved by responding to the wooing of the Holy Spirit, we then receive gifts from God.  We receive the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, we receive spiritual gifts that we use to serve the Lord, and we receive the gift of eternal life.  3.)  Nose rings?  Most modern translations translate the Hebrew word “Nezem” in this passage as ‘nose ring.’  The King James Bible translates the word ‘earring.’  Many of the ancient commentators also have said that this ornament mentioned in this passage was a nose ring.  So which is it?  Is it a nose ring or an earring?  The word could be translated nose ring.  Why don’t we let the Bible define the Bible?  Gen.35:4- And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.  Exo.32:2-3- And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. (Vs.3) And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron.  Both of these passages contain the Hebrew word “Nezem” which is again translated in the King James Bible as earring or earrings.  These passages, however, make it very clear that the intended meaning is for a jewel in the ears.  The Bible says, “…all their earrings (Nezem) which were in their ears.”  I have been reading commentaries that have said the word would be better translated ‘nose ring.’  The modern translations for the most part do translate the word Nezem in this passage as nose ring; however, as we search the Scriptures we find once again that the King James Bible is right and the other translations are wrong!  The Bible clearly says that Nezem is a jewel in the ear!  The modern liberals have used this verse to tell the young people that it’s ok to wear nose rings and look like some kind of a punk rocker.  I study this verse and am once again convinced that the King James Bible is the Word of God and the other ‘translations’ are cheap imitations.