A Servant, Isaac, Rebekah and “Chesed”

by Russell Morton

Russell Morton (Th.D., The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago) is Professional Fellow in New Testament at ATS.

Introduction

Henny Youngman was a well known comedian of the 1950’s through 1970’s. His act largely consisted of playing his violin, poorly, and after strumming a few notes beginning his monologue with the phrase, “I don’t get no respect.” He obviously had no grammar either. How does Henny Youngman relate to Isaac? Perhaps it is this, of all the patriarchs, Isaac gets no respect. Despite God’s promise to Abraham, Isaac is in many ways a transitional character, who falls between the stories of Abraham and Jacob. Even the story of his marriage in Genesis 24 is different from the two other extended narratives which describe how descendants of Abraham first meet the women who will be their wives. While both Jacob, in Genesis 29:1–3 and Moses in Exodus 2:15–22 meet their future spouses at wells outside city gates, Isaac does not meet Rebekah until the day of their marriage. The one who meets her for the first time is an unnamed servant. Isaac does not appear until the very conclusion of the story in Genesis 24:62–67.

This is not unusual for the narratives about Isaac. In Genesis 22, Abraham’s faith is tested when Isaac is offered on Mount Moriah. The story is a glorious example of God’s mercy, when God provides a lamb for sacrifice in place of Isaac, so that Abraham’s son may survive and God’s promises can be fulfilled. Yet, what is remarkable about the story is that Isaac; for all that he goes through, is not the subject of the narrative, but the object who is acted upon. The same is true in Genesis 27, when Jacob steals Esau’s blessing. Isaac is the one who is manipulated. “Only in the two stories in ch. 26 is Isaac an active protagonist and even these narratives are not unique, but have been related twice before, with some variation, about Abraham.”[1] Likewise, here, Isaac is the object of the story. Yet, despite the lack of activity on Isaac’s part, this story is of vital significance to the narrative of Genesis, for in this account we see how God is faithful in providing not only a wife for Isaac, but also fulfilling the divine promise to Abraham of Genesis 12:1–3, for if Isaac is not married Abraham cannot become the father of a great nation.

As we look at Genesis 24, we will focus on the following. First, in 24:1–14, there is the setting of the stage, where Abraham commissions his servant and ending with the servant’s prayer to God. Second, we should note 24:15–27, where the servant’s prayer is answered, and he gives thanks to the LORD, the God of Abraham. Finally, in 24:28–61, the servant meets Rebekah’s family, Bethuel and Laban, recounts God’s faithfulness on the journey, and requests that Rebekah be sent to Isaac as a wife. Bethuel and Laban accede to the servant’s request, and the narrative concludes with Isaac taking Rebekah as his wife.

In all three of these sections there is an important word that not only describes the character of God, but also calls upon Rebecca’s family to show the same kind of character in granting the servant’s request. That word is חסד (chesed), a covenantal term. It is appropriate to focus upon this covenantal language, for throughout the narrative; the emphasis is upon God’s works both in answering the servant’s prayer and providing Rebecca’s family with the character that enables her to be the person through whom God’s promise to Abraham is fulfilled.

A Servant’s Journey. Genesis 24:1–14

In Genesis 24:1–14. Abraham is old. He has been blessed by God. God has given Abraham a son in his old age, Isaac. Yet, the promise to Abraham has not yet been secured. Isaac still needs a wife if Abraham’s line is to continue, and the promises confirmed. It is, however, interesting how Abraham seeks to accomplish this goal. He does not call in Isaac, but calls his most senior servant. One might wonder if this is because Abraham does not quite trust Isaac. Has he seen already that Isaac has a weak personality? This is probably not likely the case. Indeed, throughout history arranged marriages have been the norm. North American society is one of the few one that have sanctioned “dating” over “courtship,” or over arranged marriages. Thus, Abraham asks his senior, his most trusted servant to make a solemn oath. We must assume that the servant is trusted, for he is going to perform a task that is usually reserved for family members, the securing of a wife for the heir.[2] That is why the oath is so solemn. The position of the hand indicates that this is a solemn oath, much as we swear on a Bible in court. What is interesting is here we see that Abraham’s servant is trusted. He is senior. But he is never named in the story. Why is that? Is it so that we focus not on the name of the servant, but upon the one who answers prayer? Perhaps. Whatever the case, we are now going to see that God is the one who will direct the story.

The servant takes an oath. What are the conditions? First, the Abraham orders servant not to provide a wife from among the Canaanites. If the promises of God are to be fulfilled, Abraham’s descendents must remain separate from the prevailing culture. Second, the wife is to be from Abraham’s family. The servant asks a good question in 24:5, if she does not wish to come back, do I take Isaac back? This again, is reasonable. Will the family be willing to send a beloved daughter to be married to someone they do not know, whose status and character is unknown to them? Abraham’s answer is emphatic. Literally, it says, “Watch out for yourself lest you return my son there.” The point is that Isaac is not to return to the land from which Abraham came. Is it possible that Abraham now has learned that to fulfill God’s promise, his family must be separated from not only the Canaanites surrounding him, but also from the land of his birth, which he was called to leave in Genesis 12? This seems to be the point of the next verse. “The Lord, God of Heaven who took me from the house of my father and the land of my birth, and who spoke to me and who swore to me to say, “to your descendents I will give this land, he will send his messenger [or angel] before you and you will acquire a wife for my son from there.”[3] As he has learned in Genesis 22, God is faithful. And now the readers are learning who the central character of this story really is. There is no need to know the servant’s name, for it is the LORD, the God of heaven, who is the central character, who will fulfill the promise to Abraham.

Yet, does Abraham still have some doubts? Abraham releases the servant from the oath if the woman will not return to Canaan. The patriarch’s primary concern seems to be that the servant should prove faithful to perform his task. Abraham now exits the stage. The narrative proceeds without him. The servant takes ten camels, a sign of great wealth in Abraham’s day. He also loads the camels with “all the good things of his master.” He comes to the city of Nahor, the city of his master’s birth, the city of Abram, before God called Abram Abraham. At the city gate, he stops. He now prays, and his prayer is of great significance. “O Lord, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show steadfast love to my master Abraham” (Gen. 24:12 NRSV). This translation is somewhat weak, because English not have the appropriate term for the Hebrew term חסד (chesed) translated “steadfast love,” or, in other translations, “loving-kindness.” This word, which will appear four times in this story (24:12, 14, 27, 49), is one of the most significant words for God’s relationship with God’s people throughout the Old Testament. Perhaps a better way to translate it is, “covenant faithfulness.” It means that God is faithful to the covenant. It extends not only to Abraham, but also to succeeding generations. It is because of such covenant faithfulness that there can be assurance that a wife will be provided.[4]

For what does the servant pray? He asks that the woman whom he asks for a drink will also offer to water his camels. A camel can go some days without water, but it will still need to drink. A thirsty camel can drink up to twenty-five gallons of water at one sitting.[5] Thus, the action for which the servant is praying is something extraordinary. It is similar to when Gideon prays that the fleece will be dry, but the threshing floor will be covered with dew in Judges 6:39–40. It is contrary to nature, and something beyond all expectation. In fact, the behavior is so beyond expectations that the servant repeats the appeal to God’s covenant faithfulness in Genesis 24:14.[6]

And Then Came Rebekah. Genesis 24:15–27

Rebekah enters in 24:15, even before the servant finishes praying. This is most striking, for then as now most will admit that prayers are seldom answered immediately. Sometimes they may not be answered for years. In this case, the servant’s prayer is answered before he can even finish speaking, which corresponds to what Jesus says in Matthew 6:8, “For your Father knows of the things which you need before you ask him.” Rebekah’s full genealogy is provided for the reader. She is of Abraham’s family, the daughter of Bethuel, son of Milcah, son of Abraham’s brother Nahor. She is also beautiful and a young woman, who is a virgin. The servant runs to meet her, and she gives him a drink. He asks for a sip, but she gives him enough water to quench his thirst. “On her own Rebekah accepts the responsibility for fetching water to quench the thirst of ten camels using one jug—no small task.”[7] We can imagine it took hours. The servant gazes in wonder. Has God fulfilled the servant’s prayer?

The answer comes in 24:22–27. The gift of the nose-ring and the bracelets may have been interpreted as payment for the water.[8] These are expensive gifts, demonstrating the man is either a man of wealth, or, as in this instance, he is the servant of a man of wealth. He then asks Rebekah who she is, and she relates her genealogy, she is the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor. Rebekah then invites the man to stay with her family, and board his camels at her family’s expense (24:24–25). The servant has found precisely the woman for whom he was seeking. God’s angel has directed his path. He again prays in thanksgiving. In 24:12, 14 he appealed to God’s covenant faithfulness. Now, in 24:26–27, he thanks God because God has not forsaken, or abandoned (עזב ʽzab)[9] that faithfulness. Indeed, he praises God for the divine fidelity in leading him on the path that brought him to descendents of Abraham’s brother. The original also notes faithfulness with the word אמת (emet), which has the same root from which we get the term “amen.” The term is used three times in Genesis 24 (24:27, 48, and 49) and twice in conjunction with חסד (chesed, see 24:27, 49). The meaning is that God has shown fidelity and truthfulness leading the servant to this point.[10] When believers we say “amen in prayer” they are affirming that they speak the truth before God. So here, God’s truthfulness is affirmed. The covenant with Abraham is secured.

One should also observe other features in the servant’s response. He is grateful because God has led him along the path. The wording in the original makes it very plain how the LORD has directed the servant’s path from the beginning. The LORD is faithful to the covenant, which means that the covenant promises to Abraham will be fulfilled. God is the covenant keeping God who keeps the divine promise, as asserted in Gen. 15:17–21.[11] In that passage, Abraham had made a sacrifice, cutting sacrificial animals in two. In the ancient world, one “cuts a covenant,” that is, an animal is cut in two and the parties who made the covenant walked between the pieces. The idea is that if an individual violated the agreement, that person will be cut in two like the animals.[12] In the vision of the smoking fire pot that appears at night, the LORD affirms God’s own commitment to be truthful to the covenant.[13] This is why memory is important. As God’s faithfulness in the past is observed, in the history of God’s people of Israel and the church, God’s faithfulness is affirmed, God is always faithful, as is narrated in this story.

A wife is gained. Genesis 24:28–61

In 24:28–61 the negotiations take place. Laban sees the jewelry and runs to find the man that gave these gifts to Rebekah. Laban is not an ethical man. Indeed, he is portrayed later in Genesis as a greedy individual.[14] Upon seeing the wealth the servant displays both with the camels and the gifts to Rebekah, he confirms her invitation. Usually, when one is invited into a household, one eats first before any business takes place. The servant is in a hurry to negotiate the settlement, however. In 24:45–48, he briefly recounts the story of his trip, of God’s faithfulness to Abraham, and the commission that has brought him into their house. He mentions God’s faithfulness (chesed), and how he has prayed. Now, in 24:49, he asks that Rebekah’s family also deal faithfully, using the same term previously reserved for God’s covenant faithfulness and fidelity found in 24:12, 14, 27, and 48. They are to act both in covenant faithfulness (chesed) and in truthfulness (emet). As members of Abraham’s family, they were also expected to demonstrate faithfulness and integrity. They are to act in a manner that not only confirms God’s promises, but also to behave in a way that demonstrates they accept God’s character. That is, in light of the story that the servant has just narrated, they are being asked if they will oppose God.[15] The pressure is on the family. Will they demonstrate faithfulness?

It is no wonder that Bethuel and Laban respond that “The thing comes from the LORD; we cannot speak anything bad or good” (Gen. 24:50 NRSV). She is allowed to go, especially since Laban knows that Isaac, as Abraham’s heir, is rich. This is confirmed now with the bride price in 24:53. At the end of the negotiations, there is the celebration (24:54). The servant wants to return immediately. Laban and Bethuel try to delay the servant and Rebekah, but the journey is long. God’s promises are fulfilled, as the servant says in 24:56 “Do not delay me, since the LORD has made my journey successful” (NRSV). Rebekah is asked if she will go with the man, and she agrees. She is then blessed, that she may become the mother of thousands and tens of thousands. She and her maids now accompany the servant.

The story concludes when Abraham’s servant returns to Canaan, but now accompanied by Rebekah, Rebekah’s nurse, Rebekah’s maids, and a caravan. In 24:62, for the first time, Rebekah will see Isaac, who is not portrayed in a favorable light. It appears he is in the wilderness complaining to God, possibly wailing over the loss of his mother. This is three years after her death, and he is still in mourning.[16] Yet without protest she prepares to meet Isaac, as seen when she places her veil over her face. She is acting in a manner appropriate for the customs of that day, for the bride meets her groom veiled.[17] The account ends with the words that “Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.” What began as an arranged marriage grows into a true relationship of love. As in any healthy marriage, love has to be nurtured and grow. But this love is not merely a human phenomenon. For the love we are talking about is not only Isaac’s love for Rebekah, but the loving kindness, the covenant faithfulness of God, to fulfill the promises to Abraham. With Isaac’s marriage, the line continues, the promises will be fulfilled. Thus, Isaac is the one through whom God’s purposes are accomplished as Paul points out in Romans 9:6–13. Indeed, in Galatians 4:28, Paul can say that “But you, brothers and sisters, are children of Isaac according to the promise.” So, spiritually, Isaac is not only father of physical Israel, but all of those who claim adoption into God’s family through Christ. So, this story is not only vital in the history of Israel, but the history of the church as well.

The story of Isaac’s betrothal has come to its conclusion. It is a story in which Isaac does not play an active part until the end. As mentioned above, he is acted upon. Yet, in light of later history, we can ask if Isaac finally gets respect? In some ways we can say yes. But, ultimately, it does not really matter that much, for the story is not about Isaac, but about God, who is faithful to the covenant, whose character is such that believers can appeal to it. It is a story of answered prayer, and the story of God’s faithfulness to the promise to Abraham.

For Abraham to be the point of departure of a history, not only must a child be born (Gen 15; 16, 18), but also two people must meet, love and grow in love ([24:]67). The story of love is also a part of the history of God’s dealings with his people, this is so here; love grows after the marriage; it is part of the history of Abraham as it continues in Isaac and Rebekah. The other motif of God’s providential action stands out over against this. When this is prefaced to the whole … then God’s guiding hand in one’s personal life receives a special significance … prayer permeates the whole narrative.[18]

The meaning is significant. From this story, the reader sees three important things. First, God is a God of character. God is not fickle. God keeps promises. God’s angel did go ahead of the servant. God prepared the way and made the servant’s work successful. Second, God answered the servant’s prayer with exactly the right person, Rebekah, at the right time. God’s timing here was instantaneous. It is not always that way, but believers may have confidence that God is faithful. Our prayers are answered in God’s time, not ours. This leads to the servant’s thanksgiving, which is the appropriate response when God answers prayer.

Third, is that God’s people need to reflect God’s character of covenant faithfulness. This character was seen in Rebekah’s family releasing her to accompany Abraham’s servant back to Canaan. It is also demonstrated in the love that Isaac and Rebekah came to feel for one another. This is not the product of one’s own efforts, however, for the God who is faithful provides the faithful ones with the Holy Spirit, who enables them to demonstrate God’s covenant faithfulness. The question is, how will the reader respond? Will she come to God in humble prayer, with thanksgiving, and respond in obedience as God answer prayers beyond all that can be asked or thought? The story leaves the choice open. The response is, ultimately, the reader’s.

Selected Bibliography

• Baer, D. A. and R. P. Gordon. “חסד,” New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis, vol. 2, pp. 210–218. Edited by Willem A. VanGemeren. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1997.
• Brown, Francis, S.R. Driver and Charles A. Briggs. A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: 1978, c1907.
• Hamilton, Victor P. The Book of Genesis, Chapters 18–50. New International Commentary on the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995.
• Moberly, R. W. L. “אמן,” New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis, vol. 1, pp. 427–433. Edited by Willem A. VanGemeren. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1997.
• Roth, Wolfgang. “The Wooing of Rebekah: A Tradition Critical Study of Genesis 24,” Catholic Biblical Quarterly 34 (1972) 177–87.
• Teugels, Lieve. “The Anonymous Matchmaker: An Enquiry into the Character of the Servant of Abraham in Genesis 24. Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 65 (1995) 13–23;
• ———. “A Strong Woman Who Can Find: A Study of Characterization in Genesis 24, With Some Consideration of the Presentation of Isaac and Rebekah in the Genesis Narratives,” Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 63 (1994) 89–104.
• Vall, Gregory. “What Was Isaac Doing in the Field (Genesis xxiv 63).” Vetus Testamentum 44 (1994), 513–23.
• Walton, John H. Genesis. The NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2001.
• Wenham, Gordon J. Genesis 16–50. Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 2. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1987.
• Westermann, Claus. Genesis 12–36: A Commentary. Continental Commentaries. Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Publishing House, 1985.

Notes

1. Lieve Teugels, “ ‘A Strong Woman Who Can Find?’ A Study of Characterization in Genesis 24, With Some Consideration of the Presentation of Isaac and Rebekah in the Genesis Narratives,” JSOT 63 (1994) 90.
2. See Lieve Teugels, “The Anonymous Matchmaker: An Enquiry into the Character of the Servant of Abraham in Genesis 24, JSOT 65 (1995), 13–23.
3. For more detail, see Wolfgang Roth, “The Wooing of Rebekah: A Tradition-Critical Study of Genesis 24,” CBQ 34(1972) 178–79.
4. For the ramifications of חסד, see D. A Baer and R.P. Gordon, “חסד”, NIDOTTE, 2:210–218.
5. John H. Walton, Genesis (NIV Application Bible Commentary; Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001), 530.
6. For more on the connection of Genesis 24 with the prayer of Gideon, see Victor P. Hamilton, Genesis 18–50 (NICOT; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 146.
7. Ibid., 147.
8. Claus Westermann, Genesis 12–36 (Continental Commentaries; Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1985), 387.
9. BDB 736–37. The verb is often used in contexts of human apostasy against God. When used of God, it often means, as here, that God does not abandon God’s people or covenant. See Robert L. Alden, “עזב,” NIDOTTE, 3:364.
10. R.W. L. Moberly, “אמן,” NIDOTTE, 1:428–29.
11. Westermann, Genesis 12–36, 228.
12. Hamilton, Genesis 18–50, 90. See Jer. 34:18–19 for the ceremony.
13. Westermann, Genesis 12–36, 228.
14. E.A. Speiser, Genesis (AB; Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1964), 184.
15. Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 16–50 (WBC 2; Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1994), 149.
16. For further detail, see Gregory Vall, “What Was Isaac Doing in the Field (Genesis xxiv 63).” VT 44 (1994), 513–23.
17. See Gen. 29:23–25. The logical reason that Jacob does not recognize that Laban has given Leah to him as a bride is because she is veiled.
18. Westermann, Genesis 12–36, 392.