24:1-4 Abraham makes his oldest servant swear that they are to get a wife for Isaac from Abraham's people, not the people of Canaan. Why did Abraham request the servant to place his hand under Abraham's thigh to make this vow? This might indicate that Abraham was too weak to do traditional vowmaking (swearing via a handshake, etc). The oldest servant is said to rule over the land; this is fitting for the oldest servant to hold the most responsibility. Abraham swears by "the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth." Why does he mention God twice rather than just saying 'God of heaven and earth?' This introduces the possibility of confusion.
24:5 The servant asks if Isaac should stay in the land Abraham is from.
24:6-7 Abraham does not want Isaac to return to the old land. Abraham is trying to strictly follow the commands of God because God took Abraham out of his old land and said that this current land was granted to him and his seed. Abraham also mentions that an Angel will guide the servant to choose a wife. It is cool to see that Abraham was so close to God that he could just say that "[God] will send His Angel before you" without God saying He would do that.
24:8 Abraham continues saying that only if the woman is not willing to follow you back here then the servant may break this oath. What exactly is Abraham referring to when he says "this oath?" It might be concerned with the woman the Angel picks.
24:9 Servant swore under Abraham's thigh
24:10-14 The servant reaches Mesopotamia and starts an interesting prayer. He asks God to guide him to the woman who will serve him water along with his camels. Interesting that in the previous paragraph, I was expecting an explicit appearance of an angel to guide the servant to a woman. This sign that he asks for is a very passive one.
24:15-16 Rebekah approaches right after he finishes praying. Rebekah is the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor. Essentially, Rebekah is Abraham's great-niece (if that makes sense?).
24:17-20 Rebekah gave the servant water and offered water for the camels as well; she passed the test.
24:21 The servant looks at Rebekah and starts wondering. Why does he question if the "Lord had made his journey prosperous or not?" The servant asked for a sign and it was received exactly as he intended. He might be thinking that he should have asked for a more specific sign (?). This is similar to some of the issues we face with belief today.
24:22-25 The servant brings out jewelry and gold and then asks her whose daughter she is and if they have room for lodging. Rebekah replies and says they have plenty for the servants and camels to stay and feed.
24:26 NOW the servant praises God.
24:27-28 The servant says to Rebekah the story. The beginning part of the servant's speech would be perfect for prayer. Rebekah goes to tell her household.
24:29-30 Laban, brother of Rebekah, ran to see the servant after hearing good news.
24:31 Laban invites the servant inside and asks a rhetorical question. This question conveys that the servant, and in extension those of Abraham's house and the people of God, are welcomed in the house.
24:32 It states the "man" unloaded the camels and other chores. This is referencing Laban. This shows the great hospitality of Rebekah's house, even to the servants.
24:33 Another instance of bread is mentioned in the Bible. The servant says that he will not eat until he has conveyed what he is there to tell.
24:34-47 The servant tells Laban and party about his mission and story
24:48-49 The servant asks for Laban and Bethuel's response. The servant says that if they are not willing then let him know "that [he] may turn to the right hand or to the left." I assume this statement is supposed to imply that the servant will look elsewhere for a woman if they disagree.
24:50-51 Laban and Bethuel agree to hand over Rebekah. Why do they say, "we cannot speak to you either good or bad."?
24:52 Servant praises God again
24:53-54 The servant gave gifts to the family and joined them in a feast.
24:55 Laban and the mother request to keep Rebekah for 10 days before sending her off. This might be to say final farewells (?)
24:56 The servant rejects their request saying that the Lord "has prospered my way." This shows that matters that deal with God are never to be delayed.
24:57-59 They officially ask Rebekah if she would go, and she says yes. Also, a minor detail mentioned in passing that Abraham's servant was not alone.
24:60-61 The family blesses Rebekah and she leaves with some of her maids with the servants of Abraham. The blessing used is interesting, "May you become the mother of thousands of myriads, and may your seed possess the gates of their enemies." What entirely does that mean?
24:62 Isaac comes to the Well of the Vision. I don't think we know this well as of yet; this tells us that there is a story about to unfold.
24:63 Isaac meditated in the field. I wonder how they practiced meditation. This is taught through various forms in Eastern theologies.
24:64-65 Rebekah saw a man in the field and asked the servant who it was. The servant said it was Isaac and then Rebekah went immediately to cover herself. Why does she want to veil herself now at a time of revelation? This might turn into her trying to test out Isaac before the wedding is official.
24:66-67 My assumption was wrong. Rebekah joined in Sarah's tent and was married to Isaac. At this time, Sarah had departed, so what was Sarah's tent? Was it the tent she used while she was alive? Or did they get married in front of her burial ground? I don't think it was the one she used while she was alive because then it would be titled "Abraham's tent." This verse also mentions Rebekah had consoled Isaac in regards to his mother, this gives some ground for Sarah's tent being near her burial place.
Abraham was probably compelled to try to find a wife for Isaac because Abraham was getting weaker with his old age. This is evident by having the servant swear under his thigh. (v.1-4)
The oldest servant is the old charged with the most responsibility. This not only alludes to seniority but also that the oldest servant is also the one that has served with Abraham the longest. (v.1-4)
Abraham swears on the name of the "God of heaven and the God of earth." He separates the titles not to highlight two different entities but to rather set forth the magnitude of each title.
Abraham always follows the commands of God almost to a fault. God promised prosperity for his future generations and thus Abraham was insistent that Isaac stay with the new land of Abraham (v.6-7).
Abraham's relationship with God is something to be fathomed. In previous chapters, when we see foretelling of the actions of God being told by man it is because God had told man what He was planning to do. This is the first instance where we see Abraham almost 'command' God. This interaction comes from a place of understanding that most likely follows this logic: "God wants the prosperity of my future generations; For this to happen, Isaac must find a suitable wife. God will not let Isaac go astray with a bad wife; thus God will guide him in picking a woman for Isaac." This is why Abraham states that God will "send His Angel before you." One note is that no indication reveals whether or not this angel is a regular angel or God in the form of an Angel, even though the OSB capitalizes this 'Angel.' (v.6-7)
Abraham lists only one condition for the oath with the servant, which is that if the woman decides to not leave her home then the oath is to be broken. I assume this means that if God has led the servant to a woman but the woman is not willing to fulfill the command of God, then it is God's way of saying that it is not time for Isaac to find someone. (v.8)
The servant asks for an explicit sign from God to see if the woman is right for Isaac. This is similar to how sometimes today we ask God for a sign. The test that the servant uses allows him to pick someone selfless and of good nature. This is very different from having an angel of God appear and guide the servant to a woman. When Rebekah passed the test, the servant was doubtful if she answered correctly or if it was by coincidence. He then tries to confirm by asking a follow-up question. When she passed again, the servant was 100% certain and gave praise to God. (v.21)
When Laban welcomes the servant, his statement elevates the position of those of the house of Abraham and all those who worship God. This is just the first of many examples of hospitality in the house of Rebekah. (v.31)
The nature of Abraham is reflected in his servant. Just as Abraham refused to take handouts from anyone, the servant refused to take any food (bread) until he stated the reason for his coming. The servant might have felt that it would be improper to take and enjoy from a house if they had not decided to let their daughter marry Isaac. This is another example of humility. (v.33)
The servant asks if the house of Rebekah will follow the ways of Abraham and the Lord God. If not then the servant shall "turn to the right hand or to the left." This is stating that the servant shall be on his way. The "right hand" symbolizes taking a hand of marriage, while the "left hand" is probably to leave to search for another woman. (v.49)
When Laban and Bethuel say, "The command comes from the Lord; we cannot speak to you either good or bad." There are different interpretations of what this could mean. One instance is that the family did not 'know' God therefore they could not speak of the Lord being entirely good or entirely bad but they knew that the Lord was greater than everyone so they followed along. Another interpretation could be that they did not know of Abraham to speak good or bad about him. This logic could also be applied to the servant being good or bad. (v.50)
The servant worshipped the Lord, again. This shows his commitment to the Lord God and how often we should reflect and be thankful. (v.52)
In celebration, it explicitly mentions that they "ate and drank." One might relate this to how oftentimes Christians are portrayed to be prohibited from the use of alcohol. I believe this instance of drinking in the Bible shows us that it is not drinking itself that is wicked but rather the wickedness of being in a state of "drunkenness." Thus a celebratory toast or something of the like that fits an occasion is permissible. BUT this is to be taken with extreme caution as to make sure that no one goes overboard. (v.54)
We see celebration here, explicitly it says they "ate and drank." How does this relate to the prohibition of alcohol?
The family requested 10 days with Rebekah, this request is marked by rejection from the servant as the servant demands that they must leave. There might be some significance as to why this is mentioned and why explicitly it states that they refer to Rebekah as "the virgin." One interpretation is that the 10 days were to look for other potential suitors to compare; another interpretation was that this delay was to send final farewells. The servant's response tells us an important message. This message is that whatever comes from the dealings of the Lord should not be delayed. This calls us to be immediate in our actions with God, and not to leave only 'when ready' for God. This calling encourages us to approach God 'as we are' rather than perfect people. (v.56)
Meditation is mentioned in the Bible. This brings to mind how they would have meditated back then. I assume that since Isaac was in charge of the field animals, he meditated by trying to empty his mind or address the issues and thoughts that arose in his mind. These issues might or might not have been related to his current duties, there is no way to be sure. It would not be a bad guess to assume that Isaac was still meditating on the death of his mother (because of his grief at the wedding). The aforementioned form of meditation is popularly seen in Eastern Theologies, specifically in Buddhism and Daoism. (v.63)
There is good grounds to assume that when Isaac and Rebekah married in "Sarah's tent," they had gotten married in front of Sarah's burial site. The first hint is that all property belonged to the male in the family, thus a regular tent would be titled "Abraham's tent." The second hint is that once Isaac and Rebekah were married, Isaac got emotional concerning his mother. (v.66)
The last verse shares a glimpse into what a proper marriage looks like, "[Isaac] loved [Rebekah], and was comforted concerning Sarah his mother." Isaac is known to be mature because of the level of responsibility he held. But the fact that he broke down conveys the message that even the toughest are called to experience the inner turmoil they have and to not bottle it unnecessarily. Sarah on the other hand shows the responsibility of the wife to be a foundation on which the husband can build himself. Isaac would never break down if he could not trust Rebekah to be that foundation; otherwise, Isaac would have spiraled into a perpetual sadness. (v.66)
Why does Laban and Bethuel state that they cannot "speak to you either good or bad."? (v.50)
Why does Rebekah's family request to keep her for an additional 10 days? (v.55)
What does the following blessing mean, "Our sister, may you become the mother of thousands of myriads, and may your seed possess the gates of their enemies."? (v.60-61)
What is the Well of the Vision? (v.62)
Why does Rebekah veil herself before meeting Isaac? (v.65)
OSB highlights that the woman chosen for Isaac should not be forced but rather should have free will to follow (v.8).
OSB states that the "Well of the Vision" is the same well related to Hagar in chapter 16 (v.62-63)
Help us to put our faith in you and to not rely on ourselves.
Help us to always remember you in our times of prosperity and times of pain
Help us to always remember you in times of height and hell.
Let us exemplify You not only by the words that progress from our mouths but through the actions that proceed from ourselves to portray humility, ...
(Taken and adapted from the servant v.27) "Blessed is the Lord, the God of Abraham, who has not allowed His righteousness and His truth to forsake us."