Article 25 of Genesis 1: Isaac married a wife/Randy.
Abraham is old, and now he is one hundred and forty years old. The Lord God blessed him with all that he got.
At this time, his son Isaac was forty years old. Although many local women like him, Abraham insists on marrying a woman for his son in his own home. However, our family has a long way to go. Since Abraham moved to Canaan, we have lost contact.
Abraham thought of his most loyal old servant Eliezer. For so many years, he has been following his master from Ur to Harlan and then to Canaan. He is cautious and earnest, and often prays for being close to God. When Abraham had no son, he tried to adopt him as his adopted son, but God forbade him. He is still quietly doing his duty for Abraham, and he is a servant respected by all servants in the family. Abraham did not regard him as a servant, but regarded him as his friend and right-hand man, and entrusted him with many important things.
Now, Abraham has married a wife for his son, and he also thinks of him, because only he knows the way back best. Abraham called him and said, "Please put your hand under my thigh. I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and earth, that you will not take a wife from this Canaanite land for my son. You must go to my motherland, my own people and marry a wife for my son. "
Putting this hand under the thigh is a Covenant or oath between people, usually for an important event. Knowing the responsibility and importance of this matter, Eliezer asked Abraham, "If the woman refuses to come with me to this place, must I bring your son back to the place where you came from?"
Abraham said to him, "Be careful not to take my son back there. The Lord, the Lord of heaven and earth, brought me out of my father's house and the land of my people, spoke to me and swore to me that I would give this land to your descendants. He will send an angel in front of you, and you can marry a wife for my son from there. If that woman refuses to go with you, I will break your oath, but you can't take my son back. "
Eliezer immediately understood his master's meaning, which was also the meaning of God. The Abraham family was specially called by God. Isaac was born in this promised land. Of course, he can't go back to that place. Just to keep the purity of their blood, and because the Semitic people have feared God for generations, they can only go back to find the women in that place.
Eliezer carefully put his hand under his master Abraham's thigh and swore to him about it. He also took ten camels from his master's camels and took all his master's belongings, and got up and went to Mesopotamia. Because there is a city there called Nahor, which is near Haran. There lived Nahor, Abraham's brother, and most of his family.
It is about 800 kilometers from Canaan to Mesopotamia. Eliezer and his camel caravan crossed the vast desert and wilderness, and it took nearly half a year to reach Hena City.
It was a beautiful night, and the rosy clouds all over the sky dyed the city red. Women in this city can't go out at ordinary times, but stay at home. In the evening, they can go to the well to fetch water. So this time is also a happy time for women to rest, chat and play.
At the same time, Eliezer's camel caravan had arrived outside the city gate. When he saw a well, he sent the hungry and tired camels to the well, and said to God in his heart, "O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, please be kind to my master Abraham so that I can meet a good opportunity today. Now I am standing by the well, like the daughter of a city man who has come out to fetch water. Which woman did I say, please bring me your water bottle to drink? If she says,' please drink, I'll give it to your camel.' May that woman be the wife you promised to give to Isaac. In this way, I will know that you are kind to my master ... "
Before the words were finished, there was a young woman with a water bottle on her shoulder. That woman's appearance is extremely beautiful, like flowers and the moon, like the fragrance of jasmine. By this time, she had reached the well and filled it with water. Eliezer quickly said to her, please give me water from your jar to drink.
The woman quickly took off the water bottle, held it in her hand and handed it to her, flashing her long eyelashes and saying, "Please drink, my Lord."
While watching him drink water, the woman saw the camel panting, thirsty and tired, and said to him, "I'll fetch water for your camel again, so that the camel can drink enough."
She poured the water from the bottle into the trough, drew water from the well, and so on, and all his camels drank. The water requirement of a camel is about 900 liters. When the water of ten camels came down, she was sweating all over.
At that moment, Eliezer watched intently as she was busy with his camel, with mixed feelings. Not only because God gave him this wonderful thing when he came here, but also because this woman is not only beautiful in appearance, but also extremely beautiful in heart. He thought that God wanted such a woman, so he told God that he would draw water for his camel to show that she was a kind and simple woman. Now that this woman is in sight, why not let him be overjoyed?
He watched quietly until the camel drank enough water. Eliezer quickly took out a gold ring weighing half a shekel and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels and gave them to the woman, saying, "Tell me, whose daughter are you? Is there a place for us to live in your father's house? "
The woman answered and said, I am the daughter of Bethel, the son of Milcah and Nahor. Watching him hand over such a valuable gift, he quickly said, "We have enough food and grass at home and a place to live."
This made Eliezer very unhappy. She turned out to be the granddaughter of Abraham's brother Nahor. That woman is virtuous, not greedy for money, and sincere in hospitality. He could not help but bow down to the Lord God and said, "Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, for he has been kind and faithful to my master. As for me, the Lord led me on the way to my master's brother's house. 」
He told the woman all his reasons, handed the gold ring and bracelet, and said, "This is my master's betrothal gift. You must accept it. "
This woman's name is Rebecca, and she is still a virgin. Besides, she usually heard that an uncle Abraham, not far from Wan Li, went to the distant land of Canaan. She always respects and loves her. Because she doesn't like the sin and corruption in this city, she has been longing for that distant holy land, but she is a woman, and that land can only be a beautiful dream that fluctuates within her. Unexpectedly, this dream is really in front of her at the moment. This made her accept it with joy, ran home happily and told these things to her mother and family.
Rebekah's brother's name is Laban. He saw the gold ring and the gold bracelet in his sister's hand, and what his sister Rebekah said. Laban ran out of the well. When he got there, he found Eliezer and the camel still standing by the well. He said to him, Come in, you blessed by the Lord. Why are you standing outside? I have cleaned the house and prepared a place for camels. "
So Eliezer followed Laban into his house. Laban unloaded the camel, fed it fodder, gave Eliezer and his men water to wash their feet, and set food before him to eat. But he said, "I don't eat until I understand my own business."
"Please go ahead." Laban said.
Eliezer told about the blessing of the Lord God on Abraham in the land of Canaan, including that Sarah gave birth to a son Isaac when she was old, and that he put his hand under his master's thigh to make a covenant with Isaac's wife. He came all the way here and prayed to God at the well. God immediately answered his request and how he gave Rebekah a gold ring and bracelet.
He said these words to Laban in one breath, and then said: Now, if you are willing to be kind and honest with my master, I will give my master's brother's granddaughter to my master's son as a wife; If not, let me know so that I can turn left or right. "
Laban and Pisla both replied, "This is from the Lord, and we can't tell you either good or bad. Look, Rebecca is right in front of you. Take her away and marry your master's son, as the Lord has said. 」
When Eliezer heard this, he fell on his face and thanked and praised God again and again. She got up, took out the gold, silver and clothes and gave them to Rebekah. She also gave her brother and mother a lot of treasures.
So Eliezer ate and drank with his men and stayed all night. Get up in the morning, say goodbye to the people here and say, "Please take me back to my master!" " "
Rebecca's brother and her mother said, "Let Rebecca stay with us for a few more days, at least ten days, and then she can go." Rebecca, it's hard to come back here. They can't bear to part with it.
Eliezer thought that Abraham's family was waiting for him, so he said, "Since the Lord has given me a path of understanding, please don't delay me. Please take me to my master! "
They said, "Rebecca is your master now, too. Let's call her and ask her. "
Rebecca came soon. They asked her, "Would you like to go with this man at once?"
Rebecca replied, "I want to go."
So they brought Rebekah, her nurse, and some maidservants and sent them after Abraham's servants and camels. He also blessed Rebekah and said, "Our sister, may you be the mother of thousands of people! May your children and grandchildren get the enemy's door! "
Rebekah and her maids covered their faces one by one, rode on Abraham's camel and followed Eliezer and his servants to the land of Canaan.
Let's talk about Isaac. Since his father sent his servant Eliezer to his own people with a camel caravan to propose marriage, he has been waiting for a long time ... He especially likes to go out of the tent at dusk and meditate alone in the grass and fields.
Dusk is the best time of the day. Everything seems to be dyed golden and burned like a flame. Birds return to the forest, cattle and sheep return to the pen, and everything is so peaceful and peaceful. Looking up at the sky, all kinds of clouds are surrounded by silks and satins and scattered layer by layer. Beautiful nature makes his mind pure and closely integrated with God.
Of course, in countless nights, he imagined his beautiful bride and outlined the appearance and character of the woman who belonged to him over and over again. Every time he thinks about this, he will smile and immerse himself in a daydream full of happiness ... I believe that God will definitely give him the best woman.
In this way, after nearly a year, it is another dusk. He came out as usual and looked down at the sky in the field, only to see the camel team coming in the distance. Clouds are like blooming roses, and the fragrance of roses seems to be floating in the air.
This camel team is Eliezer, Abraham's loyal and kind servant. He finished his mission and came back with Rebekah.
Rebekah was also lifting her veil, looking at a large beautiful land in Canaan, looking at the evening clouds, but she saw a charming man not far away. She hurried off the camel and asked Eliezer, "Who will meet us in this field?"
Eliezer answered and said, Isaac, my master's son.
For an instant, Rebecca's heart seemed to have countless deer, beating wildly, not knowing whether she was shy or happy. She quickly put down her veil and covered her face.
Eliezer brought her to Isaac and told him everything he had done.
Isaac's eyes never left Rebekah. After listening to his servant's words, he knew that she was not only a woman given to him by God, but also a kind and beautiful woman.
They walked hand in hand in the dusk, under the clouds, in the grasslands, as if they had known each other for a long time, and it was only thousands of years before they came to this dusk. The tacit understanding and joy of heart and heart have closely integrated this pair of people, just like the clouds in the evening have soaked every blade of grass.
It was not until the stars were all over the sky that Isaac brought Rebekah into his mother Sarah's tent. Since the death of his mother Sarah, he has lost one of his closest relatives and favorite people in his life. Now, with the arrival of Rebecca, there is nothing to regret.
Abraham held a grand wedding for his son Isaac and blessed them. Isaac and Rebekah loved each other as one.
This is a marriage blessed by God, because they are both done according to God's will, and it is also the happiest marriage in the world. This is the combination of heart and heart, just as Eve came out of Adam's rib when God created the world. They are one, you are me, I am your heart, they are one.