28 The young woman ran home to tell her family everything that had happened. 29 Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, who ran out to meet the man at the spring. 30 He had seen the nose-ring and the bracelets on his sister’s wrists, and had heard Rebekah tell what the man had said. So he rushed out to the spring, where the man was still standing beside his camels. 31 Laban said to him, “Come and stay with us, you who are blessed by the Lord! Why are you standing here outside the town when I have a room all ready for you and a place prepared for the camels?”
32 So the man went home with Laban, and Laban unloaded the camels, gave him straw for their bedding, fed them, and provided water for the man and the camel drivers to wash their feet. 33 Then food was served. But Abraham’s servant said, “I don’t want to eat until I have told you why I have come.”
“All right,” Laban said, “tell us.”
34 “I am Abraham’s servant,” he explained. 35 “And the Lord has greatly blessed my master; he has become a wealthy man. The Lord has given him flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, a fortune in silver and gold, and many male and female servants and camels and donkeys.
36 “When Sarah, my master’s wife, was very old, she gave birth to my master’s son, and my master has given him everything he owns. 37 And my master made me take an oath. He said, ‘Do not allow my son to marry one of these local Canaanite women. 38 Go instead to my father’s house, to my relatives, and find a wife there for my son.’
39 “But I said to my master, ‘What if I can’t find a young woman who is willing to go back with me?’ 40 He responded, ‘The Lord, in whose presence I have lived, will send his angel with you and will make your mission successful. Yes, you must find a wife for my son from among my relatives, from my father’s family. 41 Then you will have fulfilled your obligation. But if you go to my relatives and they refuse to let her go with you, you will be free from my oath.’
42 “So today when I came to the spring, I prayed this prayer: ‘O Lord, God of my master, Abraham, please give me success on this mission. 43 See, I am standing here beside this spring. This is my request. When a young woman comes to draw water, I will say to her, “Please give me a little drink of water from your jug.” 44 If she says, “Yes, have a drink, and I will draw water for your camels, too,” let her be the one you have selected to be the wife of my master’s son.’
45 “Before I had finished praying in my heart, I saw Rebekah coming out with her water jug on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water. So I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’ 46 She quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and said, ‘Yes, have a drink, and I will water your camels, too!’ So I drank, and then she watered the camels.
47 “Then I asked, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She replied, ‘I am the daughter of Bethuel, and my grandparents are Nahor and Milcah.’ So I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her wrists.
48 “Then I bowed low and worshiped the Lord. I praised the Lord, the God of my master, Abraham, because he had led me straight to my master’s niece to be his son’s wife. 49 So tell me—will you or won’t you show unfailing love and faithfulness to my master? Please tell me yes or no, and then I’ll know what to do next.”
50 Then Laban and Bethuel replied, “The Lord has obviously brought you here, so there is nothing we can say. 51 Here is Rebekah; take her and go. Yes, let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has directed.”
52 When Abraham’s servant heard their answer, he bowed down to the ground and worshiped the Lord. 53 Then he brought out silver and gold jewelry and clothing and presented them to Rebekah. He also gave expensive presents to her brother and mother. 54 Then they ate their meal, and the servant and the men with him stayed there overnight.
But early the next morning, Abraham’s servant said, “Send me back to my master.”
55 “But we want Rebekah to stay with us at least ten days,” her brother and mother said. “Then she can go.”
56 But he said, “Don’t delay me. The Lord has made my mission successful; now send me back so I can return to my master.”
57 “Well,” they said, “we’ll call Rebekah and ask her what she thinks.” 58 So they called Rebekah. “Are you willing to go with this man?” they asked her.
And she replied, “Yes, I will go.”
59 So they said good-bye to Rebekah and sent her away with Abraham’s servant and his men. The woman who had been Rebekah’s childhood nurse went along with her. 60 They gave her this blessing as she parted:
“Our sister, may you become
the mother of many millions!
May your descendants be strong
and conquer the cities of their enemies.”
61 Then Rebekah and her servant girls mounted the camels and followed the man. So Abraham’s servant took Rebekah and went on his way.
62 Meanwhile, Isaac, whose home was in the Negev, had returned from Beer-lahai-roi. 63 One evening as he was walking and meditating in the fields, he looked up and saw the camels coming. 64 When Rebekah looked up and saw Isaac, she quickly dismounted from her camel. 65 “Who is that man walking through the fields to meet us?” she asked the servant.
And he replied, “It is my master.” So Rebekah covered her face with her veil. 66 Then the servant told Isaac everything he had done.
67 And Isaac brought Rebekah into his mother Sarah’s tent, and she became his wife. He loved her deeply, and she was a special comfort to him after the death of his mother.
I love the stories of scripture. I love the storytelling nature of them, repeating to the next person what had just occurred, or returning and telling what had happened again. It is so easy to see how our ancestors would tell and retell these stories orally to their children and their children. They lend themselves so well to this. The story of finding Isaac a wife could so easily come out of a Disney storybook.
You could see the characters, the story unfolding. The beautiful Rebekah coming near the well with her innocence and sense of servant hood, as she sang her first Disney smash that all our kids would be singing in the back seat of the car for months, after hearing just once. Her eyes widening and sparkling in the dessert sun as the gold bracelets were pulled out and placed on her wrists. Her offering the camels a drink to refresh their dry tongues after a long journey. I can imagine each camel's face, in classic Disney animation, instantly falling in love with the young maiden in front of them... even the one with the grumpy face who had been complaining the entire journey.
And then the return to Rebekah's house. Her brother jumping in to aide his sister at the well, her father paternally looking on to discern if this truly is of God, and her mother standing in the background, knowing she has spent all these years preparing her daughter for a special moment like this.
And then the breakaway scene where Rebekah's mother is fondly remembering her at different ages... first at birth, and then as a wobbly toddler, and into the teenage years as she played yard games with the other children. Each stage contains those large Disneyesque doe eyes.
I can see all the kids on the edge of their seats as Rebekah's family gives her the choice to stay at home another week or so, before leaving, or leaving now. And then her decision is made. And a whole new journey begins!
There is nothing more suited for a Disney storyline than Rebekah seeing Isaac off in the distant field and asking, "Who is that man walking through the fields to meet us?” The ruddy and handsome Isaac would come into closer view and young Rebekah’s cheeks would rosy up as she would shyly bat her lashes and lower her face, reaching for her veil. Oh, the romance... the adventure... the faith that would unfold!
We have to keep telling the stories. Whether Disney picks up on them or not, we need to keep telling the stories or our children and their children or they will never hear them. They need to know the depth of God's work in our world and lives and these stories tell God's story.
I think I'm going to go make a pitch to Disney... Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Pocahontas? Sure, they're special... but watch out little girls! Your next adorable Disney princess is right around the corner: Rebekah!
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