I Will Go: Genesis 24:29-67

Genesis 24:29-67: "29 Now Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban, and Laban ran out to the man by the well. 30 So it came to pass, when he saw the nose ring, and the bracelets on his sister's wrists, and when he heard the words of his sister Rebekah, saying, 'Thus the man spoke to me,' that he went to the man. And there he stood by the camels at the well. 31 And he said, 'Come in, O blessed of the LORD! Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels.' 32 Then the man came to the house. And he unloaded the camels, and provided straw and feed for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. 33 Food was set before him to eat, but he said, 'I will not eat until I have told about my errand.' And he said, 'Speak on.' 34 So he said, 'I am Abraham's servant. 35 The LORD has blessed my master greatly, and he has become great; and He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. 36 And Sarah my master's wife bore a son to my master when she was old; and to him he has given all that he has. 37 Now my master made me swear, saying, "You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell; 38 but you shall go to my father's house and to my family, and take a wife for my son." 39 And I said to my master, "Perhaps the woman will not follow me." 40 But he said to me, "The LORD, before whom I walk, will send His angel with you and prosper your way; and you shall take a wife for my son from my family and from my father's house. 41 You will be clear from this oath when you arrive among my family; for if they will not give her to you, then you will be released from my oath." 42 And this day I came to the well and said, "O LORD God of my master Abraham, if You will now prosper the way in which I go, 43 behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass that when the virgin comes out to draw water, and I say to her, 'Please give me a little water from your pitcher to drink,' 44 and she says to me, 'Drink, and I will draw for your camels also,'--let her be the woman whom the LORD has appointed for my master's son." 45 But before I had finished speaking in my heart, there was Rebekah, coming out with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down to the well and drew water. And I said to her, "Please let me drink." 46 And she made haste and let her pitcher down from her shoulder, and said, "Drink, and I will give your camels a drink also." So I drank, and she gave the camels a drink also. 47 Then I asked her, and said, "Whose daughter are you?" And she said, "The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore to him." So I put the nose ring on her nose and the bracelets on her wrists. 48 And I bowed my head and worshiped the LORD, and blessed the LORD God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the way of truth to take the daughter of my master's brother for his son. 49 Now if you will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me. And if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left.' 50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, 'The thing comes from the LORD; we cannot speak to you either bad or good. 51 Here is Rebekah before you; take her and go, and let her be your master's son's wife, as the LORD has spoken.' 52 And it came to pass, when Abraham's servant heard their words, that he worshiped the LORD, bowing himself to the earth. 53 Then the servant brought out jewelry of silver, jewelry of gold, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave precious things to her brother and to her mother. 54 And he and the men who were with him ate and drank and stayed all night. Then they arose in the morning, and he said, 'Send me away to my master.' 55 But her brother and her mother said, 'Let the young woman stay with us a few days, at least ten; after that she may go.' 56 And he said to them, 'Do not hinder me, since the LORD has prospered my way; send me away so that I may go to my master.' 57 So they said, 'We will call the young woman and ask her personally.' 58 Then they called Rebekah and said to her, 'Will you go with this man?' And she said, 'I will go.' 59 So they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, and Abraham's servant and his men. 60 And they blessed Rebekah and said to her: 'Our sister, may you become The mother of thousands of ten thousands; And may your descendants possess the gates of those who hate them.' 61 Then Rebekah and her maids arose, and they rode on the camels and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and departed. 62 Now Isaac came from the way of Beer Lahai Roi, for he dwelt in the South. 63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field in the evening; and he lifted his eyes and looked, and there, the camels were coming. 64 Then Rebekah lifted her eyes, and when she saw Isaac she dismounted from her camel; 65 for she had said to the servant, 'Who is this man walking in the field to meet us?' The servant said, 'It is my master.' So she took a veil and covered herself. 66 And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. 67 Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent; and he took Rebekah and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother's death."

Laban it seems has trouble letting go. He has agreed to allow Rebekah to go with Abraham's servant back to the land of Canaan, in order that she may be married to Isaac. But then it seems he reneges. He tells Abraham's servant that the servant can go home, and then later, they'll send Rebekah. At least ten days Laban wanted to keep his sister around. We are reminded from this of what Laban does to Rebekah's son, Jacob. Jacob desired to marry Laban's daughter Rachel, but in order for that to happen, he had to work for Laban for seven years. When the time actually came for him to be married to Rachel, Laban snuck Rachel's sister, Leah, into the tent. Then, in order for Jacob to marry Rachel, he had to work for Laban for another seven years. After these fourteen years, Laban still was reluctant to let his daughters go.

It seems that Laban is reluctant to let his loved ones go, for here in Genesis 24, he wants to keep his sister around. One would think that if she stayed, she may have never gone. But, Laban leaves it up to his sister, probably thinking she would not want to go to a far away strange country to live with people whom she did not know. However, when Laban asks her, she says, "I will go." What we see in this statement, is faith. This is the same faith that Abraham had when he left his home and family to go away into a far away country simply because the Lord God told him.

Rebekah shows this same faith, recognizing from the description of Abraham's servant in what led him to Laban and his sister, was the will of God. It would seem that Rebekah is willing to serve God rather than her brother's wishes. And so, she sets off with Abraham's servant, willingly and gladly, to be wed to a man she never met.

Such faith is hard to find in this life. People who will take a leap of faith of this nature, going to a place where there is no assurance that the life that awaits them, will be a good and enjoyable one. One could even argue that Rebekah is going to this new life, even if it means her life will not be a pleasant one. In that, we can see a picture of our Lord Jesus, who left His Heavenly throne, and His Divine power and came to this strange unwelcoming land full of sin and death and sorrow, simply because His Father and our Father, wanted Him too. And simply because He desired to save and redeem us.

Our Lord Jesus, eventually returned to His Heavenly Father at His ascension, in the same way that Rebekah returned to her brother Laban, through her son Jacob. And it should be pointed out that even though Rebekah took this leap of faith, faithfully following the will of the Lord God, she did not end up with an unpleasant life. Moses records for us that Isaac loved Rebekah. And we can assume that because Rebekah brought Isaac comfort from his mother's death, that she loved him.

Rebekah, after leaving one family, is given a new family. And this family would fulfill the blessing that Laban bestows upon her at her leaving, that she would be the mother of many children, and that they would dwell in the land of their enemies. Our Lord Jesus, also leaves His Heavenly home, and is given a new home, and then after fulfilling all that was necessary for Him to win our salvation, is given a new family, with many co-heirs.

We are that new family of our Lord Jesus, he is our brother, the Firstborn out of the dead, and that family's mother is the holy Christian Church, who gives birth to many children, just like Rebekah, through water and the Word. And the Church dwells in the land of its enemies of the devil, the world, and sinful flesh, but because of what our Brother, our Lord Jesus, did for us, we do not fear these enemies, for our Lord has authority over them, and does not let them prevail against the gates of the Church, so that we may rest in peace in the gifts of His holy Word and Blessed Sacraments.

We who have joined the Church are like our mother Rebekah, for in faith we say, "I will go." Trusting in our Lord God, and living according to His commands, and rejoicing in what He has done for us, and continues to do for us. We enjoy the fruits of this new land, this land known as holy Christendom, and we live out our lives in love, being loved by our Heavenly Father, Who bestows His spiritual blessings upon us richly and abundantly. Rejoice in what our Lord Jesus has done for you, and that He has called you into His holy kingdom, and feeds and sustains you in the faith.

May God be with you!

Deacon Dulas