Genesis 24:4: “Go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac.”
Eliezer had been Abraham’s loyal servant all of his life. He was with him when Abraham set foot in the land of Canaan for the first time. In his lifetime he had witnessed the disagreements between Abraham and his nephew Lot, followed by the permanent split between the two tribes. Never again had they heard from Lot after the disaster of Sodom and Gomorrah and his master had mourned over his loss for a long time. But the Lord had been gracious and in years to follow had given him many sons. And now Eliezer was selected to bring home a bride for the son of his master’s wife Sarah. They had named him “Isaac”, which means “Laughter”. “A delight he is, this young man!” Eliezer thought to himself, “and now my master has given him everything he owned.”
While Abraham had dwelled in the land of Canaan his relatives had moved further north, to the region of Upper Mesopotamia which was nestled along the elbow of the Euphrates River. Eliezer and his attendants headed northwest following the King’s Highway through the desert. Along the way they watched closely for road raiders. Eliezer was responsible for ten camels that carried expensive gifts for the bride and her parents. After several weeks they finally reached their destination. The sun was about to set when they approached the city gates of Aram Naharaim. There was a well outside the city and one of Eliezer’s attendants pointed out: “Perfect place to stop and get some water. It’s been a long day and our camels need to be fed.” Eliezer nodded and observed: “There’s a line already.” His attendant replied, “No wonder. It’s the time of day when the women come to get water for their families.”
Suddenly it occurred to Eliezer that there was a slim chance that one of Abraham’s relatives was among these women. This well could very well lead him and his men directly to the people they were here to meet. Silently he prayed [Genesis 24:12-14]:
“Lord, God of my master Abraham, make me successful today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. May it be that when I say to a young woman, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too’—let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.”
This was one of the prayers that would be answered in a heartbeat. Along came a young woman. She carried two water jugs and went to work at the well. After she had filled both her jugs with water Eliezer politely addressed her and said: “Would you mind giving us a little water to drink?” She looked up and saw Eliezer and his men who were attending to the camels. “I’m more than happy to”, she said while lowering her jugs and filling a jar with water. She handed the jar to Eliezer and said: “Let me help you with your camels too!” Quickly she went back and forth and helped Eliezer’s men with filling the trough. And all the camels drank until they had enough.
Stunned to see that his prayer had been answered so quickly, Eliezer stood there and watched the young woman. Then he took two golden bracelets and a nose ring, presented the jewelry to her and asked her, “What is your name and to whom are you related?” The maiden looked surprised. The items weighed heavy in her hands. “R-Rebekah”, she stammered, “M-my name is Rebekah.” Then she calmed down and recited her family tree to the stranger, saying: “I am the daughter of Bethuel, son of my grandparents Milkah and Nahor.” She added, “Would you like to spend the night in our home? We have plenty of straw and fodder for the camels and a guest room for you and your men.”
The stranger bowed down and worshiped the Lord saying: “What a beautiful thing this is – the Lord has led me straight to my master’s relatives!” His face brimmed with tears. With a broad smile he introduced himself to the young maiden and said, “I am Eliezer, servant of my master Abraham who is your grandfather’s brother.”