Monday 25 February 2008
- Bible Book:
- Genesis
"When she had finished giving him a drink, she said 'I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking'. So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough and ran again to the well to draw". (v.19-20)
Background
There are many elements in this story that may seem strange toreaders. Some of these elements are present because the story comesfrom a particular cultural context:
- Abraham has the right and the responsibility to choose a wifefor his son, Isaac,
- he has a trusted member of his household staff to whom he canhand the task of finding the right person,
- a wife must not be sought from among the Canaanites among whomAbraham and Isaac now live, presumably so as to maintain both aracial and religious integrity, and so the steward is to go back toAbraham's home country,
- the person finally selected seems be approved because of awillingness to be of service to the man who has found her.
Some elements in the story are linked to the big story ofthese chapters of Genesis - Abraham has followed God's call toleave his home and his country for new places and he has beenpromised that his family line will be long and of huge significancein the purposes of God. For the family to go back to where theycame from would be to deny the original response to God'scall.
So:
- Isaac needs a wife so that the family line can continue,
- but Isaac must not travel back to the old country to his newwife - instead she must come to him.
Despite the male chauvinist overtones of the encounter atthe well between the steward and Rebekah, perhaps we might drawfrom it the fact that she recognises his need and that of hisanimals for water. She then has to go to considerable trouble tomeet that need. The spring appears to be in a hole in the groundwith a drinking trough above and she will have had to go down anumber of times to bring enough water to the trough for all thecamels.
To Ponder
Are there situations you face where roles areassumed between men and women that ought to be questioned? Whatwould you do?
What are the spoken and unspoken needs around uswhich we might meet if we were prepared to make the necessaryeffort?
Do you have needs that you have not expressedwhich others might be able and willing to meet? How might you sharethem?