by Timothy W. Burnett
Isaac was a grown man and could have found a wife in the wrong place. Instead he sat still and let God help him. Isaac would have understood the basic principle later annotated in Psalms 46:10, "Be still and know that I am God."
Isaac let himself marry a woman introduced to him by God. Although he came before Solomon's time, he no doubt knew that "house and riches are the inheritance of fathers, but a prudent wife is from the Lord" (Proverbs 19:14).
With meekness and humility toward God, Isaac waited until God gave him permission. As it is written, "Whosever finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord" (Proverbs 18:22). Isaac trusted God to show him when he was truly ready, not according to the world's standards, but according to God's perfect timing and will.
In a display of confidence in God, Isaac married Rebekah. It appears that Isaac did not know her before, yet after his servant shared his story, Isaac took the believing action by marry her. He had the authority to turn her away. Instead, he not only married her, but loved her from that time on because of his confidence in God.
Rebekah also had a meek and humble heart for God. The record does not reveal whether or not she was raised on the truth, but we do know that she had a heart for God's will. As Abraham's servant finished praying, Rebekah came to draw more water. She faithfully gave him some water and lovingly offered to give water to all of his camels. This was a big deal! It took several trips with the buckets to eventually water all of those camels.
This was an unsolicited act of kindness that the servant had just prayed about. Whether or not she was raised on God's word, she truly had a heart for God's will and the servant worshipped God with praise and thanksgiving (Genesis 24:16-21).
Sweet Rebekah...she could have hung around her father's home a little longer, but instead she meekly chose to immediately leave with the servant. This was not a temporary leave of absence. Similar to her father and brother, she was confident that it was from God (Genesis 24:50-58). There is no record that Rebekah ever met Isaac before. Yet she saw what God had done and took the believing action to leave with the servant without haste.
Rebekah must have been a little startled when the servant gave her the traditional wedding gifts and when she heard him pray to God about her and Isaac. There's no telling what went through her mind as she ran to her parents and told what happened by the water well. In time she saw more clearly what God was working in her life.
She took the step. Nobody forced her to do it. The servant did not use a hard sales pitch. Her parents were not real eager to see her leave. She could have easily talked them into letting her stay. With confidence in God, she put her self in the place where she could be married to the man that God was setting her up with. She was strong like the firmly rooted Elm.
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