The love of Isaac and his wife Rebekah is an example of an ideal marriage

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The history of the saints is fascinating and deserves special attention. After all, this is partly where the history of mankind began. The Bible tells the special story of Isaac and Rebekah. It happened in the distant past and every Orthodox person should know it.

World creation.

You know how everything goes dark at night when all the lights are off. The whole world was once in such darkness. Then there was no grass, no trees, no beautiful flowers, no birds, not even sky and earth, but the whole universe was darkness and chaos. However, God did not want things to remain this way, and He created this wonderful world. We know that nothing is created by itself. The world around us, filled with harmony and beauty, testifies to its great and wise Creator. The Holy Book of the Bible describes the creation of the world according to the Word of God: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness was over the deep: and the Spirit of God hovered over the waters. And God said: Let there be light. And there was light. And God saw the light that it was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. And God called the light day and the darkness night. And there was evening and there was morning: one day. And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it separate water from water. And God created the firmament; and he separated the water that was under the firmament from the water that was above the firmament. And so it became. And God called the firmament heaven. And it was evening. and it was Morning: the second day. And God said: Let the water that is under the sky be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear. And so it became. And God called the dry land earth, and the collection of waters he called seas. And God saw that it was good. And God said, “Let the earth produce green grass, grass yielding seed, and a fruitful tree bearing fruit according to its kind, in which is its seed on the earth.” And so it became. And the earth brought forth grass, grass yielding seed according to its kind, and trees. bearing fruit, in which is its seed according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And it was evening. and it was morning: the third day.”

“And God said, Let there be lights in the expanse of the heaven to separate the day from the night, and for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and for years; And let them be lamps in the firmament of heaven to shine on the earth. And so it became. And God created two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night, and the stars; And God placed them in the firmament of heaven to give light to the earth. And rule the day and the night, and separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And it was evening. and it was Morning: the fourth day. And God said: Let the water bring forth living things; and let the birds fly over the earth, across the firmament of heaven. And God created the great fish and every living creature that moves, which the waters brought forth, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying: Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters of the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth. And there was evening and there was morning: the fifth day. And God said, Let the earth produce living creatures according to their kinds, cattle and creeping things and wild beasts of the earth after their kinds. And so it became. And God created the beasts of the earth according to their kinds, and the cattle according to their kinds, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.” The whole earth. created by the Word of the almighty Creator, illuminated by the radiance of the gentle sun, breathed peace and wondrous beauty. But this was not the end of creation. God decided to create people so that they would live in this beautiful world and have communication with their Creator.

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WOMEN OF THE BIBLE
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5 Rebekah

Abraham did not want his son Isaac to marry a Canaanite girl who was an idolater, so he sent his faithful servant (Eliezer) from Damascus to find a wife for him among his relatives in Mesopotamia and gave him an injunction: “The Lord God of heaven... He will send his angel before by you, and you will take a wife for my son from there” (Gen. 24:7). A woman chosen in this way must indeed possess rare qualities. Having traveled a long way from Canaan, Eliezer prayed to God to show him a wife for Isaac from among those girls from whom he would ask for water, and which of them would also offer water for his camels. The answer was not slow: “... he had not yet stopped speaking,” when the girl “beautiful in appearance” approached (to the well) and filled the jug with water. The slave asked for water, which she was in a hurry to carry away. We can imagine the old man's state of impatient anticipation. But it was short-lived. Rebekah offered to draw water for his camels too. This man was an unfamiliar stranger to her, but she did not assume artificial shyness, but behaved simply and naturally, saying with kind reasoning: “I will also draw for your camels until they drink” (Gen. 24:19), and hastened to do so. These few words indicate her responsiveness and kind disposition. It is unlikely that anyone will speculate on what prompted her proposal. Applying enough water to quench the thirst of the camels after a long journey through the desert was no easy task. But Rebekah did it and Eliezer should have been pleased. Now he only needed confirmation that she was a relative of Abraham, but he was so sure about this that in advance he showed her the gifts intended for the betrothal and asked her name. When Eliezer heard that she was the daughter of Abraham's nephew Bethuel, he poured out his gratitude to God. When Rebekah learned that he had come from Abraham, she with natural joy “ran and told about it in her mother’s house.” Another girl would have gone home with studied dignity, but Rebekah simply ran home to tell the news. We will now introduce Rebekah's family. She had a father, a mother, and at least two brothers, only one of whom is named. Even a quick reading of this chapter shows that her brother Laban held power in the house. Her father, Bethuel, is mentioned secondarily and therefore takes second place after his son: “And Laban and Bethuel answered...” (Gen. 24:50). In Genesis 24:28 her house is described as her “mother’s house.” It is possible that Bethuel was ill at the time. Scripture often reveals character traits in the names of certain individuals. In the case of Laban, who is first mentioned in Gen. 24:30, this is shown impressively: “And when he saw the earring and bracelets on his sister’s hands... he said, Come in, you blessed of the Lord.” We can judge the character of this shrewd, tenacious and unprincipled man by his actions with Jacob in subsequent years.

God's choice

Bethuel's family listened with interest to Eliezer's story. When they learned of the great wealth that Isaac would inherit, they naturally reacted favorably to the wedding, and when they learned how miraculously his choice fell on Rebekah, they realized that it was all determined by God. It seems strange to us, Western-minded people, that the whole family discussed Rebekah's future without asking her own opinion. “Here is Rebekah before you; take it and go." She probably also understood that all this was from God, for we did not hear a word of protest from her. With sincere submission, she accepted the family's decision and submitted to the will of God. Only one thing was consulted with her when she was offered a choice - whether to go on the road with Eliezer immediately, or a little later. Simply and without pretense, she decides to go right away, realizing what an unusual fate awaits her ahead. Is not her choice an example of the readiness with which the bride of Christ, leaving all her worldly affairs, should immediately follow the Lord when he calls her?

Inevitable separation

The separation from her family was real and irreversible, without comforting letters and visits. All ties with home were severed for Rebekah, and a long journey followed, about which Scripture tells us nothing. At the end of this journey, she was to marry a man she had never seen before. And only one thread connecting her to home remained unbroken - her faithful nurse went with her (Gen. 24:59). At the end of the journey, a man appeared in the distance who “when evening came, went out into the field to think.” Having learned that it was Isaac, Rebekah first got off the camel and covered herself. It was considered indecent to jump (from a camel) when an important person approaches. Jewish wives considered their husbands to be their masters and rulers and showed them due respect. It was not obligatory for a woman to cover herself in the presence of servants. And only when Isaac approached, Rebekah covered herself. The last verse of Genesis 24 contains thoughts that are strange to us: “(Isaac) took Rebekah and she became his wife, and he loved her.” We would expect to read: “And he loved her, and he took her, and she became his wife.” Rabbi Hirsch made an interesting point about this. He said: “As important as it is that love precedes marriage, it is even more important that it continues after marriage. Modern views exalt the romance that precedes the wedding; but the old Jewish view favors lifelong affection and intimacy after marriage.” Rebekah brought comfort to Isaac after the death of his mother, foreshadowing the glorious day when the marriage of the Lamb to his bride would bring eternal comfort after the long reign of death. Genesis 25 shows a change in Rebekah's situation. She is no longer a girl in the household of her powerful brother, but the respectable wife of the prosperous Isaac. We can be sure that she retained her good qualities with her acquired wealth and position. Let's read verse 21: “And Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord heard him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.” These words are quickly read, but how is their meaning assessed? Isaac was 40 years old when he married (v. 20) and 60 years old when the twins were born (v. 26). So, for about twenty years, Rebekah remained in the sadness and loneliness of a childless woman. Remember, when Sarah was in this position, the angels brought her a message of reassurance, but Rebekah had no such encouragement. Sarah, becoming impatient because of the delay, even persuaded Abraham to have a child with Hagar. It is said about childless Rachel that she was jealous of her sister” and raised Jacob’s anger with her demands: “Give me a child or I will die” (Genesis 30:1,2). But there is no mention of any impatience of Rebekah in Scripture. For many years she must have been comforted by the expectation, remembering the promise to Abraham, of which she must have known: “In Isaac shall thy seed be multiplied.”

Women's prayer

In faith, she waited for God's manifestation for about twenty years. This emphasizes the fact that the sons who were born were sent by God to fulfill His purpose. Verse 22 contains the first prayer of a woman recorded in the Bible. “The sons began to beat in her womb, and she said: if this happens, then why do I need this? And she went to ask the Lord. And her prayer was answered that there were two tribes (two sons) in her womb, and that the greater of them would serve the lesser. The two sons born to Rebekah were named Esau (shaggy) and Jacob, meaning cunning, heel-grabber, due to the circumstances of their birth. Esau was a skilled hunter, while Jacob was a simple man (Gen. 25:27). But we must keep in mind that the word translated from Hebrew as “simple” is translated differently in different places in the Bible: “straight” (once), “uncorrupted” (twice), and “flawless” 9 times. With this word, Jacob is characterized as an honest and perfect person. Rebekah watched with interest as her sons grew up. She was especially interested in Jacob's development, knowing that God had predicted a great future for her youngest son. When Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for just a cup of stew, Rebekah must have seen it as the beginning of the fulfillment of the promise: “...the older will serve the younger” (Gen. 25:23). Perhaps she was pleased that through this transaction the birthright now legally belonged to Jacob. Although, as a mother, she should grieve that Esau so easily parted with such a precious advantage - “he despised his birthright” (Gen. 25:34).

Such different sons

In the book of Hebrews 12:16 there is another difficult passage, written in strict language: “Take heed... that there be no fornicator or wicked man among you, who, like Esau, would give up his birthright for one meal.” Rebekah would probably very much like to understand why Isaac chose Esau, with his deplorable defects of character; This preference by Isaac for Esau further strengthened her love for Jacob, whom God loved. In this regard, we must beware of the influence of popular writers whose opinions are rarely based on Scripture. In his work “Women in the Bible,” G. W. Morton writes about Rebekah: “It is perhaps difficult for us to understand how a loving mother could prefer the spoiled Jacob to the honest, shaggy Esau.” But it is not difficult to understand why writers prefer the weak-willed Esau to the “lover of his own world.” Now let's interrupt the story of the sons of Rebekah to talk about the famine in Canaan. Isaac had to go to the land of the Philistines, and here Rebekah became painfully worried about herself. Isaac, not trusting God's assurance of protection given to him before he set out: “Sojourn in this land; and I will be with you and bless you” (Genesis 26:3), used the same trick as his father, declaring that Rebekah was his sister. To be fair, the word translated sister can also mean any relative and wives of relatives. The Bible tells us nothing about Rebekah's feelings and we can only guess at her grief when she learned that Isaac valued his life above her honor. God's care was with her and nothing happened to her, and honest Abimelech even reproached Isaac. Such cases help us realize that the patriarchs also possessed human qualities. Rebekah faced further hardship when the Philistines drove Isaac away, fearful of his growing prosperity. When the Philistines in Gerar filled up and filled up his wells, on which his life depended, Isaac showed humility and pliability by leaving those places and digging new wells. God finally blessed him when the well of Rehoboth, which means “prostor,” was completed. Further, Abimelech, who first expelled Isaac, now came to him to conclude an agreement with him. There is no mention of Rebekah, but we can be sure that even then she shared all the hardships with Isaac.

Heartache

From what we know about Rebekah, we understand that no material deprivation could oppress her more than the heartache of seeing new undesirable traits in the character of Esau. And soon she had to learn the grief of a mother whose son found a partner in an alien world. We can't help but want to know how she reacted when Esau took two Canaanite women as wives, which was, as we are told, a great disappointment to Isaac and Rebekah. She herself had a marriage blessed by God, and therefore one can understand her grief when her son chose Canaanite idolaters as his wives. When Rebekah first appeared in the Bible, she was a sweet, selfless girl. Marriage brought her many trials, her character developed in the school of suffering. She bravely endured adversity. She never complained or showed impatience. Amazing example! Some may think that Rebekah's character underwent a sudden change after Jacob received Isaac's blessing, but we will impartially rely only on the facts that Scripture reveals to us. Isaac understood that death was inevitable, and he lived in the hope that Esau, as the eldest son, would receive the main blessing. This seems incomprehensible. Rebekah's feelings must have been in turmoil when she overheard the conversation between Isaac and Esau. She understood that Isaac was acting out of personal preference, despite the fact that God had declared: “The elder will serve the younger,” and that the simple-minded Esau had earlier surrendered his birthright to Jacob.

Invented Plan

Was Isaac allowed to ignore God? Rebekah thought quickly and we know what plan she came up with. Jacob was not inclined to participate in this plan, and Rebekah took full responsibility upon herself. She wanted her father’s blessing to touch God’s chosen one. Jacob, in addition, also wanted God's blessing, which the simpleton Esau never sought. And although there were risky moments in this plan, on the whole it was a success - Isaac’s shaky intention was upset and Jacob, as predicted, received a blessing. The drama is intensified by the arrival of Esau, full of hope, but unexpectedly learning of his defeat. Did Isaac rebuke Rebekah and Jacob as the truth gradually became clear to him? No, probably, although he “trembled with very great trembling.” In fact, he said to Jacob, believing that it was Esau, “... let your mother’s sons worship you,” i.e., he repeated God’s covenant: “the elder will serve the younger.” Therefore, Isaac did not rebuke Rebekah. Instead, he confessed to Esau that he had unwittingly blessed his younger brother, adding with conviction: “He will be blessed.” And Esau was given a secondary blessing according to his right. Is Rebekah's action ethical? Was she right to take advantage of Isaac's weak eyesight to secure Jacob's blessing? Most people will reproach her and say that if she had waited, God himself would have found a way to bless Jacob. But there is no evidence of this. After all, she had been waiting for years for a change in Isaac’s relationship with her second son. She probably felt something telling her to act immediately. Her critics point out that mother and son were subsequently separated forever and Jacob suffered much at the hands of Laban, and that this suffering was sent to him as punishment for his sin. Is there another question here? Suffering is often sent to us as punishment, but sometimes for another purpose. Job's friends use this argument. We also know that the Lord Jesus Christ was “perfected by suffering.”

Whom God Doesn't Rebuke

As we see, God did not condemn Rebekah or Jacob. The scriptures tell of many sinful acts, but sinners have always been punished by God. We can remember Adam, Cain, Aaron, Moses, David and Solomon. When they did something displeasing to God, punishment followed. And wouldn't it be better to refrain from reproaching those whom God does not rebuke? When Miriam and Aaron reproached Moses for having an Ethiopian wife, they were reprimanded with the words: “How come you were not afraid to rebuke My servant Moses?” (Numbers 12:8). Obviously, God's assessment of our actions differs from man's. Only God knows the most important motives for our actions. A person cannot know about the motives of another person’s actions, and therefore he cannot objectively judge them. We can reproach Rahab for disobeying the order of the king's ambassadors to hand over the spies hiding in her house. After all, this is a lie on her part, we say. But what is God's verdict? She is included among the faithful (Heb. 11)! Paul's praise is even clearer: “It was by faith that Rahab the harlot, having received the spies in peace (and leading them on another way), did not perish with the unbelievers” (Heb. 12:31). The fact that she only wanted to serve God's people is more important from God's point of view than her false words. God alone reads our motives. The example of Rahab, praised by God, should make us judge more carefully the action of Rebekah, whom God did not reproach. The inspired words of Balaam are largely applicable here: “How can I curse? God does not curse him” (Numbers 23:8). Really, how? Returning to Rebekah, we find that her worries and fears after receiving the blessing for Jacob in no way ended or even diminished. The offended Esau plotted in his heart the murder of his brother. He longed for revenge on him and waited only for Isaac's death. Therefore, Rebekah said with pain: “Why should I lose both of you (Isaac and Jacob) in one day?” (Genesis 27:45). Obviously, Rebekah did not want to burden her dying husband with new worries, and instead she was annoyed with Esau’s Hittite wives, saying: “If Jacob takes a wife from the daughters of the Hittites,... then what is my life for?” Isaac took Rebekah's hint and sent Jacob to Mesopotamia to look for a wife. The sequence of thoughts may be slightly disrupted in Gen. 27 and 28. Before Jacob departed, Isaac repeated his blessing, this time with full awareness and sincerity.

Parting

How Rebekah must have grieved, parting with her beloved son under such circumstances. If she had known that he would be in exile for more than 20 years, and that they would never see each other again, she might have been much more hurt. But she thought that he would soon return and advised him to wait with Laban “for a little while until your brother’s rage is quenched.” Since Rebekah could not accompany Jacob herself, she did the best she could do by sending with him someone she had always trusted completely and who could take care of him - her old nurse. This is not mentioned in the account of Jacob's departure, but it is clear from Gen. 35:8, the chapter that records his return from his long stay with Laban. This is only the second mention of her since she accompanied the girl Rebekah to Isaac. And now, 117 years later, the elderly nurse is again traveling in the same direction, now with Jacob. It is very likely that she was with him when he fled from Esau. When Jacob reached Luz (Bethel), we read: “And Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died and was buried below Bethel under an oak tree, which Jacob called the weeping oak.” In the name he gave to the burial place of Deborah - “Weeping Oak” - we see his sincere love for his maid. After Jacob's escape, Rebekah is no longer mentioned in Scripture until she was buried in the cave of Machpelah. And there she, a worthy example of patience in adversity, remains until the resurrection.

Creation of the first people.

“And God said: Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness;
and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the livestock, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that moves on the earth. And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them, and God said to them: Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth. And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed that is on all the earth, and every tree that has fruit yielding seed: it shall be for you to eat; And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to every thing that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food. And so it became. And God saw everything that He had created, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning: the sixth day. Thus are the heavens and the earth and all their hosts perfect. And God finished on the seventh day His work that He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work that He had done.” The man's name was Adam and the woman's name was Eve. The Lord created them beautiful and happy. They loved their Creator very much, and God loved them. The Lord gave them all created creation. for them to take care of her. Having blessed Adam and Eve, “the Lord planted a paradise in Eden, in the east; and he placed there the man whom he had created.” The Lord instructed them to cultivate and maintain this garden. Adam and Eve were in constant communication with their Creator. In the picture you see that their eyes are turned to God - that's why they are happy. When our eyes and hearts are directed towards the Lord, we also become happy. —— *Why did God say: “Let us create?” Because God is one in three persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Therefore, in the First Book of Moses, at the creation of man, God says in the plural: “Let us create.” - Page 1 -

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Isaac and Rebekah

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"Rebekah saw Isaac." Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld

Even in the strongest marriage, contradictions between spouses are possible. After all, true love unites free people who want to see in their other half not a copy, not a reflection of themselves, but a different, unique personality. The love of Isaac and his wife Rebekah is an eternal example of an ideal marriage. And although each of them understood family well-being in his own way and saw the future of his children differently, their common trust in the Lord removed all contradictions.

They fell in love before they even met. Maybe because they completely trusted their pious and practical parents. Or maybe because they knew that Providence itself, the Lord himself, was leading them to marriage. Isaac unquestioningly accepted the bride chosen by his parents. And Rebekah, when asked if she would leave her native Mesopotamia for the unknown of Canaan, answered with a decisive “yes.”

One evening Isaac went out of the house to pray. And already from afar he saw an approaching caravan, his servant Eliezer, who was sent to Mesopotamia for a bride, and Rebekah herself. She immediately struck him with her beauty, and even more so with the combination of inner dignity and reverence for her future husband with whom Rebekah met him. The first meeting of the bride and groom, falling in love, and the joy of communication were the reward for trust in God and for humility before his will. Isaac loved Rebekah so much that he was able to dull the sadness that tormented him after the death of his mother.

The marriage of Isaac and Rebekah was not cloudless. They had no children for twenty long years. But the couple remembered that Isaac himself was born when his parents Abraham and Sarah were already old. Therefore, Isaac prayed to God for his wife, and a miracle happened - Rebekah gave birth to twins Esau and Jacob. Isaac's wife often thought about what future was in store for her sons. She asked the Lord about this and one day received an answer: great nations will come from the twins, and although Esau was born first, he is destined to submit to Jacob.

The brothers grew up very different and quarreled from childhood. The eldest, the hunter Esau, was more to Isaac's liking. Mother, Rebekah, doted on the quiet and pious Jacob. But it was, of course, not only about parental feelings. It was to Esau that Isaac was going to give his blessing, to make him the heir not only of property, but also of the divine covenant, according to which the numerous descendants of Jacob were to inherit the lands of Palestine. Rebekah had a different opinion. She decided to deceive and, taking advantage of Isaac's senile blindness, arranged things so that Jacob received the blessing instead of Esau.

When the deception was revealed, when the anger of the violent Esau died down, Isaac did not reproach Rebekah for anything and did not reverse the decision made under her influence. He was a wise husband and decided that if they kept peace in the family for so many years and never quarreled, then God’s will was realized in this act. He probably also remembered that raising children fell primarily on Rebekah’s shoulders. This means she knew their spiritual qualities better, understood where the hearts of Esau and Jacob lay more. And the husband bowed his gray head before his wife’s intelligence and insight.

The children of Isaac and Rebekah reconciled 20 years later at their father's funeral. Each went their own way, accepting their role in the divine plan. It turns out that Rebekah in her disobedience and Isaac in his humility were right. Their family dispute did not develop into a conflict and therefore brought good results. From trust in God, trust between spouses was born. And from family harmony - a prosperous future.

PORTAL CONTACTS

Abraham was a righteous man, and the Lord gave him many years of life. When Abraham grew old, he called the eldest of the servants and instructed him to find a wife for his only son Isaac. Abraham said to the servant:

- Swear to me by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not look for a wife for my son from the inhabitants of the Canaanite country. But go to Mesopotamia, where I come from, and there find a wife for Isaac.

The servant asked:

“Maybe the woman won’t want to go to this land!” Should I take Isaac with me to live in Mesopotamia?

Abraham replied:

“The Lord told me and swore to me that this land would be given to my descendants, and through them He would bless all the nations of the earth.” If you do not find a wife for Isaac, you are free from the oath you made to me. But do not return my son to those lands.

The servant took ten camels, loaded them with various treasures to give to Isaac's future bride, and set off, reaching the Mesopotamian city of Nahor.

The servant stopped at a well near the outskirts of the city while the women were fetching water. He asked God to indicate a bride for Isaac:

“I will tell the girl: “Tilt your jug ​​and let me drink.” And if she says: “Drink, and let your camels drink until they are drunk,” it means that you have appointed her to be Isaac’s wife, and you bless the whole house of my master Abraham.

The servant had not yet finished speaking when a girl named Rebekah came to the source. She was very beautiful. Rebekah went down to the well, filled the jug with water and began to go up, and the servant said:

- Let me drink some water from your jug.

“Drink, my lord,” Rebecca answered and gave him something to drink, and then said:

“I will draw water for your camels too.”

And she poured it from the jug into the trench from which the animals were given water, and began to carry more water to them, and scooped up so much of it that all the camels had enough to drink.

And the servant silently looked at her with great amazement.

And when the camels finished drinking, he gave Rebekah a gold earring and wrists, and asked:

- Whose daughter are you? Is there a place to sleep in your house?

“I am from the house of Nahor,” said the girl, “we have a lot of places to sleep and a lot of food for the camels.”

Nahor was Abraham's brother, and the servant glorified God, who brought him to the house of Abraham's relative.

Rebekah told the house about the guest, and Laban, Rebekah's brother, came to the source and called the servant into the house. He was offered a treat, but the servant refused and told about what brought him to Mesopotamia.

“Tell me: do you intend to show mercy to my master?” asked the servant, finishing the story.

Bethuel, Rebekah's father, and Laban answered:

“This matter came from the Lord, and we cannot tell you contrary.”

The servant again blessed God and bowed to him to the ground, and gave Rebekah many precious things and beautiful clothes.

In the morning he began to get ready to set off. Rebekah's brother and mother asked the servant to stay in their house for at least ten days so that the girl would be with them. The servant replied that he needed to hurry with the good news to his master. Then the family asked Rebekah:

-Will you go with this man?

“I’ll go,” said Rebekah, and they set off.

Evening began when the travelers reached the land of Canaan. Isaac at this time went out into the fields to think in silence. Suddenly he saw camels, and Rebekah, sitting astride a camel, saw Isaac. He asked the servant:

- Who is this man?

“This is my master,” answered the servant.

Then Rebekah covered her head - like an already married woman.

Soon she became Isaac's wife. Rebekah resembled his late mother Sarah, and Isaac grew very fond of her.

Drawing by Andrey Borovsky

Chapter III. Patriarchal Period

Life 11–12

In the southern part of Mesopotamia, in the so-called Chaldea, on the right bank of the Euphrates, about ten miles from it, archaeologists excavated the remains of an ancient city. This city, as can be seen from the inscriptions, was Ur, called Chaldean after its location. The absence of any information about this city in the Bible can be filled with what we know from archeology and history.

The city of Ur, the capital of ancient Sumer, had existed for more than a thousand years by that time. In ancient times it was much closer to the shore of the Persian Gulf, from which it is now separated by a large strip of alluvial land, and carried on an extensive maritime trade. The land here was fertile, so the surroundings of Ur at that time looked like a blooming garden. The population, engaged in agriculture, cattle breeding and various crafts, lived in material prosperity and stood at a high level of civilization. Their art of construction was especially developed. The remains of large structures still surprise scientists with their grandeur. The extraordinary transparency of the air, in which the stars blaze rather than shine, contributed to the early observation of celestial bodies. Mathematics developed along with astrology. Writing was already well known here, and even entire libraries existed, although instead of books there were clay tablets with writing depicted on them.

But, unfortunately, this entire rich civilization was thoroughly saturated with the grossest idolatry. Instead of altars to the true God, temples and temples to idols rose everywhere, the service of which often took on a grossly sensual and immoral character. The main deities were the sun and the moon, followed by other, minor deities. Temples were built to them, cities were dedicated, images were made from them, which received the meaning of household gods (teraphim), who were entrusted with protecting the welfare of individual families. One of the post-flood patriarchs, named Terah, migrated to this country of idolatry. His distant ancestor was Eber, who descended in a direct line from Shem, the son of Noah. Coming from such a glorious family and being its direct representative, Terah at first firmly adhered to the traditions of his fathers: he preserved not only the true faith in God and the promise associated with it, but all the laws of the patriarch Noah. It is unknown what exactly prompted him to move to Chaldea; but in any case it is known that he settled in Ur and lived there for a considerable time. Here he had three sons - Abram, Nahor and Haran, who got married, and the last two had children, and Abram's wife Sarah (his sister on his father's side, but not on his mother's) was barren. The position of this family in this idolatrous country was undoubtedly difficult. The most disgusting idolatry reigned all around.

The city of Ur of the Chaldeans itself was even the center of local idolatry and was famous for its temples to idols, among which the most revered was the moon. All this could not but have a bad influence on the godly family, so that Terah himself would come to an end. in his life he betrayed his faith and became an idolater (Joshua 24:2). But his son Abram did not follow the example of his father; the insignificance of idols further strengthened his faith in the true God. For his steadfastness in faith and fiery love for the one true God, the Lord chooses him as the bearer and guardian of this faith.

In order to distance this righteous man from an idolatrous environment, the Lord commands Abram to move from Chaldea to the land of Canaan, which God promises to give to him and his descendants for eternity. “And the Lord said to Abram, Get thee out of thy land, from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house.

[and go]
to the land that I will show you;
and I will make you into a great nation and will bless you... and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Gen. 12:1-3).
Abram at this time was 75 years old, he was a married man, and although he had no children, he was still quite settled in his homeland, and it took great faith to leave everything and go to an unknown land. But Abram had strong faith, in his father’s house he fought against idolatry, and now, hearing such a great promise, he “obeyed by faith.
called to go to the country which he was to receive as an inheritance, and he went, not knowing where he was going” (Heb. 11:8). Having learned that his son Abram wanted to move from the city of Ur to the land of Canaan, Terah decided not to be separated from his eldest son and went with him to the promised land. But the Lord did not allow the idolater Terah into the land promised to Abram. Terah died in Haran, in northern Mesopotamia. Nahor, Abram's brother, remained to live in this city.

Taking his wife, his nephew Lot (who remained an orphan after the death of his father Haran) and all his servants, Abram left Haran with numerous livestock, crossed to the right bank of the Euphrates and headed across the Syrian desert to Damascus, where he found himself a faithful servant Eliezer. Then, crossing the Jordan River, he entered the land of Canaan and pitched his tent near the oak grove of Moreh, near Shechem, in one of the most beautiful places in the country. There the Lord appeared to Abram for the second time and confirmed that he would give this land to his descendants. In gratitude to God, Abram built an altar here and performed a sacrifice. But soon there was a famine in the promised land, and Abram, in search of good pastures for livestock, decided to move to Egypt, the breadbasket of the ancient world, without God’s blessing.

God's blessing

The girl looked a lot like Sarah's mother. Isaac fell in love with her very much. Despite the fact that the girl was barren at the age of 20, thanks to her prayers, twins Isaac and Rebekah were born.

Some time after the birth of the babies, hunger set in. Isaac went to the city and made the same mistake as his father once did, introducing his wife as his sister. But despite this, the Lord was merciful to him and made him rich. He got:

• cattle;
• small cattle;
• sheep;
• goats and other animals.

As a result of the great work he had done in digging wells, people and kings who did not have such wealth began to envy Isaac a lot. But here too God appeared and blessed him. As a result, the king of Gerar entered into an alliance with him.

Isaac died at the age of 180. He was buried in the Machpel Cave. History does not say when Rebekah died. As the Bible says, Isaac and Rebekah were buried together in a tomb.

The best article for you, go to: The Last Days of Jesus Christ

May the Lord protect you!

Isaac's marriage

Nothing will happen to a person without the permission and permission of God. Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov

Sarah, Abraham's wife, died when she was 127 years old. Abraham himself felt weak in health and decided to marry his son Isaac, but not to a Canaanite woman, but to a girl from his own people. Isaac was then forty years old. Abraham called his eldest servant Eleazar and said to him: “Swear to me by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live, but you will go to my land, to my homeland, and there you will take a wife for my son Isaac.” Eleazar took an oath and immediately set off. Then it was the custom for the groom to give gifts to the parents for the bride. The richer the bride was, the richer the gifts were. Eleazar took with him various expensive things and ten camels as gifts and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Harran, where Nahor, Abraham’s brother, lived. Approaching the city, Eleazar stopped at a well. The day was approaching evening, when the women usually came to fetch water. Eleazar began to pray to God: “Lord, God of my master Abraham! Send her today to meet me and show mercy to my master; Behold, I stand at the source of water, and the daughters of the inhabitants of the city come out to draw water; and the girl to whom I will say, “Tilt down your pitcher, I will drink,” and who will say, “Drink, I will give your camels something to drink,”—this is the one whom You have appointed for Your servant Isaac; and by this I know that You show kindness to my master.” Before Eleazar had time to finish his prayer, a beautiful-looking maiden came down to the well with a jug on her shoulder, scooped up some water and went up. Eleazar ran up to her and said: “Let me drink a little water from your jug.” She said: “Drink, my lord.” And immediately she lowered her pitcher onto her hand and gave him drink. And when she had given him something to drink, she said: “I will also draw for your camels until they have drunk.” And immediately she poured water from her jug ​​into the trough and ran again to the well to draw, and drew for all his camels. Eleazar looked at her in amazement and silence. When the camels stopped drinking, Eleazar took the gold earring and two wrists into his hands and gave them to her, and asked her: “Whose daughter are you? Tell me, is there a place to stay for the night in your father’s house?” This girl's name was Rebekah. She answered him: “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor. We have plenty of straw and feed, and a place to stay for the night.” Eleazar knelt down and thanked God that He had heard his prayer. Rebekah ran to her house and told her mother and everyone at home about everything. Rebekah had a brother Laban, he immediately ran to the source and said to Eleazar: “Come in, blessed of the Lord. Why are you standing here? I have prepared a house and a place for the camels.” Eleazar entered the house. Laban unsaddled the camels and gave them straw and feed. They immediately brought water to wash the feet of Eleazar and the people who were with him, and offered them food. But Eleazar said: “I am Abraham’s servant. I won’t eat until I tell you what I’m doing.” And Eleazar told in detail why he had come, and how, through his prayer, the Lord gave a sign about Rebekah. When he told everything, he asked: “Now tell me: do you intend to show mercy and truth to my master or not?” Laban and Bethuel answered: “This matter has come from the Lord; we cannot contradict you. Here is Rebekah before you; take it and go; let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has said.” When Eleazar heard their words, he bowed to the ground with gratitude to the Lord. Then he took out gold and silver things and clothes, and presented them to the bride, her brother and mother. The next day, Eleazar asked to be allowed to go home. But Rebekah’s brother and mother began to persuade him to stay for at least ten days. Eleazar replied: “Do not hold me back, for the Lord has made my way prosperous.” Then the parents called Rebekah and asked her: “Will you go with this man?” Rebekah said, “I’ll go.” Then her parents blessed her and sent her on her way. When Eleazar with Rebekah and his companions rode up on camels to Abraham’s tents, Isaac met them. And Rebekah became Isaac's wife. Love for Rebekah consoled Isaac in his sorrow over the death of his mother, Sarah.

Accept everything that happens as good, knowing that without God nothing happens. Venerable Simeon the New Theologian