Where did you meet the love of your life? A party? A bar? Sports event? Church? I met Dennis at a birthday party. In ancient times guys found girls at the well. Moses found his wife at a well in Midian. Gabriel found Mary at a well in Nazareth to tell her she was favored among women and that she would give birth to Jesus. Abraham didn’t want his son Isaac to marry a Canaanite woman so he sent his servant back to his homeland.
Girls went every day to draw water for their families and animals. This was no small task because the wells were deep; some so deep that a 200 ft. spiral staircase led down to the water. When Abraham’s servant arrived at his destination, he prayed for God to show him the woman for Isaac. “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.’ Before he finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was very beautiful.
The servant asked her, “Please give me a little water from your jar.” She gave him a drink and watered all ten camels. The servant told Rebekah and her brother Laban and her father Bethuel the purpose of his trip. They agreed that she would go back to be the wife of Isaac. Rebekah went willingly. After the long trip, Rebekah looked up and saw Isaac. She got off the camel and asked the servant, “Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?” “He is my master,” the servant said (Genesis 24).
The English translation leaves some of the meaning out. In the original Greek, Rebekah didn’t just get off the camel. She fell off. This adds such depth to the story. She was smitten before Isaac ever said a word. This was a marriage made in heaven, really!
THINK ABOUT IT
Rebekah gave birth to twins, Jacob and Esau. Jacob enjoyed cooking and Esau hunted game. Jacob received the father’s blessing, which caused Esau to want to kill him. Rebekah sent Jacob back to her brother Laban to find a wife. He followed the example of Abraham’s servant and found his gorgeous wife Rachel at the same well where the servant found Rebekah. Jacob worked for Laban fourteen years to have her, and he also got her sister Leah.
Young women in Bible times found going to the well to be a social event. The girls had fun doing this very mundane task that they had to do every day. I wonder if they ever thought they would find the man of their dreams at the well. It seems to have been quite common.
Things are so different today. Water comes easily and parents are not as involved in the match making of their children. However, God is. He knows what the desires of our hearts are and is willing to give them to us as long as He is the desire of our hearts.
PRAY ABOUT IT
Father God, I pray that as couples come together that they trust you for the right person to spend their lives with. Help them to see the person you intend for them. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Tell Me the Story 