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1. Verse 1 tells us that Abraham was old and that God had blessed him in many ways. What are some of the ways God had blessed Abraham?
2. In the last chapter, we said that Isaac was probably around 40 years old. How do you think the death of his mother affected him?
Do we have any indication that Isaac was interested in marrying? Please explain.
Why do you think Abraham is concerned about finding a wife for his son?
3. Abraham had been married to Sarah for many years. What qualities did Sarah have that Abraham might want to see in his daughter-in-law?
If you were to give advice to a young person concerning a mate, what would be your advice?
4. Whom does Abraham ask to perform this most important deed?
What can you learn about this “chief servant”?
What does Abraham ask this servant to do?
Why do you think Abraham does not want a wife for Isaac from among the Canaanites?
Where is the servant going to have to go to get a wife for Isaac?
What can we learn about this servant that Abraham would trust him with such and important task and that Abraham would trust him to return?
5. This next part is interesting. What does Abraham ask the servant to do as a means of swearing an oath?
What can you learn about this practice?
By what or whom is the servant to swear?
6. The servant has a concern. What is it?
Does Abraham put any conditions on this “wife” other than she is to be of his family?
If you were the servant, how would go about choosing a wife for your master’s only son?
The servant wants to know if he should take Isaac back to the country they came from if he can’t bring back a wife. What is Abraham’s response?
Why does Abraham not want Isaac to return to the place from which they had come?
What can we learn from this admonition from Abraham?
7. Abraham makes it quite clear that under no circumstance is the servant to take Isaac back. Why do you think Abraham does not include Isaac in this conversation?
What will happen if the servant cannot convince the woman to return with him?
What do you think would be the hardest part about convincing a young woman to leave her home and return with you?
Abraham and the servant seal the oath according to Abraham’s request. Why do you think we are not told the servant’s name?
8. What did the servant take with him?
What do you think was on the ten camels?
Why do you think Abraham sent all of these items with the servant?
What could people learn about Isaac from the servant and all he had with him?
9. Verse 10 tells us the servant left and arrived in Nahor. How long a journey was this?
Why do you think we are not told more about such an arduous trip?
10. When the servant arrives, where does he go?
Why do you think he stopped at the wells?
At what time of day does the servant arrive? What happens each day at this time?
11. Now we witness the faith of Abraham’s servant. Knowing he is facing a difficult situation, the servant prays. What does he ask God?
What would watering the ten camels involve? Isaac is from a very wealthy family. Does wealth seem to be of importance to Abraham’s servant? Please explain.
What would be the significance of a girl’s offering to water his camels as well? In other words, what would this tell us about such a girl?
12. Verse 15 tells us that before the servant finished praying, who arrived?
What does this tell us about
God’s answering prayers? (See
If God knows what we need before we ask, then why are we to pray? In other words, what was the significance of the servant’s praying if Rebekah was already on her way?
13. Who was Rebekah? How was she related to Abraham?
What was there about Rebekah that caused the servant to notice her?
What is the importance of her being a virgin?
Verse 16 tells us that Rebekah went down to the spring, filled her jar and came up again. What does it mean that she went down and then came back up?
14. The servant hurries to Rebekah and asks for a drink of water. What does Rebekah do?
Where was she carrying the jar of water?
What did Rebekah offer to do after the servant had finished drinking?
Read very carefully verse 20. How did Rebekah empty her jar of water into the trough?
How did she go back after more water? What do Rebekah’s actions tell us about her?
How much water do you think ten thirsty camels could drink?
15. Verse 21 tells us that the servant watched her very closely. For what is he watching?
When did Rebekah stop watering the camels?
Based on these first impressions, how would you describe her?
How would the servant know if Rebekah was the answer to his prayers?
16. Why do you think Rebekah watered the servant’s camels?
After she finished watering the camels, what did the servant give Rebekah?
Can you determine what these items would be worth today?
How do you think Rebekah felt when he gave these items?
Imagine that you come across a thirsty person at a quick stop. You buy him a bottle of water. He drinks deeply, takes off a Rolex watch, and gives it to you. How would you feel? Would you accept it? Please explain.
17. What does the servant ask Rebekah?
What does she reply?
Do you think the servant knows who Nahor is? Please explain.
What do you think the servant is thinking and feeling?
Can you remember a time when God answered one of your prayers very specifically? How did you feel?
Why do you think the servant wants to know if her father has room for him?
18. When Rebekah answers that she is sure her father has room for him, how does the servant respond?
How comfortable are you praising and thanking God in public?
The servant does not respond to Rebekah’s offer of hospitality. Instead, he bows down and worships God. What do you think Rebekah is thinking?
The servant thanks God for guiding him. In what way or ways has God guided you?
19. What does Rebekah do?
How do you think her family reacted to this news?
Who was Rebekah’s brother? How would you describe him?
Do you think he was influenced by the gold Rebekah received? Please explain. (See verse 30.)
As a matter of fact, what does Laban do?
20.What does Laban say to the servant when he arrives at the well?
How does he refer to the servant? What does this tell you about Laban?
Why do you think Laban, the brother, is the one who speaks to the man and not Rebekah’s father?
Is Rebekah’s family treating Abraham’s servant as a servant? Please explain.
Why do you think they are treating him so nicely? (Remember how Lot and Abraham treated strangers.)
21. What does the servant find once he comes to Rebekah’s home?
In verse 32 we learn that the servant was not traveling alone. Does this surprise you? Please explain.
Again, how many camels did the servant have?
We learn that they were now unloaded. What do you think could have been on these camels?
How were the servant’s servants treated?
22.What does Abraham’s servant do when food is placed before him?
Why do you believe he wants to do this before he does anything else?
What do Laban and his family learn about the servant’s mission and about Abraham?
Does the servant accurately relate all the necessary information? What does this mean to you?
How important is it to you to know you can trust someone to tell the truth?
23.What do you think was going through Rebekah’s mind as she heard the servant speak?
Finally, in verse 49, the servant comes to the main point. What does he ask of Laban and Bethuel?
24.How do Laban and Bethuel respond to the servant’s request?
Based upon their answer, would you consider them to be Godly men? Please explain.
Why do they tell the servant to take Rebekah without even asking her how she felt?
25.What did the servant do when he was told he could take Rebekah back with him?
To whom does the servant give gifts?
Who is the only one who does not receive anything? How would you explain this?
26.The servant wants to return to Abraham the next morning. How would you explain his desire to be in such a hurry?
What do her brother and mother ask?
Why do you think they ask for the 10 day waiting period?
What do you think is the possibility that they will ever see their sister or daughter again? Please explain.
However, the servant does not want to be detained any longer so they decide to leave the decision up to Rebekah. How does she respond?
How do you explain Rebekah’s willingness to go without delay?
27.Based upon this chapter, if you had a son, would you be glad to have Rebekah as a daughter-in-law? Please explain.
28.Who or what does the family send with Rebekah?
Why do you think they did not send more with her?
29.Though they do not send many material things with her, the family does give her a blessing. Also, remember that they probably know nothing about the promises God made to Abraham and to Isaac. What do they say about Rebekah in their blessing?
How does her blessing parallel the blessing of Isaac?
What does this tell you?
30.Once again the journey home is covered in one verse. As the servant and Rebekah near “home”, what is Isaac doing in verse 63?
Some commentaries tell us that the word translated as “meditate” is uncertain. In other words, the exact meaning is not clear. What do you think Isaac was doing in the field?
Isaac is the first one to see the camels approaching. Do you think he knows the servant’s mission? Please explain.
What does Rebekah do when she learns that the man in the distance is her future husband?
Can you learn the significance of the veil?
31. Verse 67 contains a lot of information. According to this verse, what does Isaac do?
What does he do first?
When do you think he fell in love with Rebekah?
At the very end, we may get a clue as to why Abraham was so eager to get a wife for his son. According to this verse, what was that reason?
32.This chapter gives a good insight into how the LORD works in our lives. This episode began with Abraham’s sending his servant on a mission, apparently without confiding in Isaac. The servant finds Rebekah, and her family agrees to send her away. Yet in the end, Rebekah and Isaac come to love each other very much. What can we learn about God and how He works in our lives from this chapter?
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