Sarah, wife of Abraham and mother to Isaac died at the age of 127 years.
She died in Kirjath-arba, which is the same as Hebron in the land of Canaan ...
and Abraham came from Beer-sheba to mourn for her and weep for her. Isaac took
it hard that his mother died.
So, one day he called his eldest servant. Abraham then said to the
servant: 'You must swear to me that you will not find a wife for my son from the
daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell.
You must go to my country
and my kindred, in Mesopotamia, and find for him a wife there.' The slave then
asked Abraham if he should take Isaac back to Mesopotamia if he didn't find a
woman who would be willing to follow him back to Canaan.
Abraham answered him that under no circumstances must Isaac set foot in their
country, because God gave them the piece of land in Canaan to live on. He then
further said to the slave that an angel of The Lord would travel before him to
help him find a wife for Isaac. He said to the slave that if he couldn't
find a wife for Isaac to travel back to Canaan, the slave would not be punished.
But under no circumstances must Isaac set foot in Mesopotamia.
The slave then take a few camels, also loaded with beautiful gifts, and a few
men, and they started off on their journey to Mesopotamia.
They, at last, reached the city where Nahor lived. It was the time of day
that the women came out to fetch water from the well. The slave then
prayed to God to send a wife for Isaac to him. And it wasn't long after
the prayer that Rebekah came out. She was the daughter of Bethuel whom was
the son of Milcah. Milcah was the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother.
Rebekah also had a brother named Laban.
She went down to the well to fetch water and the slave ran to meet her and said
to her: 'Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher.' She quickly
gave him her pitcher and gave him water to drink. She then said to him: '
I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.'
As the slave watched her he wonders at her, but kept quiet. He wasn't
quite sure if the Lord had made his journey a success and that Rebekah was the
woman that he must take back to Isaac.
When the camels had done drinking, he gave her a golden earring and 2 bracelets
for her arm. He then asked her whos daughter she was and she explained to
him who she was. She then offered the hospitability of her father's house
to him, and the men, and the camels.
They went in into the house of Rebekah's mother and met with Laban and Bethuel.
After settling in the slave told them the whole story and how The Lord had
guided them to find Rebekah. The slave then asked if Rebekah was willing
to travel back to Canaan with them. She agreed.
They immediately started preparations for the journey back, and the slave gave
beautiful gifts to her family upon their departure. Rebekah and her
damsels arose and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man, and the
servant took Rebekah and went his way.
Meanwhile, Isaac came from the way of the well Lahai-roi, for he dwelt in the
south country. And he went out to medidate in the field at the eventide.
He lifted his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming.
And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the
camel, covering her face with a vail.
When they reached Isaac the slave told him all the things that he had done.
And Isaac brought Rebekah into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and
she became his wife, and he loved her, and Isaac was comforted after his
mother's death.
Source: The Bible: Genesis 24
