Journey Through the Bible in a Year
Reading God's Word and learning more about His plan for my life each day!
Friday, September 27, 2002
Introduction to Journey Through the Bible
A note about online study
My Prayer Today
Heavenly Father, thank You for those times in my life when You seem more real and present than anything I can touch or see. Thank You also that in those times when You seem distant, when I don’t “feel” Your presence that I know You are still there. I pray that as I go about this day that You will reveal Yourself to me through Your Holy Spirit, through the words I read from Genesis today, in the lives of other and in all my circumstances. I pray that all that I am and do will honor You. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
My Journey Verses for Today
Genesis 24:28-67
28 The young woman ran home to tell her family about all that had happened. 29 Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban. 30 When he saw the nose-ring and the bracelets on his sister's wrists, and when he heard her story, he rushed out to the spring, where the man was still standing beside his camels. Laban said to him, 31 "Come and stay with us, you who are blessed by the LORD. Why do you stand here outside the village when we have a room all ready for you and a place prepared for the camels!" 32 So the man went home with Laban, and Laban unloaded the camels, gave him straw to bed them down, fed them, and provided water for the camel drivers to wash their feet. 33 Then supper was served. But Abraham's servant said, "I don't want to eat until I have told you why I have come.""All right," Laban said, "tell us your mission." 34 "I am Abraham's servant," he explained. 35 "And the LORD has blessed my master richly; he has become a great man. The LORD has given him flocks of sheep and herds of cattle, a fortune in silver and gold, and many servants and camels and donkeys. 36 When Sarah, my master's wife, was very old, she gave birth to my master's son, and my master has given him everything he owns. 37 And my master made me swear that I would not let Isaac marry one of the local Canaanite women. 38 Instead, I was to come to his relatives here in this far-off land, to his father's home. I was told to bring back a young woman from here to marry his son. 39 "'But suppose I can't find a young woman willing to come back with me?' I asked him. 40 'You will,' he told me, 'for the LORD, in whose presence I have walked, will send his angel with you and will make your mission successful. Yes, you must get a wife for my son from among my relatives, from my father's family. 41 But if you go to my relatives and they refuse to let her come, you will be free from your oath.' 42 "So this afternoon when I came to the spring I prayed this prayer: 'O LORD, the God of my master, Abraham, if you are planning to make my mission a success, please guide me in a special way. 43 Here I am, standing beside this spring. I will say to some young woman who comes to draw water, "Please give me a drink of water!" 44 And she will reply, "Certainly! And I'll water your camels, too!" LORD, let her be the one you have selected to be the wife of my master's son.' 45 "Before I had finished praying these words, I saw Rebekah coming along with her water jug on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water and filled the jug. So I said to her, 'Please give me a drink.' 46 She quickly lowered the jug from her shoulder so I could drink, and she said, 'Certainly, sir, and I will water your camels, too!' And she did. 47 When I asked her whose daughter she was, she told me, 'My father is Bethuel, the son of Nahor and his wife, Milcah.' So I gave her the ring and the bracelets. 48 "Then I bowed my head and worshiped the LORD. I praised the LORD, the God of my master, Abraham, because he had led me along the right path to find a wife from the family of my master's relatives. 49 So tell me – will you or won't you show true kindness to my master? When you tell me, then I'll know what my next step should be, whether to move this way or that." 50 Then Laban and Bethuel replied, "The LORD has obviously brought you here, so what can we say? 51 Here is Rebekah; take her and go. Yes, let her be the wife of your master's son, as the LORD has directed." 52 At this reply, Abraham's servant bowed to the ground and worshiped the LORD. 53 Then he brought out silver and gold jewelry and lovely clothing for Rebekah. He also gave valuable presents to her mother and brother. 54 Then they had supper, and the servant and the men with him stayed there overnight. But early the next morning, he said, "Send me back to my master." 55 "But we want Rebekah to stay at least ten days," her brother and mother said. "Then she can go." 56 But he said, "Don't hinder my return. The LORD has made my mission successful, and I want to report back to my master." 57 "Well," they said, "we'll call Rebekah and ask her what she thinks." 58 So they called Rebekah. "Are you willing to go with this man?" they asked her.And she replied, "Yes, I will go." 59 So they said good-bye to Rebekah and sent her away with Abraham's servant and his men. The woman who had been Rebekah's childhood nurse went along with her. 60 They blessed her with this blessing as she parted: "Our sister, may you become the mother of many millions! May your descendants overcome all their enemies." 61 Then Rebekah and her servants mounted the camels and left with Abraham's servant.
62 Meanwhile, Isaac, whose home was in the Negev, had returned from Beer-lahairoi. 63 One evening as he was taking a walk out in the fields, meditating, he looked up and saw the camels coming. 64 When Rebekah looked up and saw Isaac, she quickly dismounted. 65 "Who is that man walking through the fields to meet us?" she asked the servant. And he replied, "It is my master." So Rebekah covered her face with her veil. 66 Then the servant told Isaac the whole story. 67 And Isaac brought Rebekah into his mother's tent, and she became his wife. He loved her very much, and she was a special comfort to him after the death of his mother.
Reflecting on God's Word for My Journey
What is the most important “mission” you have ever undertaken?
A Deeper Exploration of God's Word for My Journey
What is the outcome of Abraham’s servant’s meeting with Rebekah’s family? (24:28-67)
Understanding God's Will for My Journey
Why do you learn about God’s will for people’s lives through today’s Scripture reading?
What role did Rebekah play in fulfilling God’s will for the nation of Israel by agreeing to marry Isaac?
Applying What God's Word Tells Me to My Journey
What big step (or small step) do you need to take right now to fulfill God’s greater plan for you and those around you?
My Personal Journey Thought for the Day—“Yes, I Will Go...!”
How many journeys of faith start with the statement, “Yes, I will go…”? All of them! Abraham became the father of a great nation because he was willing to leave his homeland and go to a place that God was going to show him. Rebekah became the “grandmother” of a nation because she was willing to leave her family and go to marry Isaac. Mark Geppert often says that 2/3 of God is GO! There’s so much truth in that humorous statement. Until we get up and move from where we are, whether geographically, or much more often in our hearts, minds, and attitudes, God can’t use us. Our present position is always a great place from which to go in the direction God is calling us, whether it seems like a “dead end” or a place where we’re quite comfortable. Undoubtedly, Rebekah’s life was quite secure in her father, Laban’s household, but in order to fulfill her destiny she had to leave her home and go. As we seek to honor God in our daily lives, He will often ask us if we are willing to go—to leave the comfort of long-established prejudices and opinions, to leave the comfort of routines that have become predictable, and maybe even to physically get up and go. The key is our willingness to let God be our “travel agent,” rather than assuming that we know best. God has plans for us that are more amazing than we can imagine. Let’s go!
To view other studies from our Journey Through the Bible, click here.