“Encouraged, how?” Laban demanded.
Eleazar smiled. “When I came to your well, I stopped and prayed, ‘O Lord God of my master, when the young virgins come down to draw water, if there is one who, when I ask, will give me a drink of water and then will agree to water my camels also, let this be the one for my master’s son.’”
Laban grew uncomfortable and Bethuel shifted nervously from one foot to the other. Rebekah, looking from the window, let out a gasp of surprise and reached out to grasp Deborah’s hand. Eleazar seemed not to notice their reactions but continued, “Before I had finished speaking in my heart, Rebekah came with her jar and drew water then willingly gave me to drink and offered to water my camels also.
“I could hardly believe what I was seeing,” Eleazar continued. “‘Whose daughter are you?’ I asked. When she told me she was the daughter of Bethuel of the house of Nahor I bowed my head and gave thanks to the God of my master, who had led me in the right way to take my master’s brother’s daughter for his son.”
Both Bethuel and Laban were silent. They had never heard of a god working in such a direct manner. They also remembered that Rebekah had prayed to Abraham’s God. How very strange it was that all of these events had fit together so perfectly. If Eleazar had come just a few weeks later she would have been married to Nazzim.
Could it really be possible that an angel had guided Eleazar and then had also prepared them in Haran for his coming?
Eleazar raised his head and looked around at each one of them as he said, “Now tell me if you intend to deal kindly with my master and, if not, let me know so that I may look elsewhere for a wife for my master’s son.”
Behind the shutters of the window, Rebekah closed her eyes and held her breath waiting for Laban’s answer. It would be the greatest miracle of all if he would agree to let her go. He would not only be missing out on his many plans but would have to somehow inform Nazzim that the agreement had to be canceled.
Now both Bethuel and Laban were in awe of a God who seemed to work so openly and to express His desires so firmly. To hear that even an angel had guided Eleazar was impressive. They looked at each other and knew they could not go against such a demonstration of the strength of Abraham’s God. Laban spoke for both of them, “It’s obvious this thing proceeds from the Lord, the God of my uncle Abraham. We cannot come against it; Rebekah is free to go with you to become your master’s son’s wife as the Lord has spoken.”
When Eleazar heard this he bowed down to the ground and then rose to his knees with hands in the air and tears running down his cheeks. Words of praise were on his lips for the miraculous way in which the God of Abraham had brought about His will.
When he rose he asked that Rebekah might be brought out and seated in the chair of honor so that he could give her the gifts sent by the household of her prospective bridegroom. Rebekah came, still dressed in the simple garments she had worn to the well. Her mantle of coarse stuff that would not stay in place let her curling hair peep out around her face; her feet were bare and she wore no jewelry except for the earrings and bracelets given her at the well by Eleazar. She hesitantly sat down and then looked around, eagerly wondering what would happen next.
Quickly Eleazar ordered his men to bring out the presents. Right away there was a great stir in the stables where the camels were lodged. Then slowly, one after the other, the servants of Eleazar appeared carrying gifts to be laid at Rebekah’s feet. There were trays holding ornate headpieces with carefully worked silver leaves and stylized flowers. There were casks filled with the most exquisite gold and silver jewelry inlaid with large and costly gems. Quickly this was followed by brass and marble incense burners with the incense wrapped in leather bundles decorated with drawings of Egyptian flowers and birds. Beside them were placed alabaster urns with precious and rare fragrances. There was linen from the looms of Egypt, fine textured gauze mantles from Gaza, and embroidered doeskin slippers from the craftsmen of Damascus. There seemed to be no end of the delights.
When Rebekah had at last received all of her gifts, there followed even more gifts for the whole family of Nahor. Even Laban, who was usually thinking of making the best deal and what profit was involved, was impressed. “It’s settled,” he told his father. “It’s only right that Rebekah should marry her cousin.”
* * *
Quite unnoticed by any of the revelers, Laban’s wife, Barida, was standing in the shadow of the doorway leading into the women’s quarters. She had witnessed everything and finally had heard what Laban said. She was angry and upset. She had counted on her father’s marriage to Rebekah. She had even hoped that in that event she and Laban could move back into her own home with her father. She was already smarting under the watchful eye of her mother-in-law and she found it most unpleasant. If she could move back into her own home, she would easily manage to be in control, and she had to be in control if she was to be at all happy. To wait until she had sons and Laban’s parents were dead would take too long. She must somehow get word to her father so this whole farcical development could be stopped.