City Life Starter

Written by Nate Warren

The Word

¹⁵ Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, came out with her water jar on her shoulder. ¹⁶ The young woman was very attractive in appearance, a maiden whom no man had known. She went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up. ¹⁷ Then the servant ran to meet her and said, “Please give me a little water to drink from your jar.” ¹⁸ She said, “Drink, my lord.” And she quickly let down her jar upon her hand and gave him a drink. ¹⁹ When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking.” ²⁰ So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough and ran again to the well to draw water, and she drew for all his camels. ²¹ The man gazed at her in silence to learn whether the Lord had prospered his journey or not.

²² When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring weighing a half shekel, and two bracelets for her arms weighing ten gold shekels, ²³ and said, “Please tell me whose daughter you are. Is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?” ²⁴ She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.”

Genesis 24:15-24

A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.”

John 4:9

Reflection

The scene opens as Abraham’s trusted servant is praying, asking his master’s God to show him the woman that will marry Isaac. Before he is even done praying, Rebekah makes her entrance. The text mentions her eligibility: from Abraham’s relatives, check; unmarried, check. Then her desirability: very attractive in appearance.

These traits are not specific to what the servant is looking for, though. He asks God for a sign that shows a particular character. Rebekah unknowingly meets this test. It shouldn’t be overlooked that drawing water for ten camels will take hours. She even runs back to the water, even though she has dozens of trips to make before the camels are finished drinking.

After passing his test, the servant rewards her with gold. These are more than mere beautiful ornaments – this amount of gold is worth more than $10k. It signifies the ability and intention of the servant to deal generously with her, and ultimately is the down-payment of a bridal dowry.

This story of a woman and a well as a way to meet a future wife opens a motif that repeats many times throughout the Hebrew scriptures. Rebekah’s son Jacob is introduced to Rachel at a well. Moses meets his wife Zipporah at a well.

Then Jesus meets a woman at a well. This meeting meets the motif in many ways, but this doesn’t quite add up. The woman isn’t very desirable – she’s from the wrong people and a serial adulteress. Jesus, though, offers her a priceless gift – Himself as the sustainer of all life and His identity as the promised Messiah. In turn, she hurries back to her town, and through her story many believe in Jesus. This is the first moment we see those from non-Jewish nations believing in Him, and the well motif signifies a kind of betrothal between Jesus and His people, the Bride of Christ, which will come from every tribe and tongue.

Application

In each of the woman/well stories in the bible, there is a compelling undercurrent of God’s providence which has led the traveler and the woman to this place in order that a new union will be formed and bring about God’s purposes. Of particular note, Abraham’s servant was entrusting his mission to this providence, praying for a sign so he would know he had completed his task in finding a wife for his master’s son. Let us too be in continual prayer, so that our thoughts and intentions are in sync with the Spirit of God as we go about our business and meet the divine encounters that He has prepared for us. Just as Jesus was One with His Father, we also can be one with Him through the Holy Spirit. After all, we are, collectively, His bride. Take time to sync your heart to His in prayer, today.

Prayer

My Gracious Father,
Teach me to pray. Show me how to seek being with You, in Spirit and Truth, so that my actions and intentions are compelled by Your perfect will, and that I can sense Your prompting as I go about my daily life. May this daily Word be to me the light before my feet, as Your loving providence directs my paths for my good and Your glory.
Amen