TLDR: A guide for having a family discipleship time on Genesis 24 based on the ACT Bible Study Method.
Act 3: God Promises Jesus
Scene 11: Isaac and Rebekah
Genesis 24:1–67
Analyze the Passage
Step 1: Introduce the Passage
Genesis was written by Moses sometime between 1445–1405 BC to help the Israelites leaving Egypt understand their history with God. It’s one of the five books of the Law that Moses wrote, which we also call the Torah, or the Pentateuch, which means “five books.”
Today’s true story jumps ahead in time from the last one. Abraham’s wife Sarah has died and Isaac is grown up by now. It’s time for him to find a wife, especially since he is the chosen son to keep Abraham’s family growing. This story is in Act 3:God Promises Jesus.
Step 2: Read the Passage
Step 3: Summarize the Passage
Abraham was now quite old. He made one of his servants promise that he would not find Isaac a wife from the people where they lived, but rather that he would find one from his home country. The servant asked if no woman was willing to return from that home country, should he take Isaac there, but Abraham said not to do that. If no woman was willing to return, the promise was ended.
The servant then took ten camels with him and went to Abraham’s home country. He arrived by a well and prayed that God would show him what woman would be a good wife for Isaac. His test was that the woman who offered to water his camels would be the one.
Before he finished praying, Rebekah came to the well. When the servant asked for a drink of water, she offered to water his camels. After the camels were done drinking, the servant gave Rebekah some gold jewelry and asked if he could spend the night in her family’s home. At this point, the servant knew this was the right woman.
When the servant arrived at the house, he met Rebekah’s brother, Laban. He then told them all about why he was there and his test. He then asked if Rebekah would go back with him, and Laban and Rebekah both agreed.
When they had returned, the servant took Rebekah to Isaac and he explained all that had happened. Isaac married Rebekah and loved her, and she was a comfort to him after his mother’s death.
Step 4: Interrogate the Passage
Questions you and your family ask might include:
- Why didn’t Abraham want Isaac to marry a woman from where they lived?
- Why didn’t Abraham want Isaac to travel to his home country?
- Why did the servant make watering the camels a test?
- Why were Rebekah, Laban, and their family so eager to welcome the servant?
- Why did Rebekah’s family want her to stay with them longer before going?
- Why did Rebekah put a veil on when she saw Isaac?
Step 5: Wonder about the Passage
Wonder statements you and your family make might include:
- I wonder how old Isaac was?
- I wonder why a servant needed to find a wife for Isaac.
- I wonder how much water Rebekah had to draw for the camels.
- I wonder how Rebekah and her family felt about all this.
- I wonder what it was like for Rebekah to leave her home and family.
- I wonder what it was like when Rebekah and Isaac met.
Connect the Passage to Christ
Step 6: Find the World in Front of Text
In this story, we see amazing trust in God, hospitality, kindness, and love. It gives us a good picture of how God intended his people to live together. We see Abraham caring for his son, Isaac. We see Abraham’s servant agreeing to make an important promise. We see that servant turning to God for guidance. We see Rebekah showing amazing hospitality—watering that many camels wasn’t easy—and kindness. And we see Rebekah and her family seeing God’s hand in what had happened and following in obedience.
None of these people were perfect, of course. We’ve seen Abraham make mistakes, we’ll see Isaac make one soon, and we’ll see Laban make more later. But in this account, they give us a wonderful picture of people living together in harmony, following God’s guidance. And that’s exactly what God intended.
Step 7: Find the World of Jesus of the Text
Two marks that stand out of this account is love and hospitality. Love is what drove Abraham to send his servant to get a wife for Isaac. Love is what prompted the servant to make the promise and go. And love is what cemented Isaac and Rebekah together. But love for God undergirds it all.
We also see tremendous hospitality in this story. The culture of that day valued hospitality—even to a stranger like this. But Rebekah and her family seemed to go above and beyond. They went the extra mile instead of doing the minimum.
Both of these characteristics remind us of Jesus who displays perfect love for God and us and who lived on earth with amazing hospitality—always seeking to make strangers friends.
Translate It to Your Context
Step 8: Connect the World of Jesus of the Text to Your World
How can you show someone hospitality this week? How can you treat someone with friendship, love, and kindness? Think about people who you know of or barely know, especially anyone who seems like he or she might need a friend. What will you do to be a friend to them?
Who can you show the love of Jesus to this week? What are some ways you can love your family, friends, neighbors, and even strangers with the amazing and powerful love of Jesus?
NEXT: Act 3: God Promises Jesus; Scene 12: Isaac and Abimelech (Genesis 26:1–33)
Learn more about this family discipleship method here.
brian dembowczyk 