< = = = Long time since I have seen you Mr. Comfort, where have you been?
That is a long story, but it is good to see you. I understand you are going to Israel with a Christian church group in a month or two, how did a nice Jewish boy like you end up in a situation like that?
< = = = A friend of mine from school is going with his family and they invited me. My dad just told me to remember I was a member of the tribe and have fun.
Smile, I have to go to Israel for some business myself, who knows, maybe I can look in on you. Until then, get all your school work done, Rosh Hashanah is coming in a few weeks, don't fall behing, I hope you are looking forward to your mom's Sweet Potato & Carrot Tzimmes, ummm. Well, back to our story, when we last met we were talking about Eleazar, Abraham's servant who went to find Issac a wife from Abraham's tribe. And Rebekah was the answer to his prayer. Now we are going to meet her brother Laban.
After Eleazar told her his mission, Rebekah ran and told her mother's household about these things. She had a brother named Laban, and he hurried out to the man at the spring. As soon as he had seen the nose ring, and the bracelets on his sister's arms, and had heard Rebekah tell what the man said to her, he went out to the man and found him standing by the camels near the spring.
< = = = Was it the gold that got his attention or was he looking out for his sister? You are nodding which is it? Both? Ah.
"Come, you who are blessed by the Lord," he said. "Why are you standing out here? I have prepared the house and a place for the camels." So the man went to the house, and the camels were unloaded. Straw and fodder were brought for the camels, and water for him and his men to wash their feet.
Then food was set before him, but he said, "I will not eat until I have told you what I have to say." "Then tell us," Laban said.
So he said, "I am Abraham's servant. The Lord has blessed my master abundantly, and he has become wealthy. He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, menservants and maidservants, and camels and donkeys. My master's wife Sarah has borne him a son in her old age, and he has given him everything he owns. And my master made me swear an oath, and said, 'You must not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live, but go to my father's family and to my own clan, and get a wife for my son.'
Then I asked my master, 'What if the woman will not come back with me?' "
He replied, 'The Lord, before whom I have walked, will send his angel with you and make your journey a success, so that you can get a wife for my son from my own clan and from my father's family. Then, when you go to my clan, you will be released from my oath even if they refuse to give her to you--you will be released from my oath.' "When I came to the spring today, I said, 'O Lord, God of my master Abraham, if you will, please grant success to the journey on which I have come. See, I am standing beside this spring; if a maiden comes out to draw water and I say to her, "Please let me drink a little water from your jar," and if she says to me, "Drink, and I'll draw water for your camels too," let her be the one the Lord has chosen for my master's son.' "Before I finished praying in my heart, Rebekah came out, with her jar on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water, and I said to her, 'Please give me a drink.' "She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder and said, 'Drink, and I'll water your camels too.' So I drank, and she watered the camels also. "I asked her, 'Whose daughter are you?' "She said, 'The daughter of Bethuel son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to him.' "Then I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her arms, and I bowed down and worshiped the Lord. I praised the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me on the right road to get the granddaughter of my master's brother for his son.
