Today, Ray continues with his series and suggests that doing ordinary things in an extraordinary way can lead to very interesting outcomes. Ed.

In Part 1, I suggested that Abraham’s servant was looking for someone, as a wife for Isaac, who would demonstrate some special qualities…in normal life. What qualities was he looking for?

First quality: He was looking for someone who was exceptional in the way they worked.

How do we know? Where was he when he met Rebekah? At the place where the young women of that city worked each day. When was he there? When they did that work. Gen 24:11 (NKJ): “And he made his camels kneel down outside the city by a well of water at evening time, the time when women go out to draw water.”  He didn’t head for the fashion parades, the coffee shops or the beach. He was looking for a special person…but not someone who was special in special circumstances—someone who showed special qualities in the normal, everyday circumstances of life.

More specifically, the story suggests that these are some of the ‘work’ qualities he was looking for:

(1) To turn up for work and do what is required. In those days, it was the accepted task of the young women to draw water for their household. Rebekah could have refused to do this…or taken a ‘sickie’ that day. She had no reason to think this could be a day of extraordinary opportunity…or require special behaviour. So, this would have looked like a normal day to her…and been her normal behaviour!

(2) To turn up for work on time and put in the time required. Rebekah seems to have been the first one to arrive at the well—Gen 24:13,15 (NKJ): “¹³ Behold, here I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water…¹⁵ And it happened, before he had finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah…came out with her pitcher on her shoulder.”

(3) To work diligently. Here are two aspects of diligence that emerge in this story:

• To work quickly—Gen 24:17-20 (NKJ): “ ¹⁷ …the servant ran to meet her and said, ‘Please let me drink a little water from your pitcher.’ ¹⁸ So she said, ‘Drink, my lord.’ Then she quickly let her pitcher down to her hand, and gave him a drink. ¹⁹ And when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, ‘I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking’ .²⁰ Then she quickly emptied her pitcher into the trough, ran back to the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels.”
• To work thoroughly, for example, to do things properly and finish what we start. Rebekah watered ten (thirsty) camels…until they had “finished drinking” (v19).

(4) To work enthusiastically, regardless of what needs to be done. I can see this quality in Rebekah’s work, if nothing else, by the speed and thoroughness she applied to this onerous, mundane task.

There’s a Bible verse that I believe has application to everything we do in life—Col 3:23-24 (NAS): “²³ Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men; ²⁴ knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.”

Abraham’s servant was looking for someone who was exceptional in the way they worked. Rebekah certainly qualified there. Her extraordinary opportunity didn’t come through some special event…or being in some special place…or even through some special behaviour—it came through her handling ordinary matters of life in an extraordinary way. That’s why opportunity isn’t a matter of chance—it’s a matter of choice!

And, yet Abraham’s servant was looking for something more…

Ray Graetz
September 20, 2024