“Come in, you blessed of the Lord…” (Genesis 24:31)! At first glance, one might assume that Laban was a worshiper of the true God. However, if he worshiped him at all, he did so, as one of many gods. We are told in scripture that Israel’s ancestors were polytheists, and the Lord called Abraham out of that context (Joshua 24:2-3). When the Lord called Abraham out of the land of Ur (Acts 7:2-4; cp. Genesis 11:27-30), he must have told his father, Terah, because it was Terah who took Abraham and his brother Nahor and their wives to dwell in Haran, probably declaring that Haran was the place that the Lord meant.
Rebekah’s Family’s Relationship to the Lord Therefore, Abraham’s family, vis-à-vis his brother and his descendants, knew about the Lord God, but they also worshiped other gods. Indeed, later when Jacob went to Haran and married Laban’s two daughters, Laban chased after Jacob, when he left to dwell in Canaan, and accused him of stealing his gods (Genesis 31:30)! Moreover, he said, he would have harmed Jacob, except for the fact that Abraham’s God warned him not to do so in a dream (Genesis 31:29). Therefore, Abraham’s God was only a God among the gods to Abraham’s brother and his family.
When Rebekah ran to her family to tell them all that had occurred at the well, Laban, her brother, beheld the jewelry the man had given his sister, and understood that the man must be a man of great wealth, vis-à-vis blessed of the Lord. Therefore, he made arrangements with his servants to receive the man, and he ran out to meet him and bring him to the house (Genesis 24:29-31).
When Abraham’s servant arrived at Rebekah’s home, he unloaded the burden upon the camels, and Laban provided water for his servants to wash the feet of his guests (Genesis 24:32). However, when food was served, Abraham’s servant sat with Rebekah’s family but refused to eat, until he unburdened himself of the reason, for which he was sent there by Abraham, his master (Genesis 24:33). He first brought Nahor’s family up to date concerning Abraham’s wealth and his family. Then he told them that Abraham has sent him to get a wife for Isaac, because he didn’t want him to take a wife from the Canaanites, with whom they dwelt (Genesis 24:34-37). Rather, he was sent to his brother’s family, who dwelt in Haran, and from them he should get a wife for Isaac, Abraham’s son (Genesis 24:38).
The man then told Rebekah’s family about his own concern about the willingness of Rebekah to marry Isaac, but Abraham told him, if Rebekah was unwilling, he’d be free of his oath. However, he also said that the Lord would make his journey successful (Genesis 24:39-41). Next, the man told the family about his prayer to the Lord, and how Rebekah had done everything according to the prayer (Genesis 24:42-46). Moreover, when he verified that the Lord had indeed answered his prayer by inquiring of the identity of Rebekah’s family, he knew it was true, and praised the Lord in prayer, and he gave Rebekah the erring and bracelets that she’s wearing (Genesis 24:47-48). However, he needed to know, if Bethuel, Rebekah’s father would respect the will of the Lord and release Rebekah to marry Isaac, his master (Genesis 24:49).
Both Bethuel and Laban concluded that this was the will of the Lord, and they would not seek to prevent Rebekah from going with the man to marry Isaac, the son of Abraham (Genesis 24:50-51). Therefore, when Abraham’s servant understood Bethuel’s will in this matter, he praised the Lord in prayer and gave gifts to Rebekah, as well as to her brother and her mother (Genesis 24:52-53).
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