Genesis 24

In this whopper of a chapter (67 verses), Abraham sends out one of his lackeys to find a suitable mate for his son because apparently Isaac can't be ar*ed to do it himself. Said lackey comes back with--surprise!--Abraham's grandniece, a fetching lass named Rebekah. Along the way, he briefly makes contact with Rebekah's brother Laban, who will later end up as Jacob's hemorrhoid. (I have no idea why "Jacob's hemorrhoid" isn't as widespread a phrase as "Jacob's ladder.")

As you can see, I still possess traces of juvenile humor, so I also want to point out that, in verse 2, when the servant puts his hand under Abraham's thigh, "thigh" is a euphemism for the nether organ of a male. Thanks to my church small group for teaching me that little tidbit.

When Abraham's servant meets Rebekah, he makes her put on a nose ring. Can't say that's a style I would want to try out for myself, but if you have a kid who wants to make his or her face resemble a bull's, at least you know that this fashion has been in vogue since Old Testament times.

One of the reasons for this chapter's gargantuan length is that, in verses 34-49, the servant basically tells the whole story again up to that point. Useful for oral storytelling purposes, but perhaps just a little redundant when written down. I'm half surprised that the author didn't write down the whole thing again in verse 66, when "[t]he servant told Isaac all that he had done," thus creating an infinite loop akin to "Jack's Story" in John Scieszka and Lane Smith's brilliantly subversive book The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales.

Rebekah is a go-getter, her proactive nature admirable in such a patriarchal society. Yes, it gets her into a bit of trouble with Jacob and Esau later on, but there was plenty of blame to go around for that debacle. She doesn't just fetch the camels water; she actively runs to go get it. (Verse 21 says that Abraham's servant watches Rebekah closely "to learn whether or not the LORD had made his journey successful." Watching Rebekah run off, I wonder if the servant, being a guy and all, thought to himself that the journey was successful in more ways than one.)

Anyway, I'm definitely not a proactive or enterprising person. I have dreams, but lack the motivation to actively pursue many of them. Some people seem to naturally strive for great heights; I'm always amazed and somewhat inspired when I meet a kid who has remarkable confidence and drive. I know that, if supported and encouraged, she or he will go on to accomplish great feats as an adult. I was the polar opposite as a kid (as I'm sure I wrote about before). I'm still not the most self-assured person on Earth, certainly not the most charismatic or charming, and I know I'll never be so. I don't feel envious of such poised people---indeed, I marvel at others' skills. God gives us all different gifts and abilities, but (to repeat what's becoming a recurring theme) I must develop the faith to rely on Him in the areas in which I am weak.